Be Kind, Rewind...for real...thru March 22nd.

"Michel Gondry’s current exhibition at Deitch Projects in SoHo is more than an extravagant promotion for the new movie he wrote and directed, “Be Kind Rewind.” This project, also called “Be Kind Rewind,” is a serious but flawed effort to carry over into the real world the film’s idealistic, anti-commercial fantasy of do-it-yourself creativity.

In the film, ... a couple of dopey fellows played by Mos Def and Jack Black create their own wacky remakes of mainstream movies. (The tapes in the neighborhood video store, where Mos Def’s character is temporarily in charge, have been erased by the magnetized body of Mr. Black’s character.) Naturally, their remakes turn out to be a hit with the local customers.

For Deitch Projects, Mr. Gondry has built a system in which people can make their own communal movies in the cheerfully amateurish style personified by his cinematic heroes. In the gallery’s garage-size industrial space, behind a painted exterior replicating the film’s decrepit storefront, is a miniature version of a Hollywood back lot. Different sections mimic a doctor’s office, a restaurant, a junkyard and so on.

Groups of 5 to 15 people, who must register in advance, follow a structured program to complete a short movie in two hours. Mr. Gondry’s written step-by-step instructions direct the group first to appoint a leader and a camera person, then decide on the film’s genre, define its characters and determine the plot. Next, group members chart the action scene by scene and create signs for the titles and credits. Then they select props and costumes from a motley assortment on hand. Finally, using a small video camera provided by the gallery, they shoot their movie, editing as they go. Finished movies are added to the stock in the imitation video store at the front of the gallery, where they can be viewed by visitors on a widescreen television."

More here.