José Val del Omar: Elements of Cinema

In conjunction with the exhibition Cinema of Sensations: The Never-Ending Screen of Val del Omar, the Museum will present a day of films and conversations that explore the work and legacy of Spanish filmmaker, inventor, and artist José Val del Omar (1904–1982). The first program presents rare 35mm screenings of the films that comprise Val del Omar’s Elementary Triptych of Spain, with a presentation on his life and work by Piluca Baquero, director of the Val del Omar Archives. Following this we present a compilation of experimental films—organized by (s8) Mostra Internacional de Cinema Periférico—that mirrors the structure of the triptych, by filmmakers who share Val del Omar’s formal and technical concerns. This will be accompanied by a presentation on Val del Omar’s place in the history of avant-garde international cinema by program curator Elena Duque.

On Friday, September 8 at 6:30pm, the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (KJCC) at NYU will host a roundtable discussion moderated by KJCC Director Jordana Mendelson, “Cinema in and Beyond Mid-Century Spain: The Sensational Touch of Filmmaker José Val del Omar,” featuring film scholars Jo Labanyi (NYU) and Andrew Uroskie (SUNY Stoney Brook University), and other guests. 

Learn more about the exhibition, now showing at MoMI.

Purchase a special ticket package to the entire MoMI program, which also includes access to the exhibition.