John Cage 1912-1992
The Making of One 11 (1992)
Director: Henning Lohner
Year: 1992
Time: 43 mins
Music: John Cage
Some sceptics will say that it is more interesting to read about John Cage than it is to actually engage with his body of work. Although I would not endorse this point of view, I understand its rationale and I believe that Cage would himself feel comfortable with it. Part of that position can be understood from a de-authorized perspective: just like mythology comprises, in the words of LÂvi-Strauss, both the actual telling of the myth and the exegetical apparatus offered by the scholar analyst - his interpretation being an internal extension of the myth itself -, so too the growing body of reflections on Cage's thought and work can be seen as a natural flourishing of some of the seeds spread by he author in the fertile field of 20th century art. This fascinating documentary offers a detailed insight into the making of Cage's sole feature film, One11, revealing both its technically exhausting complexities and its "soft-core" theoretical and philosophical underpinnings. Narrated by Joan LaBarbara, the film becomes a truly essential part of the One11 experience, "just like a man cannot be said to exist until he is completed by his grandson". -- Sound of Eye