The Block Museum of Art’s Block Cinema continues its tradition of celebrating work by under-seen media artists with a rare screening of Amy Halpern’s FALLING LESSONS (1992), a classic of American independent and experimental cinema.
This special event is part of “Palm Down: The Films of Amy Halpern,” a citywide collaboration celebrating Halpern’s legacy and the vibrant history of experimental cinema. The screening will take place at The Block on Friday, February 21, with poet and author Laura Paul in attendance to introduce the film and lead a post-screening discussion.
Amy Halpern (1953-2022) was a groundbreaking Los Angeles-based filmmaker whose career spanned over five decades. Known for her meticulous craftsmanship and inventive approach to filmmaking, Halpern was a revered figure within both experimental and commercial film circles. FALLING LESSONS is her only feature-length film, a striking meditation on the emotional and social landscape of early 1990s Los Angeles. Composed of vertical pans, mesmerizing close-ups, and fragmented narratives, the film captures the psychic atmosphere of a city grappling with police violence and civil unrest. Featuring appearances from luminaries such as Shirley Clarke and Julie Dash and an unusual soundtrack informed by musique concrète, FALLING LESSONS is a powerful and poetic exploration of community, resistance, and the endless fascination of the human face.
Stills from “FALLING LESSONS” (1992)
“Amy Halpern was a deeply influential figure in film culture in Los Angeles, where I first encountered her work, and her singular voice in many lively post-film discussions,” says Michael Metzger, Pick-Laudati Curator of Cinema and Media Arts at The Block Museum.
The opportunity to screen the visionary film FALLING LESSONS while Los Angeles is reeling from the impact of wildfires is incredibly poignant for me. It’s a film that uplifts friendship and community in the face of crisis; it’s fitting that we’re working with friends and partners across the city to present ‘Palm Down,’ the first retrospective of her work in Chicago.
–Michael Metzger, Pick-Laudati Curator of Cinema and Media Arts at The Block Museum
The screening at The Block will be introduced by Laura Paul, a former apprentice of Halpern and author of the recently released Film Elegy (PRROBLEM Press), a book-length poem reflecting on her experiences working with the filmmaker. Paul will offer personal insights into Halpern’s practice and read selections from her work during a post-screening discussion. “In writing Film Elegy,” says Paul, “I commemorate film as a physical medium and cinema as a physical meeting space, as told through my close relationship working for Amy Halpern. By looking not only to the past but ahead to the future, my book keeps this history alive without sacrificing the screens of tomorrow.” The program will also include a screening of Halpern’s VERGE for my sisters (2022), a Southern California landscape study and one of her final works.
Stills from “VERGE for my sisters” (2022)
The event is part of a larger citywide celebration of Halpern’s films, presented in partnership with Pilsen’s Inga Bookshop and Logan Square’s Elastic Arts. Inga Bookshop will host Laura Paul for a screening and reading of Halpern’s short 16mm films on Saturday, February 22. Experimental film programmer and Tone Glow publisher Joshua Minsoo Kim will host a two-part program of Halpern’s films at Elastic Arts on Sunday, February 23.
In Kim’s words, “the film programming I do in Chicago highlights overlooked works that offer people the chance to be surprised by what is possible in the world of independent cinema. These screenings reveal a real hunger that people have for bold, stimulating works, and Amy Halpern’s oeuvre provides a chance to look intently and intimately at lyrical images.” These events underscore the collaborative spirit that is central to Halpern’s work and the Chicago film community’s dedication to preserving and celebrating experimental cinema.
About the Speaker: Laura Paul is a writer and artist whose work has been featured in publications such as The Brooklyn Rail, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Comics Journal. Her interdisciplinary projects have been exhibited at the Armory Center for the Arts, Other Places Art Fair, and more. She holds a B.A. in Comparative History of Ideas from the University of Washington and an M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies from UCLA. Her book, Film Elegy, was published by PRROBLEM Press in October 2024. For more information, visit LauraPaulWriter.com.
Event Details: Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University
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