point of contact

DOSSIER 2006
The official online publication of the
Syracuse International Film Festival, Vol.3
A Point of Contact Production

Chinon C8-SC98 - USA
Phil Davis, Director
4 minutes, experimental

Film Review by Leo Crandall

In Chinon C8-SC98, filmmaker Phil Davis ties a rope to his car, ties the other end to his camera, and drives. He leaves the viewer to empathize and cheer for the survival of the beleaguered machine. Although the approach seems more a politicized ideology than an aesthetic, ultimately it generates some fine and beautiful imagery.

The brutalization of the camera eye punctuates the video. The faltering image returns, striated, in fits and starts. It is, at times, incredibly striking. It depicts an environment of chance and mayhem that delivers a strong and effective narrative along with the lovely, beaten images.