Maybe tangentially related to this thread is Scott Bartlett's *The Sound of One* (1976) <https://canyoncinema.com/catalog/film/?i=164>, which supposedly came about through Scott's study of T'ai Chi applied to handheld camera cinematography. Like a proto-steadicam achieved through disciplined body movement and balance. Only exists as one or two fading prints so far as I'm aware. It is sorely in need of someone to champion preservation before it disappears forever.
Robert Fulton was mentioned before, *Path of Cessation* (1974) <https://canyoncinema.com/catalog/film/?i=952> might be a good place to start with Tibetan monastery footage (and chanting, if I'm remembering correctly). Robert also had a special handheld shooting style with some affinity to the Scott Bartlett T'ai Chi film, especially notable in *Starlight* <https://canyoncinema.com/catalog/film/?i=953> and *Vineyard IV <https://canyoncinema.com/catalog/film/?i=955>* On Sun, Oct 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM Heath Iverson <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks for the suggestion Fred. I actually have a note on Brakhage talking > a bit like a Yoga teacher in a workshop flagged from Film at Wit's End "Sit > wherever your eyes feel most awake — floor, chair, corner — it doesn’t > matter. You see differently when your spine is your own tripod.” Thanks for > that too. > > On Sun, Oct 26, 2025 at 10:31 AM Fred Camper <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Brakhage would not normally be associated with any of this, but you might >> consider his two minute silent film* Angels' — *no specific reference to >> your topic, but almost empty of images, almost emptying of the viewer >> too. >> On 10/26/2025 9:09 AM, Heath Iverson wrote: >> >> Thanks for the thoughts all! >> >> I am indeed curating a program around this concept. The Sharits and >> Whitney catalogs are already in the mix--especially Whitney's work as it >> relates to sacred number and geometry. There's also Jordan Belson's >> SAMHADI. I've got the formal, abstract/metaphoric angle covered; now I am >> looking for films with literal ("pro-filmic" like they say in the biz) >> instances of these practices and their material culture and expression. Im >> interested not just in the formal representation of subjective >> yogic/meditation states, but how these practices are metabolized by a >> largely western avant-garde form. Given the strong counter-cultural overlap >> of the mid century underground/experimental/artist film world and the >> adjacent new age/new spiritualist movements I expect there'd be some good >> examples but, not much comes to mind... there are some hare krishnas >> accidentally in Mekas' films... >> >> On Sun, Oct 26, 2025 at 3:49 AM Gabriele Jutz <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> I suggest *Transit(ive)* by Canadian filmmaker Sarah Bliss (HD video >>> created from 16mm projection performance with digital sound, recorded on >>> digital video. 06:36. 2017). >>> >>> >>> >>> In her artist statement, Sarah Bliss describes herself as “a filmmaker, >>> artist, educator, and Buddhist practitioner who facilitates presence and >>> attunement with the sensate, desiring body.” >>> >>> *Transit(ive) *is the result of the artist’s manual interaction with >>> the projector lens, while the soundtrack presents a cell-phone >>> recording of her father’s dying breath. The act of expiration, >>> literally “breathing out,” is associated with death. *Transit(ive) *is >>> a video document of death and loss, as well as a techno-spiritual reunion >>> with the artist’s father following his death. >>> >>> >>> >>> Here you can find more about Transit(ive): >>> https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/3775230/3775231 >>> >>> (chapter “Lungs to Ears”) >>> >>> >>> >>> ----------------------------------------- >>> >>> >>> *Hon. Prof. Mag. Dr. Gabriele Jutz* >>> Universität für angewandte Kunst >>> Abteilung für Medientheorie >>> >>> T +43 699 12 10 81 44 >>> >>> dieangewandte.at >>> >>> medientheorie.ac.at >>> Postsparkasse >>> >>> Georg-Coch-Platz 2 >>> >>> HP Raum 022 >>> 1010 Wien / Austria >>> >>> >>> >>> https://dieangewandte.academia.edu/GabrieleJutz >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> *Von: *Frameworks <[email protected]> im Auftrag von >>> Dave Tetzlaff <[email protected]> >>> *Antworten an: *Frameworks posts <[email protected]> >>> *Datum: *Sonntag, 26. Oktober 2025 um 06:23 >>> *An: *Frameworks posts <[email protected]> >>> *Betreff: *Re: [Frameworks] Avant Garde Film and Yoga >>> >>> >>> >>> Well, there are a fair number of avant garde films that ARE >>> yogic/meditative/spiritual practices in form somehow without PHOTOGRAPHING >>> such practices as they exist in the real world [or as we say in the biz >>> (sic) "the pro filmic event"] >>> >>> Paul Sharits: Mandala Films >>> >>> Ernie Gehr: Serene Velocity* >>> >>> John and James Whitney >>> >>> (and others germane to The Center for Visual Music) >>> >>> Scott Bartlet: Off/On >>> >>> Anthony McCall >>> >>> Several shorts in The FluxFilm anthology, though 'Zen for Film' might >>> not qualify depending on how you take it. 😉 >>> >>> >>> >>> In some cases the artists expressed some meditative/spiritual intent. In >>> others, it kinds works out that way regardless. The cited above are just >>> what comes to my mind at the moment. There are more for sure... >>> >>> >>> >>> If you were curating a program on your stated theme, you might mix these >>> formal examples with representational ones in interesting ways an audience >>> might appreciate. >>> >>> -- Frameworks mailing list [email protected] >>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>> -- >>> Frameworks mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> >>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>> >> >> -- >> Frameworks mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >> > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >
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