Short of the Week: Chris Marker and the aesthetics of junk
While the tradition of film essays can be traced back to Soviet propaganda cinema and Dziga Vertov, Chris Marker was the pioneering artist who perfected it. Through the combination of avant-garde sensibilities and a completely unique approach to film art, Marker constructed some of the most powerful cinematic essays of all time.
A major artistic presence within the French New Wave, Marker was undoubtedly ahead of his time. Dubbed by Alain Resnais as “the prototype of the twenty-first-century man”, Marker is primarily known for his 1962 sci-fi gem La Jetée which influenced a lot of artists and their works – including Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys.
For this edition of Short of the Week, we have chosen Marker’s fascinating 1981 short Junkopia. Made in collaboration with John Chapman and Frank Simeone, Junkopia is an unconventional exploration of the relationship between urban spheres and the vast amounts of refuse and waste generated by them.
The short opens with glimpses of a shoreline populated by sculptures built with junk that washes ashore from time to time. From miniature aeroplanes to ships and model animals, Marker’s camera seems to capture a surreal domain that exists in the middle of nowhere. That’s exactly why it is so funny when it is ultimately revealed that the filmmaking crew are just outside San Francisco.
There’s a reason why Resnais gave Marker that title; it’s because his artistic vision was always aimed at the future. In his later years, the New Wave master experimented with all kinds of multimedia formats, including video games. That’s right; Marker even maintained his personal art museum in the game Second Life!
While La Jetée’s preoccupation with an apocalyptic future is clear, Junkopia is more grounded. We are bombarded by indecipherable images and radio chatter, almost as if the information filtering through our screens is as superfluous as the trash sculptures that stand guard on the Emeryville beach.
The spatial juxtaposition of the waste art with the busy, industrial cityscape is disturbing in more ways than one. Will the ever-increasing amount of waste slowly seep into our cities, our architecture, our lungs, our mouths, our art, and our lives? Although Marker only poses the question, some might argue that the irreversible process started a long time ago.
On the flip side, Junkopia is a surprisingly optimistic film as well. It documents the resilience of humanity and the determination of artists to create unforgettable art from the junk that batters our lands. Like all great artists, Chris Marker leaves the conclusion up to you.
Watch the short film below.
