Science is fiction : the films of Jean Painlevé

One of the first to plunge underwater with a camera to bring the subaquatic world to the screen, maverick scientific documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé (1902-1989) captured the throes of a male seahorse giving birth, the geometric choreography of crystal formation, and the mating habits of hermaphrodite mollusks. In a lifetime spanning nearly the history of cinema itself, Painlevé made over 200 films, including The Seahorse, Freshwater Assassins, The Vampire, and The Love Life of the Octopus. His lyrical and instructive animal behavior films set to avant-garde scores were much admired by Surrealist contemporaries such as Antonin Artaud, Luis Buñuel, and Jean Vigo. Science Is Fiction includes Marina McDougall's historically informative "Hybrid Roots," Brigitte Berg's heavily illustrated biographical essay "Contradictory Forces," art critic Ralph Rugoff's "Fluid Mechanics," a Libération interview with Painlevé, stills from Painlevé's most celebrated films laid out in storyboard fashion, and a selection of Painlevé's writings appearing for the first time in English. The latter include "Neo-Zoological Drama," a playful romp on the behavior of Turbellaria, or flatworms; "Mysteries and Miracles of Nature," an idiosyncratic catalog of unusual animal behavior; and "Scientific Film," a discussion of science films that pays homage to Painlevé's fellow pioneers. The book also includes French film critic André Bazin's "Science Film: Accidental Beauty," a review of the 1947 International Association of Science Film festival, organized by Painlevé. Copublished with Brico Press. The first book on pioneering French filmmaker Jean Painlev, the father of science cinema. One of the first to plunge underwater with a camera to bring the subaquatic world to the screen, maverick scientific documentary filmmaker Jean Painlev (1902-1989) captured the throes of a male seahorse giving birth, the geometric choreography of crystal formation, and the mating habits of hermaphrodite mollusks. In a lifetime spanning nearly the history of cinema itself, Painlev made over 200 films, including The Seahorse , Freshwater Assassins , The Vampire , and T he Love Life of the Octopus . His lyrical and instructive animal behavior films set to avant-garde scores were much admired by Surrealist contemporaries such as Antonin Artaud, Luis Buuel, and Jean Vigo. Science Is Fiction includes Marina McDougall's historically informative "Hybrid Roots," Brigitte Berg's heavily illustrated biographical essay "Contradictory Forces," art critic Ralph Rugoff's "Fluid Mechanics," a Libratio n interview with Painlev, stills from Painlev's most celebrated films laid out in storyboard fashion, and a selection of Painlev's writings appearing for the first time in English. The latter include "Neo-Zoological Drama," a playful romp on the behavior of Turbellaria, or flatworms; "Mysteries and Miracles of Nature," an idiosyncratic catalog of unusual animal behavior; and "Scientific Film," a discussion of science films that pays homage to Painlev's fellow pioneers. The book also includes French film critic Andr Bazin's "Science Accidental Beauty," a review of the 1947 International Association of Science Film festival, organized by Painlev. Copublished with Brico Press. The first book on pioneering French filmmaker Jean Painlevé, the father of science cinema.One of the first to plunge underwater with a camera to bring the subaquatic world to the screen, maverick scientific documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé (1902-1989) captured the throes of a male seahorse giving birth, the geometric choreography of crystal formation, and the mating habits of hermaphrodite mollusks. In a lifetime spanning nearly the history of cinema itself, Painlevé made over 200 films, including The Seahorse, Freshwater Assassins, The Vampire, and The Love Life of the Octopus. His lyrical and instructive animal behavior films set to avant-garde scores were much admired by Surrealist contemporaries such as Antonin Artaud, Luis Buñuel, and Jean Vigo.Science Is Fiction includes Marina McDougall's historically informative'Hybrid Roots,'Brigitte Berg's heavily illustrated biographical essay'Contradictory Forces,'art critic Ralph Rugoff's'Fluid Mechanics,'a Libération interview with Painlevé, stills from Painlevé's most celebrated films laid out in storyboard fashion, and a selection of Painlevé's writings appearing for the first time in English. The latter include'Neo-Zoological Drama,'a playful romp on the behavior of Turbellaria, or flatworms;'Mysteries and Miracles of Nature,'an idiosyncratic catalog of unusual animal behavior; and'Scientific Film,'a discussion of science films that pays homage to Painlevé's fellow pioneers. The book also includes French film critic André Bazin's'Science Film: Accidental Beauty,'a review of the 1947 International Association of Science Film festival, organized by Painlevé.Copublished with Brico Press.

One of the first to plunge underwater with a camera to bring the subaquatic world to the screen, maverick scientific documentary filmmaker Jean Painleve (1902-1989) captured the throes of a male seahorse giving birth, the geometric choreography of crystal formation, and the mating habits of hermaphrodite mollusks. In a lifetime spanning nearly the history of cinema itself,Painleve made over 200 films, including The Seahorse, Freshwater Assassins, The Vampire, and The Love Life of the Octopus. His lyrical and instructive animal behavior films set to avant-garde scores were much admired by Surrealist contemporaries such as Antonin Artaud, Luis Bunuel, and Jean Vigo.Science Is Fiction includes Marina McDougall's historically informative "Hybrid Roots,"Brigitte Berg's heavily illustrated biographical essay "Contradictory Forces," art critic Ralph Rugoff's "Fluid Mechanics," a Liberation interview with Painleve, stills from Painleve's most celebrated films laid out in storyboard fashion, and a selection of Painleve's writings appearing for the first time in English. The latter include "Neo-Zoological Drama," a playful romp on the behavior of Turbellaria, or flatworms; "Mysteries and Miracles of Nature," an idiosyncratic catalog of unusual animal behavior; and "Scientific Film," a discussion of science films that pays homage to Painleve's fellow pioneers. The book also includes French film critic Andre Bazin's "Science Film: Accidental Beauty," a review of the 1947 International Association of Science Film festival,organized by Painleve.Copublished with Brico Press.

Contents......Page 8 The Seahorse......Page 14 Introduction: Hybrid Roots......Page 15 Contradictory Forces: Jean Painlevé, 1902-1989......Page 21 Fluid Mechanics......Page 67 Photograms......Page 78 Methuselah......Page 79 Hyas and Stenorhynchus......Page 83 The Seahorse......Page 87 The Fourth Dimension......Page 91 The Vampire......Page 95 Freshwater Assassins......Page 99 Blood of the Beasts......Page 101 Blue Beard......Page 105 Sea Urchins......Page 109 The Love Life of the Octopus......Page 113 Acera or The Witches’ Dance......Page 117 Photography......Page 122 Neo-Zoological Drama......Page 135 Mysteries and Miracles of Nature......Page 137 Institute in the Cellar......Page 143 Feet in the Water......Page 149 A Clay Blue Beard......Page 159 Science Film: Accidental Beauty......Page 163 The Castration of the Documentary......Page 167 The Ten Commandments......Page 177 Scientific Film......Page 179 Jean Painlevé Reveals the Invisible......Page 189 Selected Filmography......Page 199 Selected Television and Radio Programs......Page 207 Selected Writings......Page 209 Selected Writings......Page 213 Contributors......Page 221 Acknowledgments......Page 222 B......Page 224 C......Page 225 E......Page 226 H......Page 227 L......Page 228 O......Page 229 S......Page 230 T......Page 231 Z......Page 232 One of the first to plunge underwater with a camera to bring the subaquatic world to the screen, maverick scientific documentary filmmaker Jean Painleve (1902 -- 1989) captured the throes of a male seahorse giving birth and the mating habits of hermaphrodite mollusks. In a lifetime spanning nearly the history of cinema itself, Painleve made more than two hundred films. His lyrical and instructive animal behavior films set to avant-garde scores were much admired by Surrealist contemporaries such as Antonin Artaud, Luis Bunuel, and Jean Vigo.Science Is Fiction includes Marina McDougall's historically informative "Hybrid Roots", Brigitte Berg's heavily illustrated biographical essay "Contradictory Forces", art critic Ralph Rugoff's "Fluid Mechanics", a Liberation interview with Painleve, stills from Painleve's most celebrated films laid out in storyboard fashion, and a selection of Painleve's writings appearing for the first time in English. The latter includes "Neo-Zoological Drama", a playful romp on the behavior of Turbellaria, or flatworms, and "Scientific Film", a discussion of science films that pays homage to Painleve's fellow pioneers. The book also includes French film critic Andre Bazin's Science Film: Accidental Beauty. Contradictory Forces: Jean Painlevé, 1902-1989 / Brigitte Berg -- Fluid Mechanics / Ralph Rugoff -- Phtograms -- Methuselah -- Hyas And Stenorphynchus -- Seahorse -- Fourth Dimension -- Vampire -- Freshwater Assassins -- Blood Of The Beasts -- Blue Beard -- Sea Urchins -- Love Life Of The Octopus -- Acera Or The Withes' Dance -- Photography -- Neo-zoological Drama / Jean Painlevé -- Mysteries And Miracles Of Nature / Jean Painlevé -- Institute In The Cellar / Léo Sauvage -- Feet In The Water / Jean Painlevé -- Clay Blue Beard / Patricia Hutchins -- Science Film: Accidental Beauty / André Bazin -- Castration Of The Documentary / Jean Painlevé -- Ten Commandments / Jean Painlevé -- Scientific Film / Jean Painlevé -- Jean Painlevé Reveals The Invisible / Hélène Hazéra And Dominique Leglu -- Selected Filmography -- Selected Television And Radio Programs -- Selected Writings / Ljean Painlevé -- Selected Writings On Jean Painlevé. Edited By Andy Masaki Bellows And Marina Mcdougall, With Brigitte Berg ; Translations By Jeanine Herman. Includes Index. Selected Writings By Jean Painlevé: P. [190]-193. Selected Writings On Jean Painlevé: P. [194]-197. Filmography: P. [180]-187.