Screening Friday March 4 @ the Plaza
By David McGregor
Alex Rogalski’s B. Bison is one of the stand out films at this years $100 film festival. Right from the opening frames, Rogalski’s name in large block letters, it recalls the work of Bruce Conner and his famous A Movie (1958). Rogalski, like Conner, uses footage that is historically informed (archival or found footage) to construct an entirely new and articulate film.
B. Bison begins with a series of shots focusing on words in a dictionary followed by footage of bison. The bison footage that is used originates from the work of Eadweard Muybridge, a 19th century scientist who experimented with early motion picture technology. B. Bison proceeds as a whimsical experiment with the kinetic nature of the Muybridge frames, toying with their direction, speed and tone reversal.
The result is a film that explores the subjects texture and aesthetic qualities while managing to build a steadily progressing sequence of images. Not to mention, there is something very funny about Rogalski’s progressive build to a stampede.
CSIF
