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Alchemy (1971) [N/A]

Release Date:
January 1, 1971

Original Title:
錬金術

Alternate Titles:
Renkinjutsu

Production Countries:
Japan

Ratings / Certifications:
 N/A

Runtime: 24

Overview from TheMovieDB

The camera slowly zooms, in over a long period of time, on the light of the sun reflected in the mirror of a bicycle parked at the construction site. To this is added a slowly evolving flicker effect derived from negative-positive reversals, progressively dismantling the distance from the subject. Nakai created a masking film with a calculated pattern of black and white frames into which he inserted positive and negative images and made a print out of two separate rolls of film. The original projection speed was 16 frames per second, but the sound is separate from the open-roll tape rather than burned in, so it can also be screened at 24fps. Also, the original sound consisted of the friction noise of rubbing steel, but in 2019 a new version of the sound was created featuring the friction noise of glass. Two versions of the film exist: 24:15 mins at 24 fps and 40 mins at 16 fps.

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Production

Director:
Tsuneo Nakai

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