Name: THE FILMS OF SAUL & ELAINE BASS —Night 1: Short Films feat. WHY MAN CREATES
Start: 2026-06-19T19:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-06-19T21:30:00-07:00
Location: Philosophical Research Society

THE FILMS OF SAUL & ELAINE BASS —Night 1: Short Films feat. WHY MAN CREATES

The Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles is a nonprofit cultural and educational organization which presents concerts, film screenings, lectures, performance art and theatre events, gallery exhibits and more on the intersection between the creative arts and mythology, mysticism and metaphysics.

The Philosophical Research Society

The first night of a rare, momentous 2-evening retrospective of the Basses' remarkable short films, feat. beautiful archival 16mm prints!

Philosophical Research Society

<h3>THE FILMS OF SAUL &amp; ELAINE BASS</h3><blockquote>Featuring an extraordinary collection of beautiful archival 16mm prints courtesy of the Academy Film Archive, 7th House presents a rare two-evening retrospective of the extraordinary filmmaking career of Saul and Elaine Bass — spanning groundbreaking short films, visionary cinematic experiments, and culminating with their sole feature film, the singular cult science-fiction parable PHASE IV. Even if you don’t know the name, you know and love the work of Saul Bass. One of the most influential image-makers of the 20th century, Bass revolutionized the language of visual culture through his iconic film title sequences, posters, advertisements, logos, and cinematic collaborations with directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. Yet to speak only of Saul is to tell an incomplete story. Throughout the most personally fertile and adventurous decades of his career, Saul worked in close creative partnership with his wife and collaborator Elaine Bass, whose immense artistic contributions were deeply intertwined with his own and whose legacy has too often been overshadowed by his singular public reputation. Nowhere was their extraordinary artistic dialogue more evident than in the remarkable body of short films and cinematic experiments they created together — visionary works that fused modernist graphic design, speculative fiction, philosophical inquiry, surreal humor, and breathtaking visual invention into films unlike anything else in American cinema. Together, these two evenings offer a rare opportunity to experience the Basses on the big screen not simply as legendary designers, but as visionary filmmakers whose cinematic imagination remains startlingly modern, playful, and profound.</blockquote>

<h3>NIGHT 1</h3>Night One of our two evening retrospective traces the Basses’ remarkable evolution from revolutionary designers and title-sequence innovators into visionary filmmakers who transformed industrial commissions, educational films, and sponsored projects into playful, radical cinematic essays on perception, communication, creativity, and modern life. Beginning with the rarely-screened BASS ON TITLES, in which Saul Bass personally guides audiences through the philosophy and visual language behind his groundbreaking title-sequence work, the evening expands outward into increasingly adventurous cinematic territory, where Saul and Elaine’s distinctive and imaginative creative partnership found its fullest expression through a remarkably original body of short films. THE SEARCHING EYE is a dazzling meditation on visual perception and the ways we learn to interpret the modern world. The Oscar-nominated NOTES ON THE POPULAR ARTS transforms a corporate commission into a witty, visually inventive reflection on fantasy, mass media, and image culture, before culminating with the Academy Award-winning WHY MAN CREATES — perhaps the definitive expression of the Basses’ exuberant cinematic imagination: a kaleidoscopic celebration of creativity, obsession, experimentation, and the strange impulses that drive human innovation.Program:— BASS ON TITLES, 1977, 32 mins, 16mmPrint courtesy of the Academy Film Archive— THE SEARCHING EYE, 1964, 22 mins, Digital—NOTES ON THE POPULAR ARTS, 1978, 20 mins, DigitalRestored by the Academy Film Archive— WHY MAN CREATES, 1968, 24 mins, 16mmPreserved by the Academy Film ArchivePresented with intermission.Suitable for all ages.Very special thanks to Jennifer Bass, Edda Manriquez and the Academy Film Archive, and Kat Shuchter &amp; our friends at Vidiots. <h3>Tickets: $15 (All Screenings Are In Person Only)</h3>Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ADVISORY DISCLAIMERWith some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" title="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Common Sense Media</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/" title="https://www.imdb.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">IMDb</a>, and <a href="http://doesthedogdie.com/" title="http://doesthedogdie.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">DoesTheDogDie.com</a> for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email events@prs.org. CONTENT DISCLAIMERThe views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes. ACCESSIBILITYPRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to events@prs.org before showtime and we will be happy to assist you. REFUND POLICIESAll sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event. PARKINGLimited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking. PRS EVENT POLICIES<ul><li>We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.</li><li>Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.</li><li>We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.</li><li>Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.</li><li>No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.</li><li>There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.</li><li>We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.</li><li>PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.</li><li>Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.</li><li>Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.</li></ul>

THE FILMS OF SAUL & ELAINE BASS —Night 1: Short Films feat. WHY MAN CREATES

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THE FILMS OF SAUL & ELAINE BASS —Night 1: Short Films feat. WHY MAN CREATES

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