Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One
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Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One

William Greaves’ Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, 1968. Photo courtesy Janus Films.

“What if they made a revolution and nobody saw it? That’s what happened in 1968, when William Greaves filmed one of the most daring and original movies of the time.” —The New Yorker

Actor and filmmaker William Greaves (producer and cohost of Black Journal) dives into the art-house verité with Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One. Playing the role of director, Greaves presides over three film crews in Central Park. One films a break-up, one follows the crew filming the unhappy couple, and the last captures everything else. The crews question the director’s competence (does he know what he’s doing?), perspective (is he a misogynist?), intentions (…does he really know what he’s doing?), take over the camera, and plot a revolt. His multilayered examination is a documentary inside a documentary inside a documentary—with a kaleidoscopic 60s vibe and score by Miles Davis. 1968, 35mm, 75 min.

funding

  • This program is made possible with the generous support of the Bentson Foundation.