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
(printable
version of description)
Reviews,
Articles, Text & Notes:
Zum
Ditter Script
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