The Territory 29th Season

SEASON 29
Explore the edge of the media frontier!  THE TERRITORY series showcases new directions in film, video and digital media. This 29th season is a provocative mix of experimental, documentary, narrative and animated shorts that allows the audience to take TV trips around the world and to major Texas media festivals.  THE TERRITORY is produced by the Southwest Alternate Media Project, the Austin Museum of Art and Houston PBS, in cooperation with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Program 1

YO LO VI (I Saw It) (14:30, 2003) Hanna Nordhalt/Fritz Steingrob, Germany.
Tragedies of War, and other works by Spanish artist Francisco Goya, are imaginatively animated to give fresh poignancy to history.

QUIENES SON? (WHO ARE THEY?) (8:07, 2002) Alex Stikich, New York. (In Spanish with English subtitles) 
The search for extraterrestrial life, fear of an American attack, and the worldwide influence of the homogeneous emptiness of Hollywood films are elements in this surreal portrait of contemporary Cuba.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF VOTING (4:00, 2004) Francesca Talenti, North Carolina.
A cast of animated, non-partisan animal characters makes this topical subject amusing, interesting and entertaining.

 A Brief History of Voting

Program 2

NOSFERATU TANGO(12:00, 2003) Zoltan Horvath, Switzerland.
A lovelorn mosquito falls for Nosferatu, the prince of vampires, in this charming, but tragic, tale of desire.

COMPROMIS (14:00, 1998) Sebastien Sort, France. (In French with English subtitles)
This short drama reveals the hilarious adventures of a French "artiste" fighting the forces of commerce and mediocrity to make a good film.

Program 3

Soar
SOAR(19:50, 2003) Tristan Bancks, Australia.
A coincidence of airline seating arrangements and larger issues of destiny inspires this humorous look at life’s unfairness.

V KOCKE (IN THE BOX) (7 minutes, 1999) Michal Struss, Slovak Republic.
A film about space…about a wooden puppet…about a box…and about the quest for freedom.

Program 4

Tram Stop TRAM STOP (15:00, 2002) Jessica Muschamp, Australia.
Why not role-play your way through the first six months of a virtual relationship with a stranger? The question is, will they catch the tram?

THE SECOND MEMORY (12:00, 2004) Bea de Visser, Czechoslovakia/Germany. (In German with English subtitles)
Discrepancies between past and present intrigue us as a former photographer’s model reminisces about portraits of her youth.

Program 5

ARCHIPELAGO(17:00, 2003) Leon Siminiani, Spain. (In Spanish with English subtitles)
Newlyweds run into an unexpected addition to their honeymoon as the bride’s past catches up with them.

THE POOL(6:00, 2004) Chris Richards, United Kingdom.
A couple re-experiences the first stages of their long love affair as past and present unite in a magical dive.

NUMMER TWEE (Number Two) (Just because I’m standing here, doesn’t mean I want to.) (3:08, 2003) Guido van der Werve, The Netherlands.
A desolate provincial suburb provides the setting for an unusual ode to spring. Ho w could this turn out right?

 The Pool

Program 6

Neptune's Choice NEPTUNE’S CHOICE(15:22, 2003) Eder Santos, Brazil
With lush images, ellip tical text and a haunting sound collage, this poetic work explores the artist’s impressions of Amsterdam.

SENTINELLES (8:00, 1999) Guy Lampron, Canada.
Two gargoyles, in the shape of eagles, come to life in this beautiful, gothic tale of loving gestures and salvation from the light.

ADOPTED(4:00, 2002) Linda Stogner, Texas.
Confronted with unexpected revelations regarding her adoption, the filmmaker recounts her story with wit and affection.

Program 7

GRASSHOPPER (14:00, 2003) Bob Sabiston, Texas.
In a New York City park, the filmmaker captures a chance encounter with a philosopher who talks about relieving the isolation of being human.

ROBERTA WELLS (8:00, 2003) Kat Candler, Texas.
This wry snapshot of a fi lm gently mocks a dysfunctional family gathering where sides are taken in subtle and touching ways.

LOVE YA LIKE(4:30, 2004), Rene Pinnell, Texas.
A trio of evil artists turns violent when unable to capture their muse who is saved in the end—perhaps—by an obsessed lover.

 Roberta Wells

Program 8

REMEMBRANCE < /b>(18:40, 2001) Stephanie Morgenstern.
It's 1942... night-time in a Toronto train station... a man, cursed and blessed with total recall, confronts the dark turmoil of espionage and romance.

THE HEART OF THE WORLD (6:00, 2000) Guy Maddin, Canada.
Critically acclaimed by both The New York Times and The Village Voice, this fast-paced parody of silent Soviet propaganda films will leave you breathless.

NEXT (3:00, 2003) Anatoliy Lavrenishin, Ukraine.
The quixotic and nonsensical aspects of human behavior are satirized in this funny animated work.

Program 9

Program 10

5 A.M.(1:00, 2003) Michiel van Bakel, The Netherlands.
The basic elements of photography and video are combined with digital animation techniques to draw our attention to the overlooked details of our lives.

UP (15:05, 2001) Chad S. Park, California.
A prisoner faces cruel isolation and has only his imagination to keep him alive.

NUMMER DRIE (NUMBER THREE)(10:00, 2004) Guido van der Werve, The Netherlands.
In an inexplicable combination of events, a lone ballerina, dancing in a dark, frozen park, seems oblivious to what goes on behind her.

Program 11

EINSTEIN’S PLAYGROUND(16:54, 2002) Matthew Heckerling, California.
The filmmaker takes a playful look at the most influential mind of the 20th century and what makes him tick.

ZINC GARDEN(10:00, 2004), Michiel van Bakel, The Netherlands.
This visual poem intertwines the beauty of the world with musical orchestration in this dream-like voyage celebrating nature.

Program 12

THE MOST OF MY WORRIES(10:00, 2004) Carine Tardieu, France. (In French with English subtitles.)
Facing the life-threatening illness of a loved one, a family finds humor and relief in sharing a dramatic alteration of identity.

THE SHOOTING GALLERY(10:00, 2000) Taras Tomenko, Ukraine.
In this haunting story, a homeless boy, inspired by an unobtainable ballerina, tries to win something in the game of life.

MOCKINGBIRD(6:35, 2002) Michael Walsh, California.
At the brink of madness, imagination becomes reality in this stunning animated work.

Program 13

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN(19:00, 2003) Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, New York.
The life of a twelve-year old girl is conveyed with subtlety and fondness for life’s little dramas that reveal a person’s character.

A WOMAN REPORTED(5:11, 2004) Chris J. Russo, California.
This suspenseful narrative gives us a look inside a young woman’s mind before her life changes in a violent and irrevocable way.

ROEIEN (ROWING)(1:15, 2003) Anna Abrahams and Jan Frederik Groot, The Netherlands.
The semi-abstraction of movement and water are captured with a homemade pinhole camera. The frayed images are timeless; the trip is forever.

THE TERRITORY is produced by:
Southwest Alternate Media Project
Austin Museum of Art
Houston Public Television

in cooperation with
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Executive Producers:
Judith Sims, Austin Museum of Art
Mary M. Lampe, Southwest Alternate Media Project

Co-Producers:
Ed Hugetz, The Universi ty of Houston
Celia Lightfoot, Independent Producer, Houston
Marian Luntz, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Dr. Tom Schatz, The University of Texas at Austin

Editor:
Joe Brueggman, HoustonPBS

Director of Programming:
Ken Lawrence, HoustonPBS

Director of Operations
Steve Pyndus, Houston PBS

Website:
Linda Cozzen

Theme Music:
Japanic

Production Assistance:
Michelle Mower

Special Thanks to:
Apollo Cinema, Los Angeles; Austin Film Society; Bohdana Smyrnova, Ukraine; BuzzTaxi Communications, Toronto; Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival; Electronic Arts Intermix, New York; The Filmbank, Amsterdam; Flat Black Films, Austin; Flickerfest, Australia; Hamburg Short Film Agency, Germany; The Houston Film Commission; La Luna Productions, Paris; Ralph McKay/CinemaTexas, Austin; Nadasdy Film, Switzerland; Oregon Public Broadcasting; Prosopopyea Productions, Madrid; Short Circuit Films, Sheffield, England; Third World New sreel, New York; University of Southern California/School of Cinema-TV; Worldwide Short Film Festival, Toronto; Zeitgeist Films, New York

THE TERRITORY is funded jointly by
The National Endowment for the Arts
The Houston Endowment
The Texas Commission on the Arts
The City of Houston
through the Cultural Arts council of Houston/Harris County

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