The Show Must Go On: Curt McDowell and George Kuchar
Curated by researcher Jon Davies, the four programs in this series highlight a vibrant chapter of San Francisco’s history, at the crossroads of experimental cinema, the sexual revolution, and queer counterculture. Whether through avant-garde works, educational films, or independent pornography, sexuality emerged in this specific context as a fertile ground for exploration and openness — in life as in creation — breaking down norms and asserting a freedom that has influenced countless artists.
Presented by guest programmer Jon Davies
In honour of Valentine’s Day, the series ends with a celebration of the fruitful creative and personal relationship of underground filmmaker George Kuchar and his “first student” at the San Francisco Art Institute in the early 1970s, Curt McDowell, known for his radically hedonistic films that embody the spirit of San Francisco. The men co-created the notorious midnight movie Thundercrack! and acted in each other’s films and videos. This program surveys three of McDowell’s short films and culminates with Kuchar’s most renowned video diary, which wittily chronicles art-school life and melancholically reflects on time’s passing during McDowell’s final days. (Jon Davies)
Confessions, Curt McDowell
[É.-U., 1971, 11 min, num., VOA]
Ronnie, Curt McDowell
[É.-U., 1972, 7 min, num., VOA]
Wieners and Buns Musical, Curt McDowell
[É.-U., 1972, 16 min, num., VOA]
Video Album 5 / The Thursday People, George Kuchar
[É.-U., 1987, 60 min, num., VOA]
