PONDEROSA 22.VIII.76
Identifier
F.2024-02-0034
Date Of Production
1976
Abstract
The film by Jerzy “George” Skwarek was shot in Ponderosa Sun Club, a nudist resort in Indiana, during the Nudes-A-Poppin’, an annual pageant first held in 1975. This is one of eight films in Skwarek’s collection shot from this event between 1977 and 1983.
Description
In the movie’s first scenes, we see the Ponderosa Sun Club sign, the entry of more cars into the club, and individual silhouettes of half-naked women. The footage then shows people just visiting the club, attending the pageant, and members of the press. The camera alternately zooms in and out, capturing details of the parts of the female body, as well as the entire silhouette. Documentation of the event takes place outdoors during casual interactions, in locations dedicated to press documentation of the event, and on the catwalk during the presentation of the candidates. The film shows the variety of performances on the catwalk of the men and women competing – acrobatics, striptease, and dance. Jerzy “George” Skwarek, thanks to his press card from the Dziennik Związkowy [Polish Daily News, the largest and the oldest Polish language newspaper in the United States], had access to areas designated for the press only, hence the close-ups and camera shots inaccessible to the eye of the ordinary member of the audience (for obvious reasons, the newspaper did not publish photos of the event). He takes advantage of his position, turning the camera around and pointing it toward onlookers and the press, thus documenting the other side of the show.
In an interview conducted in 2024 by Agata Zborowska, Skwarek recounted that he took about 15 people, friends, and other interested parties, in his van each time on a trip to the Nudes-A-Poppin’ pageant at the Ponderosa Sun Club. As he admitted, the event seemed quite unreal from the perspective of a person who had recently left the People’s Republic of Poland, which is perhaps why it aroused great interest among his Polish friends in Chicago. There is no Polish representative among the female participants from around the world who appear in the film.
In an interview conducted in 2024 by Agata Zborowska, Skwarek recounted that he took about 15 people, friends, and other interested parties, in his van each time on a trip to the Nudes-A-Poppin’ pageant at the Ponderosa Sun Club. As he admitted, the event seemed quite unreal from the perspective of a person who had recently left the People’s Republic of Poland, which is perhaps why it aroused great interest among his Polish friends in Chicago. There is no Polish representative among the female participants from around the world who appear in the film.
Format
Super 8
Extent
350 feet
Color
Color
Sound
Silent
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Language Of Materials
English
Element
Reversal Positives
Genre
Form
Subject
Related Collections
Related Places
Main Credits
Skwarek, Jerzy "George" (is co-producer)
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