Ghosts in the machine: structure and movement in Ernie Gehr's films

Abstract This paper proposes an interpretation of six films of the American filmmaker Ernie Gehr. It argues that these films are a response to the yearnings of two trends of composition: on one hand, a search for simple structures with a reduced number of elements and based on repetitive proceedings; on the other hand, an interest on the ephemeral side of cinematic experience, the inevitable flowing of materials during the projection.