With the recent revelation of NSA's domestic spying, the issue of surveillance has resurged as an area of both social and academic debate. Tackling this topic head on, The Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) Student Chapter at NYU, together with the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts will present short film program examining the cultural and historical importance of surveillance film and video.

MIAP Sponsors Surveillance Film Festival - October 27

From lighthearted celebrity stalking to Soviet-era CIA instructional films to rarely screened film from occupied Tibet, the afternoon's surveillance-themed presentation takes place on UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. The program consists of seven screenings, followed by a panel discussion, and includes rare pieces from around the world. The program takes place on Sunday, October 27, from 1-4 pm at the Brooklyn Historical Society.


“Our goal is to broaden our understanding of what constitutes our visual heritage, and build awareness around how so much of it could get lost if we don’t have the will and the tools to preserve it,” said Julia Kim. “It’s also to raise awareness for the work of the tireless people who have taken it upon themselves to safeguard these valuable historic assets.”

The program will feature the world premiere of a National Film Preservation Foundation Avant-Garde Masters grant preservation film. The concluding panel discussion will feature Snowden Becker of UCLA, Peter D’Agostino of Temple University, Tenzin Phuntsog of the Tibet Film Archive, and Nicole Martin of Human Rights Watch. The full program includes the following:

[Main Street, USA] (1960) ~15 min.
From the Central Intelligence Agency collection archives
Courtesy New York City Police Museum and National Archives and Records Administration

Joe Dimaggio, 1,2,3 (1991) ~11 min.
by Ann McGuire
The artist stalks and serenades Joe Dimaggio in her car as he strolls the docks, unaware that McGuire is secretly videotaping his every step.
Courtesy Video Data Bank
(more)
[Patrol Car Video] (2011) ~12 min.
Footage of a fatal collision during police pursuit of a speeding motorcyclist sheds light on now-ubiquitous recording technologies and the complex systems of surveillance, evidence, and public record ¬keeping. At once immersive, gut¬ wrenching, and unreal, one dash¬cam clip demonstrates how the camera’s eye can be far from neutral.
Presenter: Snowden Becker, Program Manager, UCLA Moving Image Archive Studies

[Archival material from Tibetan Envoy Mission] (1979, 1980) ~12 min.
Tibetan Government¬ in ¬Exile delegation’s China¬ sanctioned visits to Tibet on Aug. 5,1979, May 1, 1980, and July 1, 1980.
Presenter: Tenzin Phuntsog, Director, Tibet Film Archive

Comings and Goings (1979/2009 ) ~10 minute excerpt
by Peter d'Agostino
Peter d'Agostino will present excerpts from his three¬ part work: PARIS (Metro), San Francisco (BART), and Washington DC (METRO) concerning surveillance/control systems and the people caught in them.
Presenter: Peter d'Agostino, artist and professor of Film & Media Arts, Temple University

Les Girls (1980) ~8 min. (Premiere)
by Beryl Sokoloff
Les Girls is one of five Sokoloff films to receive a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
The 16mm footage was preserved by archivist Bill Brand of BB Optics.
Presenter: Crista Grauer

Libya, Bloody Vengeance in Sirte (2012) ~6 min.
Evidence collected by Human Rights Watch implicates Libyan rebel militias in the apparent execution of dozens of detainees following the capture and death of Muammar Gaddafi two years ago. Among the most powerful evidence is a mobile phone video clip filmed by opposition militia members.
Presenter: Nicole Martin, Multimedia Archivist and System Manager, Human Rights Watch

The Brooklyn Historical Society is located at 128 Pierrepont Street at the corner of Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights. Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. Click here for more information.

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