The Amos Vogel Atlas 21
Rhody Streeter & Tony Ganz

The short, pointed documentaries of Rhody Streeter and Tony Ganz are among the shining achievements of 1970s satirical Americana. When Amos Vogel showed their work in 1974, his characterization of it was typically spot on: "the kitsch hotels for newlyweds [...] the well-fed young Jesus freaks [...], the Muzak executives who confirm one's worst suspicions [...] [:] Working entirely with (savagely edited) documentary materials, Streeter and Ganz are unquestionably the most important proponents of slashing, satirical political cinema in America today." Streeter and Ganz's ethnographic approach – which can be seen in "objective" form in their early Tonga documentation Hoi – produced results equal parts weird and destructive in view of America's completely normal madness: Their portraits of retirees, sign painters, and telephone counselors are simultaneously affectionate and satirical. Thanks to Jake Perlin's The Film Desk, these pearls were rediscovered in New York last year and won new admirers like kindred spirit, filmmaker John Wilson. We are pleased to bring them across the pond. (Christoph Huber / Translation: Ted Fendt)

Amos Vogel (1921–2012), an Austrian-born Jew, became one of the most important figures in international film culture after his emigration to the United States. The Amos Vogel Atlas is a series dedicated continuing Vogel's oppositional legacy alongside the study of his literary estate, which is deposited in the Film Museum. Rarities from the collection represent key focal points.