Los Angeles-based filmmaker, historian, critic, curator and educator Thom Andersen uses cinema to examine neglected aspects of culture. His acclaimed documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) explores how the city of Los Angeles has been used as both a backdrop and a character in the movies. Through interwoven footage from over a hundred films audiences see the changing cinematic contexts of certain modern architecture, skyscrapers, public spaces and neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Andersen gives an insightful and entertaining analysis of the history and character of this unique American metropolis, and reveals how Hollywood has represented and misrepresented its hometown.
Perspectives 178: CINEPLEX transforms CAMH's Zilkha Gallery into a unique cinémathèque space for a celebration of the expansive nature of moving image media and the power of montage. CINEPLEX explores the landscape of cinematic experience through various artists' reflections on, responses to, and transformations of movie culture.
Screening of Part 1: May 24, 7:30 p.m.
Screening of Part 2: May 31, 7:30 p.m.