Shirley Clarke Shorts Program

(Shirley Clarke, USA)
Approx. 66mins, Digital Projection

“Dance in the Sun” (1953, 8mins)
“Bullfight” (1955, 10mins)
“A Moment in Love” (1957, 10mins)
“Skyscraper” (1959, 22mins)
“A Scary Time” (1960, 16mins)

In this rare screening of shorts, the breadth of Shirley Clarke’s oeuvre comes to life in a matter of moments. From her landmark debut film, “Dance in the Sun”, to “Skyscraper”, a musical comedy about the construction of 666 Fifth Avenue, we get a glimpse into the world of performance and politics in 1950's NYC. The program closes with “A Scary Time”, a haunting work commissioned by UNICEF that juxtaposes shots of children on Halloween with images of infant victims of genocide. Never used by UNICEF, the short film marks Clarke’s earliest foray into narrative.

Restored digital transfers courtesy of Milestone Films.