New Television Workshop Collection

New Television Workshop Collection Program MaterialsContemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund



Irony

Copyright Date:
1985

Artist:
Feingold, Ken

Extent:
1 videocassette : sd., col.

Background:
"Irony," 1985, by Ken Feingold, was made in association with The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund.

Scope:
"Irony," 1985, by Ken Feingold, was made in association with The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund. Though ultimately fictional, "Irony" includes scenes where characters talk directly to the camera as if being interviewed. These layered scenes are interspersed with footage shot during travels in India, which include documentation of a film shoot in the desert (featuring brightly costumed Indian dancers) and villagers looking into the camera. Two female characters emerge as director/filmmaker figures, and seem to mirror or double each other, sometimes sharing dialogue. The suggestion that develops is that "Irony" is a film about the making of a film that is about a woman and the making of a film. In addition to examining the process of filmmaking, the work looks at the translation or representation of experience, especially the experience of travel. At one point, one of the directors/filmmakers says, "How she [the character in the film] follows these threads is our story -- the story of a woman in between things."

Music was created by Ratso Harris.



Coproducers:
Kitchen, The
Minneapolis College of Art and Design Media Arts Program
Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund, The

Editors:
Lashley, Will
Schmidtt, Mo Bailey (Online Editor)

Funders:
Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, New Works Program
New York State Council on the Arts

Performers:
Zerfas, Francine
Dorman, Madeline Sosin
Block, Ricardo
Hawkins, Yolanda
Harris, Harold Branson
Dorman, Andrea
Edwards, Jon Marc

Subjects:
Motion pictures
India



Genre:
Dramas


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