The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

Scientists always have called upon their imaginations to make sense of their experimental observations. And shortly before the French Revolution, science was not free of its fictions. Franz Anton Mesmer was then attempting serious explanations of the wonderful forces of nature by suggesting that some impalpable, invisible fluid carried electricity, magnetism and light. His pseudo-scientific system for bringing the world into focus – ‘mesmerism’ – forms the central motif of the Edgar Allen Poe short story from which this film derives its title. Two strains dominate the film “… VALDEMAR…”: one celebrates a delight in the mesmeric state induced by the random repetitive movements of a mechanical toy car with its flickering coloured light and the second traces recollections of the humorous process of shooting the film. Oscillations between these two elements underscore the play between illusions of physical reality and consciousness-altering. “… VALDEMAR…” is an entire 400-foot camera roll with synchronous sound. Made with assistance from the Louis B. Mayer Foundation.
Honourable Mention: 10th Annual Bellevue Film festival, 1976. Selection for exhibition 100 Years of Experimental Film/Experimental Filmmakers USA, Cinematheque Francaise, Beaubourg, Paris.