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Maggie’s Farm

Forum 2020
© James Benning, 2019. Courtesy the artist and neugerriemschneider, Berlin
A portrait of an art institution as a cinematic landscape: in a succession of static shots, James Benning explores the buildings and terrain of the California Institute of the Arts, where he teaches. A series of views of nature filmed in the surrounding park and woods transitions into images of floors, seating areas and other details of a public building not meant for show. In both parts, an uncanny feeling dominates: the geometries of nature, the dark green and brown tones, the rushing of the highway in the background on the one hand and the humming of halogen lamps, the sound of steps in an otherwise seemingly empty school on the other – it all seems to be hiding a secret. The camera’s gaze is almost always restricted; it rarely penetrates very far into the image. It discovers shabby corners, observing scenarios more reminiscent of a mystery novel than the campus of an art institution. More so than in the majority of James Benning’s longer works of recent years, a narrative lies concealed within the images; every shot creates an urge to move forward, a tension, almost as if the landscapes and interiors were the scenes of a crime.
by James Benning USA 2020 Without dialogue 84’ Colour World premiere | Documentary form

Crew

Director James Benning
Producer James Benning

Produced by

James Benning

James Benning

© Sharon-Lockhart

Born in 1942 in Milwaukee, USA. He completed a degree in film studies and has been making films and created numerous installations since 1972. James Benning has been a frequent guest at the Forum and Forum Expanded since 1977, such as with 11 x 14 (1977).

Filmography (selection)

1972 Time & A Half; 17 min. 1975 The United States of America; 25 min. 1977 11 x 14; 83 min., Forum 1977, Forum 2018 · 11 x 14; 83 min., Berlinale Forum 1977 & 2018 · One Way Boogie Woogie; 60 min. 1979 Grand Opera. An Historical Romance; 90 min., Forum 1980 · Grand Opera. An Historical Romance; 90 min., Berlinale Forum 1980 1985 O Panama; 28 min., Forum 1987 · O Panama; 28 min., Berlinale Forum 1987 1986 Landscape Suicide; 95 min., Berlinale Forum 1987 · Landscape Suicide; 95 min., Forum 1987 1997 Four Corners; 80 min., Forum 1998 · Four Corners; 80 min., Berlinale Forum 1998 1999 El Valley Centro; 90 min., Berlinale Forum 2002 · El Valley Centro; 90 min., Forum 2002 2000 Los; 90 min., Forum 2002 · Los; 90 min., Berlinale Forum 2002 2002 Sogobi; 90 min., Forum 2002 · Sogobi; 90 min., Berlinale Forum 2002 2004 13 Lakes; 133 min., Forum 2005 · 13 Lakes; 133 min., Berlinale Forum 2005 · Ten Skies; 101 min., Forum 2005 · Ten Skies; 101 min., Berlinale Forum 2005 2005 One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later; 120 min., Berlinale Forum 2006 · One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later; 120 min., Forum 2006 2007 RR; 110 min., Berlinale Forum 2008 · RR; 110 min., Forum 2008 2009 Ruhr; 121 min. 2010 John Krieg Exiting the Falk Corporation in 1971; 71 min. 2011 Faces; 135 min. · Milwaukee/Duisburg; Installation, Forum Expanded 2011 · Milwaukee/Duisburg; Installation, Berlinale Forum Expanded 2011 · Twenty Cigarettes; 99 min., Berlinale Forum 2011 · Twenty Cigarettes; 99 min., Forum 2011 · Small Roads; 103 min. 2012 Nightfall; 98 min. · Stemple Pass; 121 min., Berlinale Forum 2013 · Stemple Pass; 121 min., Forum 2013 · Easy Rider; 95 min. · One Way Boogie Woogie 2012; 90 min. · BNSF; 194 min. 2014 Natural History; 77 min. · Farocki; 77 min. · Concord Woods; 121 min. 2015 American Dreams; 85 min. 2017 Untitled Fragments; 75 min. · Untitled Fragments; 75 min., video installation, Berlinale Forum Expanded 2017 2018 L. Cohen; 45 min., video installation, Berlinale Forum Expanded 2018 · L. Cohen; 45 min., video installation, Forum Expanded 2018 2019 Maggie’s Farm; 84 min., Berlinale Forum · Maggie’s Farm; 84 min., Forum 2020 2022 United States of America; 98 min., Berlinale Forum · United States of America · Allensworth; 65 min.

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023