Jem Cohen 2001: An Interview

Resource Information

The work Jem Cohen 2001: An Interview represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Randwick City Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Moving Image, Visual Materials.

Label

Jem Cohen 2001: An Interview

Contributor

• Kanopy (Firm)

Subject

• Experimental/Alternative Media
• Film Studies

Summary

In this 2001 interview, filmmaker Jem Cohen discusses the origins of his film philosophy, and the circuitous route he has taken in his pursuit of an anti-narrative film practice outside the mainstream. Cohen sheds light on the many influences that have impacted his sentiments towards conventional film, and his desire to eschew both classical avant-garde and theatrical filmmaking in favor of a model rooted in the tradition of the 1940s New York School of street photography. Cohen also locates his aesthetic as being impacted by the 1970s hardcore and DIY scenes he was exposed to as a youth in Washington, DC. The ethos of punk and its attendant embrace of local grassroots scenes would prove a perfect counterpoint to Cohen's interest in street photography. As he explains, Cohen came to pursue filmmaking as a way of understanding and interpreting his immediate environment. This philosophy has continued to define his practice, and underscore his films throughout his career. - Kyle Riley Interview conducted by Abina Manning in April 2001, edited in 2014

Cataloging source

VDU

Characteristic

videorecording

Date time place

Originally produced by Video Data Bank in 2001

Language note

In English

Runtime

52

Technique

live action