Jem Cohen

On 8 February, Jem Cohen's new feature film Chain premiered in London to a packed-out Curzon Soho; and though it sold out some days before there was still a long queue of people clamouring for tickets at the door. The screening was followed by a Q&A where Cohen held the audience in thrall. This event was the first showing for the acclaimed Chain, which has now begun its ICO tour across the UK.

To accompany the film ICO has put together two programmes of Cohen's earlier short film work, City Stories and Music Works. This is a rare chance to see Cohen's work over time.

Biography

Jem Cohen is a New York-based film and videomaker. Often shooting in hundreds of locations with little or no additional crew, Cohen collects street footage, portraits, and sounds. The projects built from these archives defy easy categorization, thriving on the collision between documentary, narrative, and experimental approaches. Some of the projects are personal/political city portraits made on travels around the globe. Many centre around daily life and ephemeral moments: things seen out of the corner of the eye and pulled into the center.

Cohen has made two feature-length documentaries: Instrument (with and about Fugazi) and Benjamin Smoke (co-directed by Peter Sillen). He has worked with musicians including Sparklehorse, Blonde Redhead, REM, Elliott Smith, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Miracle Legion, Jonathan Richman, Patti Smith, Vic Chesnutt, Stephen Vitiello, and Gil Shaham with the Orpheus Orchestra.

Chain
Jem Cohen | USA | 2004 | 99 mins
Touring cinemas across the UK: February–August 2005

City Stories
Jem Cohen | USA | 1996-99
City Stories offers a rare good chance to see two of Jem Cohen's earlier films Blood Orange Sky and Lost Book Found, which reveal Cohen's lightness of touch unraveling the complexity and layering of the city landscape.

Music Works
Jem Cohen | USA | 1980s-90
This programme is designed to complement the screening of Chain. Music Works offers a chance to see a range of Cohen short film/music collaborations.