A tight shot of Nico’s youthful face opens Andy Warhol’s The Velvet Underground and Nico. The black-and-white film is a one hour take showcasing the band’s jam session in a corner of Warhol’s silvery Manhattan studio, The Factory. In time, the camera pulls back to reveal the full group, with Nico’s young son at her feet, occasionally shaking a tambourine.
Warhol’s camera studies the faces and features of the Velvet Underground for about sixty minutes, until NYPD cops arrive to break up the session and Warhol walks through the shot to sort out the situation. The camera then follows him for a bit until its back on Nico’s face. Fade to black.
Monday night at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the rarely seen film drew a big crowd. After the Walter Reade Theater screening, which was co-presented with Viva Radio, folks made there way over to the Film Society’s Furman Gallery for Stella’s and 42 Below Vodka.
The next Film Comment Selects + Viva Radio event will take place next Wednesday night, March 2nd and feature a remixed and remastered version of Alex Cox’s “Straight To Hell.” Cox will be on hand and the event will again include an after party in Gallery.
Photos by GODLIS
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