The Birth of Venus (1972)

The Birth of Venus (1972) poster

The basic material consisted of about 30 photos showing some close friends, and a dead pig we had found on a road. The pictures of the pig are used as a symmetric motion-montage. I took proper and left/right-inverted photos which are moved back and forth symmetrically over the central axis. The introduction-scene shows Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” cross-fading the figures at both sides and following the title, also Venus with a symmetrical pig-montage. A detail of B.’s picture appears at the end of the film on a wrapper of a lavoratory-deodorant (snif). Three Beatles songs emphazise the performance with their text. The pig is used as a symbol for the woman as a victim. It also stands for any associations to pig as proverbial: poor swine, filthy pig, greedy pig or it may allude to a pigsty or a pig in a poke, etc. The friends appear as: two dancing women, two lovers, a cock, a sex-changing head, etc. Part of the photos were shot by Marc Adrian. (M.B.)

Director: Moucle Blackout
Runtime: 6 min
Release Date:
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Moucle Blackout

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Birth of Venus about?
The basic material consisted of about 30 photos showing some close friends, and a dead pig we had found on a road. The pictures of the pig are used as a symmetric motion-montage. I took proper and left/right-inverted photos which are moved back and forth symmetrically over the central axis. The introduction-scene shows Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” cross-fading the figures at both sides and following the title, also Venus with a symmetrical pig-montage. A detail of B.’s picture appears at the end of the film on a wrapper of a lavoratory-deodorant (snif). Three Beatles songs emphazise the performance with their text. The pig is used as a symbol for the woman as a victim. It also stands for any associations to pig as proverbial: poor swine, filthy pig, greedy pig or it may allude to a pigsty or a pig in a poke, etc. The friends appear as: two dancing women, two lovers, a cock, a sex-changing head, etc. Part of the photos were shot by Marc Adrian. (M.B.)
Who directed The Birth of Venus?
The Birth of Venus was directed by Moucle Blackout.
How long is The Birth of Venus?
The Birth of Venus has a runtime of 6m (6 minutes).