Ichiro Sueoka

Old Super 8 footage is made into a new film.

"Title means "cine film." 5mins, BW, sound on film, 2016" -IS

"This film was based on a footage from anonymous cineaste who lived in Donetsk, Ukraina. 5mins, 16mm film, colour, sound, 2012." -IS

In 1930 an amateur cineaste, Mr. Takao Yukawa, went skiing in Nagano. Like filmmaking, mountain climbing and skiing spread in Japan since 1930. We see them now through their passion in the then-latest activity.

Vlado and his wife took a walk to the small park with their little baby Elena. He was completely absorbed in filming his daughter by super 8...

12th April 1931, an amateur cineaste who lived in Kyoto went to see a huge festival, SENSHOKU-SAI (festival of Dyeing and Weaving).

In 1931, the Japanese-Americans enjoyed a spring sports day, conforming to the custom of the mother country. J. Tanaka who was a hotel manager in Portland city recorded the event while chasing his daughter. For him, the every event of Japanese-American people was the important topic that he should have recorded. We can see a lost happy time in this film. However I felt any film might disappear to the history.

This is one of the Sueoka's recent series of works, "Reinterpretation for the Private Films" which has been cited from old home movies. The original film was not only describing poetically short summer in Germany 1931, but it was recording lost Germany in pre-war days.

This is one of my recently series work, "re-interpretation for the private films" which has been cited from old home movies. This film cited an anonymous film of Venice sightseeing tour which was shot in pre-war. A film where someone who does not know the place recorded a scene of a "sinking" city. Then I felt any film might disappear in the history.

A combination of Paul Sharits and Orson Wells in a crime drama that takes place in a series of rapidly changing images and illusive movements that create misleading expectations of the scene's climax.

(1min. b/w silent 2003)

"This film is one of my recently series work, 'Re-interpretation for the private films' which has been cited from old home movies. The original home movie was shot in the Palace Sans Souci in early spring, 1931 by an unknown Japanese amateur cineaste. I got this film unexpectedly. But if not, this film had never remained in film history. When we saw this film carefully, we could be found out the sensibility and aesthetics of the Japanese of pre-war days.Accurate operation of camera, delicacy, moderation and a bit of sadness. And we could also notice that he had been seeing a scene of Japan in a foreign country."

This film is based on a decomposed footage entitled "the president of the hospital's funeral" which was made by anonymous cineaste in Kyoto, 1937.

"I am lost to the world..." (Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen...), the title is quoted from a poem by Friedrich Rückert. This German romanticist poet wrote of the sadness of disappearance. An anonymous amateur cineaste shot some scenes in Kyoto in 1934. This footage has since suffered from typical vinegar syndrome (Hydrolysis) resulting from improper storage. The films were falling into decay and would probably eventually disintegrate without being seen again by anyone. "Film" is not a immortal document, but a vanishing existence. The film which we can know may be merely slight.

This homage to Ernie Gehr's famous film, working with movement and spatial illusions through the use of quick edits, becomes a physical experiment of its own, with the length of shots determined by the intensity of the sense of motion.

The film is one of my recently series work, "Re-interpretation for the private films" which has been cited from old home movies. A Japanese diplomat, Mr.A.O. started for his assignment to Berlin since 1929. He was also the person fascinated by filmmaking. Of course, generally said his films were just the "Home Movie", however when we saw his films carefully, we could be found out the sensibility of other filmmakers in 20s, just like Ruttmann, Vertov or so. I'd like to observe the lost films.

Inspired by the films of George Landow, who brought the viewer's attention to the film's edges and its surface, Sueoka analyzes the look of film using a repeated shot of an announcer with a tirelessly monotonous facial expression.

Experimental short by Keiji Aiuchi.

"My name is Aziz Shakhar. I had studied the law for two years at the Cairo university. Now I'm living in Amman, Jordany..." A footage which I picked up to cite was one of a "pre-text". In this film, I tried to make a metric film just like a 60-70's structural film. I assumed the film as a set of serialized footage on time. Systematic re-editing made us new meanings and images itself.

Sueoka is an artist who creates new works with found footage, and develops the film stock himself. In this work, he uses The Wizard of Oz. By repeating the famous musical number “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” over and over, it deconstructs standard narrative style and shifts to a different mode of filmic experience.

(5mins 16mm film B/W sound 1994)

The film is based on the impression after reading "la maladie de la mort" by Marguerite Duras, and added to, with other text, pictures and allegories. Through these movies I try to symbolically express the relationship (and lack of understanding) between males and females.