Österreich 1987/1994, 121 min,
eng, russ, czech, dt/ger
no subtitles

Michael Pilz has made films and videos for several years - since December 1987 to be precise - he has made video diaries. He does that as part of a project he calls "Private Eyes". He now has an archive of more than 260 hours of video. Pilz started filming on 8-mm in the late fifties and he wants to adopt specific details of his approach - for instance editing in the camera - for his video work too. He is very fond of the immediacy of the "amateur medium" in approaching reality as open-mindedly as possible. In his opinion this technique can enrichen the language of cinematography. Pilz's videos are mainly about looking and listening to more or less everyday and personal events. He compares working with video like this with making notes in a notebook, but then with the added value of the visual language. In the face of the large stream of contemporary films that concentrate on superficial issues, he wants to develop a way of film-making that is also introspective.
Gertjan Zuilhof, Rotterdam International Filmfestival- Home Movie Master

Part 1
Reminiscences to Rotterdam Filmfestival 1988: Huub Bals, Artavazd Pelechian, Rezo Esadze, Sergei Paradianov, Hans Hurch, Peter Vandermeer, and others (1/88), 18 min
Train to Prague (11/87), 6 min
All the Vermeers in Prague: Jack Garfein, Vaclav Havel, Miloslav Chloupac, Bedrig Dlouhy (11/87), 15 min
Night Train, Love departed (11/87),4 min
Budapest: Tracking shot, Masik Janos (12/87), 13 min
Winter Light, Piss into cold water (7/87, 1/88), 4 min
Total time Part 1, 60 min 20 sec

Part 2
Everything's expressive: Jack Garfein on Samuel Beckett (10/87), 14 min
Children's dance, Snow dance, Danger (2/88, 7/88), 14 min
Filmmaker's funeral (3/88), 6 min
Snow birds, Sunset at parent's home, Papa! - train is leaving, Family holidays, Kasperl is kaputt (2/88, 8/88), 15 min
e = m.c2 (2/88), 4 min
Joseph's spirit (11/92), 8 min
Total time Part 2 - 60 min 44 sec