ICA explored the revolutionary potential of film and the cinematic archive with a series of screenings, discussions, and performances presented as part of the exhibition Living Document / Naked Reality: Towards an Archival Cinema, including a screening of Los Angeles Plays Itself (dir. Thom Andersen, 2003, 169 min, color, sound) at International House.

Thom Andersen’s iconic 1993 video essay Los Angeles Plays Itself, shown for the first time in Philadelphia, is a direct response to this paradox of involuntary attention and blinkered vision. Bringing together excerpts from over 200 movies that utilize the city’s geography, vistas, and landmarks as stage set, Andersen shows how, in his words, fictional films can be appreciated for their documentary revelations.

Followed by a roundtable discussion with Dr. Chris Cagle (Film and Media Arts, Temple University), Professor Timothy Corrigan (English and Cinema Studies, University of Pennsylvania), and Professor Román de la Campa (Department of Romance Languages, University of Pennsylvania).