Tell me what animal you have, I'll tell you what human you are
Cinema Nova defends endangered species: animals and cinema. “Animal Alienation”, an underground program that questions us about our relationship with the living.
When you pass the extravagant knickknack-filled window of the Nova cinema in Brussels, you are transported into a universe. Let’s go back in time to discover a building dating from the end of the 19th century. Traces of a turbulent century emerge in the projection room, remained in its raw state. Red carpet. Damaged walls. Wooden armchairs upholstered in velvet. A high ceiling that looks like a movie set.
‘Animal alienation’ is the name of the new program, which wants to be transversal. “The title serves as an evocation,” explains Julie Sandor, head of cinema programming. “Our relationship with animals allows for a re-reading of our own humanity. How do we position ourselves in front of the living?
Twenty films have been selected for their eclecticism. Films in 35mm, 16mm or Super-8 are preferred: “Another endangered species”jokes the volunteer.
Ecofeminism, animal husbandry and zoophilia
“Cochon qui s’en dédit” (Jean-Louis Le Tacon, 1979) evokes, between surrealism and documentary, the problem of the treatment of farm animals and the alienation of farmers. “White Dog” (Samuel Fuller, 1982) is loosely based on a novel by Romain Gary. “Probe the concepts of otherness and xenophobia“, continues Julie Sandor. “He questions ours animal control As for “Zoo” (Robinson Devor, 2007), it tells a story of zoophilia in Seattle that led to a legislative change. Ecofeminism or animism and spiritual rituals are also discussed in other works. Some screenings are followed by a debate with the directors.
“Our relationship with animals allows for a re-reading of our own humanity.”
The sound documentary “Zoo Pharmakon” (2017) opened the festivities on Friday 13 January. Belgian designers Mira Goldwicht and Sarah Fautré touch the mental health of pets, who are sometimes given antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds.
By mirror effect, they make us reflect on human psychology. It’s a special experience to sit for 50 minutes in the darkness of a movie theater, without a picture. We let ourselves be impregnated by the sound and listen to the resonance it produces in us. Sometimes we laugh, while others we clap. And in the end, let’s share our impressions together.
© Léa Dornier
“Things that upset us but we have to live with”
The ambition of the Nova collective wants to be non-Manichean.
The ambition of the Nova collective wants to be not Manichaean. “We don’t favor one thought over another. Becoming vegetarian is not everyone’s opinion, for example. The common point of these artists is to point the finger at the things that upset us, but that we have to live with“, underlines Julie Sandor, quoting the philosopher Donna Haraway.
To counteract the intensity of some films, a the display of political-humorous cartoons lightens the atmosphere. They invaded the walls of the basement lobby. These are the creations of the scientist and designer Alessandro Pignocchi, taken from his comics. You will be present at the closing, to sign your latest publication: “Ethnographies of the worlds to come”, inspired by the thought of the anthropologist Philippe Descola.
In this house you can drink tea or cheap beer. Spices of a dahl of lentils being prepared pinch our nostrils. The regulars chat, sitting on mismatched formica chairs. A child is playing on an arcade machine. Suddenly, Phil, a volunteer, is walking around waving a bell: “The session is about to start!” Then, we hold the glass in hand and join the cinema.
Rue d’Arenberg, 3 – 1000 Brussels
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