May 01, 2007
Chris Marker
A May Day Double Feature
Today is May 1st - May Day. Historically, it is a day of the Left, and following last year's unprecedented marches, in the United States it is now also, undeniably, a day of the immigrant worker.
So it is also an apt day to celebrate the work of French filmmaker Chris Marker, a man of the Left if there ever was one. He's also known as a great world traveler; like the immigrant rights movement, he has something important to say about borders and cultures.
Of course, Marker is otherwise as far from an immigrant as one can imagine; he's wholly a French man, and a professional artist at that. But as a traveler, he is hardly tourist. At their most powerful, his films challenge borders and celebrate cultures, documenting struggles against the State in breathtaking ways.
Please enjoy these two reviews of May-related Marker films: Le Joli Mai and A Grin Without A Cat.
