Workshop 1/SW

Created at the time of the notoriously prominent university lecture hall "Aktionsfilm" Kunst und Revolution (Art and Revolution), Workshop 1/SW is also a film document of an artistic gathering – though not so full of spectacular events. Rather, as is so often the case with Schmidt Jr., the event lies in the appearance of the writing, which in turn is not in contrast to reality, because the two intertwine. Emblematic of this – as the title itself – is the signature after the title, neatly mounted on a perforated plate: "A film by Ernst Schmidt" – the "Jr." does not yet appear in his films from the 1960s, but here we see the hand that repeatedly holds the title card up to the camera in later works, here as an index finger. He points to his name, almost didactically. After all, this is a workshop... So, first there is an 11-second head leader countdown, standard lettering on film material, before the credit is completed, but in a highly ironic way: half covered by two hands, the words "and the participants of Workshop 1 of the 15th Wilheringer Student Week", whose film workshop Schmidt Jr. led, can be read for half a second. After so much writing, there are eight seconds left for documentation – workshop participants parodically follow a script, imitating the gestures of making photographic images: one jumps around as a photojournalist with a camera, another makes the hand gesture for a film eyepiece and crank in front of his face, a third laughs, and we laugh too. (Drehli Robnik)