I wrote a text for the Paratext series of articles commissioned by Hangar.org. Chopped-up dialogues and voices which bubbled up out of a witch’s brew suggested by presentations of three artists in residence at Hangar — David Ortiz Juan, Mario Santamaria, and Francisco Navarrete Sitja.
You can read it here in English, Spanish, and Catalan: https://hangar.org/en/blocs/bloc-paratext/english-paratext-36-by-david-franklin/
A while back I was running a series of public film screenings at an art centre in Barcelona, showing cult films and experimental works, called Projections from the Underground.
In addition to curating and presenting the series, for each session I wrote a short critical essay introducing the films, giving background on the director, genre, or artistic movement, as well as the cultural and historical contexts the films were made in. I’ve revised and expanded these texts and I’m putting them up for you to read (in English and Spanish) on a new blog, which is here: http://projections.davidfranklinonline.com/en/
The first text, Hallowe’en Hangover: Crisis and disorientation in “Possession” and “Cure”, looks at two of the most startling horror movies that may not even be horror movies, and how they reflect a decaying relationship and a fracturing society, respectively.
Upcoming essays will focus on a classic of Russian cinema from the 80s, Chinese cinema in the new millennium, Japanese Pink Movies and V-Cinema, and a multi-part look at the post-war art scene in Japan through the independent film production company, Art Theatre Guild. Enjoy!