by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Goodness knows who Woody Vasulka is, where he comes from, and what's he's done as a filmmaker. If the 30-minute The Art of Memory is any indication, we know two for-sure things about the talented Vasulka. He is a devotee of the avant-garde; and he despise all forms of warfare. The film deploys a dizzying montage of images, musical snatches and dialogue snippets, juxtaposing unspoiled natural landscapes with the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, the two World Wars, and Vietnam. The Art of Memory may be over a quarter of a century old, but its message is timeless.
