Filmmaker Martin Sercombe from New Zealand will screen a selection of his short films and lead a discussion.
Martin Sercombe is a British-New Zealand filmmaker, film artist, photographer, and media producer. He began producing experimental films on 16-mm film as early as the 1980s. His early works were created in the United Kingdom and were supported by organizations such as Arts Council England. In his work, he focused particularly on the possibilities of experimental film and on the question of how images, movement, language, and music can be combined.
In 2014, Sercombe moved to Auckland, New Zealand. There, he continued his artistic work and began teaching film production at the Auckland University of the Arts, among other activities. His connection to New Zealand is particularly evident in his landscape films, photographs, and projects with local artists and communities.
In addition to his work as an artist, Sercombe is also active in the fields of media and education. As early as 1980, he co-founded the company Media Projects with Britta Pollmuller. Through this, Sercombe combines his artistic work with educational and social projects. He has conducted film and animation workshops for children and young people and taught film production and animation at universities. His projects often arise in collaboration with other artists, musicians, poets, or local communities.
The landscape plays a particularly important role in this context. Sercombe views it not merely as a backdrop for a narrative, but as an artistic medium in its own right. Through multiple exposures, long exposure times, animations, unusual camera movements, and digital editing, he transforms landscapes into abstract and, at times, dreamlike images.
Martin Sercombe is particularly significant for the development and promotion of experimental and poetic film. His career illustrates how the art of film can evolve over decades—from analog 16-mm film through digital video and animation to current experiments with artificial intelligence.
Particularly interesting is his fusion of various art forms. In his work, film, photography, poetry, music, animation, and performance converge. Through his teaching, workshops, and collaborative projects, he passes on his knowledge to younger generations and enables others to experiment with film and animation themselves.
Albums by Martin Sercombe | Flickr
