Ever heard of Louis Le Prince (1842-1890)? Of course not, because the French-born inventor mysteriously disappeared on a train before his motion-picture technology had a chance to become bigger than Betamax. Conspiracy theories aside (could the killer have been Thomas Edison?), things mightve been a lot different had Le Princes technology preempted that of the rival Lumière brothers. Fascinated by twists of fate and the social constructs of history, New York artist Matthew Buckingham explores Le Princes story, and those of proto-feminist author Mary Wollstonecraft and Nazi-oppressed lesbian Charlotte Wolff, in his multimedia installation Play the Story (through Sept. 21). While Buckinghams films are short, their precision is remarkable. In fact, he even returned to the very spot where Le Prince captured some footage well over a century ago. But Buckingham will be seen again. Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, 543-2280, www.henryart.org. $10. 11 a.m.5 p.m. JOSHUA LYNCH
FILM
July 14-Sept. 21, 11 a.m., 2008
