Remodernist film developed in the United States and the United Kingdom in the early 21st century with ideas related to those of the international art movement

Stuckism Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.Remodernism Remodernism revives aspects of modernism, particularly in its early form, and follows postmodernism, to which it contrasts. Adherents of remodernism advocate it as a forward and radical, not reactionary, impetus. In 2000, Billy Childish and Charles ...

. Key figures are

Jesse Richards Jesse Richards (born July 17, 1975) is a painter, filmmaker and photographer from New Haven, Connecticut and was affiliated with the international movement Stuckism. He has been described as "one of the most provocative names in American underg ...

and Peter Rinaldi.

Manifesto and philosophy

On August 27, 2008,

published a 15-poin
Remodernist Film Manifesto
calling for a "new spirituality in cinema", use of intuition in filmmaking, as well as describing the remodernist film as being a "stripped down, minimal, lyrical, punk kind of filmmaking". Point 4 is:

The Japanese ideas of
wabi-sabi In traditional Japanese aesthetics, is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature. ...
(the beauty of imperfection) and
mono no aware , literally "the pathos of things", and also translated as "an empathy toward things", or "a sensitivity to ephemera", is a Japanese idiom for the awareness of , or transience of things, and both a transient gentle sadness (or wistfulness) at th ...
(the awareness of the transience of things and the bittersweet feelings that accompany their passing), have the ability to show the truth of existence, and should always be considered when making the remodernist film.

There are also several polemic statements made in the manifesto that criticize

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

, filmmakers that shoot on digital video, as well as

Dogme 95 Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...

."Remodernist Film Manifesto", When The Trees Were Still Real, August 27, 2008
Retrieved September 1, 2008 In December, 2008, Turkish film magazine ''Bakiniz'' translated the manifesto into Turkish and soon after Polish magazine ''Red'' translated it into Polish."The Remodernist Film Manifesto", Bakiniz, December 28, 2008
Retrieved December 28, 2008 Remodernist film calls for a return to emotional and spiritual meaning in cinema, as well as an emphasis on new ideas of narrative structure and subjectivity. Elements of No Wave Cinema,

French New Wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

, punk film,

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radi ...

, spiritual and transcendental filmmaking, as well as

Antonin Artaud Antoine Marie Joseph Paul Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud (; 4 September 1896 – 4 March 1948), was a French writer, poet, dramatist, visual artist, essayist, actor and theatre director. He is widely recognized as a major figure of the E ...

's ideas on the Theatre of Cruelty helped lead to this new film movement."Remodernist Film", MungBeing, October 4, 2009
Retrieved October 9, 2009 They champion the works of

Andrei Tarkovsky Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky ( rus, Андрей Арсеньевич Тарковский, p=ɐnˈdrʲej ɐrˈsʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ tɐrˈkofskʲɪj; 4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Russian filmmaker. Widely considered one of the greates ...

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in t ...

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, ellipses, and sparse use of scoring have l ...

Jean Rollin Jean Michel Rollin Roth Le Gentil (3 November 193815 December 2010) was a French film director, actor, and novelist best known for his work in the fantastique genre. Overview Rollins' career, spanning over fifty years, featured early short film ...

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

Jean Vigo Jean Vigo (; 26 April 1905 – 5 October 1934) was a French film director who helped establish poetic realism in film in the 1930s. His work influenced French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Vigo was born to Emil ...

Amos Poe Amos Poe is an American New York City-based director and screenwriter, described by ''The New York Times'' as a "pioneering indie filmmaker." Career Amos Poe is one of the first punk filmmakers and his film '' The Blank Generation'' (1976)� ...

Jean Epstein Jean Epstein (; 25 March 1897 – 2 April 1953) was a French filmmaker, film theorist, literary critic, and novelist. Although he is remembered today primarily for his adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's ''The Fall of the House of Usher'', he directe ...

and Nicholas Ray among others, as well as

Béla Tarr Béla Tarr (born 21 July 1955) is a Hungarian filmmaker. Debuting with the film ''Family Nest'' (1977), Tarr began his directorial career with a brief period of what he refers to as "social cinema", aimed at telling everyday stories about ordin ...

's film '' Satantango'' and

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...

's ''

Hail Mary The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary' ...

''."Interview with Remodernist Filmmaker Jesse Richards", Bakiniz, December 28, 2008
Retrieved December 28, 2008

History

The idea of

Stuckism Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.Jesse Richards Jesse Richards (born July 17, 1975) is a painter, filmmaker and photographer from New Haven, Connecticut and was affiliated with the international movement Stuckism. He has been described as "one of the most provocative names in American underg ...

and Nicholas Watson began releasing work as The New Haven Stuckists Film Group. On March 8, 2008 their film ''Shooting at the Moon'' made its London premiere at

Horse Hospital The Horse Hospital is a listed building, Grade II listed Nonprofit organization, not for profit, independent arts venue at Colonnade, Bloomsbury, central London. It has a curatorial focus on counter-cultural histories, sub-cultures and outsider ...

during its FLIXATION Underground Cinema Club event. Remodernist Film and Photography was founded by Richards and Smith in 2004. Jesse Richards, photo by Charles Thomson

Jesse Richards, photo by Charles Thomson

Films later seen as Remodernist included ''Youngblood'' (1995) by Harris Smith, '' Shooting at the Moon'' (1998–2003) by

and Nicholas Watson, and ''Medway Bus Ride'' (1999) by Wolf Howard.

is part of the movement,Bremer, Erin (April 2008)
"New York Observers"
''City Magazine'', pp. 42–43. Retrieved February 1, 2010. Also o
amospoe.com
."Rassegna cinematografica un New Yorker : il cinema di Amos Poe."
Alcinema, 14 April 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2010. From the Italian: "Retrospettiva completa dedicata al regista newyorkese Amos Poe. Da Blank Generation a Empire II, dal CBGB's all'Empire State Building, un viaggio nella New York underground, i suoi volti e i suoi luoghi, in 30 anni di produzione cinematografica. Punk, No wave, documentario e Tv sperimentale fino al recente movimento del Remodernist film, il percorso di un autore che ha segnato il nuovo cinema americano." which he said was "just a bunch of kids." He said in 2008: :::::::::::I guess remodernist is the next variation of post-modernist, which is to take something that was in the culture before and then turn it into something else, like taking it out of context. So it's kind of what pop art was in a way. I was using Warhol as kind of a soup can. It's like redoing that but it's done in a completely remodernist way because it's using the technology and the sensibility of contemporary rather than nostalgia. Amos Poe at 2009 Tribeca

In late August, 2009, an International Alliance of Remodernist Filmmakers was started by

in order to promote discussion and collaboration amongst those following the manifesto. The filmmakers include

, Harris Smith, Christopher Michael Beer, Dmitri Trakovsky, Kate Shults, Peter Rinaldi and Khurrem Gold of America, Roy Rezaali of Holland, Rouzbeh Rashidi of Iran and Dean Kavanagh of Ireland. Richards, Jesse
"International Alliance of Remodernist Filmmakers"
When the Trees Were Still Real, August 25, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2009. In October, 2009, with the intention "to further develop and explain Remodernist film concepts", a series of articles by

, Peter Rinaldi and Roy Rezaali were published in the magazine MungBeing."Remodernist Film Manifesto", When The Trees Were Still Real, August 27, 2008
Retrieved October 4, 2009 Richards said, "Remodernism rejected Postmodernism for its 'failure to answer or address any important issues of being a human being'", and that Remodernism is "about seeking truth, establishing meaningful connections" and "addressing the shadow".
Retrieved March 10, 2009 In his essay ''Concepts and Craft in Remodernist Film'', Richards said that Remodernist film craft "embraces the amateur", involves the idea of filmmakers "teaching themselves to paint pictures, to try acting in their own movies and those of others (especially if they are shy), to be nude models for other artists, to meditate, worship if they are religious, to do things that affect their levels of consciousness, try things that make them nervous or uncomfortable, to go out and be involved in life, to find adventure, to jump in the ocean. I think that is the exploration of craft".
Retrieved October 5, 2009 The article explains the differences between modernist, post-modernist and remodernist cinema, describing

and

as "early Remodernist filmmakers", and notes films that make emphasis of "small moments", including

's film '' Satantango'', "...every moment of the film ''Satantango'' is a good example of this kind of exploration of "moments"- the film starts with a ten-minute shot following cows coming out of a barn and wandering around a run-down agriculture collective. These kinds of moments are all but ignored in most examples of modern cinema, and that's a terrible, terrible thing". Richards says of Remodernist filmmaking:

I believe that the most effective way to really make subjective and authentic work involves an "addressing of the shadow" (as Billy Childish and Charles Thomson have described it). Now what does this mean exactly? It might mean that you are really obsessed with pubic hair, or maybe you are really embarrassed by a physical or mental disability that you try to hide, or like Billy Childish, you were abused as a child. These things, these "shadows" that we are hiding within ourselves, need to be brought forth into the light of day - in our films, in our work, in our poetry.

In another article, entitled ''A Quick Primer and History'', Richards relaxes the criticism in the manifesto against digital video, noting that it can "have a place in Remodernist cinema" but that it should be given a new language, and that it currently "mimic(s) film". The article also broadens the aim of the movement, explaining the common bond among Remodernist filmmakers being a search for truth, knowledge, authenticity and spirituality in their work, but having different approaches on achieving that goal."Remodernist Film", MungBeing, October 4, 2009
Retrieved October 5, 2009 Peter Rinaldi, analyzes the manifesto and shares his "personal thoughts" on it in his essay, ''The Shore as seen from The Deep Sea''. Particularly, he defends the criticism of digital and later of

, saying first, "for the most part, the ‘easiness’ of video has led to degradation in the images created","Remodernist Film", MungBeing, October 4, 2009
Retrieved October 5, 2009 and:

I think, for the most part, the generation that I grew up in had Kubrick as their Giant. His work has a mystical "perfectionism" that is awe-inspiring at times. This perfectionism is anathema to the Remodernist mentality and for many healthy reasons, this giant (or whatever giant towers over your work) must fall in our minds. We must become the giant.

The rest of the article draws direct connections between ideas in the manifesto and some Christian and Buddhist teachings. In June 2010, after publishing a letter from Richards about the Remodernist Film Manifesto on his site,"The Remodernist Film Manifesto", RogerEbert.com, June 9, 2010
Retrieved June 11, 2010 film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

tweeted, "Much discussed on serious film blogs: The Remodernist Film Manifesto. Lars von Trier, get out of town"."Much discussed on serious film blogs: The Remodernist Film Manifesto", Roger Ebert (ebertchicago) on Twitter, June 10, 2010
Retrieved June 11, 2010

In Passing, Feature-length collaboration

In February 2010, the Australian film magazine '' Filmink'' announced the forthcoming production of a compilation feature film being made by members of the Remodernist film movement, which the magazine says "recalls art movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries which saw artists attempting to strive toward artistic freedom and authenticity". The film, which will consist of ten-minute pieces by various members of the film movement "from around the globe", is scheduled to premiere in December, 2010 in New York. Participating filmmakers include: Peter Rinaldi, Kate Shults, Rouzbeh Rashidi, Dean Kavanagh, Roy Rezaali, Heidi Beaver and Christopher Michael Beer. Richards' ''Remodernist Film Manifesto'' "forms the basis" of the joint project."Cinema with soul", Filmink, February 25, 2010
Retrieved February 28, 2010 The film's premiere was announced for November 13, 2011 at the Quad Cinemas in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

.Retrieved November 8, 2011
/ref> In the November 2011 print edition of '' Filmink'', film scholar, critic and programmer Jack Sargeant wrote about the movement and ''In Passing'', referring to the movement as "the new personal cinema" and describing the evolution of "lyrical cinema" from the work of

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docu ...

Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch (; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films including ''Stranger Than Paradise'' (1984), '' Down by Law'' (19 ...

and through to the Remodernist filmmakers. Sargeant goes onto describe ''In Passing'':

The film is neither a fully experimental work, nor a movie fixated on classic narrative; rather, In Passing explores the passing of time and the relation of time to cinematic space. Often focusing on intimate yet small details – the table top exploration of a crustacean, the patter of rain on a window, cats at play, the ocean shot from a moving car, a couple looking into a camera knowing that the film they are making will fail – and finding something lyrically poignant and even personal within these transient moments. There are scenes in which people seem to vanish, no longer seen onscreen, yet the space they once occupied still resonates with their echoes, moving through the poetic sublime.In common with
Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docu ...
,
Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch (; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films including ''Stranger Than Paradise'' (1984), '' Down by Law'' (19 ...
and
Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, producer, photographer, and musician. He has earned acclaim as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultu ...
, and films like '' Meek's Cutoff'', there is a sense of homesickness to the films that make up ''In Passing''. This sense of homesickness is not necessarily rooted in a sense of being away from home, but in the sense that even at home, the protagonists are still searching for their place within the day-to-day world. Jack Sargeant (November 2011), "The New Personal Cinema: From Lyrical Film to Remodernism", from: Filmink November, 2011. Available online at

Examples of Remodernist films

*'' Shooting at the Moon'' -

and Nicholas Watson, (1998–2003) *'' Closure of Catharsis'' - Rouzbeh Rashidi, (2011) * Films of Fred Kelemen (who wrote the 1990 manifesto of Poetic Compressionism - PoCo) *'' The Turin Horse'' -

and

Ágnes Hranitzky Ágnes Hranitzky is a Hungarian film editor and director best known for her long-standing collaborations with her spouse Béla Tarr. Film career Hranitzky began working in the 1970s as a film editor on Hungarian films. She began collaborating with ...

(2011) *''Scenes from Tacoma'' - Harry Nordlinger (2013) *''

Sleep Has Her House ''Sleep Has Her House'' is a 2017 experimental film shot, written, produced, directed, and edited by Welsh filmmaker, Scott Barley. Like several of his previous short films, ''Sleep Has Her House'' was shot on an iPhone. It also features still ph ...

'' -

Scott Barley Scott Barley (born 11 November 1992) is a Welsh filmmaker, artist, drone musician, and author. His films have been associated with the Remodernist and Slow cinema movements, and ecocriticism. Recurrent themes in his work are the anthropocene, ...

(2017)

References

External links

''Sex and Lies'', the 1997 Trailer for an early Remodernist film
by

and Nicholas Watson.
Remodernist Film group on Facebook

{{DEFAULTSORT:Remodernist Film Experimental film American art Film genres Movements in cinema Contemporary art Remodernism 1990s in film 2000s in film 2010s in film