Counterfeit Culture

Speaking of Abstraction: A Universal Language

1999

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, abstraction - that most quintessentially modernist innovation - maintains a peculiarly contradictory position. Used, on one hand, by post-modernist artists as just one more quotable style amongst many, it is on the other hand still considered an elitist or hermetic language by audiences intimidated by its lack of recognizable subject matter. Yet ultimately, abstraction continues to be a viable creative path for contemporary artists of all generations, many of whom embrace it as the most inclusive and fundamentally resonant of artistic languages. Filmed at the artists' studios, the Dia Center for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Museum during their exhibition, "Abstraction in the Twentieth Century."

Emergency Ward

1959

This 1959 documentary short is a frank portrait of the daily operations inside the Montreal General Hospital’s emergency ward.

Shoplifting is Stealing

1975

This educational film "Shoplifting is Stealing" was produced by Charles Cahill and Associates in 1975. It discusses the issue of shoplifting and the various measures taken by retail stores to combat it. It highlights the significant financial losses due to shoplifting, which amount to over $3.5 billion annually in the U.S. Stores often mark up prices to cover these losses, which can be particularly challenging for small businesses. The film explains that many shoplifters are teenagers who steal for emotional reasons, peer pressure, or thrills rather than necessity. It emphasizes that shoplifting is a serious crime with legal consequences, including a police record. Various security measures are described, such as trained security staff, surveillance cameras, electronic tags, and packaging techniques that make it harder for shoplifters to steal items. The film also follows a scenario where security tracks and apprehends suspected shoplifters using surveillance and communication.

Being and Becoming Chua Ek Kay

2012

The film offers exclusive and intimate insights into how and why the classically trained artist risked rejection to revolutionize the traditional Chinese ink art form in Singapore.

Dada Found Objects. Surreal Doodles and Dreams

Contemplate the "anti-art" spirit of Dadaism, its nihilistic yet humorous indictment of civilization and bizarre use of unconventional media. In the sensibility of Surrealism, observe its compelling focus on the subconscious and two substyles - dream imagery, with its juxtaposition of objects and settings, and "automatic drawing," eliciting unplanned images from the unconscious.

The Shaman's Apprentice

2001

Scientist Mark Plotkin races against time to save the ancient healing knowledge of Indian tribes from extinction.

Die Gabe zu heilen

2017

The film tells the stories of five people with special abilities who treat and heal their patients in an unconventional way. These charismatic healers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland are the subjects of this documentary which sets out to show how their old-school, arcane methods can serve as an addition to conventional, academic medicine.

Bloodlines: The Art and Life of Vincent Castiglia

2018

Vincent Castiglia paints in human blood.