Up Is Down

Back in 1957, Mort & Millie loaded the kids in the back of the car and headed downtown. Mort drove while Millie shot out the window. The result of this magical family car ride is Night Driving, Mort & Millie’s first experimental film. Chicago’s vibrant nightlife is transformed to a soft-focus view of colored spheres.

Experimental film made by the husband and wife duo. The human form takes center stage, while The Electrosoniks (Philips Recording 600-047) set an other-worldly tone.

Dedicated to the men, women and children of Mars, this fantastical animation uses the simplest of elements: solid backgrounds, block letters, and a length of metal chain. The creatures created are the kind of strange and other-worldly beings that thrive only in children’s dreams and play.

Promotional film on the use, application, and benefits of photography and film produced for the Eastman Kodak Company.

A short version of Mort & Millie Goldsholl's Night Driving (1957) set to the sounds of Jazz Guitarist, Elek Bacsik. This shortened version was presumably sponsored by Philips electronic company and Mercury Records. As the final card states, this experimental visual film "offers a new experience in 'seeing sound.'" It went on to win a bronze medal in the Brussels Film Festival.

Rebellion of the Flowers tells the story of a gardener, Jan, who “understood nature’s needs” and worked hard to grow and care for his plants. He protected and looked after his flowers, providing them with “love and gentle care.” He took great pride in his work and, as a result of his labor, felt “filled with purpose” and “close to God.” However, Jan’s love and adoration of the flowers transforms into a distortion of his power, as he becomes jealous of the flowers bowing “under the intense authority of the sun.” Jan’s body reflects this internal transformation, and he becomes a looming totalitarian figure demanding the obedience of his flowers. When he realizes that his shadow can block the sun, the flowers rebel and twist around his body, drawing him into the earth. The next morning, the sun comes out, and a “sparking and sweet smell” (perhaps Jan’s body transformed into metaphorical fertilizer) mixes with the natural perfume of the flowers.