Poor Images
POOR IMAGES
A poor image is an underrated image, and a counter-image needs an original image. A relationship. Something that is worth the friction. From the very first minute, GEGENkino has embodied our interest in rebellious, uncomfortable, non-conformist, experimental and sensual attempts to take a stand, to advance film as a language in motion, and to explore new experiences with spaces and light, sounds and music, materials and arrangements.
With this year’s thematic focus POOR IMAGES, we are offering a number of (extremely subjective) perspectives on artworks for which perfection is an abomination. We are turning our senses to these impure and flawed forms of imagery, which are, paradoxically, both marginalised and dominant. Our inspiration and source was Hito Steyerl’s essay “In Defence of the Poor Image”. In it, she pointedly describes, in just a few pages, the political, aesthetic, social, commercial and global conditions of poor images, which are reproduced, edited and exchanged, downloaded, ostracised and consumed permanently. Permanent consumption is all well and good, but when does a cluster of pixels actually become an image, or a mobile phone video a film? Where do the elitist logics of quality, canon and taste drive their nails into the flesh of unbridled, hierarchy-free creativity?
The popularisation of affordable VHS technology in the 1980s and the first, clunky mobile phone cameras were connected with waves of democratisation in filmmaking. New opportunities for participation and global networking suddenly opened up, and the divides between artistic vision, production, technical craftsmanship, marketing, presentation, archiving and curation seemed to have been bridged once and for all. Every now and then, one or another power dynamic was disrupted as well. Until the self-digesting killer capitalism had once again juddered most things out. So, finally, 8K. Pure. Visual. Perfection. Deep pore immaculacy. We’re in a pretty poor state. Let’s make the best of it!
| Thu 10 September 2026 Luru Kino | |
| 9 PM | DRINKING AND DRIVING CA 2026, D: Avalon Fast, Jillian Frank, C: Avalon Fast, Jillian Frank, Ethan Hawksworth, 105’, english OV, DCP |
| Sat 12 September 2026 Luru Kino | |
| 2 PM | DRY LEAF DE/GE 2025, D: Alexandre Koberidze, C: David Koberidze, Irina Chelidze, Giorgi Bochorishvili, OV with english subtitles, 186’, DCP |
| 6 PM | KAMAL ALJAFARI | History without images, images without history WITH HASAN IN GAZA PS/DE/FR/QA 2025, R: Kamal Aljafari, 106’, OV with english subtitles, DCP In the presence of Flavia Mazzarino (Producer and collaborator of Kamal Aljafari) |
| 8 PM | KAMAL ALJAFARI | History without images, images without history A FIDAI FILM PS/DE/QA/BR/FR 2025, R: Kamal Aljafari, 78’, OV with english subtitles, DCP In the presence of Flavia Mazzarino (Producer and collaborator of Kamal Aljafari) |
| Sun 13 September 2026 Luru Kino | |
| 3 PM | FRAUEN IN BERLIN DDR 1981, D: Chetna Vora, 142’, OV with english subtitles, DCP Introduction by Tobias Hering. He is a curator and writer and has carried out long-term research into Chetna Vora. |
| Wed 16 September 2026 UT Connewitz | |
| 9 PM | IF PIGEONS TURNED TO GOLD CZ/SK 2026, D: Pepa Lubojacki, 110’, OV with english subtitles, DCP |
| Thu 17 September 2026 UT Connewitz | |
| 8 PM | Die Kunst des ugandischen Live Dubbing | VJ Emmy begleitet EATEN ALIVE IN UGANDA FORGET THE DIRECTOR, THIS IS EMMY’S CUT! UG/DE 2026, D: Marion Desmaret, 11′, OV with english subtitles, DCP EATEN ALIVE IN UGANDA UG 2026, D: Nabwana I.G.G., C: Alan Hofmanis Ssali, Isaac Newton Kizito, Mwebaza Faridah, 55′, OV with live commentary File |
| Fri 18 September 2026 Luru Kino | |
| 10 PM | PAST FUTURE CONTINUOUS IR/NO/IT 2025, D: Morteza Ahmadvand, Firouzeh Khosrovani, 80’, OV with english subtitles, DCP |
| Sun 20 September 2026 Luru Kino | |
| 7 PM | Ordinary Errors: everything about yourself AND WE ALL SHINE ON US 2006, Michael Robinson, 7’, no dialogue, DCP 2020 AT 2021, Friedl vom Gröller, 2’, no dialogue, DCP POV MEMORY SG/AZ 2023, Igor Smola, 13’, OV with English subtitles, DCP S/T CA 2007, Claudio Caldini, 3’, silent, DCP I CHANGE I AM THE SAME US 1969, Alice Anne Parker, Shelby Kennedy, 1’, no dialogue, DCP I WOULD RATHER BE A STONE HR 2024, Ana Hušman, 24’, OV with English subtitles, DCP EXTRA TERRESTRIAL US 2004, Rhyne Piggott, Ben Russell, 11’, no dialogue, DCP SUPERMAN XK 2002, Sokol Beqiri, 3’, no dialogue, DCP, Lender: Kontakt Collection, Vienna F1GHTING LOOKS DIFFERENT 2 ME NOW Mesa Grande Reservation/US 2022, Fox Maxy, 11’, English OV, DCP |
