Nederlandse Avant-Garde in de jaren '70

This program, co-curated with filmmaker Barbara Meter, is an homage to the glory days of the Amsterdam Film Co-op and their pivotal initiators, including Barbara Meter, Mattijn Seip and Jos Schoffelen. By channelling the energies into the production (through the STOFF workshops), distribution and screening of experimental films, the Coop’s filmmakers managed to build up one of the first experimental film circuits within Holland with an international allure. At the Electric Cinema weekly screenings, curated for a couple of years by Barbara Meter, several filmmakers from Europe, Canada or America were invited to Amsterdam to tour with their films and give workshops.

From about 1969 up until 1974, Amsterdam became a central place where Dutch and foreign experimental films were shown, shared and discussed. Even though the Amsterdam Coop did not manage to survive as long as their international counterparts in London, Vienna or NY, its impact on the cultural climate of Holland cannot be denied as it put experimental film for the very first time on the agenda and exposed new generations to this exciting practise.

All the films in the program have been preserved and are shown in their original format, 16mm, and specially for this event, a rare double-screen 16mm projection of Portraits 2 by Barbara Meter will be performed. Barbara Meter will be present and will engage in a conversation on the early days of the Coop.

For the making of this program we are grateful for the collaboration of artistic-researcher and educator Tina Bastajian, and Lisa Brouwer, Zeno Blervacq, Anje Rossendell-Piper, students of the Master of Film Preservation and Presentation of the University of Amsterdam.