We have the pleasure of inviting you to the avant-premiere of 'Sad In
Country (Part 1)', a film by Catherine Vertige & Kosten Koper.

Screening date : Wednesday 7th March
Screening Times : 18h00, 20h00
Location : Galerie Jan Mot, Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat 190, 1000 Brussels

Seating limited.

INFO :

THE FILM

Sad In Country (Part 1) (60'00, Belgium, 2007)
by Catherine Vertige & Kosten Koper

Dutch / English / French spoken (English subtitled)
Produced by More Talent Than Space & Komplot
Supported by Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF)

Belgium is a country well noted for its 'vagueness' and taking this into
account, this Belgian film delves into the world of 'quasi' cultural
forms. One of the vaguest notions in the cultural lexicon is that of
the 'collective' and this film explores, through a non hierarchical
system of montage, collective art actions in Belgium and their
intersection with dominant and subcultural political and cultural
ideologies that brushed against them.

The film is neither an obituary for cultural idealism nor a bittersweet
tale of Utopian dreams of 'a better way of life' but a series of
encounters raising questions about the collective archetypes which
emerged during its research and shooting : ranging from
micro-institution, family, enterprise, political party to the orgy.
“Is it alive, or is it dead?” is what Alain Resnais stated was the only
question worth asking in art and thus this film uses its medium as a
tool of research to consider the worth and the worthlessness of art history.

'Sad In Country (Part 1)' covers six Belgian collectives : Agency
(Brussels, 1992-). Building Underwood (Brussels / Caudiès, 1999-2001),
VAGA, A379089 (Antwerp, 1968-1969), Rona Family (Brussels, 1973-), Club
Moral (Antwerp, 1981-2005). Incorporating super-8 films by Filip Francis
and B&W photography by Maria Gilissen.

Interviewees : Kobe Matthys (artist, Agency), Kasper Koenig (Director,
Ludwig Museum, Koln, A37908), Anny De Decker & Bernd Lohaus (Wide White
Space Gallery, Antwerp), Isi Fiszman (collector, VAGA / A379089) , Danny
Devos & Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (artists, Club Moral), Anne Marie,
Stéphan & Elisabeth Rona (Galerie Les Contemporains, Revue +-0,
Brussels), Jacques Ambach (artist), Simona Denicolai, Ivo Provoost,
David Evrard (artists, Building Underwood).


THE FILMAKERS :

Catherine Vertige (b.1971, Libramont)
Art historian and founding member of Komplot, the curators collective
based in Brussels since 2002 and member of ACSR (Radiophonic and sound
creation association of the French Community of Belgium).

http://www.kmplt.be
http://www.acsr.be.

Kosten Koper (b.1971, Glasgow)
Founding member of Scottish multi disciplinary collective Diskono
(1998-2003) (who amongst other activities) curated the Ars Electronica
prize winning exhibition ‘Revisionland’ by Alejandra & Aeron and
'physical remix' 7" project with architect / sound artist Janek
Schaefer. His 2003 film collaboration with artist Luke Fowler 'The Way
Out, A Portrait of Xentos Jones' is screening from 1st - 4th March as
part of the DESIRE Festival 2007 (Belgium).

http://kostenkoper.blogspot.com

PART TWO :

'Sad in Country (Part 2)' will be released this summer, with the
support of the CBA (Centre de l'Audiovisuel à Bruxelles) and will cover
the following collectives: Ruptz, Soldes Fin De Séries, Total's,
Reportage, Terril, CAP and Cirque Divers.