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C/O/N/S/T/R/U/C/T
Five layers of optical superimposition demonstrate film as a construct.
Overview
Labour is ostensibly the subject of this film that observes a glass window being installed. C/O/N/S/T/R/U/C/T comprises five layers of optical superimposition - a multiple, kaleidoscopic perspective that collapses time: the past, present and future of every shot are simultaneously visible within the same image. Gidal presents film itself as a result of labour; a construct.
Founded in 1966, the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative started life at Better Books, a counter-culture bookshop on Charing Cross Road, where a group led by poet Bob Cobbing and filmmakers Stephen Dwoskin and Jeff Keen met to screen films. Initially inspired by the activities of the New American Cinema Group in New York, the London Co-op grew into a pioneering organisation that incorporated a film workshop, cinema space and distribution office. During its four-decade history, the Co-op played a crucial role in establishing film as an art form in the UK and participated in a vibrant international film scene. This BFI Player collection brings together new scans of films distributed by and/or produced at the London Co-op.
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