Esther Urlus

film - audiovisual - performance - science & technology

"In my film work I create a link between specific historical events and stories and the (re) use of analog film techniques and inventions from the early days of photography and cinematography. I force a sometimes alienating parallel between the events or the story and the cinematic technique, to enhance the impact of the image. In addition, I create my own film material, literally, by mixing silver nitrate and bromide salt with gelatin and water to form a light-sensitive emulsion. I'm not looking for a naturalist , commercial like film material, outcome. I intend to create unique components that, by its singularity, generates a special and cinematic experience. "

  • Portfolio
  • Activities
  • Awarded
  • Contact

    • Adele Hugo: experimental opera for one singer

    Performance

    • In collaboration with: composer: Cinzia Nistico, vocalist / actor Anat Spiegel
    • Made, and performed, a solely analog light and visuals setting with five 16mm and 3 slide projectors for the experimental opera for one singer: Adele Hugo Based on the biographic story of Adele Hugo, daughter of famous writer Victor Hugo, who, almost two centuries ago, crossed the ocean on her own to stalk, with a fanaticism bordering on madness, a lieutenant she rejected. Premiered at the Fringe Festival Amsterdam 5-6-7 September 2019. Now on tour
    • https://vimeo.com/367976312

    Embrace the Strange

    Reading

    Sharing

    Reading

    • Location: Czech National Film Archive, Prague
    • presentation and panelist at the International Congress of FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives)
    • http://fiaf2018.nfa.cz/

    The Intervening Substance

    Reading

    Materiality of images

    Workshop

    • Location: Escuela De Cine Elias Querejeta - Zine Eskola, San Sebastian - Donostia
    • Early Silver Gelatin Emulsions

    Starting from Scratch

    Workshop

    • Location: Royal Institute for Theater, Cinema + Sound, Erasmus University College Brussels, Brussels
    • film introduction into the do-it-yourself method

    Back to the Future Festival

    Project

    • In collaboration with: Filmwerkplaats
    • Location: WORM, Rotterdam
    • a festival for analogue moving images and optical sound; a celebration of the analogue film with an international program of audio-visual performances, films, presentations, lectures and installations. Back to the Future: Project! focuses on the future of the film medium, in terms of contemporary artistic developments embedded in a historical context.
    • https://filmwerkplaats.org/?back-to-the-future

    REMI

    Project

    • In collaboration with: Mire, Nantes France + Labor Berlin, Germany
    • Location: Europe,
    • a two-year European cooperation project run by Mire (Nantes, FR), Filmwerkplaats (Rotterdam, NL) and LaborBerlin (Berlin, DE). Focused on the creation, preservation and circulation of technical knowledge of analogue film in order to support its use as a creative medium. REMI was co-funded by the Creative Europe Program of the European Union.
    • www.re-mi.eu/

    Re: inventing the pioneer

    Project

    • a (un-going) research into handmade silver gelatin emulsions and color methods. Following the footsteps of the early pioneers of the photochemical film medium.
    • https://estherurlus.nl/visuals

    Acknowledgments

      Pricing

    • Red Mill won Best Short Film at Lucca International Film Festival

    • 2014
      Pricing

    • Konrad - Kurfurst won Special Mention International Jury Kurtzfilmtage Oberhausen

    • 2014
      Pricing

    • Deletion was nominated for The Award for Best Short Film Edinburgh International Film Festival

    • 2017
      Pricing

    • Deletion was nominated for the Tiger Shorts International Film Festival Rotterdam

    • 2017
      Publication

    • Labs-Creative Labore für den analogues Film

    • 2018
    • interview
    • ARTE TV -
      Publication

    • On the art of omission - Deletion

    • 2017
    • consideration
    • New Experimental # 1 - Joke de Wolff