“ELECTRIC STORM” 100 YEARS OF THEREMIN
France | 2020 | 5 min | col.
Used in the most sulphurous rock songs – from Led Zeppelin to Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds – the theremin is a musical instrument at once physical and mystical. Conceived in 1920 by a brilliant Soviet inventor, it is the perfect choice for artists in search of some unusual, unpredictable sound, which is produced by body movements rather than through physical contact. Marie Losier was naturally interested in this artefact and, on the centenary of its invention, made a brief short in her unique style, set in the CERN at Geneva. The surreal, slapstick touch – a recurring feature in Marie Losier’s films – is provided by the instrument itself, departing from which the filmmaker lines up shots reminiscent of Kubrickian spaceships. This all contributes to the retronuevo taste – a flavour of future from the past (and therefore, never born) – which links Leon Theremin’s oddities and the quirks of a New York-based French filmmaker intent on scrutinising the freak side of humankind. (E.S.)
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: 06 Nov 2025
- Time: 12:45
Location
- Cinema La Compagnia - Via Camillo Cavour, 50/R, 50121 Florence
Organizer
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Marie Losier
Marie Losier was born in France in 1972. She is a filmmaker and curator and has exhibited her films and videos in museums, galleries, biennials, and festivals. Losier studied literature at the University of Nanterre and fine arts at Hunter College, City University of New York. She has made numerous film portraits of avant-garde filmmakers, musicians, and composers, including The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, Cassandro The Exotico!, Felix in Wonderland, and Peaches Goes Bananas. In 2025, she presented Barking in the Dark, about the cult San Francisco band The Residents, at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
