James Benning

James Benning (1942) has since the 1970's when he started to explore and document the American landscape, industry and city panoramas with his 16mm camera been one of the most fascinating personalities of American independent and experimental cinema. He captures space and its transformation in time. He has mathematic education, passion for structuralism and minimalism and his films are based on thorough and accurate composition logic. Long documentary static shots, big entireties, sound atmosphere, anti-narratives. James Benning always takes care of camera, sound as well as editing of his films. The transition to digital media enables him to reconstruct and transform his earlier work or one-shot sequences without editing. Benning lectures at the California Institue of the Arts, one of his seminars is called "Watch and listen." His most significant works include One Way Boogie Woogie (1977), California Trilogy (1999-2001), 13 Lakes (2001) and Ten Skies (2004).

Fresh Film Fest