SHOAH PROCESS 2

In 2010, for the 25th anniversary of Claude Lanzmann's landmark holocaust documentary SHOAH, I was asked by IFCFilms to design a new commemorative theatrical poster. The design reappropriated an image from the film of train conductor Henrik Gawkowski, the same image that has long been associated with the film since its original release:

For The Criterion Collection's DVD/Blu-ray release, I went back to some original concepts for the anniversary poster in an effort to help Criterion find a new way to present SHOAH visually. In the poster design process (which I about briefly here) I experimented with many different images from the film, all of which I found beautiful, but only some of which captured the idea of human memory and narrative that guides SHOAH. I had grown really attached to one image in particular, a perspective looking back on a pair of train tracks disappearing into a foggy woods, as well as another image of Chelmno survivor Simon Srebnik in a field. These would both end up being used in my SHOAH package for Criterion, the train track image transforming into a new cover design.

But through the process, Criterion asked to see some other ideas, just to have more options to consider. Art director Sarah Habibi asked me to consider the idea of circular thought-- the way in which Shoah and its human subjects approach their personal histories through a circular, reflective process-- and to try some cover concepts that perhaps didn't even use imagery from the film, but represented the film iconically… A tall order for a film as psychologically and emotionally expansive as SHOAH. Out of this suggestion came a large group of comps (a sample of which are shown below) made by photographing a circular pattern traced into the Earth by a human hand. It was a very abstract concept-- ultimately too abstract-- but it was interesting attempt at representing SHOAH using original imagery.

It was decided that the image of Gawkowski would be presented on interior cover, and the outside of the slipcase would feature the train track image. I mocked up this cover using the same saturated color fields I had applied to my poster concepts, and then more natural versions upon Criterion's request. We also started looking at cleaner, taller typefaces. Both of these changes were part of Criterion's overall effort to remove any aesthetic interference from the imagery-- to present the entire package as naturally as possible out of respect for the film and its beauty.

I applied this philosophy to the rest of the package, its menus and booklet. I'm really proud to have worked on this presentation of SHOAH for Criterion. The DVD and Blu-ray set is available now.

SHOAH

SHOAH comes to The Criterion Collection this June. I was happy to be able to adapt a concept from the IFC poster process to be used for the cover. See the other new release announcements here. Now it's back to work on the package!

Process: SHOAH

Here is a poster concept for SHOAH that we didn't end up using as the final one-sheet for IFCFilms. There were many, many striking images in Claude Lanzmann's 10-hour holocaust documentary, some more harrowing than others, but all of them beautiful in some way. It was very important to avoid presenting the film as a gloomy or morbid nightmare, because the film itself, difficult as it is to watch at times, is anything but. This was my favorite poster idea, and below is another. For the final poster, I gave a new treatment to an iconic image that was used in the original promotion of the film 25 years ago, both also seen below.

unused poster concept, 2010

original promotional poster, 1985

final theatrical poster design for IFCFilms, 2010

TOP TEN OF 2010: #9

I guess I have a thing for big head posters-- my ideas for House, Modern Times, Shoah, Labyrinth, Vivre Sa Vie, Black Swan and now Winter's Bone all utilize a big mug front and center-- but with a face like Jennifer Lawrence's I couldn't help myself. The more you look at this photo of her the more it looks like she's smiling-- a strange contrast to the demeanor of her character through most of Debra Granik's excellent WINTER'S BONE. I love black and white images, so this was an excuse to play around with these patterns and stare at my Jenny #2* for a while. A few of these are on sale at the Belcourt right now as part of my little gallery show.

Tomorrow, another big head poster!

SHOAH

I'm proud to present the poster I designed for Claude Lanzmann's SHOAH, an epic documentary about the survivors of the Holocaust that has been considered by many to be one of the greatest works of documentary filmmaking ever produced. The film, nearly ten hours long in total, is a profoundly beautiful work, an essential masterpiece of the cinema that has an unforgettable effect on anyone who watches it. The man on the train in the poster is one of many Holocaust survivors who were interviewed by Lanzmann 25 years ago in an effort to create a "new" history of what happened there; these interviews are intercut with some of the most hauntingly beautiful cinematography you'll ever see as Lanzmann revisits the locations and landmarks that were the scenery to this historic nightmare. SHOAH is one of the great important works of film-- I would go further to say that its one of the great important works of art ever created by a human being-- and I couldn't be more humbled to have worked on this poster in celebration of the re-release. It tours theatrically in the coming months courtesy of IFCFilms for its 25th Anniversary.