119 film makers and actors visited the VIENNALE 2006; presenting their screenings followed by a Q&A. Among them were:
KENNETH ANGER
Kenneth Anger, born 1927, began making films around age 11, but his early films were mostly destroyed. His first film to see distribution was Fireworks, filmed in Los Angeles in 1947. Most of his films are short subject (ranging from 3.5 minutes to 30 minutes) mood pieces.
During the late 60's he associated with The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger and convicted first degree murderer Bobby Beausoleil of the Charles Manson gang who starred in Anger's 1969 film Invocation Of My Demon Brother which was soundtracked by Mick Jagger on Moog synthesizer.
Further films (selection): Who Has Been Rocking My Dreamboat (1941), Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954, recut in 1966), Scorpio Rising (1963), Rabbit's Moon (1972) The Man We Want to Hang (2002).
JULIE DEPARDIEU
Born in 1973, daughter of Gérard and Elisabeth Depardieu. Studied Philosophy, first experiences with film. Was discovered as upcoming actress in Le Colonel Chabert (1994). Breakthrough in 1998 with Danièle Dubroux' L'Examen de minuit. Become established in the young French cinema due to appearances in films by Olivier Assayas, Laetitia Masson and Cédric Klapisch. The year 2004 marked an important turn in her career: Depardieu is awarded two Césars, for the best supporting actress and the most important hope. Furthermore her comical talent is discovered, which she is to prove as well in Toi et moi (2005).
Films (selection): Poltergay (2006), La Faute à Fidel (2006), Essaye-moi (2006), Un fil à la patte (2005), Le Passager (2005), La Mémoire des autres (2005), Sauf le respect que je vous dois (2005).
HIROKI RYUICHI
Born in 1954 in Kohriyama. Starts his film career as Nakamura Genji’s directing assistant and soon dedicates himself to the production of pink films. In 1982 he realizes the internationally successful erotic film Catch the Woman Out. He gains himself worldwide reputation during the 80s and is today one of the most productive and well-known Japanese filmmakers.
Films (selection): Gigolo (1991), Sadistic City (1993), 800 Two Lap Runner (1994), Midori (1996), Tokyo Trash Baby (2000)
VIVA
Viva was born Janet Susan Mary Hoffmann in 1938 in Syracuse, NY. Actress, writer and former Warhol superstar. Conservative, catholic background. Was given the name Viva by Andy Warhol before the release of her first film with him. She appeared in several of Warhol's films and was a frequent guest at The Factory. After Viva began making films for other directors she also began writing. Her first book, Superstar, was an insider’s look at the Factory scene, a partly fictional autobiographical account of her time there. With her husband Michel Auder, she was one of the early pioneers in video art. She lives in Malibu, California, where she paints landscapes.
Films (selection): Bike Boy (Warhol 1967, VIENNALE 05), Blue Movie (Warhol 1969, VIENNALE 05), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Lions Love (1969), Play It Again, Sam (1972), The State of the Things (1982), Paris, Texas (1984).
PETER WHITEHEAD
Whitehead was born in 1937 in Liverpool. After studying physics and crystallography at Cambridge University he won a scholarship to the Slade School of Art as a painter. Instead of painting, he chose the medium of film.
Between 1965 and 1969 Whitehead made five movies, beginning with the documentary that effectively launched his film career: Wholly Communion, about an historic counter-cultural event in the Royal Albert Hall on June 11, 1965 where an audience of 7,000 witnessed the first meeting of American and English Beat poets.
It was on the basis of this film that Whitehead was approached by the manager of the Rolling Stones to film the group on tour in Dublin and Belfast. Charlie is my Darling was the outcome. And it was the subsequent promo films he made for the Stones that mark the real birth of the "music video".
In the late 1970s Whitehead gave up film-making. He took up falconry. He has also written several works of fiction.
Films (selection): The Perception of Life (1964), Charly Is My Darling: The Rolling Stones on Tour (1965), Tonite Let’s All Make in London (1967), The Fall (1969), Fire In the Water (1977).