(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.
Upcoming Events in this Series
Film Screenings | The Dream & the Lie (DCP)
A Summer Trip through Europe(an Cinema) Designed as a three-channel installation, this cinematic version of Elena Dorfman’s debut film takes a deep dive into the hidden history of Albanian film. The Albanians established their Kinostudio with the help of the Russians, and went on to produce more than three hundred feature films and thousands of newsreels and documentaries — all of which were state sponsored and censored.
Film Screenings | L’Avventura (35mm)
A Summer Trip Through Europe(an Cinema) Largely considered Antonioni’s breakthrough masterpiece, L’Avventura marked the director’s transition into his trademark deliberate pacing and careful composition. Based on a story written by Antonioni, the film chronicles the search for a woman whose disappearance leads to an illicit romance between her lover and her best friend.
Film Screenings | Cleo from 5 to 7 (DCP)
A Summer Trip through Europe(an Cinema) Unfolding almost in real time, this masterpiece from the “godmother” of the French nouvelle vague, and one of cinema’s greatest innovators follows a young woman in the liminal space between vitality and mortality.