We celebrate the birth of Luis Buñuel, a hundred years ago today, with a program of his films and a new soundtrack to Un Chien Andalou composed, recorded, and performed by Owen O'Toole.

From Buñuel's writings on cinema:
"It would suffice for the white pupil of the cinema screen to reflect the light which is proper to it, to blow up the universe."-1953
"The sources from which the film draws inspiration are those of poetry, freed from the ballast of reason and tradition. Its aim is to provoke in the spectator instinctive reactions of attraction and repulsion."-1968
"Surrealism taught me that life has a moral meaning that man cannot ignore."-1954
"In actuality, I am not at all either sadistic or masochistic. I am so only theoretically."-1954
At the premiere of Un Chien Andalou, "as a precaution, I carried...stones in my pocket....Afterwards I intended to offer a Surrealist demonstration by throwing rocks at the audience. The applause disarmed me."

Owen O'Toole is a local filmmaker, sound artist, and member of the performance group Wet Gate. Like many of us, he blames Buñuel for getting him into cinema.