1977-1989

SILENT FILMS

In 1977, Linda Mussmann bought her first Super 8 movie camera - a Nikon R8. Due to the compact size of the camera, and the low cost of the film, she brought it with her wherever she went over the next twelve years.

Over time, Mussmann amassed what could be described as an original library of stock footage, that has used and reused in various TSL stage and video projects over the ensuing decades.

Looking back, these 100+ 8mm reels can be divided into three categories:

  • Observational, “cinema-verite”-style films, including images of cows grazing, trees blowing in the wind, or a passenger-seat view of the American Southwest taken on a cross-country tour.

  • Staged scenes produced to be projected during specific live performances. These films are designed make the most of the high contrast, low-fidelity format. Some directly relate to the script, while others were projected at such a large scale that they became experimental light sources rather than discernible images.

In typical TSL fashion, none of these films are strictly literal, and all are open to interpretation. The lack of sound, color, or fine detail lends them a timeless, other-worldly quality. Though the observational films are the most adaptable, reels from all three categories have been utilized in ways not originally intended.

In 2020, the Mussmann/Bruce Archive began the process of digitally preserving the collection, scanning each film frame by frame. These digital transfers have been essential to the production of the “Remixed Films” series.

On this page we have made available a selection of these 8mm films, and where possible, linked to examples of their projection or other use in TSL productions.

Observational

Cows Little Stumps the Deal

Cows as seen projected in Little Stumps - The Deal (1990)

Lake as seen projected in Silent When Loaded (1986)

Staged Scenes/

Experimental Light Sources

Used in M.A.C.B.E.T.H. (1990)

Filmed Performance Excerpts

Shots of Semih Firincioğlu on piano used in Room/Raum - Remixed Film (2021)