Zum Ditter description 10 minutes b/w 16mm 1979 A rare document of amateur sound poet and stunter extraordinaire,
Allan MacKay, exploiting the greatest name in music Carl Ditters von
Dittersdorf (1739-1799). In this extemporary performance piece, camera
and actor develop a tight rapport like two instruments in a jazz band.
Nothing is rehearsed except the finale, itself discovered by accident.
The narrative structure of the piece establishes a subversive dialectic
as bizarre as the filmmaker’s own piano punk-tuations, added later. Quite interesting quite interesting indeed. Allan McFee, Eclectic
Circus, CBC 1979 Zum Ditter is a filmed
performance by the sound poet Allan MacKay. The name Carl Ditters von
Dittersdorf (the classical composer) inexplicably renders the performer
incapable of drawing sounds together to form normal word patterns. Words
are symbols which refer to things in the real world-they are the tools
we have for naming and ordering the universe. MacKay is pointing out
the arbitrary nature of our generally agreed-upon semantic codes, while
Hancox films him, perhaps attempting to make the same statement pertaining
to the dramatic film. Recording this performance on film has set it within a fixed temporal
framework, which Hancox has decided to turn into subversively dramatic
time. His division of time into dramatic stages is done as arbitrarily
as the scattering of the title lettering, or the plunking of piano keys
on the soundtrack. In a sense, Zum
Ditter could be credited as having a dramatic ‘climax:’ the release
of MacKay’s neck brace finally allows him to pronounce the problem name.
But the non-dramatic use of time before this ‘climax’ questions the
validity of this as a dramatic moment. This comparison between semantics and film language is a concept
with which Hancox confronts us, and through this confrontation, he creates
what he calls his ‘subversive dialectic.’
Michael Wade Zum Ditter, a film by Rick Hancox in which Allan MacKay lays the
starring and only role, further exemplifies this device. Emulating the
culture-discourse format of television interview, MacKay assumes the
role of host and commentator upon the life of one Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf,
18th century composer. Amid the scholarly clutter of a small
library, our host begins his lecture predictably enough, but soon falters
on the pronunciation of his subject’s name. Frustration mounts and as
the artist focuses all attention on that name, only guttural sounds
emerge. Every strategy is exhausted in the pursuit of the correct pronunciation.
Can we every say what we mean? This agonizing cycle of attempt and frustration
becomes increasingly hilarious to the viewer. A surgical neck support,
which until this point has approximated the appearance of a clerical
collar, pops off. Of course, with this stricture removed, the unpronounceable
becomes pronounceable. Would that our souls were as easily made articulate.
(Alf Bogusky in A Book of Not Knowing We Are Going To Die Or Grow Up
And Of Only Knowing A Little Bit by John Bentley Mays (Saskatoon,October
1981/Toronto, January 1982) Available
from: Canadian Filmmakers' Distribution Centre 37
Hanna Ave. #220 Toronto,
Ontario Canada M6K 1W8 telephone:
416-588-0725, e-mail: bookings@cfmdc.org web: www.cfmdc.org |