Film & Talk Alvin Lucier

“Don’t ask me what I mean, ask me what I made.” Inspired by this motto, the documentary accompanies the American composer Alvin Lucier (*1931) on recent concert travels to The Hague, Netherlands, and Zug, Switzerland. The authors invite Lucier to explain and comment on his oeuvre – from his early live electronics performances of the 1960s and 70s (“Music for solo performer”, 1965 and “Bird and Person Dyning”, 1976) up until the premiere of his ensemble piece, “Panorama 2”, in 2011. Visited in his hometown Middletown, Connecticut, Lucier offers rare insights into the beginnings of his pioneering works, his time as a member of the Sonic Arts Union, his relations with John Cage and David Tudor, as well as into his work as a teacher at Wesleyan University. One of Lucier’s key works, “I Am Sitting In A Room” (1970), is introduced as a central structuring device into the film.

Viola Rusche born in 1960 in Kiel, North Germany, living and working in Berlin. Music studies in Munich, art studies in Munich and Dusseldorf. Since 1997 working as free-lance editor and filmmaker.

Hauke Harder born in 1963 in Heide (Holstein), Germany. Studied physics and obtained doctorate at Kiel University where he researched in the field of molecular physics until 2000. Started composing in 1989 and took private lessons with Wolfgang von Schweinitz in 1991/92. Curated various concerts and exhibitions including the series “Gesellschaft für akustische Lebenshilfe” which he co-founded and directed from 1989-99. Filmmaking since 2009.

Filme von Rusche & Harder
2016 A Shape of Time – the composer Jo Kondo, 100’
2014 Zeile für Zeile, a film on the composer Ernstalbrecht Stiebler, 33’
2012 No Ideas but in Things – the composer Alvin Lucier, 97’