Freude

A continuous dissolve of 87 male and female nudes. "The film's fascination lies with the suspense of that magic moment, halfway between two persons, when the dissolve technique produces composite figures, oftentimes hermaphroditic, that inspires awe for the mystery of the human form." - B. Ruby Rich, Chicago Art Institute

(1970) color; 5 min

(1970) color; 3 min.

A continuous dissolve into a series of happy nude couples in various configurations: female/male, female/female, male/male, as the Rolling Stones sing 'We Love You'. –F.

Although Freude was most instrumental in the Bay Area film community through her company Serious Business (1972–83) which rented and sold films by women, especially animation, she made a few films that spoke authentically to women’s experience. Often interpreted as a film that forefronts the repetitive and futile nature of traditional women’s circumscribed activities, the sound track carries the real message: "I won’t stop trying till I create a disturbance in your mind."

A self-portrait by two women filmmakers in celebration of their friendship and filmmaking.

A film by Freude

A film by Freude

"...is a totally entertaining film. Unlike many women's films, it is not a documentary or narrative directed at women's issues. Rather, it might be considered a comedy for the women's movement. It is a feminist film not because of any political message but because of the liberation implicits in its imagery. There is a musical soundtrack but no dialogue; the images come fast and surreal, jarring images from a mythic kingdom, where hugely pregnant women rock on and babies fall flat on their face. A really joyus celebration of women, life and film. " -Camille Cook, Chicago Art Institute

Includes 8 films: Promise Her Anything But Give Her The Kitchen Sink, Shooting Star, Standup & Be Counted, Adam's Birth, Sweet Dreams, Folly, Women & Children At Large, and One On The Same. "Freude combines the most glorious artifacts of California living with a melange of domestic, maternal, and wholly personal symbols. The result is a free-flowing pastiche whose essence is the filmmaker's love of husband, babies, friends, and West Coast. Freude's work is a rare example of feminist filmmaking infused with humor, poetry, and sensuality." —Karen Cooper

Pixilated road trip and back-to-nature explorations in Northern California, playfully shot by Freude on 16mm color reversal.