The Cropping of the Spectacle – Film Screening, Book Launch & Conversation
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck 43 Gordon Square
Join us for an evening exploring media, memory, and political image-making through the UK premiere of Ross Lipman’s latest film, The Cropping of the Spectacle—a 26-minute video essay newly adapted from his live documentary performance of the same name.
Centred on the radical 1964 documentary Point of Order! by Emile de Antonio and Dan Talbot, the film traces the birth of the Television Spectacle in the crucible of the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings. Drawing from Situationist theory and a wealth of archival film and audio, Lipman interrogates how spectacle, revision, and media manipulation shaped that foundational moment—and continue to reverberate through today’s fragmented media landscape.
This event also celebrates the release of Lipman’s new book, The Archival Impermanence Project (2024), which reflects on the intersections of restoration, memory, and cultural dissent.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Ross Lipman and Ian Christie, along with selected clips that further illuminate the themes of the film and publication.
Book available for purchase on the night.
Contact name: Matthew Barrington
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