Legendary figure of the underground community in New York, Barbara Rubin (1945-1980), hired by Jonas Mekas at the Film-makers’ Coop in New York, has frequented many major artists including Robert Frank, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Smith or Andy Warhol. According Jonas Mekas' testimony, Barbara Rubin has been "the glue between the different factions of artists", introducing, for exemple, the Velvet Underground to Andy Warhol. In 1963, she directed Christmas on Earth – her only film, screened on two superposed screens - a transgressif film inspired by the poem "A Season in Hell" written by Arthur Rimbaud in 1873. In combining through an orgiastic ritual, the self-destructive passions of the young filmmaker - 17 year old at this time - and the aspirations of emancipation from her time, Christmas on Earth became quickly a totemic artwork of the underground scene. 

The screening will be introduced by Philippe-Alain Michaud (Film curator at Centre Pompidou)

Programme:- Screen Test (with Barbara Rubin) (Andy Warhol, 1964, 16mm, nb, sil, 2'30)- Christmas on Earth (Barbara Rubin, 1963, double projection 16mm, nb, son, 30')

Thanks to MM Serra at the Film-makers’ Coop (New York), the MOMA circulating library and Boo-Hooray (New York)

More details on www.centrepompidou.fr