“Even if you believe that the art should stay where it is, it’s hard not to wish that director Don Argott had made the film somewhat more balanced.”
—
Kenneth Turan on the new documentary, Art of the Steal.
I saw it the other day, and this is exactly how I feel. I wish that it could stay where it was, but also wish the filmmakers could have gotten interviews with some of the masterminds of the move to see both sides.
Exit Through the Gift Shop, A Banksy Film
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival
LACMA is going to live tweet the sold out film preservation “discussion” between Michael Govan and Martin Scorsese (which I guarantee you will be tame and probably a little boring with the mutual admiration). You can follow them @lacma.
While you are at it, why don’t you follow me to? @hydeordie*
*I’m shameless.
» Was All the Fuss Over LACMA's Film Program Cuts Worth It?
But now that the dust has settled and everyone’s back to being best friends, the blog Hyde or Die asks if all of this was even necessary to begin with and if maybe Govan was right from the start, that the program needed to be re-evaluated and re-launched once the museum had a better idea on how to make it work (instead of just relying on handouts when things got grim).
Media Bistro is making me feel like an authority this morning.*
*Translation: I feel good knowing sometimes people read my rants.
» Michael Govan and Martin Scorsese to discuss film preservation
Conversation: Michael Govan and Martin Scorsese—SOLD OUT!
Wednesday, January 20 | 7:30 pm
Join us as LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan sits down for a conversation with legendary director Martin Scorsese. Their discussion will touch on the importance of film preservation and the key role that film should play in a museum or cultural institution.
It seems like just yesterday when everyone was in a tizzy about the announced closing of the film program and I was chastising Martin Scorsese for his reaction. Now this week they are going to have a nice little conversation about how important the role of film in our museums and in our LIVES. Time flies when you blog in your spare time, doesn’t it? Anywho, I am happy that Scorsese is actually going to show his face at LACMA to encourage museum-goers (and potentially a demographic of people that might not visit LACMA for any other reason than to see the famed director) to learn more about film and hopefully participate in the future of the never closed Film Program*. Also, in lieu of money troubles, I am happy they are charging for it.
I am still a little confused/resentful about the backlash to the announcement of the closing of the Film Program. Govan said they needed to reevaluate things so they would be able to reopen it and have a more successful program. This seemed legitimate to me, especially in this economy that has had such an impact on museum’s endowments, and also what I can assume the major donor’s pocketbooks. In times of financial strain, one has to be more creative in spending and also has to cut the fat. Again, not that I am implying that the Film Program is fat, but if it is running inefficiently and losing money rather than breaking even, or making some, then maybe the program did need to be reevaluated. Some people said that Govan isn’t a film curator, he’s not. He’s the Director of an encyclopedic museum that has so many programs it hurts my head just trying to name them all. I know I am ranting a little, but it just makes me sad that after what I am sure was a long and much discussed decision to put the film program on hold while things could be reassessed, LACMA fell victim to what seems to me as peer pressure and bullying.
I am glad though, that along with Martin Scorsese, people are putting their money where their mouths are and not just signing petitions for a film program they never attended.
*I have read a lot of cries saying “Don’t blame the audience”, but if they didn’t attend, then how would the institution know there was a demand for such a film program? Yes, LACMA is a non-profit, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take a substantial amount of money to run, some of which is made by ticket sales for the Film Program. Even if all it covers is tune-ups for the projectors and cleaning of the theater, the money made from ticket sales covers and is budgeted into something. No audience, no money, no tune-ups or cleaning or film rentals or paying the wages of the person who codes the LACMA email blasts for the next movie to play. Also, along these lines, if you are so upset about the potential closing and you don’t want to have the audiences blamed so you point your fingers at the promotional effort of the museum, I have something I need to tell you, that also takes money. Fliers, emails, phone calls, and so on takes man hours of people working at the museum that are paid. Again, we are talking about an incredibly large institution that is budgeted to the last dime, and though your $10 ticket may not seem like it covers much, it has already been hoped for to cover something that the museum needs that costs $10.
» Atencio has some thoughts about your short film...
and I agree with him.
…and now there is an addendum
Philippe Parreno The Boy from Mars, 2003 (still*)
*35 MM transferred to High Definition video, Dolby Digital 5.0 stereo with musical score by Devendra Banhart, Edition 3 of 4, 11min 40sec
