"Side by Side" is a multimedia exhibition celebrating the 100 year anniversary of amateur film. The focus is on the similarities and intersections between Austria and Romania. Original historical filmfootage on 16mm, 9.5mm and 8mm filmgauges, as well as original filmdevices and commercials from both countries, are being presented in analog and digital form. It is a homage to the film amateurs, the unknown and the unseen.

"Side by Side" will be staged as part of Analog Mania's main exhibition History&Technique.

curated by Heidi Fial and Emil Kindlein

kindly supported by Österreichisches Kulturforum Bucarest

part of Timisoara - European Capital of Culture 2023

Familyportraits? Holidaytrips? Weddings? Trainstations, constructions, streetlife? What may seem uninteresting or even ridiculous at first glance, actually can reveal unseen clues about our origins and identity on closer inspection.

The history books tell a story that is condensed and graded in importance. Someone decided what to put in bold and what to mention in passing. Someone has done research, drawn their conclusions and put the knowledge they have gained on paper as carefully as possible.

The moving image of privatcollections is direct, honest and uninterpreted. Amateurfilm shows everyday life in all its nudity. The tales of the amateurs and enthusiasts, captured in a familiar environment and with loving devotion on valuable small film, tell a completely different aspect of history.

These documents tell of the soul of society, which led its own life apart from the well-documented political and cultural highlights. One could say that the study of amateur film rewrites and re-enacts history.