Student $7
General $10
April 28, 2026, 7pm
Brooklyn NY 11205
USA
Join us at e-flux Screening Room on Tuesday, April 28 at 7pm for a rare screening of The Blind Owl (1992) by Reza Abdoh, followed by an in-person conversation with actor Tony Torn and scholar Patricia Ybarra.
Reza Abdoh was an experimental theater-maker known for large-scale productions that incorporated video in theatrical sets and often took place in unconventional spaces. On stages, in abandoned warehouses, and on the streets, his plays drew inspiration from a wide range of sources, from rave culture to BDSM, to compose unflinching examinations of oppression in its myriad forms. The Blind Owl is the only completed feature film by the late artist and will be discussed by Tony Torn, who performs in the film, and Patricia Ybarra, a scholar of Abdoh’s work.
Film
Reza Abdoh, The Blind Owl (1992, 84 minutes)
The protagonist, Rickie, takes care of his mother Anna, who has fallen ill from factory work. While hustling to make ends meet, he also forms bonds with blind psychic Joseph (played by Tony Torn), sex worker Janie, and vagabond figure Tren. Similar to Abdoh’s theatrical works, the film is a non-linear adaptation of its source material, the eponymous novel by the Iranian writer Sadegh Hedayat. Produced by Adam Soch and shot in East Hollywood, the film is in deep dialogue with Mexican-American culture and communities, as well as the queer punk performance milieu in Los Angeles. Neighborhood residents took on roles in the film, and performance artist Ron Athey and drag queen Goddess Bunny (aka Sandie Crisp) made guest appearances. The film weaves together a complex array of imagery and sources, both aesthetic and social, emblematic of Abdoh’s Burroughsian cut-up method. Working in precarious conditions, Abdoh was unable to produce a final print of the film. The original reels have also been lost despite later posthumous efforts to complete the film. The existing version is a digital transfer from VHS tapes used in the editing process, allowing a glimpse at Abdoh’s artistic vision translated into cinematic form.
This event is co-organized by Shaonan Xi, a researcher currently based in New York. Special thanks to Adam Soch, Sandy Cleary, Brenden Doyle, and Reza Abdoh Estate.
For more information, contact program@e-flux.com.
Accessibility
– Two flights of stairs lead up to the building’s front entrance at 172 Classon Avenue.
– For elevator access, please RSVP to program@e-flux.com. The building has a freight elevator nearest to 180 Classon Ave (garage door) leading into the e-flux office space. A ramp is available for steps within the space.
– e-flux has an ADA-compliant bathroom with no steps between the event space and this bathroom.
