synopsis
Regarded as one of the first avant-garde films made in the US, Sheeler and Strand’s Manhatta is a dialogue of poetry, photography, and New York City. In the poem
Mannahatta, which appears in the title cards throughout the film, Walt Whitman invokes the “original name” of his city, the word “resounding, healthy, untamed, musical, self-sufficient.” The bearer of this name is represented by 65 shots emphasizing the contours of artificial, natural, and human layers that intersect within it.
biography
Charles Sheeler (1883–1965) studied painting and drawing but made his living as a photographer working for architects. His own artwork stems from urban and industrial photography. Paul Strand (1890–1976) made a name for himself as a photographer in New York, having been attracted to modern architecture, the play of light and shadow, and the faces of impoverished immigrants.
more about film
| director: | Paul Strand, Charles Sheeler |
Film at festival
| premiere type: | The film already had its Czech Premiere |
| festival edition: | 2022 |
| section: | Fascinations: Progress |
| language: | Silent |
| subtitles: | English |
| colour: | Black and white |
Info
| director: | Paul Strand, Charles Sheeler |
| original title: | Manhatta |
| country: | United States |
| year: | 1921 |
| running time: | 9 min. |
