Article by Natasha Klimenko in Berlin // Tuesday, Mar. 26, 2013
Artist and photographer Mark Hogancamp works with miniatures, with war scenes, with reality, with fiction. It is difficult to delegate a genre to his work, especially when attempting to contextualize it within the current gallery model. To say he is a grown man photographing dolls, though true, grossly distorts the actuality of his creative process.
On April 8, 2000, Hogancamp suffered a severe physical attack that destroyed a significant portion of his memory. In an imaginative, self-therapeutic approach, he created the world of “Marwencol,” a fictional, WWII-era town populated with dolls representing himself, his friends, and acquaintances. The town, however, is not simply a reflection of Hogancamp’s life – rather, it is an extension of his reality.
Jeff Malmberg’s debut feature documentary, Marwencol, released in 2010, offers an intimate view into the life and work of Mark Hogancamp. The tragically haunting film, questioning trauma, identity, and the creative process, discloses a rare instance where art is the very world for the artist.
At 9pm (doors open at 7pm), on March 28th, a screening of this film will act as the commencement of Berlin Film Society’s new programme, Documentary Donnerstag. Also featuring Sans Soleil, Portrait of Jason, and five other challenging films, the programme, separated into two parts, will be featured every Thursday at Urban Spree.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Information
Berlin Art Link is a proud sponsor of Documentary Donnerstag. Stay tuned for event updates and ticket giveaways on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
DOCUMENTARY DONNERSTAG
sponsored by: Pampero Colectivo
Urban Spree, Revaler Str. 99 (click here for map)
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/560632803962103/?fref=ts
PART I: March 28 – April 18
PART II: May 2 – 23
7pm || Open PAMPERO Rum Bar
9pm || Film starts
*Food & After Party hosted by Urban Spree*
__________________________
FILM PROGRAMME: PART I
March 28: Marwencol (2010)
April 4: Sans Soleil (1983)
April 11: Portrait of Jason (1967)
April 18: The House I Live In (2012)
FILM PROGRAMME: PART II
Released on 11th April to Berlin Film Society members and newsletter [http://eepurl.com/lRg0j].
Public announcement on 18th April.
_______________________________________________________
CONCEPT
Documentary film was once described as the ‘creative treatment of actuality’ by the pioneering documentarian John Grierson in 1926. Since then, this genre of film has become an art form in itself, often combining innovative technique with cinematic eloquence and style. The Berlin Film Society has curated a unique programme of exemplary documentary films which explore topics as diverse as censorship, race, sexuality, cinematic history, collective and personal memory, war on drugs, and even the medium of filmmaking itself. The programme is intended to showcase significant new and archive films that deal with and communicate the addressed issues in creative, effective and imaginative ways. Ultimately, the programme will offer new perspectives in cinema and challenge the generally accepted views of society.
The programme features 8 thought-provoking and award-winning documentary films every Thursday for two months, separated into two parts: PART I: 28th March to 18th April; PART II: 2nd to 23rd May 2013.
___________________________________________________________________________________
