Living in the British isle of Jersey since 1937, Cahun and Moore created photographic images primarily for their own pleasure. The two were imprisoned during the Nazi occupation of Jersey, as much for their refusing to cooperate with the Germans as well as both being Jewish. Much of their artwork was destroyed by the Nazis, with much of the remaining work saved almost by chance. What is most conspicuous about the artwork of Cahun and Moore is that it was done in isolation from the artistic centers of Europe.

Hammer astonishingly shot the bulk of her film in one week in Jersey. Much of the film is made up of shots of Cahun and Moore's photgraphs, such as the one above, and photo collages. There are also excerpts from video interviews with surving Jersey residents who knew Cahun and Moore as well as those who have preserved their work. Hammer also has voice-overs from their autobiographical writing. Two actresses briefly portray Cahun and Moore for extremely brief, dramatic effect. Even if one questions some of the choices Hammer makes in how she tells the story of Cahun and Moore, the story itself is compelling for someone who had not known of the artists previously.

Barbara Hammer

An added bonus to the screening last night at the Miami Beach Cinematheque, was that it was also Barbara Hammer's birthday. Present for the showing of her film, Ms. Hammer was introduced by her former student, Dinorah De Jesus Rodriguez.