Visiting Professor of Art History Scott MacDonald participated in this year's "Flaherty," a week-long seminar devoted to documentary and experimental filmmaking. The annual event, which was the 13th MacDonald has attended, was held at Vassar College from June 17 through June 24.
The Flaherty was established in honor of film-maker Robert Flaherty by his wife, Francis, in 1955, and was originally funded by the rentals from Flaherty's classic Nanook of the North (1921). Each year, filmmakers, film programmers, scholars, teachers and librarians have gathered to see premieres of films and participate in extended discussions about new work. This year's theme was "Creative Demolition: Reconstructing Culture through Innovations in Film & Video." The seminar hosted film- and video-makers from around the world and from various filmmaking traditions. Some of the most noteworthy events included the re-emergence of Italian master, Vittorio De Seta; and Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis (2006), Mary Jordan's remarkable film portrait of American visual and dramatic artist Jack Smith.
MacDonald is the founder of F.I.L.M (Forum for Image and Language in Motion), a film series on campus that shows weekly films, holds discussions and hosts speakers. MacDonald hopes to present Jordan and her film as part of F.I.L.M this fall.
