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Made by Hand: Experimental Works for Educational Environments cover image

Made by Hand: Experimental Works for Educational Environments 2005 (The twelve short films were produced between 1967-2004)

Highly Recommended

Distributed by Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre, 171 East Liberty St., Suite 220, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 1W9; 416-588-0725
Produced by Steven Woloshen, Sonia Bridge, John Price, Richard Reeves, Sarah Abbott, Izabella Pruska-Oldenhof, Gariné Torossian, Christopher Chong, Joyce Wieland, Christine Battle, Cara Morton, Carl Brown and Rose Lowder
Directed by Steven Woloshen, Sonia Bridge, John Price, Richard Reeves, Sarah Abbott, Izabella Pruska-Oldenhof, Gariné Torossian, Christopher Chong, Joyce Wieland, Christine Battle, Cara Morton, Carl Brown and Rose Lowder
DVD, color and b&, 60 min.



College
Film Studies, Art

Date Entered: 02/02/2007

Reviewed by Debra Mandel, Head, Media Center, Northeastern University Libraries, Boston, MA

Made by Hand includes 12 short films by well-respected experimental Canadian filmmakers. According to the jacket blurb, this unique compilation was made “in response to an increasingly digital world,” to showcase filmmakers who work directly with the material of film, both 16mm and 35 mm and use a variety of “handmade and artisanal techniques” to demonstrate the vibrant and expressive possibilities of this medium.

Well crafted and entertaining, this collection is an excellent presentation of short abstract films. Repeated imagery, animation, home movies, playful use of color, photograms, dance, and different light effects provide both fanciful and introspective moments of sheer film appreciation. Sound tracks are innovative too—some is jarring or layered with voices difficult to hear. There’s Chinese music, screeching trains, Woody Guthrie, and the voice of a mother describing the birth of her son. Two films are silent. Credits rolling at the end of the films attest to the artistic and technical efforts contributing to these pieces.

Ranging from two and a half to 12 minutes, these Made by Hand films would be a great asset to any film studies or filmmaking class or collection, useful for researchers looking for diversity in non-digital examples of experimental filmmaking styles. An excellent study guide accompanies the DVD.

Awards

  • Sarah Abbott won Honourable Mention for The Light in Our Lizard Bellies, Ann Arbor Film Festival, 2000