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Free Radicals (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Free Radicals' is a black-and-white animated film short by avant-garde filmmaker Len Lye.[https://www.worldcat.org/title/free-radicals/oclc/48482607 WorldCat.org] Begun in 1958 and completed in 1979, Lye made the film by directly scratching the film stock. The resulting "figures of motion" are set to music by the Baguirmi tribe of Africa.[http://www.thethird-eye.co.uk/free-radicals-by-len-lye/ The Third Eye]
Production
In 'Experimental Animation: the origins of a new art', Len Lye recalled making 'Free Radicals':
"I made Free Radicals from 16mm black film leader, which you can get from DuPont. I took a graver, various kinds of needles. (My range included arrowheads for romanticism.) You stick down the sides with scotch tape and you get to work with scratching the stuff out. You hold your hand at the right height and act is if you were making your signature. It goes on forever. You can carry a pictographic design in your head and make a little design. You can't see what you're doing because your hand is in the way. That's why those things have that kind of spastic look."
Legacy
In 2008, the film was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and recommended for preservation.[https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-237.html "Cinematic Classics, Legendary Stars, Comedic Legends and Novice Filmmakers Showcase the 2008 Film Registry"] 'News from the Library of Congress' (30 December 2008)
'Free Radicals' appears on the DVD 'Rhythms', a collection of short films by Lye.[http://revoirvideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/dvd-len-lye-rythms-pal-2400-euros.html Re:Voir Vido + The Film Gallery]
See also
* List of avant-garde films of the 1950s
* Independent animation
* 1979 in film
References
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