Film shadow performance with three 16mm projectors,
Reenacted by Cinzia Nistico & Betija Zvejniece

First presented in 1971, Horror Film 1 is a performance with three film projectors and a body. The three projections overlap in three loops creating constantly changing colour effects. The performer’s body, placed in front of the screen, gradually moves towards the projectors, performing a series of movements that create a complex set of coloured shadows. The centre image is larger than the two side images and is superimposed in the centre of the larger frame. Constant breathing is the only soundtrack that accompanies this 14-minute performance. The breathing is usually pre-recorded and played back during the action. The seeming simplicity of the performance fully explores the optical potential of this set-up while establishing a connection between the mechanical rolling of the loops and the human body.

Before the re-enactment, we will present Love Story 2 (UK, 1977, 10 minutes, 16mm double projection). The loops featured in Horror Film 1 were excerpted by Le Grice from an internegative of footage originally produced for Love Story 2. The content of this film comprises exclusively colour fields, generated through the use of filters on a contact printer. Throughout the film, these colour fields shift across the spectrum, initially changing slowly before accelerating and dividing into four equal sections. Accompanying the visuals is the sound of a rising sine wave.

SPECTRAL is a four-year collaborative project between six artist-run film labs with a DIY philosophy that focuses on the expansive possibilities of live cinema and analogue projection. The project includes artist residencies, workshops, the creation of hybrid film equipment, screenings, and expanded events.

• Programm Programme: Horror Film 1