In 1899 cinematography recorded snippets of one of the world’s most pivotal events: the Dreyfus Affair, colonialist crimes and the fashionable hat of Countess Greffulhe! If you are into film history, these are the monuments of 19th century cinematography. If you seek glimpses of times long past, to be able to see in living pictures moments from 120 years ago amounts to a mystical experience.
Curated by Mariann Lewinsky
If there are key revolutionary years of the 20th century, 1919 was surely one of them. The tumultuous events of that year will be explored in this programme. As far as fiction cinema is concerned, one thing is certain: German film production was at full speed in 1919 of which you’ll see some splendid examples. Other highlights include Back to God’s Country, with the wonderful actress and screenwriter Nell Shipman, adolescence drama Historien om en gut and animated advertisements from 1919. Last but not least, there will be films by well-known masters like Capellani, Dreyer and Stiller, always worthy of reacquaintance.
Curated by Mariann Lewinsky and Karl Wratschko
Musidora, a superstar of French silent cinema who played Irma Vep in an early mystery serial? Yes, but not only that. The Musidora we want to bring back is a woman of many dimensions, knowing that we can hardly do her justice. There is Musidora the film director, writer, poet, stage actress, visual artist and film historian. They are all different shades of one mystical figure; a seductive silhouette that the surrealists raved about a hundred years ago. Scheduled among her most important works is Pour Don Carlos, restoration in progress, a séance de fantasmagorie and small but spectacular exhibition.
Curated by Emilie Cauquy and Mariann Lewinsky
“Freed from tradition, our eyes have been rejuvenated in the youthful and restrained world of Buster,” wrote Luis Buñuel about Keaton in 1927, admiring the comedy genius as “a great specialist against sentimental infection of all kinds.” Following our annual tradition, Il Cinema Ritrovato will administer three doses (plus a strong, fourth one in Piazza Maggiore) of excellent Keaton remedy against melancholy, anxiety and exhaustion. Created in 2015, The Keaton Project is jointly promoted and supported by Cineteca di Bologna and Cohen Film Collection.
Curated by Cecilia Cenciarelli
Our section devoted to films on cinema and recent and classic documentaries, including portraits of the filmmakers and stars of this year’s retrospectives, such as Henry King, Musidora and Jean Gabin, plus tributes to Gideon Bachmann and Cecilia Mangini. There will be some rediscovered classics about WWII such as Crisis and Memphis Belle; documentaries on Czech and Afghan cinemas; A Bigger Splash about David Hockney; and the last testimony of one of the greatest filmmakers, Varda par Agnès.
Curated by Gian Luca Farinelli
