Birth of Aphrodite, The


Rental Format(s): 16mm film

"Dream is the myth of the individual," Jane Harrison once wrote. This film is both dream and myth. A personal version or vision of the archetypal Aphrodite legend, it depicts the birth of the Goddess of love and beauty from sky-God father and sea-Goddess mother. After a period of gestation in the ocean depths, Aphrodite is delivered from the womb of the wave, lingers briefly on the shore, and then continues her ascent, becoming the planet Venus.

Electronic music by Jimmy Webb, Fred Katz and Tim Weisberg is blended with subliminal vocal sounds. The special effects and distortion techniques developed by the filmmaker have received wide acclaim, including a full-color cover story in the September 1971 American Cinematographer magazine.

Awards include the Atlanta International Film Festival Silver Phoenix Trophy for "Best Experimental Film," the CINE Gold Eagle, and represented the U.S. at Cannes.

"The Birth of Aphrodite] revives the forgotten aspect of magic in the cinema."
-Todd McCarthy, San Francisco Chronicle

Rental Fees

  Fee  
16mm film $48.00  

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