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NEW YORK, August 15, 2006—The
Museum of Modern Art presents The Personal Films of
Su Friedrich, a series of nine films by the avant
garde director of personal, experimental films that deal largely
with issues of feminism, gender and lesbian sexuality. This midcareer
retrospective—presented September 27–30 at The Roy and
Niuta Titus Theaters on the occasion of the DVD release of a five-volume,
13-title Friedrich film collection—includes such classic works
as The Ties That Bind (1984) and Sink or Swim (1990), as well as
the East Coast premiere of Friedrich’s latest work Seeing
Red (2005), all of which will be introduced by the director on opening
night. The exhibition is organized by Sally Berger, Assistant Curator,
Department of Film and Media, The Museum of Modern Art. Special
thanks to Vanessa Domico, Outcast Films; Canyon Cinema; and New
York Women in Film and Television.
Friedrich attended the University of Chicago and Oberlin College,
working as a photographer and graphic artist in New York. From her
beginnings in the American feminist movement of the late 1970s,
Su Friedrich (American, b. 1954) has mixed experimental, narrative,
and documentary forms with provocative feminist and lesbian themes
to create a significant body of original hybrid films. A groundbreaking
member of the avant-garde film community, and a pivotal force in
the establishment of Queer Cinema with Friedrich at the vanguard,
along with filmmakers such as Peggy Ahwesh, Gregg Araki, Todd Haynes,
Tom Kalin, Christopher Munch, Marlon Riggs, and Ellen Spiro, Friedrich
has created a body of work that is marked by her unabashed—often
autobiographically based—investigations of intimate subjects
and by the feminist slogan “the personal is political”.
Her films explore the worlds of lesbian adolescence and sexuality,
women’s adulthood and health, gender politics, and familial
and societal relationships.
Friedrich’s earlier work is characterized by its black and
white cinematography and her reliance on optical printing, while
her later work has incorporated color film/video hybrids and, more
recently, exclusively color video work. Friedrich’s combined
narrative, documentary, and experimental treatments lend a complexity
to her subject matter.
No. TK
Press Contact: Paul Power, (212) 708-9847, or paul_power@moma.org
For downloadable images, please visit www.moma.org/press
Public Information:
The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street,
New York, NY 10019
Hours: Wednesday through Monday: 10:30 a.m.-5:30
p.m. Friday: 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Closed Tuesday
Museum Adm: $20 adults; $16 seniors, 65 years and
over with I.D.; $12 full-time students with current I.D. Free, members
and children 16 and under. (Includes admittance to Museum galleries
and film programs)
Target Free Friday Nights 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Film Adm: $10 adults; $8 seniors, 65 years and
over with I.D. $6 full-time students with current I.D. (For admittance
to film programs only)
Subway: E or V train to Fifth Avenue/53rd Street
Bus: On Fifth Avenue, take the M1, M2, M3, M4,
or M5 to 53rd Street. On Sixth Avenue, take the M5, M6, or M7 to
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The public may call (212) 708-9400 for detailed Museum information.
Visit us at www.moma.org
THE PERSONAL FILMS OF SU FRIEDRICH
SCREENING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, September 27
6:00 The Ties That Bind.
1984. USA.
A fearless dialogue between past and present, and mother and daughter;
this meditation on political responsibility and personal loss is
viewed through Friedrich’s mother’s experiences growing
up in Nazi Germany. 55 min.
Sink or Swim. 1990. USA.
This landmark in autobiographical filmmaking presents an unflinching
account of the highly charged relationship between a daughter and
her father. 48 min. Presented by Friedrich
8:15 Rules of the Road. 1993. USA.
A used stationwagon embodies the memories of a failed relationship.
31 min.
The Head of a Pin. 2004. USA.
The beauty and cruelty of nature confronts urbanites. 21 min.
Seeing Red. 2005. USA.
Seeing Red expresses the notion that
a color, melody, or person has multiple characteristics that cannot
be understood within a simple framework. 27 min. East Coast
premiere. Program 79 min. Presented by Friedrich
Friday, September 29
6:00 Hide and Seek. 1996. USA. Cowritten
by Cathy Nan Quinlan. With Chels Holland, Ariel Mara, Alicia Manta,
and twenty interview subjects.
In this film about lesbian adolescence and awakening desire in the
1960s, Friedrich interweaves a fictional narrative about the escapades
of a young tomboy and her friends with adult testimonials and reminiscences
about coming of age. Campy, educational footage rounds out the story.
65 min.
8:15 The Odds of Recovery. 2002. USA.
Friedrich turns the camera on herself—an unhappy patient facing
her sixth surgery and an ongoing, difficult-to-treat hormone imbalance—in
order to analyze her chances for a happier, healthier life. The
film boldly addresses the concerns of middle age, mortality, and
rarely discussed women’s sexual health issues. 65 min.
Saturday, September 30
2:00 The Ties That Bind.
Sink or Swim. See Wednesday, September 27, 6:00
5:00 Damned If You Don’t. 1987.
USA. With Peggy Healey, Ela Troyano.
An intimate look at sexual expression and repression through the
retelling of Black Narcissus, a film about a nun in an isolated
convent, juxtaposed with the reminiscences of a woman’s closeted
romance. 42 min.
First Comes Love. 1991. USA.
Four wedding ceremonies, recorded in all their pomp and circumstance
against a backdrop of love songs, are compared to the options for
gay marriage around the world. 22 min.
6:30 Hide and Seek. See Thursday, September
28, 8:15 |
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