THE SURFACE

FILM QUA FILM – SOUND AS SOUND

The evening will feature a screening of a new movie, THE SURFACE, a poetic meditation, of water, wind, snow, and trees, featuring a short epic of love found and lost (starring Royston Scott), a work that will likely be forever in progress, entirely shot on black and white 16mm film. (and projected as film – not video!).

sputtering airplane circles the sky
blanket of snow covers the earth
monochrome world
but magic, yes magic, is still possible!

The sound track will be mixed live – not in sync – and will feature rarely-heard recordings contributed by such musicians as Philadelphia pianist, Norman Fontleroy, pianist Neal Kirkwood, Marc Ribot, Alvin Curran, three members of Project Zlust (a six-piece band from Macedonia), and more.

Jacob Burckhardt has worked at a variety of day jobs – blueberry picker, steel mill laborer, fuller brush man, truck driver, taxi driver, camera repairman, art photographer – all the while making underground films. He specializes in sound production and has done sound recording and mixing for projects ranging from an Italian RAI-TV feature production in North Africa to the American porn industry.

Burckhardt directed and produced two features which screened at various international festivals and were distributed on video: IT DON’T PAY TO BE AN HONEST CITIZEN (1984) with William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Vincent D’Onofrio, and LANDLORD BLUES (1986).

In 1990 Burckhardt, Royston Scott and Ms. Mahogany Plywood made THE FRANKIE LYMONS NEPHEW STORY. In 2002 they continued their collaboration with FREEDOM HO, OR HARRIET TUBMAN’S TALE (2002). LOUIS THE FOURTEENTH STREET (2004) is the latest installment in the continuing series, “Black Moments in Great History.” Two more productions are in the works.