Don’t miss the sound of Dylan Thomas’ voice in the December 22 Exploratorium screening of A Child’s Christmas in Wales, the 1963 film that presents the story, written and narrated by Dylan Thomas, of a boy’s memories of Christmas in Wales. Sound and image also come together in amazing ways during the Humorous Holiday Film Festival, from December 26-29, at noon and 2pm. All events are included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium. The program is as follows:

Dylan Thomas

Saturday, December 22, 2pm
Films: Holiday Memories
The Sweater (1980, 10 min.), directed by Sheldon Cohen, is an animated version of a story by Québec author Roch Carrier, set in the rural Québec of his boyhood. Carrier recalls the passion for playing hockey, which he shared with the other boys of his community. This funny, poignant story is animated in a style that evokes the late 1940s. Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1963, 26 min., black and white, 16mm) uses still photographs of the wintry Welsh countryside to evoke memories of childhood and snow.
Wednesday, December 26 – Saturday, December 29, 2007
Humorous Holiday Film Festival
Noon and 2pm
This selection of short documentaries and animated films captures many different playful situations.

Sour Death Balls (1993, 4 min.), by Academy-Award winner Jessica Yu, takes a humorous and quirky look at how people from all ages and backgrounds react to extremely sour candy. Daybreak Express (1953-58, 5 mins.), by D.A. Pennebaker, captures a mid-twentieth century look at New York City from the windows of an elevated train. Set to music by Duke Ellington, this film plays with light, reflections, and rhythm. Whizeewhig (2002, 3 min.), by Chih Cheng Peng, is a moving portrait of San Francisco that sets urban architecture into motion. Birdbeat: fugue (2002, 5 min.), by Geoff Adams, is a short animated film that transforms the cacophony of birds at a backyard feeder into a jazzy composition. The Bubbleman (2007, 5 min.), by Bay Area filmmaker Karil Daniels, is a delightful performance piece featuring the creative work of Sterling Johnson. Sterling uses his bare hands and a simple mixture to create fascinating bubble structures, such as sliding bubbles, chains, of bubbles, and bubbles within bubbles.