A Hidden History

‘A Hidden History’ was a screening and illustrated talk, introducing a twelve part season I curated for the National Film Theatre, presenting a history of experimental film in Britain. The screenings ran in parallel to two exhibitions I also curated for the BFI Southbank gallery and BFI Library. These displayed journals, posters and other documents directly related to the history underlying the film selection. The season contained many rare or rarely screened works; 'Burnham Beeches' (1909), Walther Ruttmann’s 'Opus' 2-3-4 1923-5 and Percy Smith’s 'The Strength and Agility of Insects' 1911, with newly commissioned scores by David Cunningam. The concurrent exhibitions provided historical reference materials as context for the screenings. For example, the first exhibition included documents related to the Film Society and reflected the multiple origins associated with artists' film and video including throw-away fliers from the 80s, artists' notebooks, sketches and storyboards, and photographic documentation of exhibitions and other artist-led events from the 30s to the present, while the second included posters relating to artist-organised exhibitions and a display of Filmmakers Co-op Programme notes from the 60s and 70s