Čaroděj tónů

There’s no shortage of pixels flooding into kids’ eyes today, but most have never witnessed the magic of celluloid. This thought guided us while curating this programme dedicated to Gasparcolor, a groundbreaking three-colour monopack film stock which peaked in the 1930s and offered audiences a richer, more vivid experience of colour. It’s also the reason why we chose to screen these works from analogue prints as far as possible. Invented by Hungarian chemist Béla Gáspár, this sophisticated Technicolor precursor was an ideal medium for studio animation and experimental cinema. In fact, Adrian Klein’s COLOUR ON THE THAMES (1935) is a notable inclusion in this programme not only for its spectacular reds and blues, but also because it stands out as a unique live-action exception. The selection includes stop-motion treasures like George Pal’s techno sci-fi “puppetoon” THE SHIP OF THE ETHER (1934), Gyula Macskássy’s playful take on Cinderella (HAMUPIPŐKE MESÉS MOSÁSA, 1940) and Jean Painlevé’s rare clay opera bouffe BLUEBEARD (1938). 
Avant-garde filmmakers also embraced Gasparcolor to dazzling effect. From Len Lye’s eye-popping reveries to Oskar Fischinger’s rhythmic whirlwinds and the hypnotic symphonies of the Dodals, these abstract gems display the system’s unmistakable palette in full force. It was a time when colour was emerging from the black-andwhite era and was thus seen anew—cinema screens became portals to new worlds, but also heightened mirrors of reality. As it happens, many of these films were commercials, using colour to sell, making Gasparcolor an unlikely ally of consumerism. Philips radios, Krypton bulbs, Radion soap… These pieces remain striking time capsules, providing invaluable insight into societal change and capturing the rise of modernity as the shadow of WWII loomed. With this programme, we want to trace the history and aesthetics of Gasparcolor as well as the technique behind it, inviting audiences young and old to join us in experiencing colour as if for the first time. (Chiara Marañón & Juan Soto Taborda)

In the presence of Chiara Marañón and Juan Soto Taborda (curators).
This film will be shown as part of the screening GASPARCOLOR on the 25th of October and the 26th of October.