Stan Brakhage - Dog Star Man (1961-64)

Considered a masterpiece of experimental filmmaking, Stan Brakhage’s “Dog Star Man” is a silent cosmological epic consisting of four short films and a prelude. Shot in 16mm, the film utilized variable exposure times and the physical manipulation of the film stock, including painting directly on the film and scratching its surface, to produce specific visual effects. With its innovative new techniques, it is considered to have ushered in a new age of experimental film. Brakhage later incorporated it into a longer film titled “The Art of Vision” (1965). - Library of Congress National Film Registry