Educational Media Reviews Online

Outcast Films is distributing a 5-DVD collection of 13 of Su Friedrich’s 16 films to date. Her most recent work is also available separately on DVD. This very ambitious compilation should serve as an example for future undertakings to preserve experimental and independent film/video. If the material is not accessible, it will not be shown, if it is not shown, an artist stands a very good chance of being forgotten. Academic oblivion has already occurred in the cases of several 60’s avant-garde filmmakers simply because academics have little time, money or inclination to find their works. This collection of Friedrich’s work will undoubtedly bring her to a wider audience.

Great care has been taken to transfer the 16mm and video works and many films have a choice of multiple sub-titles. One of the most innovative features is the scene accessibility which provides a written length of each section. This feature will certainly be appreciated by anyone showing Friedrich’s work in class or during a presentation. The program notes are informative and the Outcast website (outcast-films.com) also provides links to criticism and full-text essays on Friedrich’s work.

Weaving fiction about lesbian awakening in an adolescent girl with reminiscences by a group of lesbians, Su Friedrich’s Hide and Seek explores this particular time in their lives as well as the wisdom brought to the table years later.

This DVD also contains two additional films, Gently Down the Stream (14 mins., 1981) and But No One (9 mins., 1982) The first is a silent visual poem of animated words and images. There are allusions to the world of cinema with film screens and scratches, dirt in the gate and flickering effects that bring to mind Peter Kubelka. The film is a lovely bit of stream of consciousness. The second film juxtaposes bottom feeding fish such as catfish and suckers in a tank to male construction workers. The effect is amusing yet dreamlike.

This collection as a whole is very highly recommended for public libraries with gay and lesbian collections as well as for academic libraries with programs in gay and lesbian studies, as well as film studies.