Tuesday, March 24, 2015

To My 8mm Friend






Dear colleagues and friends,
It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write today. Our admired and beloved colleague Jytte died last night after a fierce (but relatively short) battle with cancer. Jytte first worked at MoMA in 1982 as a Research Assistant in the Circulating Film Library at MoMA.  She was officially hired in 1984 as a Curatorial Assistant, and rose to become Curator in the Department of Film and Media in 2003. Throughout that time she has been a leading figure in the field, and an inspiration to many (myself very much included).  Her pioneering exhibitions and publications range from Cinema Novo in Brazil to the experimental cinema of the Arab world. There was not a corner of the globe she would not research and engage with, there was not a strong-man she wouldn't stare down or bureaucratic mess she couldn't untangle. And because of that, we have experienced the great works of Pier Paolo Pasolini in their full glory and the sweeping (matriarchal) history of Georgian Cinema to name two recent examples. My favorite show was the history of Super 8 film she did in the 1990's. You better believe we'll be showing small gauge at her memorial service (date to be announced soon).
She will be deeply missed by all of us at MoMA, especially in the Film Dept, and by countless artists, professionals, and friends around the globe.  When I spoke to her in recent weeks, we talked about the great films that inspired us to stay in this crazy business. Of the many she loved, today I'm thinking mostly about "Melancholia" by her friend and fellow Dane, Lars Von Trier.  It's on Netflix... and like Jytte, it is unforgettable.

--
Rajendra Roy
The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film

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