Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film Free

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Deren was also a choreographer, dancer, film theorist, poet, lecturer, writer, and photographer. The function of film, Deren believed, was to create an experience. Using editing, multiple exposuresjump-cutting, superimpositionslow-motion, and other camera techniques to her advantage, Deren abandoned established notions of physical space and time, in carefully planned films with specific conceptual aims. Meshes of the Afternoonher collaboration with Alexander Hammidhas been one of the most influential experimental films in American cinema history. She went on to make several films of her own, including At LandA Study in Choreography for Cameraand Ritual in Transfigured Timewriting, producing, directing, editing, and photographing them with help from only one other person, Hella Heymanher camerawoman. Her father shortened the family name to "Deren" shortly after they arrived in New York. Inshe became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Deren began college at Syracuse Universitywhere she studied journalism [11] and political science, and also became a highly active socialist leader during the Trotskyist movement. She finished school at New York University with a bachelor's degree in literature [7] in June then returned Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film Syracuse in Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film fall. She and her husband became active in various socialist causes in New York City; during this time they separated and eventually divorced three years later. She received a master's degree in English literature at Smith College. She supported herself from to by freelance writing for radio shows and foreign-language newspapers. InDeren wrote to Katherine Dunham —an African American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist of Caribbean culture and dance—suggesting a children's book on dance; she later became Dunham's assistant and publicist. Dunham's fieldwork influenced Deren's studies of Haitian culture and Vodou mythology. It was there that Deren met Alexandr Hackenschmied later Hammida celebrated Czech-born photographer and cameraman who would become her second husband in Hackenschmied had fled from Czechoslovakia in after the Sudetenland Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film. They lived together in Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film Canyonwhere he helped her with her still photography which focused on local fruit pickers in Los Angeles. Deren defined cinema as an art, provided an intellectual context for film viewing, and filled a theoretical gap for the kinds of independent films that film societies were featuring. Her entrepreneurial spirit became evident as she began to screen and distribute her films in the United States, Canadaand Cubalecturing and writing on avant-garde film theory, and additionally on Vodou. She then created a scholarship for experimental filmmakers, the Creative Film Foundation. Deren was a muse and inspiration to such up-and-coming avant-garde filmmakers as Curtis HarringtonStan Brakhageand Kenneth Angerwho emulated her independent, entrepreneurial spirit. InDeren purchased a used 16 mm Bolex camera with some of the inheritance money after her father's death from a heart attack. It is the first example of a narrative work in avant-garde American film; critics have seen autobiographical elements in the film, as well as thoughts about women and the individual. The film can be described as an expressionistic "trance film", full of dramatic angles and innovative editing. It seems to investigate the ephemeral ways in which the protagonist's unconscious mind works and makes connections between objects and situations. A woman, played by Maya Deren, walks to her friend's house in Los Angeles, falls asleep and has a dream. The sequence of walking up to the gate on the partially shaded road restarts numerous times, resisting conventional narrative expectations, and ends in various situations inside the house. Movement from the wind, shadows and the music sustain the heartbeat of the dream. Certain symbols recur on the screen, including a cloaked, mirror-faced figure, and a key, which becomes twinned with a knife. The loose repetition and rhythm cut short any expectation Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film a conventional narrative, heightening the dream-like qualities. The camera initially avoids her face, which precludes identification with a particular woman. Multiple selves appear, shifting between the first and third person, suggesting that the super-ego is at play, which is in line with the psychoanalytic Freudian staircase and flower motifs. Another interpretation is that each film is Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film example of a "personal film". Her first piece explores a woman's subjectivity and her relation to the external world. Georges Sadoul said Deren may have been "the most important figure in the post-war development of Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film personal, independent film in the U. As with her other films on self-representation, Deren navigates conflicting tendencies of the self and the "other", through doubling, multiplication and merging of the woman in the film. Following a dreamlike quest with allegorical complexity, Meshes of the Afternoon has an enigmatic structure and a loose affinity with both film noir and domestic melodrama. According to a review in The Moving Image"this film emerges from a set of concerns and passionate commitments that are native to Deren's life and her trajectory. The first of these trajectories is Deren's interest in socialism during her youth and university years". There is no concrete information about the conception of Meshes of the Afternoon beyond that Deren offered the poetic ideas and Hammid was able to turn them into visuals. Deren's initial concept began on the terms of a subjective camera, one that would show the point of view of herself without the aid of mirrors and would move as her eyes through spaces. According to the earliest program note, she describes Meshes of the Afternoon as follows:. This film is concerned with the interior experiences of an individual. It does not record an event which could be witnessed by other persons. Rather, it reproduces the way in which the subconscious of an individual will develop, interpret, and elaborate an apparently simple and casual incident into a critical emotional experience. Taking on more of an environmental psychologist's perspective, Deren "externalizes the hidden dynamic of the external world She seems to be invisible to the people as she crawls across the table, uninhibited; her body continues seamlessly again onto a new frame, crawling through foliage; following the flowing pattern of water on rocks; following a man across a farm, to a sick man in bed, through a series of doors, and finally popping up outside on a cliff. She shrinks in the Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film frame as she walks farther away from the camera, up and down sand dunes, then frantically collecting rocks back on the shore. Her expression seems confused when she sees two women playing chess in the sand. She runs back through the entire sequence, and because of the jump-cuts, it seems as though she is a double or "doppelganger", where her earlier self sees her other self running through the scene. Some of her movements are controlled, suggesting a theatrical, dancer-like quality, while some have an almost animalistic sensibility as she crawls through the seemingly foreign environments. This is one of Deren's films in which the focus is on the character's exploration of her own subjectivity in her physical environment, inside as well as outside her subconscious, although it has a similar amorphous quality compared to her other films. In the spring of she made A Study in Choreography for Camerawhich Deren said was "an effort to isolate and celebrate the principle of the power of movement. Excited by the way the dynamic of movement is greater than anything else within the film, Maya established a completely new sense of the word "geography" as the Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film of the dancer transcends and manipulates the ideas of both time and space. The choreography is perfectly synched as he seamlessly appears in an outdoor courtyard and then returns to an open, natural space. It shows a progression from nature to the confines of society, and back to nature. The Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film belongs to dancer and choreographer Talley Beattywhose last movement is a leap across the screen back to the natural world. The edit its broken, choppy, showing different angles and compositions, and even with parts in slow-motion, Deren is able to keep the quality of the leap smooth and seemingly uninterrupted. By her fourth film, Deren discussed in An Anagram that she felt special attention should be given to unique possibilities of time and that the form should be ritualistic as a whole. Ritual in Transfigured Time began in August and was completed in It explored the fear of rejection and the freedom of expression in abandoning ritual, looking at the details as well as the bigger ideas Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film the nature and process of change. Deren's Meditation on Violence was made in Chao-Li Chi 's performance obscures the distinction between violence and beauty. It was an attempt to "abstract the principle of ongoing metamorphosis", found in Ritual in Transfigured Time, though Deren Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film it was not as successful in the clarity of that idea, brought down by its philosophical weight. Inshe moved to a Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film on Kings Road in Hollywood [2] and adopted Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film name Maya, a pet name her husband Hammid coined. Maya is the name of the mother of the historical Buddha as well as the dharmic concept of the illusory nature of reality. In Greek myth, Maia is the mother of Hermes and a goddess of mountains and fields. Many friends described her look as that of an exotic Russian Jew, [ citation needed ] attributing a part of her attractiveness to her bohemianGreenwich Village lifestyle. In the December issue of Esquire magazine, a caption for her photograph teased that she "experiments with motion pictures of the subconscious, but here is finite evidence that the lady herself Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film infinitely photogenic. In Haiti she was a Russian. She was always dressed up, talking, speaking many languages and being a Russian. Throughout the s and s, Deren attacked Hollywood for its artistic, political and economic monopoly over American cinema. She stated, "I make my pictures for what Hollywood spends on lipstick," and observed that Hollywood "has been a major obstacle to the definition and development of motion pictures as a creative fine-art form. Artistic freedom means that the amateur filmmaker is never forced to sacrifice visual drama and beauty to a stream of words Instead of trying to invent a plot that moves, use the movement of wind, or water, children, people, elevators, balls, etc. And use your freedom to experiment with visual ideas; your mistakes will not get you fired. When Maya Deren decided to make an ethnographic film in Haiti, she was criticized for abandoning avant-garde film where she had made her name, but she was ready to expand to a new level as an artist. The Guggenheim Fellowship grant in enabled Deren to finance her travel and complete Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film film Meditation on Violence. She went on three additional trips through to document Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film record the rituals of Haitian Vodou. A source of inspiration for ritual dance was Katherine Dunham who wrote her master's thesis on Haitian dances inwhich Deren edited. Afterwards Deren wrote several articles on religious possession in dancing before her first trip to Haiti. She described her attraction to Vodou possession ceremonies, transformation, dance, play, games and especially ritual came from Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film strong feeling on the need to decenter our thoughts of self, ego and personality. The ritualistic form treats the human being not as the source of the dramatic action, but as a somewhat depersonalized element in a dramatic whole. The intent of such depersonalization is not the destruction of the individual; on the contrary, it enlarges him beyond the personal dimension and frees him from the specializations and confines of personality. He becomes part of a dynamic whole which, like all such creative relationships, in turn, endow its parts with a measure of its larger meaning. Deren filmed 18, feet of Vodou rituals and people she met in Haiti. Anthropologists Melville Herkovitz and Harold Courlander acknowledged the importance of Divine Horsemenand in contemporary studies it is often cited as an authoritative voice, where Deren's methodology has been especially praised because "Vodou has resisted all orthodoxies, never mistaking surface representations for inner realities. In her book of the same name [33] Deren uses the spelling Voudounexplaining: "Voudoun terminology, titles and ceremonies still make use of the original African words and in this book they have been spelled out according to usual English phonetics and so as to render, as closely as possible, the Haitian pronunciation. Most of the songs, sayings Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film even some of the religious terms, however, are in Creolewhich is primarily French in derivation although it also contains African, Spanish and Indian words. Where the Creole word retains its French meaning, it has been written out so as to indicate both the original French word and the distinctive Creole pronunciation. Deren died inat the age of 44, from a brain hemorrhage brought on by extreme malnutrition. Her condition may have also been weakened by her long-term dependence on amphetamines and sleeping pills prescribed by Max Jacobsona doctor and member of the arts scene, notorious for his liberal prescription of drugs, [7] who later became famous as one of President John F. Kennedy 's physicians. Her father suffered from hypertensionwhich she may also have had. Her ashes were scattered in Japan at Mount Fuji. Deren was a key figure in the creation of a New American Cinema, highlighting personal, experimental, underground film. The Legend of Maya Deren, Vol. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Maya Deren. Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film by Maya Deren

Sign up for Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film to find out whether you'll like this book. Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film contains all of Deren's essays on her own films as well as more general essays on film theory, the relation of film to dance, various technical aspects of film production, the distinction between amateur and professional filmmaking, and the famous chapbook titled "An Anagram of Ideas on Art, Form and Film," which has been reset here for the first time. This book will be particularly welcomed by the large audience that saw Martina Kudlacek's documentary, "In the Mirror of Maya Deren," during its theatrical release in the U. The importance of Maya Deren's films and writings is further evidenced by the American Film Institute having named its highest award for independent filmmaking the "Maya Deren. Recently added by Essential Deren: Collected Writings on FilmFiclairejeanalmereydaTerpsichoreanmaxweinmanHerlovrsrdankecabellalunat No current Talk conversations about this book. No reviews. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English None. Until now, Maya Deren's essays on the art and craft of filmmaking have not been available in a comprehensive volume equally handy for students, film enthusiasts, and scholars. No library descriptions found. Book description. Haiku summary. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. Quick Links Amazon. Amazon Kindle 0 editions. Audible 0 editions. CD Audiobook 0 editions. Project Gutenberg 0 editions. Google Books — Loading Local Book Search. Swap 15 want. Popular covers. Rating Average: 4. Is this you? Become a LibraryThing Author. Recently added by. For more help see the Common Knowledge help page. Original publication date. Add to Your books Add to wishlist Quick Links. Essential Deren – PDF Download

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Essential Deren by Maya Deren. Bruce McPherson Editor. Until now, Maya Deren's essays on the art and craft of filmmaking have not been available in a comprehensive volume Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film handy for students, film enthusiasts, and scholars. Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film contains all of Deren's essays on her own films as well as more general essays on film theory, the relation of film to dance, various technical aspects of Until now, Maya Deren's essays on the art and craft of filmmaking have not been available in a comprehensive volume equally handy for students, film enthusiasts, and scholars. Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film contains all of Deren's essays on her own films as well as more general essays on film theory, the relation of film to dance, various technical aspects of film production, the distinction between amateur and professional filmmaking, and the famous chapbook titled "An Anagram of Ideas on Art, Form and Film," which has been reset here for the first time. This book Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film be particularly welcomed by the large audience that saw Martina Kudlacek's documentary, "In the Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film of Maya Deren," during its theatrical release in the U. The importance of Maya Deren's films and writings is further evidenced by the American Film Institute having named its highest award for independent filmmaking the "Maya Deren. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. More Details Original Title. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Essential Derenplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Jan 23, Bonny rated it it was amazing Shelves: nonfiction. Then I actually realized that I was overwhelmed with the most wondrous gratitude for the marvelous persistence of the life force. In the transported exaltation of this moment, I wanted to run out into the streets and shout to everyone that death was not true! I had always believed and felt this, but never had I known how right I was. And I asked myself, why, then, did I not celebrate it in my art. And then I had a sudden image: a dog lying somewhere very still, and a child, first looking at it, and then, compulsively, nudging it. This most primitive, this most instinctive of all gestures: to make it move to make it live. So I had always been doing with my camera… nudging an ever-increasing area of the world, making it move, animating it, making it live… The love of life itself… seems to me larger than the loving attention to a life. But, of course, each contains the other, and, perhaps, I have not so much traveled off in a direction as Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film in a slow spiral around some central essence, seeing it first from below, and now, finally, from above. View 1 comment. Feb 13, Jeff E. This book is a collection of essays Deren wrote on her approach to film. This is a great book to pick up and read from time to time. Her approach to Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film is so simple and straight forward, yet dilligent and serious. She works very much with an 'amateur' approach and at the same time is very much interested in technique and doing whatever it takes to get the desired outcome. Great inspiration for anyone engaging in creative activities of any kind. Dec 18, Dany rated it it was amazing Shelves: directorsfilm-theory. The limited specialization of being only one thing—"Be yourself! Just as a single diamond may have various facets which we perceive "Actually, a man who has a single, true self is not the very model of integrity; he is simply a one-dimensional creature, which is one-step worse than being a square. Just as a Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film diamond may have various facets which we perceive in succession, so a man may, Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film should, have many aspects and truths; and integrity, then, consists in his responding to the requirement of each phase of his life with the aspect which most accurately relates to it. Creativity itself has several facets. It is silly to argue as to Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film it is free or Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film, committed or dispassionate, etc. It should contain all of these at Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film times. Sep 26, Perry rated it really liked it Shelves: art-and-criticism. A great collection of Maya Deren's writings. I disagree with a vast majority of her conclusions, but like any good film theory book, they're always thought-provoking and inspiring. Absolute queen. Jul 25, Alex rated it it was amazing. Feb 24, Opos Remor rated it it was amazing. This is a fascinating book. Apr 28, Noah rated it it was amazing Shelves: ensayo. 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Readers also enjoyed. Media Tie In. About Maya Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film. Maya Deren. Deren was also a choreographer, dancer, poet, writer and photographer. Books by Maya Deren. Escape the Present with These 24 Historical Romances. You know the saying: There's no time like the present In that case, we can't Read more Trivia About Essential Deren No trivia or quizzes yet. Welcome back.