Celine and Julie Go Boating (DCP)

(Céline et Julie vont en bateau, Jacques Rivette, France 1974, 193 min., DCP, French with English subtitles)

“Usually, it began like this…” Jacques Rivette’s recursive, surreal, haunted house film plays with narrative in ways never before seen on-screen, and in the process influenced dozens of filmmakers, from David Lynch to Richard Linklater and Olivier Assayas. Librarian Julie (Dominique Labourier) and magician Céline (Juliet Berto) meet in a Paris park before they find themselves enraptured by a walled-off mansion in which they seem to repeat actions throughout their lives and across time. In attempting to break the cycle of their present situation they swap identities, change their lines, and delve into the mystery behind the mansion. Defying explanation, or perhaps welcoming all interpretations, the film is often cited as one of the best explorations of female friendship and the relationship between audience and art.