LOS ANGELES VICE VERSA

Los Angeles is one of world's most photographed cities and most chosen filming locations. It is a mega-city where the relationship between reality and representation intermingles. LA evolves in a process of continuous change.

The project LOS ANGELES VICE VERSA, organised by Desire Productions and curated by Cis Bierinckx, focuses on the view of Hollywood and non-American film makers on Los Angeles and how this city not only serves as decorative element but also takes on a imaginary role. Los Angeles appeals to various directors partly because it was subject to several metamorphoses in their own creative minds. Sometimes the city is pictured as a nostalgic and natural resort of sin like in 'Chinatown', sometimes as a sublime futuristic birthplace pictured for instance in 'Blade Runner', or as a unique spot in a touristic view of foreign directors (i.e. in Jacques Demy's 'Model Shop' or in Antonioni's 'Zabriskie Point'). Apart from that there's the realistic and revealing reflection of local directors who work low-profile because of their cultural identity and who aim directly at accurate problems of this specific society.

LOS ANGELES VICE VERSA starts on Wednesday 25th of February in Film-Plateau with a thorough and educating film study 'Los Angeles Plays Itself' by Thom Andersen. In this documentary Andersen personally comments on the city in which he walks, lives and observes life. His analytical approach of Los Angeles, balancing between fascination, love and hate, is supported by carefully chosen images of film history.

Next to this enthralling compilation, fictional films, experimental documentaries and videos will be screened, influencing in several ways on the city's evoked chemistry. The film and lecture project LOS ANGELES VICE VERSA wants to explore the identity and representation of the city through cinematographic views. Through that the project does not only appeal to film fans, but also to an audience interested in urbanisation, architecture, sociology, popular culture and metropolitan identity. The program contains work of James Benning, Jacques Demy and some rarely shown realistic pictures made by local directors such as Kent Mackenzie's 'The Exiles' and 'Billy Woodberry's 'Bless Their Little Hearts', who will personally present his remarkable and touching movie on Saturday 28th of February at 8pm in Film-Plateau.

To illustrate this project, Steven Jacobs, LA specialist and member of GUST (Ghent Urban Studies Team), will give a lecture on Friday February 27th at 2pm in Film-Plateau about the perception of LA in architectural theories and how these city images are represented in photography and film. Admission is free.

A folder with the detailed program is available as of the beginning of February.

Tickets cost 5 euro and 4 euro

Organisation: Desire Productions v.z.w.

Curator : Cis Bierinckx

with the collaboration of: Film-Plateau, Ghent University, KASK-Hogeschool Gent, Flanders International Film Festival, ArtCinema Off Off, Hogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussel

Supported by: City of Ghent, Province Eastern Flanders, Ministery Department of Flemish Community - section Film en Media, US Embassy-Brussel

Info: Cis Bierinckx, +32 474 69 15 03,

e-mail: cis.bierinckx@pandora.be