VIENNAFILM 1896-1976
Presented by Lena Stötzel, in charge of digitisation and restoration
Österreichisches Filmmuseum
The experimental documentary ViennaFilm 1896-1976 spans from the first shots of Vienna from Lumière to contemporary material shot in the late 70s. By juxtaposing historical footage with parts of Schmidt jr’s own films, newly shot material and live performances in front of the camera, Schmidt jr. deconstructs the usual cliched imagery of Vienna. The archival footage is ironically commented on by a constant and abrupt change of scenes or by an asynchronous image-text montage, which makes the film a kaleidoscopic patchwork.
The Restorer – Österreichisches Filmmuseum
Since its founding in 1964, the Austrian Film Museum has been dedicated to the preservation, study, and presentation of film. Its operates a cinema, manages a collection, and functions as a research and educational facility. Above all, it is a place for encountering images and stories that can change how we see the world. As a globally networked nonprofit organization funded by the City of Vienna and the Republic of Austria along with significant member support, it fulfills the role of a museum for the art and history of film in Austria. The film collection covers cinema as an art form since 1895 with a main emphasis on avantgarde- experimental films and works by amateur filmmakers that emphasize the medium’s significance as an essential witness to both social and cultural history.
Ernst Schmidt jr. (1938 in Lower Austria, 1988 in Vienna) studied film at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts and began making his first independent films in the early 1960s. He published for cinema magazines in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and wrote numerous theoretical works including an encyclopedia on avant-garde, experimental and underground film, co-authored with Hans Scheugl. His multifaceted oeuvre includes 76 titles, ranging from experimental documentary, material film, expanded cinema, compilation film, to Lettrist text- and feature length dramatic film. Schmidt jr. was in close contact with many contemporary artists of the avant-garde and Viennese Actionism, which is reflected not only aesthetically in his films, but also in his cooperative way of filmmaking.
Austrian Film Museum
Janneke van Dalen (j.vandalen@filmmuseum.at) / Lena Stötzel (l.stoetzel@filmmuseum.at)
color correction
June 2023
