Podcast Interview: making the Far West documentary with the Taos Center for the Arts
In advance of the US premiere of Far West, The Hidden History, I was interviewed by Chelsea Reidy, associate director of the Taos Center for the Arts.
We spoke about the genesis for this documentary film and approaches to photography and documentary work in general. You can listen to the entire episode on Apple podcasts.
The film will be screened on Saturday, March 26, 2022, 5:00pm at the:
Taos Center for the Arts
145 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte
Taos, NM
USA
Seating is limited, register in advance
The projection will be followed by a panel discussion with Gomeo Bobelu, Anita Rodriguez, Simon Romero and Tomas van Houtryve. Moderated by David Silva. There will also be a book signing of Lines and Lineage.
Synopsis:
In the documentary film, photographer Tomas van Houtryve reveals the hidden legacy of the Far West through retracing the US-Mexico border that existed before 1848, when the US military invaded and occupied the northern Mexican territories, known today as Texas, California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Van Houtryve photographs the descendants of families that have lived in these lands since before the American conquest as they contribute their own overlooked stories to our common history and push back on the founding myths of the American Frontier.
Panelists:
Gomeo Bobelu is Shiwi (Zuni) born into the Badger Clan and Child of the Corn Clan. He is a photographer, graphic illustrator, silversmith, and mentor.
Anita Rodriguez is an artist, painter, writer, enjarradora and community organizer in Taos, NM.
Simon Romero is a National Correspondent for The New York Times, based in Albuquerque and covering the Southwest. He joined The Times in 1999 and has held positions including Brazil Bureau Chief, Andes Bureau Chief and global energy correspondent, based in Houston. He was born and raised in northern New Mexico, and graduated with honors from Harvard College.
Tomas van Houtryve is a Paris based artist, photographer and filmmaker whose major works interweave investigative journalism, philosophy and metaphor. Van Houtryve makes images using a wide range of processes, ranging from 19th-century wet plate collodion to thermal imaging and Augmented Reality. His projects challenge our notions of identity, memory and power, often by highlighting the slippage of wartime structures into everyday life. A selection of van Houtryve’s formal honors include a World Press Photo award, the ICP Infinity Award, POY Photographer of the Year, the Bayeux Prize for War Correspondents and numerous others.