The Scorpion's Sting a C a D a Vre Exquis B a Sed on Luis
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THE SCORPION’S STING A CADAVRE EXQUIS BASED ON LUIS BUÑUEL’S “L’ÂGE D’OR” TOBIAS ZIELONY CHICKS ON SPEED M+M KEREN CYTTER JULIAN ROSEFELDT JOHN BOCK RALF BEIL, MICHAEL BUHRS, M+M (EDS.) Funded by TOBIAS ZIELONY CHICKS ON SPEED M+M KEREN CYTTER JULIAN ROSEFELDT JOHN BOCK CONTENTS THE SCORPION’S STING, 2014 Film stills 3 First Episode: TOBIAS ZIELONY 25 Second Episode: CHICKS ON SPEED 49 Third Episode: M+M 73 Fourth Episode: KEREN CYTTER 97 Fifth Episode: JULIAN ROSEFELDT 121 Sixth Episode: JOHN BOCK M+M Ralf Beil 147 Letter to Ugo Gregoretti / 178 Don’t Eulogize a Dead Writer: Make a Film! Interview Ugo Gregoretti – Tanja Lelgemann A Conversation with Luis Buñuel 150 Letter to Michel Houellebecq about Music, Morality, and Dry Martini 151 Letter to John Forbes Nash 152 Letter to Peter Raue / Michael Buhrs Reply from Peter Raue 182 Safecrackers: The Phenomenon of Artist Collectives 154 Forewords 155 Preface and Acknowledgments Marcus Steinweg 190 Ontological Fever M+M 156 A Few Hours Later ... Ralf Beil Concept and Realization of The Scorpion’s Sting 196 Sting in the Ear Traces of Image and Sound in Buñuel’s Jean-Henri Fabre L’Âge d’or and in The Scorpion’s Sting 162 The Languedoc Scorpion Selected Extracts from Souvenirs Entomologiques 203 Biographies and Credits (Entomological Memoirs), vol. IX, 1905 208 Imprint and Photo Credits 165 Luis Buñuel L’Âge d’or, 1930, Film stills THE SCORPION’S STING, 2014 Film Scripts 210 First Episode: TOBIAS ZIELONY 212 Second Episode: CHICKS ON SPEED 218 Third Episode: M+M 222 Fourth Episode: KEREN CYTTER 234 Fifth Episode: JULIAN ROSEFELDT 240 Sixth Episode: JOHN BOCK 147 Dear Mr. Gregoretti, We are currently preparing a cinematic exhibition titled The Scorpion’s Sting, which involves six artists and artist groups who each reinterpret one of the six episodes of the Luis Buñuel ¿OPL’Âge d’or. $FFRUGLQJO\WKHH[KLELWLRQLWVHOILVFRQFHLYHGDVDQDQWKRORJ\¿OPRIVRUWV During preparations for the project we noticed that the genre of the anthology or omnibus ¿OPURVHWRSDUWLFXODUSURPLQHQFHLQWKHVL[WLHVVRPHWKLQJWRZKLFK\RX\RXUVHOIDORQJZLWK other internationally renowned directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Roman Polanski, contributed with now legendary projects such as Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963) and The World’s Most Beautiful Swindlers (1964). We would therefore like to ask you a few questions: +RZGLG\RXFRPHWRJHWLQYROYHGLQWKHJHQUHRIWKHDQWKRORJ\¿OP" 'LGVRFLDODQGSROLWLFDOFRQVLGHUDWLRQVLQIRUPWKHGHFLVLRQWRFROODERUDWH" Did you coordinate with one another on the structures, contents and intentions of the joint project, for instance, regarding a continuous meta-level or a thematic focus on particular VXEMHFWVVXFKDVUHOLJLRQRUDFULWLTXHRIFRQVXPHULVP" Which common aesthetic and social expectations did the directors and producers associate ZLWKWKHJHQUH" Could it be argued that you viewed the joint artistic project as a way to cast off the prevailing VWDQGDUGVDQGFRQYHQWLRQVRI¿OPLQRUGHUWRGHYHORSDQHZFLQHPDWLFODQJXDJH" $QG¿QDOO\KRZGLGWKHSXEOLFUHVSRQGWRWKLVSKHQRPHQRQ" We would be delighted if you would give us the opportunity to incorporate your thoughts on WKHDQWKRORJ\¿OPGXULQJWKHKH\GD\RI(XURSHDQDXWHXU¿OPPDNLQJLQWRRXUSUHSDUDWLRQV for the project. Thanking you in anticipation of your kind support. Sincerely, M+M Dear M+M, 7KDQN\RXIRU\RXUOHWWHU<RXULQWHUHVWLQWKHJHQUHRIWKHDQWKRORJ\¿OPSURPSWHGDFRQYHUVDWLRQ between me and Tanja Lelgemann that is reproduced below. Kind regards and best wishes for your project, Ugo Gregoretti 7DQMD/HOJHPDQQ+RZGLG\RXFRPHWRJHWLQYROYHGLQWKHJHQUHRIWKHDQWKRORJ\¿OP" 8JR*UHJRUHWWL,WLVGLI¿FXOWWRVD\H[DFWO\ZKDWOHGWRWKLVLQYROYHPHQW,DPQRWVXUHZKHWKHULW was a decision that was based on a particular concept or one that was prompted by the analogy with other forms of expression, such as theater, painting and literature. The anthology ¿OPFDQEHGHVFULEHGDVD³TXDGULSW\FK´RIVRUWV,GRQ¶WNQRZLIWKHWHUP³TXDGULSW\FK´RI¿FLDOO\ exists; at any rate, it is a triptych plus another picture, because usually there are four episodes. $QGLQWKLVZD\\RX¿QGDFRQQHFWLRQWRWKHWUDGLWLRQRISDLQWLQJWRWKHQRPHQFODWXUHRISDLQWLQJ 2QHGD\ZKHQ,ZDVVKRRWLQJP\VHJPHQWRIWKHDQWKRORJ\¿OPRo.Go.Pa.G., called Il Pollo Ruspante,>$OEHUWR@$UEDVLQRFDPHLQWRWKHSURGXFHU¶VRI¿FHDQGZDVDVNHGWRFRQWULEXWHWRD SLHFHUHÀHFWLQJRQWKHJHQUHRIWKHDQWKRORJ\¿OP,UHPHPEHUWKDWKHSURSRVHGDGH¿QLWLRQ EDVHGRQWKHDQDORJ\EHWZHHQIHDWXUHOHQJWK¿OPVDQWKRORJ\DQGPHGLXPOHQJWK¿OPVRQWKH one hand and the painting of large frescoes and easel paintings on the other. Based on this GH¿QLWLRQRQHFRXOGVD\WKDWDQDQWKRORJ\¿OPLVDFRPSUHVVHGFROOHFWLRQRISLFWXUHVDVRSSRVHG to a self-contained fresco. And there are similar analogies that one could make, if required. - 148 7/:K\GLGLWEHFRPHSRSXODULQWKHHDUO\VL[WLHVWRPDNHDQWKRORJ\¿OPV" 8*,GRQ¶WEHOLHYHWKHUHDOUHDVRQVWKDWOHGWRWKHHPHUJHQFHRIWKHDQWKRORJ\RURPQLEXV¿OP were particularly noble. In a way, it was not about the search for new forms of expression and DQHZODQJXDJHEXWUDWKHUDERXWWKHSURGXFHUKRSLQJWKDWE\LQYHQWLQJDOHVVFRVWLQWHQVLYH¿OP JHQUHWKDWZRXOGJURVVKLJKHUWKDQDYHUDJHʊKLJKHUWKDQFRQYHQWLRQDOPRYLHVWKDWLVʊLWZRXOG EHSRVVLEOHWRDFKLHYHKLJKHUHDUQLQJV$QGZK\GLGDQDQWKRORJ\¿OPFRVWOHVVDQGJURVV KLJKHU"%HFDXVHDFWRUVHYHQIDPRXVRQHVQHHGWREHKLUHGHYHQIRUVKRUWSHULRGV+HQFHOHVV PRQH\KDGWREHVSHQWRQDFWRUV¶VDODULHVDQGWKHEXGJHWQHHGHGIRUWKH¿OPZDVORZHUFRP SDUHGZLWKRWKHUFRQYHQWLRQDO¿OPV7KLVDOVRDOORZHGSURGXFHUVWRDIIRUGWRSDFWRUVZKRLQIDFW ZHUHLQWHUHVWHGLQWKLVNLQGRI¿OPWKHPVHOYHV$IWHUDOOWKHSURMHFWODVWHGMXVWWKUHHWRIRXUZHHNV instead of ten or twelve, an arrangement which meant that they could accept more projects and work more. 7/$QGZKDWZDVLWOLNHWRPDNHDQDQWKRORJ\¿OPIURPWKHSHUVSHFWLYHRIWKHGLUHFWRUV" 8*7KHGLUHFWRUKDGWZRRSWLRQVEHSDUWRIDQDQWKRORJ\¿OPDVRQHRIIRXUGLUHFWRUVRUPDNH DQDQWKRORJ\¿OPZLWKDQ\QXPEHURIHSLVRGHVWKDWZHUHDOOVKRWE\RQHDQGWKHVDPHGLUHFWRU In the latter case the director was, as it were, a writer writing a novel and novellas at the same WLPHʊWKHFRPSDULVRQLVDFWXDOO\TXLWHDSSURSULDWHLQWKLVFDVH6XUHZKDW,DPVD\LQJLVWULYLDO EXWLWLVDOVRVSRWRQLIRQHDLPVWREURDGO\FODVVLI\WKHDQWKRORJ\¿OPDQGWKHRWKHUIRUPVRI H[SUHVVLRQLWUHÀHFWV,QP\¿UVWDQWKRORJ\PRYLH,ZDVWKHDXWKRURIRQHHSLVRGH 7/'LGVRFLDODQGSROLWLFDOFRQVLGHUDWLRQVLQIRUPWKHGHFLVLRQWRFROODERUDWH" 8*,ZRXOGVD\WKDWWKHIRUPDWRIWKHDQWKRORJ\¿OPDWOHDVWLQ,WDO\ZDVQRWJXLGHGE\LGHRORJLFDO claims or the requirements of thematic coherence. I would like to jump far ahead in time here: WKHODVW,WDOLDQDQWKRORJ\¿OPWRZKLFK,FRQWULEXWHGZDVVKRWLQ7KHSURMHFWZDVWKHQGHOD\HG DELWEXWWKHRFFDVLRQZDVWKHDQQLYHUVDU\RIWKH0HVVLQDHDUWKTXDNHZKLFKʊLQWREH SUHFLVHʊFHOHEUDWHGLWVWKDQQLYHUVDU\7KH¿OPZDVFDOOHGScossa>(DUWK7UHPRU@6LQFHWKH ¿OPKDGEHHQFRPPLVVLRQHGE\WKH¿OPERDUGVRIWKHUHJLRQVRI&DODEULDDQG6LFLO\DQGD number of other institutions, it was a monothematic movie, meaning it had only one theme, albeit one that was treated from different perspectives by each of the four directors. Since all we could do was to tell a short story, I did something for my contribution that could not in any way be GHVFULEHGDVUHVHPEOLQJDIHDWXUHOHQJWK¿OP$IHDWXUHOHQJWK¿OPDIWHUDOOLVHLWKHUDGRFXPHQ WDU\RUDIHDWXUH¿OPDQGPDNLQJDIHDWXUH¿OPDERXWWKHHDUWKTXDNHZRXOGKDYHEHHQVRPH WKLQJGLIIHUHQW0\DLPZDVWRPDNHD¿OPRIDMRXUQDOLVWLFLQYHVWLJDWLRQWKDWKDGEHHQXQGHUWDNHQ at the time by an Italian writer called Giovanni Cena. When Cena learned about the disaster, he too took the next train to Calabria with his partner, the renowned Italian writer Sibilla Aleramo, and stayed there for ten days. For in spite of the terrible calamity that had hit the city, Messina was also the epicenter of attention and information. Allegedly, one hundred thousand people died LQMXVW¿YHPLQXWHV3HRSOHHLWKHUGLHGIURPWKHLUZRXQGVRUEHFDXVHWKH\FRXOGQRWEHUHVFXHG from the rubble, and were buried alive. It was an attempt to visualize a dramatic historical event SKRWRJUDSKLFDOO\LFRQRJUDSKLFDOO\DQGDVLIDWHOHYLVLRQUHSRUWKDGEHHQGRQHLQ,WZDV an episode, in other words, that had actually happened and that was reinvented by some of my colleagues. 7/%XWZKRGHFLGHGRQWKHVXEMHFWIRU\RXU¿UVWDQWKRORJ\¿OPRo.Go.Pa.G. " 'LG\RXZRUNZLWKRQHDQRWKHURQWKHVWUXFWXUHVFRQWHQWVDQGLQWHQWLRQVRIWKHMRLQWSURMHFW RUGLG\RXIRFXVRQSDUWLFXODUVXEMHFWVVXFKDVDFULWLTXHRIFRQVXPHULVP" UG: Ro.Go.Pa.G.FDPHDERXWDVWKHUHVXOWRIWKHHQFRXQWHURIIRXUGLUHFWRUVZKRʊLQDZD\ DOVRFRLQFLGHQWDOO\ʊPHWWKURXJKD¿OPSURGXFHU$WWKHWLPHWKLVSURGXFHUZDVRQHRIWKHPRVW FRXUDJHRXVDQGRULJLQDOHQWUHSUHQHXUVLQWKH¿OPLQGXVWU\DQGKLVOHJDF\WR¿OPKDVEHHQ substantial. His greatest legacy, I would say, is that he recognized the exceptional talent of [Pier 3DROR@3DVROLQLDVDQDXWHXU¿OPPDNHU3DVROLQLKDGSUHYLRXVO\FRQWULEXWHGWRVFUHHQSOD\VZDV DOUHDG\DIDPRXVQRYHOLVWSRHWDQGHVVD\LVWDQGKDGPDGHKLV¿UVW¿OPAccattone, in 1961. That same year the producer Alfredo Bini, founder of the production company Arco Film, used the VDPHWHDPDQGWKHVDPHWHFKQLFLDQVWRSURGXFHEDFNWREDFN¿UVW3DVROLQL¶VDQGWKHQP\¿UVW ¿OP$QGEHFDXVHRXU¿OPV3DVROLQL¶VAccattone and my I Nuovi Angeli [The New Angels], were very successful, we were his poster child, his poster children: Pasolini with all the fame he had DOUHDG\DFTXLUHGDQG,DQRERG\DÀHGJOLQJD79QHZVHGLWRUZKLFKLVZK\KDUGO\DQ\RQH NQHZPHDQGZKDW,GLGIRU79%HFDXVHRIWKDWP\GHEXWFDXVHGDELWRIDVWLUDQGI Nuovi Angeli established me as a director. Alfredo Bini was thus, in a way, the father of the pair, the she-wolf if you like, and we were the twins. 7/'LGWKHSURGXFHUDOVRVXJJHVWWKHVXEMHFW" UG: He had the rather vague idea that we should look at the new developments that were a subject of great discussion in Italian society at the time, especially the economic miracle, 149 LQGXVWULDOL]DWLRQUXUDOÀLJKWPRGHUQL]DWLRQ²WKHOHDSLQWRPRGHUQLW\WKDW,WDO\ZDVLQWKHSURFHVV of making during the years of the so-called