MICHEL GONDRY RETROSPECTIVE

His career as a filmmaker started when he was making music videos for OUI OUI, the band that he played drums in. The full-on 80’s piece ‘La Ville’ is surprisingly fresh in ideas (and you’ll find Gondry in there too) and still denotes the masterpiece as it is. Bjork was an early fan of Gondry’s work and her approach lead to numbers of collaborations to come. Most recently, his collaborations with the band The White Stripes are adding further caliber in Gondry’s creation (Lego-mation was indeed talked about). The fascination towards rhythm as a real life drummer and geometrical aesthetics creates a happy marriage with his tendency to repeat things to infinity. Daft Punk’s early hit ‘Around the World’ was divided into disco keyboard, guitar, bass, and vocal and each section was given its own series of dancers, who were choreographed to be in the same frame, totally making sense. ‘The mummy is a tribute to Michel Jackson,’ says Gondry with a smile.

The recent line ups were Kylie Minogue’s ‘Come into my World’ and another The White Stripes collaboration ‘The Hardest Button to Button.’ Former took place in the actual street corner of Paris and as Minogue goes around the intersection, she joins in the frame as 2nd, 3rd, and 4th herself (The excellent digital effect is Gondry’s brother Olivier’s contribution). The flawless motion and challenging factor of how far can you repeat and add (every element on screen doubled, tripled’as Minogue multiplied) started to make her look cute and creative. (Her creatives certainly had an eye making this video clip into a Resfest entry piece.) Latter, the video with The White Stripes involved purchasing of 32 drum sets (‘that’s actually not much expenses for major label’s music video,’ shruged Gondry,) and showed the simple sound and rhythm of the band effectively. Jack White’s confused look (intended? Regardless it’s just cute) adds the effect too in Gondry’s in otherworldly talented creative view.

The ‘Drum and Drummer’, the footage Gondry himself plays drums in various LA roadside setups is a must see too. The playfulness of Gondry’s filmmaking will continue to thrive while he’s experimenting new ideas with himself in front of camera.

SPIKE JONZE RARITIES

Do you remember the not so hot dance collective in Fat Boy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ video? ‘Torrance Community Dance Group’ was the proud collective which included Jonze himself as an alter identity Richard Koufer. (The Q&A session with ‘Torrance Rises’ director Lance Bangs went smoothly without any disrespectful comment revealing Koufer’s identity) ‘Torrance Rises’ is a behind the scene documentary (mocumentary?) of the group, which was one of the precious pieces included in the program. From the rehearsal at the basement of ‘meighborhood’ community church basement, to the highlight at MTV Music Awards stage at Lincoln Center., the involvement and charisma of Jo’.no, Koufer will guaranteed bring tear to your eyes.

Bunch of other rarities were pulled from his archives. ‘The Oasis Video that Never Happened’ was the time when Oasis was living the momentum, and decided that they are not really ‘feelin’ it’ about the ideas Jonze presented. Be that a truth or not, these brilliant insight of people on the street was weaved into ‘the Oasis video.’ The ordinary is where you find the extreme beauty. Jonze’s filmmaking aesthetics lives strongly in his honest and confident documentary films.

The last was the making of ‘Weapon of Choice’ with sir Christopher Walken (that dance move was what Walken actually learned when he was 6 years old. He was so trained to his bone that he easily managed to pull it off after this many years) on wire. The Jonze magic is there, while he keeps breaking people’s expectations on what could be done.

Resfest 2003 World Tour
Washingtong DC / Grosvenor Auditorium At National Geographic / 3 – 5 October, 2003
New York / Bowery Ballroom / Tribeca Performing Arts Center / 9 – 12 October, 2003
Chicago / Museum Of Comtemporaly Art / 7 – 9 November, 2003
Tokyo / Laforet Museum Harajuku / 21 – 24 November, 2003
Osaka / Nanba Hatch / 5 – 7 December, 2003
Fukuoka / IMS Hall / 12 – 14 December, 2003
Above else, it will be held in more than 10 cities.
Produced by Res Media Group (New York City, NY, USA)
resfest@resfest.com
https://www.resfest.com