Raging of the Elements: Experimental Film and Video by Jürgen Reble 

Over the past 20 years, German film alchemist, Jürgen Reble, has been steeping found footage and his own films in bleach baths, rinsing them with chemicals during the developing process, harvesting them in his garden pond, draping them over branches and exposing them to the elements over many months or years, attacking them with chisels, sandpaper, or punching guns and corroding them with toners. In his experiments, destructive processes become creative explorations, peeling back film emulsion to reveal an incredible universe where colour and textures reign in splendour. In this digital era of clean images obtained by simply pressing buttons, it’s thrilling to encounter works by a filmmaker who revels in getting his hands dirty messing with pure cinema. Thomas Köner created the soundtracks for several of these works, and his visit to our Festival struck us as the perfect moment to introduce our audiences to Jürgen Reble’s fascinating excavations. “One does not so much watch a Jürgen Reble film as become immersed in it.” — Steven Ball, senses of cinema