Followed by short: Contacts (Raymond Depardon, France, 1990). Depardon puts his owncontact sheets and those of other well-known photographers (HenriCartier-Bresson, William Klein, et!nbsp;al.) to the test, examining the role ofthe photographer in society and questioning several classical conceptions ofphotography. Note: Shown in French without subtitles. (13 mins, Color,35mm) Depardon filmed for ten days at a soon-to-be-shut-downinsane asylum off the coast of Venice. While, outside, Venetians celebrateCarnival, the inmates perform for the camera allowing Depardon to enter intotheir private world, at first with trepidation, later taking delight in thecamera's attention, fascinated by its endless stare. "I didn't deal withpsychiatry," Depardon said in an interview. "One is against psychiatrichospitals, they never cured anyone, they are a gulag. No need to be leftist orextremist to think that. But madness is much more complex as one cannot takesides for or against. There are certainly more decent ways of caring for people,but madness will continue to exist." "In black and white, San Clementeis full of chiaroscuro tensions, and Depardon brings all his experience as aphoto essayist to bear in creating a haunting, disturbing document°a brilliantdocumentary." (Kathleen O'Reilly, Village Voice)