IMAGINARY ENEMY PROJECT 1-WAR FOOTAGE SERIES 1-THE KINMEN BOMBS

by Tony WU
2012 / 8mm / b&w / silent / 1S / 7' 46

IMAGINARY ENEMY PROJECT 1-WAR FOOTAGE SERIES is a film-document-installation exhibition which contains war items, documents, archives, documentaries, and film equipments exhibition. The exhibition will present old 8mm cameras, 8mm roll films, 8mm war footage documentaries playing on the monitor, and historical stories for audience to read. Also, it will present and on the other hand connect the history of the development of film camera with the history of war.

IMAGINARY ENEMY PROJECT 1-WAR FOOTAGE SERIES will use the Propaganda film and main-stream narrative movie of some noted wars from Taiwan and all over the world as the objects to subvert. IMAGINARY ENEMY PROJECT 1-WAR FOOTAGE SERIES is the first work of the project. I first use THE KINMEN BOMBS, the Taiwanese Propaganda film about 823 Artillery War, the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and the conflict between ROC and PRC in 1958, as the DVD material to reshoot by 8mm camera then remake and reconstruct the battle scenes into 8mm film similar to those filmed in actual battle field, as if they were actual war footage witness and the evidence of war. The shooting of an 8mm roll film is totally 3 minutes in length, like the ZAPRUDER film on JFK assassination. It converts and transfers the perspective of the person who shoots the film into the imaginary enemy of the Propaganda of Taiwan, fictioning a non-official and non-military perspective from the anonymous folks in China. In addition, with the extracted passages from the writing of “The 823 Artillery War” from the Internet, the project will also try to collage the multiple and self-contradictory history narration perspectives.

Caption on the video:
The footage was found in a flea market in San Francisco along with the 8mm camera that took it. It is believed that a Chinese civilian using his personal camera captured the combat scenes on August 23rd, 1958, the day the cross-strait battle between Taiwan and China erupted. The rare film presents a personal perspective that in its rawness impugns the established historical narrative of the event. This world-premiere is the first time the footage and its related artifacts have been shown to the public at large.

1 PRINT IN DISTRIBUTION


distribution format Digital file on server (SD)
screen 1,37 - Standard (single screen)
speed 29,976 fps
sound silent
original language English & Taiwanese
rental fee 37,00 €