James Benning
Grand opera, an Historical romance, O Panama
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Add rightsFormat DVD Interzone
Original format 16mm
Year 1979
Language(s) English
Artist(s) James Benning
Subtitles German
Booklet 20 pages (German, English)
Running time 108min
Films
GRAND OPERA. AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE (1979) 81'
O PANAMA (1985) 27'
Description
In James Benning's Grand Opera (1979), the static landscapes and urban scenes that made his reputation in the late 1970s are enriched by several experiments with established forms and conventions, as well as a brief homage to four emblematic figures of the avant-garde: Hollis Frampton, George Landow, Yvonne Rainer, and Michael Snow. What distinguishes Grand Opera and sets it apart from Benning's earlier works is its engagement with history, both the filmmaker's personal biography and that of cinema itself.
O Panama (1985) is Benning's only film based on fictional material, a collage of three short stories written by Burt Barr. The film resembles the feverish dream of a sick man (played by Willem Dafoe), skillfully blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.