thenationofartists.com

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek (March 2009)

From MovingPicturesMagazine.com

Directed by: Ethan H. Minsker
Starring: Un Lee, Ethan H. Minsker, Ted Riederer, Arturo Vega

In This is Berlin Not New York, the self-appointed "AntagonistArt Movement" takes on the Berlin art scene in an exploration of theGerman capital's recent ascendance to the king of the creative heap.There's been much said in the art world of late about the positioning ofBerlin at the top of the fine-art food chain, a posturing made onlymore truthful by the current, complicated state of U.S. commerce.

The Antagonist Art Movement - a collection of "photographers, painters,writers and ne'er-do-wells" living in New York - conducts what is, inessence, a visual travel diary of the group's trip from to Berlin, with ahand-held camera and a lack of proper sound equipment. What the teamlacks in technical skills, they try to make up in irregular usage ofsubtitles (even for English speakers) and with their presentation of the"Art" of about fifty people within a single, evolving gallery space.

While many moments in the film could use trimming, including completelyworthless video minutes sucked into the picking up of a friend at anairport, and still other minutes could be better dedicated tocontemplating the work itself rather than the technicalities ofpresenting and hanging their show, there are moments of interest thatinclude their meeting up with German art groups such as "WorldVacation," a group that occupies various abandoned buildings in scenesreminiscent of the times that gave birth to The Clash.

The animated artwork is interesting, but The Clash these guys are not.They're not even really filmmakers. There's no denying the energycurrently consuming the German art scene (especially in the areas thatwere formerly East Germany) that is almost captured in this doc. But,then again, this is Berlin not New York, so check back in, in 5 to 10.