Screen/Society -- Warren Sonbert: Three Short Films | Duke Experimental Film Society

-- Presented by Duke Experimental Film Society and Screen/Society

"Amphetamine"
(Sonbert, 1966, 10 min)

Sonbert began making films in 1966 as a student at New York University's film school. In his first films, he uniquely captured the spirit of his generation and was inspired both by his university milieu and by the denizens of the Warhol art scene. In both provocative and playful fashion, "Amphetamine" depicts young men shooting amphetamines and making love in the era of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

"Friendly Witness"
(Sonbert, 1989, 22 min)

In "Friendly Witness", Sonbert returned after 20 years to sound. In the first section of the film, he deftly edits a swirling montage of images - suggestive of loves gained and love lost - to the tunes of four rock songs.

"The Bad and the Beautiful"
(Sonbert, 1968, 34 min)

Noteworthy for Sonbert's use of in-camera editing, in which he assembled together individual 100-foot camera rolls (that he shot) into a series of mini-narratives. Each camera roll sequence captures an individual couple in unusually intimate, quotidian moments: eating, making love, dancing, etc.