THE MAGUS

2011 | 12 mins | HD | Experimental Documentary

Full film:

Behind The Scenes:

Synopsis:

"The Magus" is a multi-format, process-based experimental film that explores the root of artistic creation. The film documents visual artist, C. Graham Asmundson's body of work over a rigorous six-month period.

Filmmaker, Jaimz Asmundson, Graham’s son, uses cinematography and editing as magical weapons to ritualistically birth, destroy and resurrect his father's work. Through psychedelic imagery and machine-gun editing, the resulting film is a stylized, hyper-kinetic, cinematic manifestation of the Asmundsons' personal exploration of occult ceremonies and experiences. Working this uncommon practice, the father/son team explore mind-altered states and invoke unnatural resurrections; where unforeseen demons and other spiritual forces are often released.

Awards / Screenings:
Installations:
Press / Reviews:

"What is the link between art and magic? ... Jaimz Asmundson’s The Magus, by directly equating art and magic, asks this very question."

"Jaimz Asmundson has crafted an exquisite short film honoring his father. What begins in a very familiar-looking real world eventually leads us to a strange new reality that is disorienting and unknown. As much as Graham conjures up his art, Asmundson has conjured up a vision that is extraordinarily startling, beautiful and terrifying to behold."

★★★★★ "Jaimz Asmundson’s The Magus is a high-energy cinematic experience that investigates and illuminates creativity as a spiritual or magical endeavor; one full of angelic beauty, but also overseen and fleshed out by demonic extremes."

"I never even got to see my father naked, or figure out what he did for a living, let alone essay a darkly frightening and gorgeously occult attempt at bottling his fierce powers! Bravo, heroic filmmaker! Brilliant and addictive!"
- Guy Maddin

"Jeremy Pillipow / Cakebuilder's tribal sounding score is a perfect match for this films rapid fire editing and dark psychedelic topic"

"Asmundson's use of editing as alchemy creates a stylized, hyper-kinetic, cinematic manifestation of the occult experience."

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Biographies / Artist Photos:

JAIMZ ASMUNDSON (FILMMAKER) is a Winnipeg-based media-artist, working primarily in film & video and most recently in expanded cinema performance. His award-winning work has traveled to film festivals worldwide, including a retrospective and residency in Cologne, Germany and he was called "Winnipeg's enfant terrible of transgressive cinema" by Antimatter Film Festival. Jaimz is a member of the WNDX Film Festival, a past programmer of the Gimli Film Festival and he has also contributed to many award-winning shorts, features, documentaries and tv productions as a picture editor, assistant editor and graphic designer.
C. GRAHAM ASMUNDSON (ARTIST) has been active as an artist and cultural worker in the Winnipeg arts scene for the last 20 years. He brings to his practice a graduate degree from Concordia, Montreal. Asmundson relies on autobiographical material for the content of his paintings, which are quirky, queer and sometimes controversial.
www.cgrahamasmundson.com
JEREMY PILLIPOW (COMPOSER) has played a major role in Winnipeg's electronic music scene for over a decade. Writing and producing under various names he is most known for his two flagship projects Distorted Memory and Cakebuilder. Often dark, and always progressive, Pillipow's music has gained a large audience globally which has allowed him to perform across Canada and recently Europe.
www.distortedmemory.com

Credits:

Director / Editor / Producer
JAIMZ ASMUNDSON

Artist / Performance
C. GRAHAM ASMUNDSON

Original Music / Sound Design
JEREMY PILLIPOW

Cinematography
JAIMZ ASMUNDSON
LARRY GLAWSON
DAVE GRYWINSKI
MIKE MARYNIUK
JONATHON MULLER

Set Construction
JEREMY PILLIPOW

Set Design
SHELDON TARA

Special FX Builds
MARK GEBEL

Fire Dancer
KYLE FEHR

Insurance
MULTIMEDIA RISK

 Super 8 Transfer
JAIMZ ASMUNDSON
RYAN SIMMONS

16mm Transfer
DECO DAWSON

Assistant Editor
CLINT ENNS

Foley Edit
JEREMY PILLIPOW
PRECURSOR PRODUCTIONS

Foley Recording
EDGAR OZOLINS

Production Assistant
DAMIEN FERLAND

Grips / Techs
ARLEA ASHCROFT
CLINT ENNS
RYAN SIMMONS

Transportation
EDGAR OZOLINS

Fire Safety Coordinator
SCOTT DUNHAM

Produced with the Generous Support of
MANITOBA ARTS COUNCIL, MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC,
WILLIAM F. WHITE, WINNIPEG FILM GROUP



with addtional support from
ON SCREEN MANITOBA, CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS,
WINNIPEG ARTS COUNCIL, KOLNER FILMHAUS




This film was shot in the province of Manitoba, Canada,
Paris, France and Cologne, Germany.

© 2011 JAIMZ ASMUNDSON
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