TEACHING THE ALPHABET

of SCHREINER Volker

GERMANY, 2007, 00:03:34

Production : SCHREINER Volker
Genre : Video art
Keyword : Cinema, Homage, found footage, Alphabet

Summary :
It's not a simple ABC, this found footage alphabet by Volker Schreiner. Schreiner reveals his qualities in collecting and choreographing footage from classic (Hollywood) films. The concept of alphabetical ordering is loosely maintained so there's room for a playful contribution from the subconscious.“
(catalogue International Film Festival Rotterdam 2008)

„With TEACHING THE ALPHABET Volker Schreiner presents a monumental tribute to the mainstream cinema of all times. He not only pays homage through a precise selection of clips from Hollywood greats that demonstrates an incredible knowledge of the subject, but also by linking the footage in a series of surprising, logical connections. Through the device of teaching the alphabet, in the way that it is often taught to children with associations of letters and objects or concepts, Schreiner actively involves the spectator in a guessing game of images with missing data and unspoken words. In this puzzle of cross references, unsaid famous lines, and connections that at times are obvious and at others more obscure, Schreiner offers us an ingenious lesson on the history of cinema, challenging the viewer’s powers of recognition.“
(catalogue INVIDEO Milano 2009)

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