The series Acts of Faith showcases films that depict a wide variety of religious rituals across cultures, ranging from individual acts of devotion to community-wide sacred practices. The selections range from ethnographic documentaries, to fictional narratives, to experiments in cinematic form. Highlights include works by documentarians Jean Rouch, Robert Gardner, Charles Dekeukeleire and Freida Lee Mock; artist’s films by Jeanne Liotta and Tania Cypriano; and international feature films by directors Jessica Hausner, Jorge Sanjinés, and Vijay Sharma.
Adults $8 / Students and Seniors $5. Five-event pass, $35. Gallery admission is free with a purchased ticket. For tickets and information visit: bgc.bard.edu
Acts of Faith is guest curated by Ed Halter.
Ed Halter is Critic in Residence at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York and a founder and director of Light Industry, a venue for film and electronic art in Brooklyn, New York. His publications include From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Videogames (2006), Mass Effect: Art and the Internet in the Twenty-First Century (2015), and From the Third Eye: The Evergreen Review Reader (2018). His writing on cinema, art and technology has appeared in 4Columns, Artforum, the Village Voice and elsewhere, and he has curated screenings at exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center, MoMA PS1 and Artists Space.
September 28, 2018
Jai Santoshi Maa (dir. Vijay Sharma, 1975, India, 130 minutes)
One of the most popular low-budget “mythologicals” ever produced by India’s massive film industry, Jai Santoshi Maa tells the story of Santoshi Maa, the Goddess of Satisfaction, intercut with a parallel tale about one of her female worshippers. During the film’s initial release, cinemas became sites of worship of the goddess, and rituals of devotion to her are elaborately staged in this remarkable special-effects-driven spectacle.
October 19, 2018
Lourdes (dir. Jessica Hausner, 2010, Austria, 96 minutes)
October 26, 2018
Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (dir. Freida Lee Mock, 1994, USA, 105 minutes)
November 16, 2018
Selected Shorts
Ex Voto (dir. Tania Cypriano, 1990, Brazil, 7 minutes)
Crosswalk (dir. Jeanne Liotta, 2010, USA, 19 minutes)
Visions de Lourdes (dir. Charles Dekeukelaire, 1932, Belgium, 13 minutes)
Mammy Water (dir. Jean Rouch, 1956, France, 18 minutes) “Courtesy Icarus Films”
Sons of Shiva (dir. Robert Gardner and Ákos Östör, 1985, USA, 29 minutes)
(Total run time 86 mins)
December 14, 2018
The Secret Nation (dir. Jorge Sanjinés and the Ukamau Group, 1989, Bolivia, 128 minutes)
We are also pleased to extend complimentary need-based community tickets by request to all ticketed events. To learn more, please email [email protected].
Leading support for Public Programs at Bard Graduate Center comes from Gregory Soros and other generous donors.
