Gunvor Nelson Tribute II: Moons Pool
Ted Mann Theater
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Los Angeles March 27, 2026
Presented by: Cherlyn Liu and K.J. Relth-Miller, Academy Museum;
Adam Hyman, LA Film Forum: and Film Form, Sweden
Programmed and notes by Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu and Steve Anker
Video Introduction by Lynne Sachs and Steve Anker in person
A pioneer of personal cinema and feminist film, Gunvor Nelson produced innovative work combining painting, collage, and sound experimentation with humor, resistance, intimacy, and tactile sensation. Her early films frequently reflect the qualities, thoughts, and voices of women in the 1960s and 1970s; homes, daughters, and mothers are particularly important themes. Moving from painting to still photography and from analog film to digital media, her work delves deeper into the texture of life and the past, uncovering an intuitive yet delicate sensibility that retreats from the real world into another, imaginatively reconstructed one. During her time teaching in San Francisco, Nelson inspired countless experimental filmmakers and artists. After returning to Sweden, she continued to explore new audiovisual languages, leaving us with a rich legacy.
… The program trilogy is co-presented by LA Filmforum, Rotations, the Academy Museum, and UCLA Film & Television Archive on March 22, 27, and 28. The screenings begin with introductions by film scholar Steve Anker and a prerecorded video with filmmaker Lynne Sachs.
This program covers a range of Nelson’s works, from her debut film, the feminist classic Schmeerguntz (1966) co-directed with Dorothy Wiley, to the late abstract video art Snowdrift (aka Snowstorm, 2001), with several other essential and influential masterpieces created during the years in between.
All films directed by Gunvor Nelson unless otherwise noted.
Schmeerguntz
DIRECTED BY: Gunvor Nelson, Dorothy Wiley
1966. 15 min. USA. Black-and-White. Sound. 16mm
My Name is Oona
1969. 10 min. USA. Black-and-White. English, Swedish. 16mm
Fog Pumas
DIRECTED BY: Gunvor Nelson, Dorothy Wiley
1967. 25 min. USA. Black-and-White/Color. English. 16mm
Moons Pool
1973. 15 min. USA. Color. English. Digital
Snowdrift (aka Snowstorm)
2001. 9 min. USA. Color. Sound. Digital
Total program runtime: approx. 74 min.