Author Archives: Rhea
Reflection on the 1969 CBS “Now Project” – 1972
Reflection on the 1969 CBS “Now Project” – 1972, by Nancy Cain (PDF)
Review: Mary Curtis Ratcliff of Videofreex (Documentary Revival)
A review by Kathleen Sachs, originally published on cine-file The Nightingale (1084 N. Milwaukee Ave. [Chicago]) — Wednesday [July 26, 2019], 7pm The poignancy of the three videos included in this program, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the pioneering video collective Videofreex, lies both in how au courant they feel—as documents of a time and […]
Fanelli’s Restaurant: A letter to the New York Times
by Davidson Gigliotti A remembrance letter to the New York Times inspired by “The Bar That Has Fed SoHo for Almost a Century.“ ———– Back in the early ‘70s the Videofreex, a radical video collective intent on reforming the TV industry with the ½” portable video equipment of that time, occupied the top floor of […]
Psychic in Retrospect
Afterword: Psychic in Retrospect, by Nancy Cain (PDF) A meditation on the power of video in the 21st century, written as a second Afterword to her 2011 memoir Video Days.
A Videofreex conspiracy at the Met
On November 9, 2018, a group gathered at the Met Breuer museum for a political art action event, viewing, and discussion of the Fred Hampton Interview tape by Videofreex (1969, 23 min, b&w). Flyer: JOIN THE Videofreex CONSPIRACY! details Slide show: “Join the Videofreex Conspiracy!” at the Met 11/9/18
Making maple syrup at Maple Tree Farm – the last spring
by Bart In the spring of 1978, our last at Maple Tree Farm, Chuck, Nancy and I, the only remaining Freex living there, tapped the trees surrounding the house in the typical way, using drills, pails and spiles that we cobbled, drilling holes in the trees, but not too many, and emptied the sap into […]
Early video series at Rhizome DC
Rhizome DC, in collaboration with the Videofreex, presented a series of early video screenings and discussions in 2018. From January to May, Rhizome hosted a monthly event in its cozy community venue in northwest Washington, DC. See the Videofreex at Rhizome Program
How did the Videofreex Archive get to VDB.org? herstory by Mary Curtis
By Skip According to phone conversation Mary Curtis and I recently had (with letters to and from MCR on file that verify some of the process): In 1998 or so, Curtis got curious about an edit of her and Cy Griffin’s September 1971 wedding, with footage from 5 or so portapaks covering the ceremony and […]
Why did the Freex move to Maple Tree Farm in Lanesville?
By Skip There’s a funny scene in “Here Come the Videofreex” that documents the search for our upstate Media Center in Lanesville/Lanesville TV pirate TV station/home, Maple Tree Farm. Each of the Freex had personal and group reasons for wanting to move out of NYC that included: it was getting too busy in Prince St […]
Visual Studies Workshop
By Bart Lovely in Rochester on April 22, 2017. Total of 35 rapt attendees. Including old friends Sandy R and R Simmons & Joan Lyons. Beautiful room, great big projection and gracious hosts. Treated me in style. I enjoyed film again and appreciate [Jon & Jenny’s] work and insights.
videofreex.com 