Vivienne Dick facts for kids

Vivienne Dick (born 1950) is an Irish filmmaker. She is known for making special kinds of movies called experimental and documentary films. Her early films were very important for a movement called No Wave cinema. Many people, including The Irish Times, say she is one of the most important filmmakers Ireland has ever had.

About Vivienne Dick

Vivienne Dick was born in Donegal, Ireland, in 1950. She grew up in Ireland during the 1950s and went to University College Dublin in the 1960s.

After traveling around Europe, India, and Mexico, she moved to the United States in 1975. Later, in the mid-1980s, she moved to London. She came back to Ireland in the mid-1990s. Today, Vivienne lives in Galway and teaches people how to make movies at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Her Filmmaking Career

When Vivienne Dick arrived in the U.S., she quickly became a key person in the No Wave film scene. This was a new and exciting style of filmmaking. She made many important short films using Super8 cameras. These cameras were popular for making independent films.

New York City was an affordable place to live back then. Many of her films were shot in famous places like Coney Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the old World Trade Center. Her movies often featured punk musicians and artists, such as Lydia Lunch and Pat Place. A film expert named J. Hoberman even called her the most important No Wave filmmaker.

Films with Political Messages

After leaving the United States, Vivienne Dick's films started to have more political messages. While living in London, she was an active member of the London Filmmakers Coop. This group supported independent filmmakers. Her 2014 film, The Irreducible Difference of the Other, shows her interest in the ideas of a thinker named Luce Irigaray.

Her work is also featured in a 2010 documentary called Blank City. This film talks about the No Wave movement and its impact. Vivienne Dick's name even appears in the lyrics of a song called "Hot Topic" by the band Le Tigre.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Vivienne Dick's films have been shown in major art shows. Two big shows about American avant-garde (very new and experimental) films included her work. These were No Wave Cinema 1978-87 in 1996 at the Whitney Museum in New York, and Big as Life: An American History of Super8 Film in 1999 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In 2010, the Crawford Arts Centre held a special show just for Vivienne's work. It included many of her amazing films. There were also talks with other artists and experts, and performances by people like Lydia Lunch. In 2017, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) also presented a large exhibition of her work called "93% STARDUST."

Filmography

Here is a list of some of the films Vivienne Dick has made:

• DVD, Afterimages 4 : Vivienne Dick, Lux. This DVD includes:
  • Guerillére Talks, 1978, 24 min
  • She Had Her Gun Already, 1978, 28 min
  • Staten Island, 1978, 4 min
• 2016. Felis Catus, 5:30 min
• 2015. Red Moon Rising, 15:00 min
• 2013. The Irreducible Difference of the Other
• 2005. Molecular Moments
• 2004. Saccade
• 2002. Excluded by the Nature of Things, DVD for three screens
• 1999. Two Be Two
• 1994. A Skinny Little Man Attacked Daddy
• 1992. New York Conversations
• 1990. Two Pigeons
• 1989. London Suite
• 1988. Images: Ireland
• 1988. Pobal-Portrait of an Artist
• 1986. Rothach
• 1983. Trailer
• 1983. Like Dawn to Dusk
• 1982. Loisaida
• 1981. Visibility: Moderate
• 1980. Liberty's Booty
• 1979. Beauty Becomes the Beast
• 1978. She Had Her Gun All Ready
• 1978. Staten Island
• 1978. Guerillere Talks