Everything about this film is simple. It shows well-known and marginal facets of Paris as city of cinema and images – from the Cinémathèque Francaise to the erotic VDT work flourishing at the time (no picture reading room like in the Vidéotèque, but dialogs at the Minitel-screen here as well). A stock-taking in the late eighties, restricted by location. [...]
In the studio discussion concerning four attempts to film a Baudelaire short story, Farocki , whose contribution is Brunner ist dran (1973), lets it slip that the story is of course one of Baudelaire's minor works. Referring to the film's co-director Farocki, this could also be said to be true of Kinostadt Paris. Nevertheless, the film is one of the simplest and thus most pleasing, in short one of the most cineastic of his works.
(Rolf Aurich)
Original title Kinostadt Paris Director, scriptwriter, commentary Manfred Blank, Harun Farocki drawing on a quotation from Ein Ethnologe in der Metro by Marc Augé. Interviews Manfred Blank Cinematographer Helmut Handschel Editor Edith Perlaky Sound Thomas Schwadorf Researcher Ursula Langmann Narrator Corinna Belz, Helmut Grieser Production WDR, Cologne Production manager Friedhelm Maye TV-producer Werner Dütsch Format video-BetaSp, col., 1:1,37 Länge 60 min. First broadcast 05.03.1990, West 3
All Works of this Decade:
Image and Sales or: How to Depict a ShoeCine City ParisImages of the World and the Inscription of WarGeorg K. Glaser – Writer and SmithImages-WarDie Menschen stehen vorwärts in den StraßenFilmtip: Death of EmpedoclesIndoctrinationFilmbooksFilmtip: Kuhle WampeCatch Phrases – Catch Images. A Conversation with Vilém FlusserAs You SeeFilmtip: Tea in the HaremBetrayedThe Double Face of Peter Lorre'L'Argent' by BressonInterview: Heiner MüllerMarie Straub and Daniéle Huillet at Work on a film based on Franz Kaka's 'Amerika'An ImageShort Films by Peter WeissBefore your Eyes VietnamView of the City