I dedicate the three following texts to my late friend Claude Forget (1949-2008). The September 30, 2019 would have been Claude´s 70th. birthday. He was a passionate activist for Independent cinema. Among other things he was for a long time the director of the distribution cooperative “Cinéma Libre” in Montréal. While watching some films I always catch myself wishing to talk with him about them.

One of the three texts is about the third film by Richard Brouillette, Oncle Bernard – A Counterlesson in economics. Richard Brouillette was a close friend of Claude. His first film was a portrait of one of the most influential independent filmmaker from Québec Gilles Groulx, Trop Cést assez (1995)

Another text is on Songs of Revolution by Bill Mousoulis. I do not know if Claude had ever heard about Bill Mousoulis. The Australian filmmaker with Greek roots made more than 100 films in different formats and of different lengths. I am sure, Claude would have loved the films by Mousoulis – and I imagine – he would have found a kindred spirit in him. Bill Mousoulis is a filmmaker but as well like Claude an activist for independent cinema.

The third text is on Anamika Bandopadhyay´s The Third Breast, another example of independent cinema. Rather a No,- than a Low budget film, The Third Breast is a film I accompanied in different phases of its production. Unfortunately it is very seldom screened. The films by Bill Mousoulis and Anamika Bandopadhyay demonstrate how rich an independent film can be even under very modest conditions.

At first I have chosen these texts for this edition without second thoughts from the text reservoir of my English blog. Some months later I realized that I have chosen the texts on these three films unconsicious for Claude. I like to imagine these three films screened in a cinema one after another on one single day.

Rüdiger Tomczak

translated from the

German version in shomingeki No. 26

my epitaph on Claude Forget in shomingeki No. 22, 2009:

in German

in English