How can one narrate the multiple, complex and often elusive threads of contested social history and make them relevant to the present? Travis Wilkerson’s work consistently explores this territory, marrying a sophisticated interrogation of history with a provocative approach to documentary film form. In An Injury to One, he weaves together stories of the economic and environmental impact of the copper mining industry, labor organizing, the murder of Wobbly organizer Fred Little, and the life of Dashiell Hammett as they intersect in twentieth-century Butte, Montana. Through his complex narrational structure, his use of archival and contemporary documents, and his innovative juxtapositions of sound, text and image, Wilkerson builds a beautiful, compelling analysis of modern capitalism and labor relations. Also screening: a new version of National Archive and excerpts from a work-in-progress. (Irina Leimbacher)
Thursday, December 4, 2003
Fresh Eyes: New Artists at Cinematheque
Program 20: The Form of History, An Injury to One and more
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts