With the first large-scale Robert Nelson retrospective in Europe, curated by Mark Webber, Oberhausen has presented in 2006 a unique opportunity to rediscover one of the most popular filmmakers of the 1960s. Though one of the most prolific filmmakers of the 1960s, Robert Nelson's films are rarely seen today since being withdrawn from distribution in the 1990s. One of his earliest, Oh Dem Watermelons (1965), was a genuine underground blockbuster that riotously challenged racism by presenting absurdly exaggerated stereotypes. Nelson worked alone and in spirited collaboration with artist and musician friends (William T. Wiley, Steve Reich, The Grateful Dead) to create films such as The Great Blondino (1967), Bleu Shut (1970) and Hauling Toto Big (1997). His acute and intuitive filmmaking continued for three decades, always balancing formal ingenuity with infectious humour, and viewing a selection of his works today is to take a voyage of discovery through America's post-psychedelic subconscious. Robert Nelson presents to introduce the screenings, which included some films preserved by the Academy Film Archive, Los Angeles.

5, 6, 8 and 9 May at the Filmpalast Lichtburg

Contact: Carsten Spicher