John Cage 1912-1992
Birdcage – 73'20.958" for a Composer (1972)
Birdcage – 73'20.958" for a Composer (1972)
Director: Hans G. Helms
A movie meant to re-introduce people to Cage & his then-current pieces, which was first shown at Darmstadt. Since it was made for a German audience, there's often an overdubbed narrator in German, who translates what Cage says while he's talking. However, there's lots of shots of Cage talking to birds, talking to colleagues, hanging out at home or even messing around with a piano. Pianist Maro Ajemian's playing in real time is amazing to watch. You get to see Cage accompanying Merce Cunningham during a dance rehearsal. He also gives a reading at a church where the suggested donation is a dollar & a bunch of hippie girls come & listen. There's even some footage of David Tudor playing a prepared piano piece in 1954, and then again in '72. And Yoko Ono shows up & talks about breathing techniques. 75 minutes NTSC