Empty Suitcases

As a material, film is subject to constant change. In archives, this change is documented in condition reports. Sometimes the encounter between the print checker and the print itself leads to a sudden insight very much worth sharing. In this series, filmmaker Juan González seeks to share his personal moments of discovery during his work as a print checker at Arsenal. In Latin America, there is a New Year’s Eve tradition of packing a bag and running around the block with it in order to have good luck for upcoming trips. But what happens when society makes clear to you that you belong to a group that isn’t going anywhere and that luck was never part of the agreement? In EMPTY SUITCASES (USA 1980), Bette Gordon shows the anger of a woman who recognizes that the system has been stacked against her. Through a combination of playful and highly formalist devices, the film creates the multi-faceted portrait of a woman who is about to explode and ready to blow everything up. (Juan González)