{"id":1590,"date":"2010-01-11T09:55:52","date_gmt":"2010-01-11T14:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/?p=1590"},"modified":"2011-04-23T00:01:25","modified_gmt":"2011-04-23T05:01:25","slug":"diskussionsprotokoll-ruhr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/2010\/01\/diskussionsprotokoll-ruhr\/","title":{"rendered":"Diskussionsprotokoll: Ruhr"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is filmmaker Sven Ilgner’s account <\/em>of the Q&A session which occurred at Duisburger Filmwoche on November 2, 2009 where James Benning’s new film <\/em>Ruhr premiered (taken from a PDF which can be downloaded here<\/a>).<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

<\/br>
\n***Also on Ruhr<\/em>, here is a spectacular audio interview<\/a> with Benning about the making of the film.***<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

<\/br>
\nMontag, 02. November 2009, 20.00 Uhr<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

33. DUISBURGER FILMWOCHE Diskussionsprotokoll<\/p>\n

Podium: (Regie) James Benning
\n(Moderation) Werner Ruzicka<\/p>\n

Unfortunately the discussion begins with an apology. Werner Ruzicka is sorry for the technical
\nproblems, which had occurred while the film was shown. Despite that, he points out that James
\nBenning\u2019s screening of Ruhr has surely been a precious and impressing opening for the 33rd
\nfilmweek.<\/p>\n

What was the original attraction? Why the Ruhr Valley?<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Benning felt familiar with the location. Having grown up in an industrial and working class
\nenvironment like Milwaukee, he noticed an immediate connection to the working class area Ruhr
\nValley. The author normally works on films about places he knows very well. Since this was not
\nthe case in Ruhr, his approach was slightly different. He got to know the places while putting
\nthem on digital video. Ruhr is not a portrait, but rather a \u2018deep map\u2019 on HD.<\/p>\n

Benning is aware of the fact that his films can be difficult for the audience. The process might not
\nreveal itself, if you are not used to absorbing the images deeply. A viewer has to be open to
\nworking on the image he sees. It forces you to compare what you see and hear to what you know.
\nIt forces you to find what is inside you. It is hard work.<\/p>\n

How were the images finally chosen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Benning\u2019s film now contains six shots. The original number was around 20. Including the
\nRhine River and more parts of the steel mill. In the end, only a limited number of the images were
\nreally \u2018speaking\u2019 to him.<\/p>\n

What about the possible extension of time because of the format digital video?<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Benning reminds the audience of 16mm reels with a maximum time of 11 minutes. Ruhr is
\nhis first work on HD video. With modern card storage systems, he could soon be able to shoot a
\nfour hour shot. \u2018This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean I do it,\u2019 but it makes life easier. Especially in
\ncases like the coke tower shot: It lasts one hour. In reality, 1 \u00bd hours had passed by. An
\nimportant part was the dissolving from day to night. So the author decided to manipulate. He
\nspeeded up the sunset. Secretly. He used video\u2019s ability to \u2018completely hide the ellipse of time.\u2019<\/p>\n

James Bennings manipulations are taking a different route. He is manipulating to achieve more
\ntruthfulness. The iterations of steaming differ from 10 to 20 minutes. By showing a shot of one
\nhour length, the author gives the possibility to undergo the process of waiting. You can find your
\nown kind of rhythm. It is about anticipation, waiting and expectations. It is what you see in the
\npicture, because you find it in yourself.<\/p>\n

James Benning offers his view into the future: HD is the end of filmmaking as we know it. With
\nbetter resolution, but fewer distribution costs, we will see works that are far more real and less
\nnostalgic. In consequence we have to \u2018embrace HD.\u2019 A deeper view into the topic can be found in
\nJames Benning\u2019s article on www.dock-duisburg.de. There will also be a DVD collection with his
\nworks. The filmmuseum Vienna has taken care of some of his (also unseen) films. Benning is not
\nkeen on being a capitalistic scrooge. He is planning to digitize his work and therefore to offer his
\nfilms for free to be downloadable in the internet.<\/p>\n

The different images are being discussed. With time and attention given, you can share Benning\u2019s
\nsensation of vulnerability and fear in the first shot. One might feel trapped in the tunnel. The
\nman on the bicycle offers a comic relief. A floating autumn leaf ends the image. A flying plastic
\nbag had already opened it. The tunnel shot works in a very narrative way.<\/p>\n

One viewer is curious about the \u2018music\u2019 in the first shot. Astonishingly it is the sound that
\noccurred in the moment and not composed music. We can hear trains crossing and whistling. The
\nblowing whistles really appear as if they were arranged, composed for the shot.<\/p>\n

Werner Ruzicka is looking for metaphors. Does the author accept an interpretation of isolation
\nand loneliness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Benning agrees by saying that there are loaded images. There is an airplane, praying
\nmuslims and a tower. After three weeks of editing, he realized a possible connection and was quite
\nshocked about what he had created. Due to media\u2019s education and the people\u2019s general memory,
\nstrongly prejudiced interpretations are possible.<\/p>\n

One member of the audience found his own connections between all six shots. In his view the
\nimages are all dissolving themselves. Nevertheless he is doubtful and calls his idea possibly
\n\u2018klugschei\u00dferisch\u2019 (in German). As an example, Benning chooses to talk about the cleaning of the
\nSerra sculpture. There are many possible interpretations. It all depends on the viewers knowledge
\nand access. Who decides in the end, what is art? One who doesn\u2019t know Richard Serra\u2019s work
\nmight consider the destruction of the graffiti paintings a brutal act. One might simply dismiss the
\nimage and wait for the next one. James Benning shares with the audience that he is very aware of
\nthe confusion his images provoke. Everybody\u2019s own history and thoughts make the image. It is
\nhard work.<\/p>\n

The author also reveals the manipulations in the Essen street shot. Benning cut out several
\npersons, made the moment less active. He emptied the street. A viewer expresses his amazement
\nthat in this particular shot you can hardly hear the Autobahn, which is 300meter away from the
\nlocation. Benning: \u2018You have to watch it in another theatre!\u2019 It would have to be a screening
\nwithout a \u2018gremlin\u2019 inside the projector. The participants agree in their sadness about the sound
\nproblems of the screening. There was no way of avoiding it. Gremlins just happen.<\/p>\n

Sven Ilgner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following is filmmaker Sven Ilgner’s account of the Q&A session which occurred at Duisburger Filmwoche on November 2, 2009 where James Benning’s new film Ruhr premiered (taken from a PDF which can be downloaded here). ***Also on Ruhr, here is a spectacular audio interview with Benning about the making of the film.*** Montag, 02. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1590"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3184,"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590\/revisions\/3184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blakewilliams.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}