Ep. 010: WELCOME TO THE MACHINE, Pt. 2 with DAN LAM

“Dissolution” on view at the Museum of the Moving Image.

The Voxon VX1 — the ancient device that housed Vox — the entrapped spirit whose apparition was displayed through a volumetric projection in the 20-minute holographic film Dissolution, departed the Museum of the Moving Image in early March after having spent months in the Museum’s Amphitheater’s Gallery. One floor below in the Redstone Theater and Bartos Screening Room, just over a dozen movies and short films were screened as part of the repertory film series “Welcome to the Machine.” Dissolution’s creator David Levine teamed with MoMI’s Curator of Science and Technology, Sonia Epstein, to program the film series. In the last episode of Marquee Mixtape, I spoke with David and Sonia about their collaboration on bringing Dissolution to MoMI and how they programmed a film series together that would act a companion to it.

Sonia Epstein moderating a Q&A with Knit’s Island (2023) co-director Ekiam Barbier and producer Boris Garavini in the Bartos Screening Room at MoMI.

The final entry in the film series was the NY Premiere of Knit’s Island (2023) — an animated doc that follows the lives of gamers via their avatars and the communities they fostered for nearly a decade, captured entirely in-game. Some of the filmmakers were present for a Q&A with Sonia. It was amazing to learn about the trailblazing documentary work they did over the last five years. An inspiring conversation and a movie that will stick with me for a long time.It was the perfect way to cap this series that focused on “a selection of films that depict humans reconstituted in computerized worlds,” and in this episode of the podcast I’m joined by my friend and filmmaker Dan Lam to discuss what we took away from the films we saw at MoMI (and at home).

The film series “Welcome to the Machine” falls under the Science on Screen division at MoMI that Sonia Epstein leads as their Curator of Science and Technology. Be sure to keep tabs on Science on Screen at MoMI if you want more film programming that is unique, engaging, and challenges your interests.

Watch the trailer for Knit’s Island and keep it on your radar. I do hope they get a theatrical release soon!

Thanks for listening and plan your visit to the Museum of the Moving Image!

The next episode of the show is in the works for an April release. See ya then!