THIS IS FOR JONAS MEKAS

“I want to celebrate the small forms of cinema, the lyrical forms, the poem, the watercolor, etude, sketch, post-card, arabesque, triolet and bagatelle ... the invisible, the personal, things that bring no money and no bread and make no contemporary history ...” (Jonas Mekas, 1997)  

“This unwavering attitude as well as his decision to develop his own film style under and with financially difficult circumstances are the empowering legacy for which I will always be grateful to Jonas.” (Friedl vom Gröller, 2019)  

New York City, Washington Square: people in the park, pure life and togetherness. Young people dancing in choreographies, flashing traffic signs, a fountain, a banner advocating a basic income. Laughter, singing, movement – and a direct, amused look into the camera. A police patrol and relaxed hustle and bustle all around. A joint. Trees in full bloom and splendor. Then a view through a window across to the construction site opposite, an almost picturesque sight of urban forms and structures. Despite the color reduction of the black and white, all of this comes across so magically, thanks to the 16mm film material, that these observations and the captured atmosphere seem timeless and otherworldly. Only a few FFP2 masks remind us of the here and now. And then we meet a certain Mr. Rossi in his shop, the oldest household goods store in Little Italy: trusting, curious and friendly, he looks at his interlocutor – and offers a coda of liveliness and euphoria. (Naoko Kaltschmidt)  

Translation: John Wojtowicz