​American animators in the 1970s and 1980s often turned their attention inward, producing personal films that corresponded to the deeply introspective diary filmmakers that formed a key part of the New American Cinema in the previous decade. Representing oneself in a mediated fashion – not only through the moving image but graphically through animation – became particularly important during this period in which more women were active in the field of animation than ever before.

While structural film was the dominant form within the avant-garde tradition at the dawn of the 1970s, animators used shape and structure in a variety of ways that differentiated their works. Robert Russett composed geometric patterns and colour sequences in complex rhythms to create his pulsing, abstract films. Paul Glabicki created incisive, analytical works that explored objects through image, language, form and movement, drafting stunningly complicated sequences by hand.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the London Film-makers’ Co-operative (LFMC), this film programme, which opens Tate Modern’s Counter-Histories series, explores the unique contribution of the women filmmakers associated with the LFMC to both experimental and feminist film.

The playful and poignant films of German filmmaker Ute Aurand, a key figure in Berlin’s experimental film scene since the 1980s, emerge from her intimate relationship with people and places. Drawing on traditions of the diary film, feminism and artisanal practices, her handcrafted 16mm films are filled with joy at the small details of life – from observations of landscapes to friends filmed over many years. Her exuberant films reflect on memory as much as they celebrate the here and now. These screenings presented by the artist will highlight the range and breadth of Aurand’s filmmaking.

Curated by George Clark, Assistant Curator Film, Tate Modern