Alien Portrait(1979)

Alien Portrait is an experimental film capturing a Teenage Jesus & The Jerks performance at CBGB's in New York City on January 13, 1978. The work presents the band members' heads in slow motion, layered over a live concert soundtrack. Shot during the height of the punk and no wave movement, the film transforms a raw, energetic live show into a hypnotic visual study. By isolating and magnifying the performers' faces through slow-motion technique, Alien Portrait creates an intimate, almost meditative counterpoint to the aggressive energy of the music. The result is a striking document of New York's underground music scene and an avant-garde exploration of performance and presence.