Point of View. A Program Series on Political Film and Video Work

What does it mean today to "make films politically"? What are the themes of this kind of work, how are the issues aesthetically reflected, and how does a political understanding of one's work influence processes of production and forms of distribution? The program series curated by Tobias Hering from October 6 to December 2 will be dedicated to current political film and video work. It focuses on actors and their working environments, and on films and videos that are produced both in artistic and activist contexts, which challenge and question the cinema as a space of critical reflection. On each of the nine evenings, one or two authors will present their works and discuss them with the audience. The artists featured in October are Joanne Richardson (RO), Charles Heller (CH), Elke Marhöfer (GER), and Sarah Vanagt (B). In the second part of each evening, the invited artists will present films that have influenced their work - either by affinities, by provocation, or favorite enemies. For this "carte blanche", some artists made selections from the Arsenal archive, which is part of a history of contextualizing film and video as a passionate, collaborative project. Where do we stand today within this history?