Not that I want to encourage branching narratives, but for historical context, here's some info on the the resurrection of Kinoautomat (the first interactive film system) that I talked about in CTIN 541 and that Naimark references often. Sounds like Chris Hales been able to pull enough of the original to distribute on DVD.
Chris Hales :: Kinoautomat Rediscovered
This presentation will explain and contextualise the world's first interactive film system, Kinoautomat, which ran for several hundred performances at the Expo'67 in Montreal. Created in Czechoslovakia as the brainchild of Raduz Cincera, the film's seminal interaction and narrative scheme has been much discussed in the academic literature - despite the fact that it had never been publicly performed since 1974. Interactive cinema was most certainly kick-started by the Kinoautomat, even though it predated the use of digital technology (it was shot on film and shown using synchronised projectors). Although Mr Cincera himself died a few years ago, I have conducted research in Prague in collaboration with his eldest daughter to author an interactive DVD using the original material of the film (which was actually entitled "A Man and his House") and have edited a book of 120 pages around the subject of Kinoautomat. Additionally, in February 2006 a live screening was produced at the National Film Theatre in London. The presentation will include a run-through of the DVD. www.kinoautomat.org
Now if they would only restage the Cinelabyrinth system as well...
From: networked_performance: Interactive Digital Cinema Workshop
