Comfort Films Presents:
"Indian Summer" by Jules Victor Schwerin, 1960 TRT 28:32, projected digitally
"The Fall of Cannonsville" by Charles Cadkin, 2023 TRT 21:25, projected on 16mm
By 1965 the remaining residents of Cannonsville, NY departed their homes for the last time. What was once an idyllic valley had now been made unrecognizable as homes and businesses were demolished and burned. The New York City Board of Water Supply, with more than a decade of planning, successfully flooded the valley and a number of nearby villages, displacing nearly one thousand people and permanently altering the course of the lives of the former residents who said goodbye to the place they called home. During this process, filmmaker Jules Victor Schwerin became aware of what was occurring and began production on his short documentary film, "Indian Summer". The film features non-actors from the valley playing a version of themselves. In 1960 Schwerin completed and premiered his film. In the 60 years since it was completed it has become an important cultural touch point for the community to remember their lives from before the reservoir. In 2019, Cadkin became aware of Cannonsville's history and Schwerin's film. A poor quality copy of the film had been circulating in the community for three decades. Cadkin initiated a search for the original film elements, eventually finding the original 35mm negative in the Museum of Modern Art's collection. Cadkin partnered with the Delaware County Historical Association and with the assistance of a National Film Preservation Foundation grant and film preservationist, Bill Brand preserved the film and created a new 35mm negative, print, soundtrack and digital scan. These materials were donated to the Delaware County Historical Association.
To date, the Cannonsville Reservoir was the last in a series of nineteen reservoirs that were constructed, spanning more than a century, each displacing numerous communities and adding to the complex network of interconnected water infrastructure to supply New York City with drinking water from upstate. Amidst political turmoil the families of the valley vacated, but in the sixty years following these events the trauma, animosity and anger has not subsided. "The Fall of Cannonsville" features contemporary interviews with the former youth, now in their twilight years, some of whom acted in "Indian Summer" and who experienced the rupture of their community recounting their corporeal and disconcerting stories and feelings about the history that unfolded before them.
The newly preserved 35mm print of "Indian Summer" premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in January 2023 alongside "The Fall of Cannonsville". "The Fall of Cannonsville" was partially funded by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a Lightpress Grant from the Interbay Cinema Society. “Indian Summer” was preserved with funds from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
Bio:
Charles Cadkin is a visual artist concerned with documenting and preserving neglected personal and local histories through ecology, topography, landscape and body. His work has screened nationally and internationally, including at the Museum of Modern Art, Other Cinema, Light Field, Moviate Underground Film Festival, No Name Cinema, the Gene Siskel Film Center and ULTRAcinema. He has received funding and support from the National Film Preservation Foundation, Interbay Cinema Society and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, among other institutions. He holds a BS in Cinema and Photography from Ithaca College and resides in Chicago, IL.
Program for Comfort Station by Raul Benitez, Emily Perez , Mathew Tapey, and Luna Luxe.
Free inside Comfort Station