Frozen time tells the story of one of the greatest film finds in history by using the discovery itself. Dawson city tracks the true history of over 500 film reels from the 191020s that were lost for over 50 years until they were discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in yukon territory. The history of dawson city, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of forgotten silent films buried in permafrost for decades until 1978. I share an affinity for so many of the things that are integral to his work. Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile. It concerns the history of dawson city, canada, deep in the yukon, from its creation during the klondike gold rush and culminating in the. This approach is sometimes a little too remote but is generally effective. Frozen time is a meditation on cinemas past, the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1900s. Frozen time is more than a story of the discovery of 500,000 feet of film buried and forgotten in a town on the yukon river of canada. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533. This bizarre and fascinating film essay chronicles how hundreds of silent films from the early 1900s were discovered frozen and buried in dawson city, yukon, dug up by a bulldozer in 1978. Dawson went from a rowdy mining town with brothels and gambling houses to a midcentury rural hamlet with a fateful thirst for hockey. The kino lorber kino classics bluray of dawson city.
Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints dating from the early 1900s. There are a thousand and one facts to be learned in dawson city. A more evocatively poetic title, say gold and silver, might suggest the extraordinary double helix of north american history and movie lore that bill morrisons foundfootage documentary contains the film owes its existence, first of all, to the. Dawson city, officially the town of the city of dawson, is a town in the canadian territory of yukon. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost. Director bill morrisons new documentary dawson city. Bill morrison in 1978, a treasure trove of silent film reels was discovered in the yukon permafrost. A thrilling adventure through american history, dawson city.
Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true story of a collection of some 500 silent films. Dawson city tracks the true history of over 500 film reels from the 191020s that were lost for over 50. Frozen time, a documentary which is rich with knowledge but never didactic. Both a symphony and a time capsule, consisting of fragments from the perfectly preserved silent films found in a dump. Nel 1895, non cera nulla, poi arrivano i cercatori. Frozen time may sound like a time capsule on paper, but its something altogether more profound in motion. Using archival footage to tell the story, dawson city. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson. Dec 20, 2017 the chicagoborn filmmakers astonishing documentary dawson city. And that moment in which cain kills his brother abel. Propelled by alex somers transcendent score, dawson city. Frozen time bill morrison is a passionate archivist and a gifted collage artist, and sometimes at his best he is able to be both at once, using one area of expertise to. Frozen time 120 min, 2016, usa north american premiere at the 54th new york film festival.
Frozen time is a terrific hd encoding of this fascinating show. Its not often that a recent release strikes such an immediate chord with us that it makes its way into our show rotation so quickly, but i knew from the first few moments of bill morrisons dawson city. Movie documentary, compilation documentary, found footage. It was screened in the orizzonti competition section at the 73rd venice international film festival. Located just south of the arctic circle, dawson city was settled in 1896 and became the center of the canadian gold rush that brought 100,000 prospectors to the area. There is currently one video available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. With those kinds of odds, its no wonder that classic film fans get so excited over news that a print of a thoughttobelost film has been found.
Documentaire historisch film geregisseerd door bill morrison. Frozen time, a feature length film by bill morrison u. Frozen time is a 2016 american documentary film written, edited and directed by bill morrison and produced by morrison and madeleine molyneaux. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of.
Film was born of an explosive the history of dawson city, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of forgotten silent films buried in permafrost for decades until 1978. The confluence of a gold rush in the yukon and the birth of cinema in the waning days of the 19th century form the basis for this masterful, revelatory film, which uses film footage that was long feared lost to tell these interconnecting stories. Alberto zambenedetti is assistant professor in the department of italian studies and the cinema studies institute at. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of the arctic circle. Frozen time 2016 drifts through the past with bittersweet grace. Frozen time is a dazzling cinematic experience, a deep dive into the connections and contradictions of the 20th century archive. The history of dawson city, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of.
Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and salvation. Frozen time on bluray 738329225476 from kino lorber. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming. Frozen time 2016 is showing september 25 october 25, 2018 on mubi in most countries around the world. It does document the ebb and flow of life in a yukon territory gold rush town, but with a paint brush instead of a pencil. Frozen time monday, april 16, 2018 bill morrison decasia, the great flood pieces together the bizarre history of a collection of 500 films from the 1910s and 20s, lost until they were unearthed from a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978.
The city of dawson and the nearby ghost town of forty mile are featured prominently in the novels and short stories of american author jack london, including the call of the wild. Dating from the 1910s and 20s, they were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. A more evocatively poetic title, say gold and silver, might suggest the extraordinary double helix of north american history and movie lore that bill morrisons foundfootage documentary contains. It is inseparably linked to the klondike gold rush 189699.
Frozen time will screen as part of the spotlight on documentary section of the 54th new york film festival september 30 oct. Explaining how it got there, morrison weaves together the fascinating tales of dawson city born in the chaotic gold rush of the 1890s the birth of the movie industry and the wider history of the continue reading dawson city. Compelling documentary about dawson city and the unique relationship between this little canadian town with its cinema and the gold fever that briefly engulfed the sleepy fishing village. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a. With the help of canadian film authorities and the museum of modern art, the newsreel and historical film helping to illustrate the show is encoded in excellent shape. In 1929, when the pool had been filled in and replaced with a hockey. The chicagoborn filmmakers astonishing documentary dawson city. Scott, new york times, on the 2016 new york film festival the latest from bill morrison decasia, the great flood is this haunting experience about cinema lost and found. With kathy jonesgates, michael gates, sam kula, bill ofarrell. Frozen time 2016 its estimated that about 90% of all films made prior to 1929 are lost and many of those are very likely gone forever.
The documentary offers a unique perspective both on the eponymous canadian gold rush town and the shifting economics of film distribution. Feb 27, 2018 there are a thousand and one facts to be learned in dawson city. Bill morrisons twohour documentary recollects the unburying of a collection of nitrate film stocks from the early 1900s. The documentary has no narration and only a couple of interviews at the beginning and the end of the film.
Staring chris mad dog russo, bill ofarrell, sam kula and michael gates. Frozen time tells the story of one of the greatest film finds in history by using the. The documentary has no narration and only a couple of interviews at. The first has to do with the accidental discovery of 35mm film reels buried in the yukon over one hundred years ago and miraculously preserved by the permafrost. Frozen time 2016, explores the discovery of those 500 reels but also the history of dawson city and its long connection with hollywood.
Frozen time is a rather clunky and uninspiring title for a film thats both revelatory and deeply fascinating. Frozen time, however, suggests that those reverberations originate in a past we can only know in fragments. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of the arctic circle. Using archival footage to tell the story, the film depicts a unique history. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1900s. In 1978, in dawson city, yukon, construction work unearthed something unexpected. Booklet essays by lawrence weschler and alberto zambenedetti interview with filmmaker bill morrison postscript trailer. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. Frozen time 2016 that i wanted to talk about it right away. Frozen time is a 2016 american documentary film written, edited and directed by bill morrison and produced by morrison and madeleine. To attempt to describe it as a documentary is to limit the extent of its creativity.
Jun 08, 2017 so its a bit of a shock that dawson city. A megjeleno oldalon lepj tovabb, majd vard meg a 10 masodpercet az oldalon, es a letoltes automatikusan elindul. Frozen time, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2016. I share an affinity for so many of the things that are integral to his work forgotten corners of history, the limitations. When dawson city swelled to more than 40,000 inhabitants in a matter. Frozen time begins with a brightly colored, completely intact clip from a television show about baseball in which mr. Frozen time could have benefited from judicious trimming of its twohour running time, and there are times when its wandering focus proves irritating. Frozen time 2016 120 min documentary watch or download. Frozen time takes a moody, ambient approach, as cool and mysterious as the gold rush images that fill the documentary. Jul 14, 2017 director bill morrisons new documentary dawson city.
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