Amy Halpern (1953 -2022) made over 40 films, most of them on 16mm. Amy was born and raised in New York City and made her first films there; she came to Los Angeles in 1976 to attend UCLA Film School and lived here the rest of her life.
Amy trained as a dancer, and her films often explore bodily movement, often using her own body, as in the opening film of tonight’s program, Invocation. The program also includes several of Amy’s earliest films including her first, Roll #1 for Nancy, as well as Three Preparations, Cigarette Burn, and Self-portrait as a City, and explores several of her other recurring themes: light and color (Ginko Yellow, Verge, Plausible Light Source) animals and plants (Palm Down, Fire Belly, Birds in the Window) and the nature of the film medium Itself (By Halves, Newt Leaders).
Tonight’s program is the first of three exploring Amy’s work. Additional programs will take place at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum (April 16) and the Ted Mann Theatre at the Academy Museum (April 20).
