IL CINEMA RITROVATO ON TOUR
Each summer, the Cineteca di Bologna, one of Europe’s most renowned archives for film restoration and preservation, organizes one of the world’s most unique film festivals, Il Cinema Ritrovato ("Rediscovered cinema"). Eight memorable days to dive into cinema’s past, Cinema Ritrovato also offers opportunities to meet renowned experts on film history as well as celebrated filmmakers. More than 360 titles are presented annually in five cinemas and on a giant screen in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore. In the words of the former Artistic Director, the late Peter von Bagh, Il Cinema Ritrovato is pure heaven for cinéphiles. The next edition will take place from June 27th to July 4th, 2015. To read more about Il Cinema Ritrovato, click here. This series of Cineteca di Bologna restorations that have premiered at recent editions of the festival has been curated by Guy Borlée, coordinator of Il Cinema Ritrovato for Cineteca di Bologna) and UW Cinematheque’s Jim Healy. Special thanks to David Bordwell; Gian Luca Farinelli, Andrea Meneghelli, Carmen Accaputo (Cineteca di Bologna); Josh Morrison (Flicker Alley).
- Fri., Mar. 20 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Wanting to leave Dakar, Mory (Niang) dreams of leaving for Paris with the woman he loves, and embarks on a series of petty crimes. Mixing elements of fantasy with a classic morality tale, Touki Bouki (the title means “Hyena’s Journey”) was Senegalese cinema legend Mambéty’s first feature. “One of the greatest of all African films and almost certainly the most experimental” (Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader). Preceded by Ousmane Sembene’s Borrom Sarret (1969, DCP, 20 min.), often considered the first African film made by a black African. The 35mm print of Touki Bouki was restored by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with the World Cinema Project and the Film Foundation.
- Sat., Mar. 21 | 2:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
Lyda Borelli, one of the great divas of the Italian theater, stars in a romantic tale of espionage and betrayal that is set, partially, in the world of the theater. One of only a few feature films Borelli appeared in, Love Everlasting also offers tantalizing glimpses of the actress’s celebrated stage performances, including her turn as the title character in Oscar Wilde’s Salome. After more than a century, this terrific silent melodrama is still an emotional powerhouse. The movie will be presented with Italian intertitles and English subtitles and a synchronous soundtrack featuring a score composed by Francesca Badalini.
- Sat., Mar. 21 | 4:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
This funny and Brechtian slice of Vietnam era subversion is largely a vehicle for the almost otherworldly Taylor Mead. An underground cinema mainstay, Mead appears here in a series of bizarre short sketches that lampoon television programming and commercials, two things that are, pointedly, almost impossible to tell apart. The cast includes a number of other significant counter-cultural figures, including Abbie Hoffman, Sam Shepard, and Warhol Factory regulars Candy Darling and Ultra Violet.
- Sat., Mar. 21 | 7:00 PM4070 Vilas Hall
In one of the greatest of all Italian films, Bergman and Sanders are a dissatisfied married couple vacationing near Naples. The couple are forced to reckon with their declining relationship after an emotional and memorable visit to the ruins of Pompeii. Spiritual and profoundly moving, Viaggio in Italia is “A crucial work, truthful and mysterious” (Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader).