Warren Sonbert (1947–1995) was one of the seminal figures working in American experimental film before his premature death from complications relating to AIDS. Hall of Mirrors (1966), made while Sonbert was a student at New York University, is a triptych in which each part rhymes beautifully with the whole; it features cameos by Warhol superstars Rene Ricard and Gerard Malanga. Divided Loyalties (1978), The Cup and the Lip (1986), and Short Fuse (1992) use footage from Sonbert’s globetrotting life and demonstrate his expertise as a cinematographer and editor. The filmmaker’s love of the arts, music, poetry, and science and the natural world, as well as his friendships and civic engagement, are all unmistakable in the emotional tenor of his work. Our presentation will include remembrances by Sonbert’s friends and former students in addition to audio clips from the BAMPFA collection.

—Susan Oxtoby