June 13, 2025
I participated in a “Roundtable on Digital Experimental Cinema” for @octobermagazineofficial with Flo Jacobs. As I think about Flo’s death, I share here some of her brilliant and illuminating observations:
On experiencing a film installation:
“Flo Jacobs: I think the work has to be seen from beginning to end. You can’t just stroll in, visit it, and stroll out. You can say the same thing about a painting. You wouldn’t want somebody to cut a detail out of a painting at the Met and hang that up, would you?”
On digital editing:
“Flo Jacobs: Don’t you think the change really occurred when cheaper editing soft- ware like Final Cut Pro became readily available? Before that, there was Avid, but Avid was expensive. Then Final Cut Pro changed everything….problem with digital video is preservation. What’s going to happen in ten years?”
On live film performances:
“Flo Jacobs: But you can’t record it at all; it’s impossible. Every time we rehearse, it’s different, no matter what you do.”
We were joined by Ken Jacobs, @marklacalle , Luis Recoder, Federico Windhausen and Malcolm Turvey.
We all miss you Flo – painter, live film performer, mom, comrade to Ken, observer, deeply active member of the NYC experimental film community, dear friend, mom to Nisi Jacobs and @azazeljacobs.