An affectionate and humorous portrayal of the relationship between a woman and her dog. As the dog explores the world and meets other dogs on their many walks together, the film shakes and mirrors the excitement and chaos of a dog’s life. Many of these scenes are repeated and reprinted, lending a distinct rhythm of
Two black cats-frequent players in JoAnn Elam’s work-wrestle and play on the floor of a home, the camera racing to track their rapid movements.
This footage follows two dogs and two cats around the house, with the camera sometimes zooming in on the animals’ eyes looking directly towards us and on their furry bodies and thus creating a sense of intimacy with them. Throughout these domestic scenes, possibly shot at JoAnn Elam’s home in Chicago, the cats and dogs
Staggering to a start, “LA Cigith Gato Con Julia – B&W Fireworks -Julia & Kittens” opens depicting trance-inducing sirens shrouded by visual noise and darkness. The location and subject pivots taking interest in a young iteration of an Elam regular, a black kitten, scampering about a tile floor. Enticingly, a woman (seemingly the titular Julia)
Elam provides a small, voyeuristic case study of animal behavior in “Cat Garden / Birds.” Via binary structure, the film begins swiveling about (what appears to be) Elam’s Logan Square backyard inhabited by two black cats salient to her work. Initially out of focus, the cats loiter, drenched in saturated colors. Shedding ambiguity, Elam puts
After meditating for several beats on darkness, “Cats on Bed” flares out in color and gets under way rendering two black kittens (most likely the same that frequent Elam’s work) scuffling about a vividly depicted quilt, as the camera staggers to keep pace. Abruptly the footage freezes on one of the cats about to pounce,
Through a decent amount of visual noise, “Cats & Kittens” parallels, in two sections, the quaint evening happenings of a group of humans and cats. Opening around a dinner table, the film depicts a chummy group: drinking Old Style and finishing a meal (a group which includes JoAnn Elam herself). The intial section continues in
“Cats 4/82 Joe” coyly presents two black cats (and their silhouettes) lackadaisically lounging. As prelude, the titular cats sip from a bowl, sniff, and stretch at a relative distance. The camera cuts closer, in due time, depicting the pair more intimately as they bathe themselves and contemplatively gaze. Several jump cuts punctuate the introduction of
The meandering camera establishes a rural Monterey, in the likeness as depcted in Elam’s other Monterey films. “Monterey Maple Farm 81” consists of saturated foliage sprawling almost unimpeded, the exception being a cabin poking into frame occasionally. As the film progresses, the frame cuts to black;images reappear, but ill-lit. Moments pass. The ill-lit structure reappears
“Cats” follows the lackadaisical affairs of two black cats. From lounging on a window sill and pawing at an encroaching plant to playfully tussling around in some unwound 16mm film, the camera stalks one or both of the cats, documenting their inquisitive nature.