Figures I - V (2019)
A black and white abstract short film by experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs, unfolding across five distinct visual parts.
Figures I - V - Movie Information
- Original Title: Figures I - V
- Release Year: 2019
- Directed by: Ken Jacobs
- Type: Movie
- Runtime: 8m
- Original Language: English
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 16, 2019 (United States)
Figures I - V - Plot
Ken Jacobs' black and white abstract short from 2019, in five parts.
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Figures I - V - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Ken Jacobs
Figures I - V - FAQs
Who directed Figures I - V?
Figures I - V was directed by Ken Jacobs, a pioneering American avant-garde and experimental filmmaker known for his decades-long exploration of perception, light, and cinematic form. Jacobs has been a central figure in the underground film movement since the 1950s.
What is Figures I - V about?
Figures I - V is a black and white abstract short film structured in five distinct parts. Rather than telling a conventional story, the film explores visual form and perception through abstract imagery, consistent with Ken Jacobs' broader experimental practice of challenging how audiences see and experience cinema.
How long is Figures I - V?
Figures I - V has a runtime of approximately 8 minutes. As an experimental short film divided into five parts, it is a compact but concentrated work that reflects Ken Jacobs' interest in distilling cinematic experience into its most essential visual and perceptual elements.
When was Figures I - V released?
Figures I - V was released on September 16, 2019, in the United States. The film represents one of Ken Jacobs' later works, continuing his lifelong engagement with abstract and experimental filmmaking well into the twenty-first century.
What does the five-part structure mean in Figures I - V?
The five-part structure of Figures I - V reflects Ken Jacobs' compositional approach to experimental film, treating each section as a discrete visual movement or study. Rather than narrative progression, the divisions create a rhythmic, almost musical architecture that invites viewers to engage with shifting abstract forms and tonal contrasts.
What genre is Figures I - V?
Figures I - V belongs to the experimental and avant-garde film tradition. It is an abstract short film that prioritizes visual perception and formal exploration over conventional narrative. Ken Jacobs has been associated with underground cinema, structural film, and experimental video art throughout his career.
Why does Figures I - V use black and white imagery?
Ken Jacobs' use of black and white in Figures I - V strips the image down to its fundamental contrasts of light and shadow, a recurring strategy in his work. This monochromatic approach focuses viewer attention on shape, texture, and movement rather than color, intensifying the film's abstract and perceptual qualities.
What language is Figures I - V in?
Figures I - V is an English-language production. As an abstract short film, however, spoken dialogue plays little to no role in the work. The film communicates primarily through visual means, making language largely secondary to its core experimental and perceptual concerns.
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