Surveying culture from 2000 to 2008 through experimental film and blockbuster cinema.
Short Films Program
February 22
BLACK AND WHITE TRYPPS NUMBER THREE dir. Ben Russell (2007),
THE CHANGING SAME dir. Cauleen Smith (2001),
SHE PUPPET dir. Peggy Ahwesh (2001),
IN ORDER TO NOT BE HERE dir. Deborah Stratman (2002),
NYC WEIGHTS AND MEASURES dir. Jem Cohen (2005)
FROWNLAND dir. Ronald Bronstein (2007)
BAMBOOZLED dir. Spike Lee (2000)
REDACTED dir. Brian De Palma (2007)
THE WORLD dir. Jia Zhangke (2004)
COLLATERAL dir. Michael Mann (2004)
About the Series
Gray Area is pleased to present a six-part screening series exploring cinema of The Bush Years, curated by Rebecca Turner. Join us on Sunday evenings from February 22 through April 5 as we look back at how cinema high and low grappled with the war on terror, consumer-grade imaging technologies, global economic recession, and the futures of yesterday. The series asks: is there an essential evil in night-vision cameras? What happens online? What are the unknown unknowns?
The Bush Years kicks off on February 22 with a program of independent short films, including Ben Russell’s Black and White Trypps Number Three (2007), Cauleen Smith’s The Changing Same (2001), Peggy Ahwesh’s She Puppet (2001), Deborah Stratman’s In Order to Not Be Here (2002), and Jem Cohen’s Weights and Measures (2005). On March 1, we’ll be showing Marty Supreme co-writer Ronald Bronstein’s prickly debut feature Frownland—its first San Francisco screening since its 2007 premiere. Spike Lee’s media satire Bamboozled (2000) will screen on March 15, followed by Brian de Palma’s controversial Iraq War film Redacted (2007) on March 22. Join us on March 29 for Jia Zhangke’s portrait of a globalizing China The World (2004). Finally, to close out the series, we’ll feature 2004’s Collateral, Michael Mann’s blockbuster thriller featuring Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise.
To further critical appraisal of cinema of the early 2000s, we’ve published a zine featuring writing from contemporary critics including A.S. Hamrah, Paul Grimstad, Kyéra Sterling, Kola Heyward-Rotimi, Del Holton, Carlos Valladares, and Katherine Franco, alongside an interview with Ben Russell by Rebecca Turner. Pick up your copy of The Bush Years: The Zine for $5 at any screening, or secure a series pass to get yours for free.