All Films

To Parsifal

1963 • 16 min • United States of America

The 16-minute film falls neatly into two nearly equal parts, separated by fades to and from black. Part one depicts a sunrise, a journey out to sea in a boat, then gulls flying around the boat while fish are cleaned, and finally the journey back and the reappearance of land.

Notebook

1963 • 11 min • United States of America

A short, diaristic film; A series of impressions, animations and playful vignettes in color and B&W. Early/ Outtake footage of Menken's Lights can be seen here, as well as camera techniques she'd expand upon in later films.

Bootsmann auf der Scholle

1963 • 19 min • East Germany, Germany

Animated short based on a children's book by Benno Pludra. Winter has enchanted the city and harbour. Only boatman is boring, no one plays with him. Captain Putt Bräsing has an insight with his little dog and entrusts him Uwe, Jochen and Katrinchen to frolic around. The children go on a research trip to the beach.

The Two Castles

1963 • 4 min • Italy

Die Musici

1963 • 4 min • East Germany, Germany

Four gentlemen play house music with dedication and enthusiasm. They don't let anything get in their way. One of the four is put behind bars by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution because his scientific work is being published in the GDR. A NATO maneuver rages around the house and intrudes into their private lives. The roof catches fire and half the house collapses. The musicians continue to play the well-known canon: "Heaven and earth may pass away, but the musicians..."

Trois portraits d'un oiseau qui n'existe pas

1963 • 7 min • France

Measurement in Physical Science

1963 • 12 min • United States of America

Illustrates principles for measuring distance, mass and time--the basic quantities in physical science. Emphasizes the importance of accuracy. Provides laboratory demonstrations.

Our Texas Heritage

1963 • 17 min • United States of America

Explores the rich and diverse history of Texas, from its early exploration by Spaniards in 1519 to its eventual statehood in 1845. It highlights the various nations that governed Texas, the establishment of missions, the struggles of early settlers, and the significant battles for independence, such as the Alamo. The film also discusses the impact of immigration, the cattle ranching industry, and the discovery of oil, which transformed Texas into a land of opportunity. It celebrates the spirit of resilience and the cultural contributions of various immigrant groups, ultimately illustrating Texas's unique heritage.

Des Teufels ruß'ger Gesell

1963 • 8 min • East Germany

A soldier returns from the war. As he has nowhere to stay, he moves to hell. There he is ordered by the devil to stoke the fire under the cauldrons and add coals. When he looks into the cauldron, he sees his captain, the marshal and the king sitting in it. They beg the soldier to help them to freedom. But the soldier remembers what these three had done to him on earth and seals the cauldron so tightly that the captain, marshal and king can never return. Now the soldier returns to earth reassured.

Ella Fitzgerald à l'Olympia

1963 • 25 min • France

Ella Fitzgerald's concert recorded 31 Aug 1963 at the Olympia (Paris, France), in a condensed version for TV.

Stars

1963 • 20 min • East Germany, Germany

This black and white documentary film reports on a brigade of women, they are the "stars" of a Berlin light bulb factory. What is striking is the cordiality and good cooperation within the women's group, despite their monotonous work in the control area in the production of tungsten wires, also called filaments. Original tones are inserted to convey the joys, the cheerfulness and quick-wittedness that they have despite their burden of family and work. A problem of the wrong way of counting the female workers is openly addressed by the brigade leader and in a countercut Inge introduces her baby to her colleagues in the company. Everything seems like one big family and nobody can really imagine being without this work.

Dióbél királyfi

1963 • 13 min • Hungary

Animated adaptation of the tale by Ferenc Móra in which the old king, on the advice of his long-serving shepherd, arranges an archery competition to decide which of his three sons will inherit the crown. The competitors have to hit the centre of a copper penny on which there is the image of the old king.

La Pampa Gringa

1963 • 10 min • Argentina

“My life was the same as that of thousands of gringos: I plowed and sowed the land, and went to the bar on Sunday.” Such is the refrain throughout LA PAMPA GRINGA, which endeavors to relate the sense of community built by the European settlers who in 1865 first colonized the town of Esperanza, located in Birri’s native province of Santa Fe. Largely consisting of juxtaposed daguerreotypes from the period and newspaper printings, LA PAMPA GRINGA exhibits Birri’s ability to weave narratives out of historical documentation in deft, admirable form.

Isu

1963 • 11 min • Japan

Interesting conceptual film where people of various ages and professions are asked to sit on a chair for 15 minutes with nothing to do. We see how bored and uneasy modern people start to feel when wasting time.

Kuarup

1963 • 20 min • Brazil

Aspects of the life of the Kamaiurá, an indigenous tribe that inhabits the Upper Xingu. The manioc-based food, the training with bow and arrow and the work carried out by the young Indian, the girls learn how to spin, and the boys develop the knowledge of the tribe with the shamans. An important rite is the Kuarup, which honors a great dead leader. The procedures for the rite: the decoration of tree trunks, the painting of bodies, the dance choreography, the physical confrontation between the Indians. Finally, the trunks are taken by children to the waters of the Xingu River.

Comradeship on the Road

1963 • 13 min • Yugoslavia

Demonstrating the dos and don’ts of social interaction in traffic, this film tells the story of a sociopathic driver who takes equal pleasure in helping distressed fellow drivers and in intentionally causing road accidents.

The Pulse of the Big City

1963 • 4 min • Sweden

An experimental film about the city of Stockholm.

Rocks: Where They Come From

1963 • 10 min • United States of America

Follows Don as he sees different kinds of rocks at a granite quarry, sandstone cliff and museum. Demonstrates the effects of water, heat and pressure in the formation of rocks.

Ecstasis

1963 • 6 min • Yugoslavia

A film from 1963, the last seconds of a trampled woman's life, a reminiscence of life until the very end.

Random

1963 • 5 min

A randomized cathode beam has been transferred to 35mm celluloid – in this sense Random can be seen as one of the first “computer-films” ever.

The Water Dwellers

1963 • 15 min • Canada

This short documentary introduces us to a town where no one pays rent: Simoom Sound in central British Columbia, where loggers live on sturdy river craft. Every week there are visitors: the general storekeeper, the flying postman and most importantly, the forest ranger, who is ever alert to the threat of fire.

Three Wise Boys

1963 • 30 min • United States of America

It's almost Christmas and three boys are discussing various aspects of the big day, such as Santa Claus and the positioning of the figures in the manger scene beneath the tree, all in typical children's fashion. The next day, still excited by Christmas they go into town with their parents hoping to catch a glimpses of Santa in the store. Their parents tell them that Christmas isn't just about presents but also the birth of Jesus, but the boys are too excited about Santa.

Bedtime Troubles

1963 • 6 min

After the Trio's racket drives Casper from his bed, the friendly ghost encounters a Bear with insomnia. He enlists the help of the Sandman, but the bear seems incurable.

O Auto da Floripes

1963 • 57 min • Portugal

Popular theatre re-enactment that goes back to the XVII-XVI centuries, integrating in the pilgrimage of Senhora das Neves, held every year, in the first days of August. The performers are local people, and the show takes place outdoors, in the church square, involving Christians and Moors.