Following the sold-out success of its first program, WHITE LIGHT CINEMA is pleased to present a second program of little seen films by the great Stan Brakhage - this time featuring two of his best-known masterpieces: The Text of Light and The Riddle of Lumen.

These two films exemplify Brakhage's deep interest in understanding the qualities of light, the primary focus of all his work. Intensely beautiful and subtle, both of these films stunningly demonstrate that cinema is indeed the art of light. Showing in recently struck prints (The Text of Light is a brand new print) these works are profound examples of the cinematic art and reminders of why Brakhage is one of the great artists of the twentieth century.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

White Light Cinema Presents
Stan Brakhage: The Text of Light

The Text of Light (1974, 71 minutes)
One of Brakhage's handful of feature-length films, The Text of Light is comprised entirely of refracted light shining through a glass ashtray, surrounded by a variety of crystal objects. The method was stumbled upon accidentally while Brakhage was working on a portrait film of a businessman friend and Brakhage spent an entire Summer in the man's office working on the film. An "abstract" film that transforms its simple technique into something transcendent.

"All that is is light." - Dun Scotus Erigena

"To see a world in a grain of sand." - William Blake

"These the primary impulses while working on this film. It is dedicated to Jim Davis who showed me the "first spark" of refracted film light." (Brakhage)

Preceded by:

The Riddle of Lumen (1972, 17 minutes)
"The classic riddle was meant to be heard of course. Its answers are contained in its questions; and on the smallest piece of itself this possibility depends upon SOUND - "utterly," like they say ... the pun is pivot. Therefore, my RIDDLE OF LUMEN depends upon qualities of LIGHT. All films do, of course. But with THE RIDDLE OF LUMEN the "hero" of the film is light itself. It is the film I'd long wanted to make - inspired by the sense and specific formal possibility of the classical English Language riddle ... only one appropriate to film and, thus, as distinct from language as I could make it." (Brakhage)

Total running time: 88 minutes. Both films 16mm, silent.

This program screens Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the LaSalle Bank Cinema (4901 W. Irving Park Rd.).

Admission: $7.00-10.00 sliding scale.