Towards a Film Theory from Below: Archival Film and the Aesthetics of the Crack-Up

"This book explores the weird shapes that emerge when material elements interact with figurative content of the moving image. Employing the digitized first Czech films by Jan Krâiézeneckây prompted the questions: is it possible to do film theory from below, from the perspective of a film object? Could we treat accidents in moving images as full-fledged actors with distinctive aesthetic forms and functions? In these films, analog elements impinge upon the form and content of the moving images to create generative figures and shapes. Using digital technology, we can isolate these features and experiment with how they can be reimagined"--