Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints dating from the early 1900s. This approach is sometimes a little too remote but is generally effective. Klik voor uitgebreide informatie over draaitijden, trailers, achtergrond en online tickets. Dating from the 1910s and 20s, they were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. It concerns the history of dawson city, canada, deep in the yukon, from its creation during the klondike gold rush and culminating in the. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1900s. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of the arctic circle.
Alex somers mines musical gold for documentary dawson. The history of dawson city, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of forgotten silent films buried in permafrost for decades until 1978. Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and salvation. Frozen time makes a gargantuan effort to reinvigorate that memory, giving us a vivid account of the klondike gold rush of 1897 and tracing the changing geography of dawson city during. Jun 08, 2017 so its a bit of a shock that dawson city. Bill morrisons twohour documentary recollects the unburying of a collection of nitrate film stocks from the early 1900s.
Frozen time is a 2016 american documentary film written, edited and directed by bill morrison and produced by morrison and madeleine molyneaux. The thread, or rather the long unwinding reels, running through bill morrisons latest filmic excavation is a cache of 500odd movies, discovered after decades under a swimming pool in a former gold rush town in. Using archival footage to tell the story, the film depicts a unique history. Frozen time, a feature length film by bill morrison u. Frozen time is more than a story of the discovery of 500,000 feet of film buried and forgotten in a town on the yukon river of canada. Sep 12, 2017 the lyrical but consistently staggering dawson city is a wholly other manner of foundfootage film, 533 lost reels of nitrate film from the 1910s to twenties unearthed in the yukon territory where the cache of newsreels and bits of fiction had been buried for fifty years in permafrost in a subarctic ice rink near diamond tooth gerties gambling hall in a gold rush town. A more evocatively poetic title, say gold and silver, might suggest the extraordinary double helix of north american history and movie lore that bill morrisons foundfootage documentary contains. It was screened in the orizzonti competition section at the 73rd venice international film festival. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a. Frozen time begins with a brightly colored, completely intact clip from a television show about baseball in which mr. Frozen time may sound like a time capsule on paper, but its something altogether more profound in motion. Jun 15, 2017 bill morrisons twohour documentary recollects the unburying of a collection of nitrate film stocks from the early 1900s. To attempt to describe it as a documentary is to limit the extent of its creativity.
Frozen time is a oneofakind curio of a movie that captures, through a collage of photographs, silent documentary footage, and pretalkie hollywood film, the story of a. The documentary offers a unique perspective both on the eponymous canadian gold rush town and the shifting economics of film distribution. Alex somers mines musical gold for documentary dawson city. The lyrical but consistently staggering dawson city is a wholly other manner of foundfootage film, 533 lost reels of nitrate film from the 1910s to twenties unearthed in the yukon territory where the cache of newsreels and bits of fiction had been buried for fifty years in permafrost in a subarctic ice rink near diamond tooth gerties gambling hall in a gold rush town.
A thrilling adventure through american history, dawson city. Frozen time, somers said he wanted the music to sound like it was coming apart at the seams and decaying reflecting the fragile images flickering on screen. Frozen time 2016 drifts through the past with bittersweet grace. Dawson went from a rowdy mining town with brothels and gambling houses to a midcentury rural hamlet with a fateful thirst for hockey. Jul 21, 2017 culture centuryold film treasure unearthed in dawson city. Discovered buried under a hockey rink in a former klondike gold rush town, their story reveals the links between the movie business and manifest destiny in north america.
Propelled by alex somers transcendent score, dawson city. Frozen time is a dazzling cinematic experience, a deep dive into the connections and contradictions of the 20th century archive. Frozen time bill morrison, usa, kino lorber, opens june 9 by nicolas rapold in the mayjune 2017 issue. The poetic documentary directed by bill morrison that traces the history of the gold mining town from its earlier origins with first nation peoples to the advent of the gold rush in 1896 up.
Staring chris mad dog russo, bill ofarrell, sam kula and michael gates. This meditation on cinemas past from decasia director bill morrison pieces together the bizarre true history of a longlost collection of 533. Boston society of film critics awards 2017 wikipedia. After the gold rush by deborah eisenberg the new york. Frozen time is indescribable not because its ambiguous its totally. Booklet essays by lawrence weschler and alberto zambenedetti interview with filmmaker bill morrison postscript trailer. The confluence of a gold rush in the yukon and the birth of cinema in the waning days of the 19th century form the basis for this masterful, revelatory film, which uses film footage that was long feared lost to tell these interconnecting stories. Located just south of the arctic circle, dawson city was settled in 1896 and became the center of the canadian gold rush that brought 100,000 prospectors to the area. Frozen time is a rather clunky and uninspiring title for a film thats both revelatory and deeply fascinating. Movie documentary, compilation documentary, found footage. Frozen time depicts the unique history of this canadian gold rush town by chronicling the life cycle of a singular film collection through its exile, burial, rediscovery, and. It does document the ebb and flow of life in a yukon territory gold rush town, but with a paint brush instead of a pencil. This bizarre and fascinating film essay chronicles how hundreds of silent films from the early 1900s were discovered frozen and buried in dawson city, yukon, dug up by a bulldozer in 1978. A more evocatively poetic title, say gold and silver, might suggest the extraordinary double helix of north american history and movie lore that bill morrisons foundfootage documentary contains the film owes its existence, first of all, to the.
Frozen time takes a moody, ambient approach, as cool and mysterious as the gold rush images that fill the documentary. With kathy jonesgates, michael gates, sam kula, bill ofarrell. The discovery of the dawson city find is legendary and this acclaimed documentary tells the story of a town through the footage that was discovered there. Frozen time makes a gargantuan effort to reinvigorate that memory, giving us a vivid account of the klondike gold rush of 1897 and tracing the. Culture centuryold film treasure unearthed in dawson city. When dawson city swelled to more than 40,000 inhabitants in a matter. Frozen time is nominally a documentaryit is a documentarybut describing it as a documentary is something like describing ulysses as a travel guide to dublin. Dawson city tracks the true history of over 500 film reels from the 191020s that were lost for over 50. Frozen time 120 min, 2016, usa north american premiere at the 54th new york film festival.
Frozen time bill morrison is a passionate archivist and a gifted collage artist, and sometimes at his best he is able to be both at once, using one area of expertise to. Frozen time, despite a title evoking either a 1980s apple ii adventure or a wevelostcount blockbuster sequel, proves to be morrisons best film in yearsa bona fide adventure through history, hopscotching across the turn of the 19th century. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost. Frozen time could have benefited from judicious trimming of its twohour running time, and there are times when its wandering focus proves irritating. The 38th boston society of film critics awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2017, were given on december 10, 2017 winners. Dawson city tracks the true history of over 500 film reels from the 191020s that were lost for over 50 years until they were discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in yukon territory. Dawson city frozen time a treasure trove of silent film buried under the swimming pool of an exboomtown. Frozen time bill morrisons new work strings together incredible footage, long buried under an old yukon ice rink. Frozen time, pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350. Frozen time monday, april 16, 2018 bill morrison decasia, the great flood pieces together the bizarre history of a collection of 500 films from the 1910s and 20s, lost until they were unearthed from a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory in 1978. Frozen time pieces together the bizarre true history of a collection of some 500 films dating from 1910s to 1920s, which were lost for over 50 years until being discovered buried in a subarctic swimming pool deep in the yukon territory, in dawson city, located about 350 miles south of the arctic circle.