Ocean Dreams: A Michael Snow Retrospective February 20–23, 2025

Istanbul Modern Cinema, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Canada and Othon Cinema, hosts an extensive retrospective of experimental cinema pioneer Michael Snow (1928–2023) in 16mm format. Snow, a painter, sculptor, photographer, musician, and filmmaker, transformed multiple artistic disciplines from the beginning of his career until the end of his life, while at the same time impacting the past, present, and future of cinema.

Bringing together techniques from various disciplines, Michael Snow produced dozens of films that prioritize form over content, challenging traditional notions of cinema surrounding perception, representation, and the viewer’s relationship with the film camera. Snow argued that framing, sound, time, and space were all tools for reinventing cinematic language. The ability of his films to evoke both intuitive and analytical responses ensured their influence to last for decades.

Except for The Central Region (La Région Centrale) from 1971, the majority of his films will be screened for the first time in Türkiye as part of a comprehensive selection presented in 16mm format.