SCATTERED REMAINS (US, 1988, James Broughton and Joel Singer)
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"A mystical, even magical performance film.” —Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Described as “a cheerfully death-obsessed tribute to James Broughton’s poetry and filmmaking,” SCATTERED REMAINS is a cinematic performance piece enlivened by its experiments in poetic speech and poetic vision. Joel Singer creates a multi-faceted portrait of Broughton, who acts out his poetic verses within unlikely situations and surprising camera inventions. In the course of this divertissement, Broughton probes the puzzlements of mortality, destiny, and the magic of language.
SCATTERED REMAINS would prove to be Broughton and Singer’s final film together. In 1989, the couple moved from San Francisco to the Pacific Northwest and resided there until Broughton’s death in 1999. During this period, Singer became part of an artist’s cooperative gallery and worked extensively in photographic collage (or “photage”). Singer eventually relocated to Greenwich Village, before moving to Bali full-time in 2009 and continuing to work in photage and filmmaking.
As a swan song, SCATTERED REMAINS is an indelible filmic portrait of a deeply loving romantic and creative partnership. It is also a profound amalgamation of all of the qualities — poetry, performance, introspection, whimsy, mysticism, and joy — that define Broughton and Singer’s oeuvre.
“A true wonderpiece and remarkable portrait." —Michael McClur
SCATTERED REMAINS
(US, 1988)
Director: James Broughton and Joel Singer
Director of Photography: Joel Singer
Starring: James Broughton, Joel Singer
- 14 minutes
- 16mm
- Color
- Sound
Distribution Format/s: DSL/Downloadable 1080p .mp4 file on server
Published By: GME
Classroom Price: $250
Institutional Price: Inquire
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