Life in motion

I live, therefore I make films.
I make films, therefore I live.
Light. Movement.
I make home movies, therefore I live.
I live, therefore I make home movies.

Jonas Mekas

Since the 20th century, generations of amateur filmmakers have captured family memories and everyday lives in motion. From the first experiments with motion photography to the technologies of today's digital age, recording and screening home-made movies has evolved from an exclusive and technical hobby to a popular and accessible practice.

Drawing on unique amateur film and footage from the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision as well as visual examples from Europeana, including the Doing Experimental Media Archaeology (DEMA) project collection, this exhibition presents an overview of some of the technologies, practices and techniques of 20th-century home cinema and amateur filmmaking.