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Steve Elkins

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Our Eyes, Spinning Like Propellers

"Light is the first visible animal of the invisible." -José Lezama Lima

A weekly international film series curated by Steve Elkins from 2013 - 2019 at Hibbleton Gallery, the Leo Fender Museum, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Each month featured an eclectic mix of films ranging from classics to underground cinema connected by a theme, director, or region, often from countries typically ignored by film historians such as Iran, Mongolia, Mali, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, Tunisia and El Salvador. Elkins introduced and moderated community discussion of each film. Whenever possible, directors of the films were present for Q&A. This gallery provides a retrospective of the films, people, publications, and art exhibitions inspired by the series which was named "Best Place To Watch Movies The Rest Of The World Has Forgotten" by OC Weekly in 2013.

FOR MORE INFO ON EACH FILM (AND STORIES FROM THE SERIES), CLICK ON A PHOTO, THEN THE CAPTION HEADER.
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    The subject of D. G. Phalke's 1919 Marathi film "Kaliya Mardan," in which Krishna jumps off the branch of a tree to have an underwater battle with the snake Kaliya before assuming the weight of the entire universe and dancing the beat of time onto his head (an episode from the Mahabharata), has been celebrated as a major festival at the Tulsi Ghat in Varanasi since the 16th century. Thousands gather to watch a large branch of Kadamba tree planted at the edge of the river Ganga and a young boy acting as Krishna - who functions in this context not as a mere actor, but as the embodied form (svarup) of Krishna - jump from the tree branch into the river, where an effigy of Kaliya lies in wait. The child embodying Krishna climbs onto the effigy's head and strikes a flute playing pose. Propelled by human assistants, the serpent effigy along with the boy Krishna on its head make a circular sweep in the water, parading in front of thousands of spectators, who watch the display from the river bank or from boats floating on the Ganges waters. The festival is viewed from a royal boat every year by Kashi Naresh (the titular king of Varanasi), who is even today believed to be an incarnation of Shiva.
    The subject of D. G. Phalke's 1919 Marathi film "Kaliya Mardan," in which Krishna jumps off the branch of a tree to have an underwater battle with the snake Kaliya before assuming the weight of the entire universe and dancing the beat of time onto his head (an episode from the Mahabharata), has been celebrated as a major festival at the Tulsi Ghat in Varanasi since the 16th century. Thousands gather to watch a large branch of Kadamba tree planted at the edge of the river Ganga and a young boy acting as Krishna - who functions in this context not as a mere actor, but as the embodied form (svarup) of Krishna - jump from the tree branch into the river, where an effigy of Kaliya lies in wait. The child embodying Krishna climbs onto the effigy's head and strikes a flute playing pose. Propelled by human assistants, the serpent effigy along with the boy Krishna on its head make a circular sweep in the water, parading in front of thousands of spectators, who watch the display from the river bank or from boats floating on the Ganges waters. The festival is viewed from a royal boat every year by Kashi Naresh (the titular king of Varanasi), who is even today believed to be an incarnation of Shiva.
    Vishnupant Damle and Sheikh Fattelal's "Sant Tukaram" (1936)