Abstract

Arthur Lipsett (1936-1986) was an innovative 'collage' filmmaker who worked at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) from 1958 to 1970. By combining 'found film footage' and sound with images he shot, his work explored the human condition and challenged conventional notions of documentary film and representation. Although he made award-winning films, and his techniques have since been incorporated widely into much film practice, his work has been virtually ignored by film scholars. One reason for this may be the difficulty in positioning his work within a specific film practice. His films are a bridge between avant-garde and documentary, making them difficult to categorize. Another reason could be the apparent ambivalence within film studies towards the avant-garde's contribution to filmmaking, as well as Lipsett's own ambiguous relationship with this aesthetic. Finally the NFB, an institution that has had an evolving interpretation of its mandate, may have determined the ultimate acceptance of Lipsett's films. Through a multiperspectival analysis this thesis explores the complexity of these issues, and in doing so points to the significance of Arthur Lipsett as a filmmaker. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)