CEMA is excited to begin the new year by welcoming acclaimed filmmaker SU FRIEDRICH to the Center for Ethnographic Media Arts. 

SINK OR SWIM

Through a series of twenty-six short stories, a girl describes the childhood events that shaped her ideas about fatherhood, family relations, work, and play. As the stories unfold, a dual portrait emerges: that of a father who cared more for his career than for his family, and of a daughter who was deeply affected by his behavior. Working in counterpoint to the forceful text are sensual black and white images that depict both the extraordinary and ordinary events of daily life. Together, they create a formally complex and emotionally intense film. In 2015, Sink or Swim was one of the 25 films chosen by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry.
 

RULES OF THE ROAD

Rules of the Road tells the story of a love affair and its demise through one of the objects shared by the couple: an old beige station wagon with fake wood paneling.

A typical American family car for an atypical American family, it provides the women at first with all the familiar comforts. But when their relationship ends, the car becomes the property of one and the bane of the other’s existence. Even long after their separation, this tangible reminder of their life together—and thousands of its imitators—continues to prowl the streets of the city, haunting the woman who no longer holds the keys either to the car or the other woman’s heart.

Through spoken text, popular music, and images from the streets of New York, Rules of the Road takes a somewhat whimsical, somewhat caustic look at how our dreams of freedom, pleasure, security, and family are so often symbolized by the automobile.

Su Friedrich in-person with a discussion to follow the films.
Runtime: 78

Doors at 6:30 pm films begin at 7:00 pm