The Birth of Venus (1972)
Original title: Die Geburt der Venus
The basic material consisted of about 30 photos showing some close friends, and a dead pig we had found on a road. The pictures of the pig are used as a symmetric motion-montage. I took proper and left/right-inverted photos which are moved back and forth symmetrically over the central axis. The introduction-scene shows Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” cross-fading the figures at both sides and following the title, also Venus with a symmetrical pig-montage. A detail of B.’s picture appears at the end of the film on a wrapper of a lavoratory-deodorant (snif). Three Beatles songs emphazise the performance with their text. The pig is used as a symbol for the woman as a victim. It also stands for any associations to pig as proverbial: poor swine, filthy pig, greedy pig or it may allude to a pigsty or a pig in a poke, etc. The friends appear as: two dancing women, two lovers, a cock, a sex-changing head, etc. Part of the photos were shot by Marc Adrian. (M.B.)
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Frequently asked questions about The Birth of Venus
What is The Birth of Venus about?
The basic material consisted of about 30 photos showing some close friends, and a dead pig we had found on a road. The pictures of the pig are used as a symmetric motion-montage. I took proper and left/right-inverted photos which are moved back and forth symmetrically over the central axis. The introduction-scene shows Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” cross-fading the figures at both sides and following the title, also Venus with a symmetrical pig-montage. A detail of B.’s picture appears at the end of the film on a wrapper of a lavoratory-deodorant (snif). Three Beatles songs emphazise the performance with their text. The pig is used as a symbol for the woman as a victim. It also stands for any associations to pig as proverbial: poor swine, filthy pig, greedy pig or it may allude to a pigsty or a pig in a poke, etc. The friends appear as: two dancing women, two lovers, a cock, a sex-changing head, etc. Part of the photos were shot by Marc Adrian. (M.B.)
How long is The Birth of Venus?
The Birth of Venus has a runtime of 6 minutes.