IL CINEMA RITROVATO
IL CINEMA RITROVATO 20th Edition
April 4, 2006 - Special Information written by IL Cinema Ritrovato
Page created by ednapurviance.org

Saturday July 1 – Saturday 8 July 2006 Bologne, du 1 au 8 juillet 2006 Dear friends, IIl Cinema Ritrovato, the festival promoted by the Cineteca del Comune di Bologna and the Mostra Internazionale del Cinema Libero, happily invites film lovers from around the world to Bologna, from Saturday July 1st - Saturday July 8th, 2006. This year marks the 20th edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato, an exceptional festival providing an array of unknown, little-known, rediscovered, and restored films, gathering in a single week several of the latest international restorations from some of the world’s most creative archives, thus providing a fertile ground for discussion among eminent film historians, specialists, and archivists, as well as showcasing the most up-to-date, advanced restoration techniques. This means an amazing collection of rediscoveries of themes, protagonists, and territories of 20th century cinema believed to be lost. It also means a privileged chance for the public of Bologna to witness the highlights of the festival on the Piazza Maggiore. To celebrate our anniversary, all those interested in the integral version (5 hours and 20 minutes) of Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1976 masterpiece Novecento (1900) are invited to a screening presented by the director on the evening of Friday June 30th (which marks the end of Bologna’s Parole dello schermo festival). We hope that Bernardo Bertolucci will also participate in a roundtable discussion on the history and essence of the Cinema Ritrovato, and other comparable efforts, on the afternoon of July 1st. Over the following week, this journey through film history will fill up the days and evenings in several locations: the twin screens of the Cineteca’s Lumière cinema (one dedicated wholly to silent cinema, the other to sound); the mighty Arlecchino cinema, capable of reviving the wonders of large-format screenings; and Bologna’s Opera House, the Teatro Communale, for a magical opening evening combining film with live orchestral performance, this year dedicated to the art of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1925 film Lady Windermere’s Fan. This year’s selection of silents has at its heart the work of three very original women, all of whom developed the art of cinema, each in an entirely different way. Germaine Dulac (1882-1942), the author of La Belle Dame sans Merci (1920), La Souriante Madame Beudet (1923), and La Coquille et le Clergyman (1927), was a precursor of “the first French avant-garde”, who wanted “to develop the maxim of life with essentially cinematographic means”. We will have a unique chance to see most of Dulac’s oeuvre, offering us a glimpse of a decade when some of the world’s finest filmmakers were at the crossroads of avant-garde and commercial strategies, and often developed dazzlingly strange solutions. This retrospective and a publication are curated by Tami Williams, in collaboration with Laurent Véray. Thanks to the research of Massimo Piovesana, our second great lady is the mythical dancer and creator of Danses Serpentines, the American expatriate Loïe Fuller (1862-1928). Our third is the most famous of all – the legendary Sarah Bernhardt, the “Divine Sarah” herself (1844-1923), the most celebrated actress in theatrical history, whose contribution to the art of the screen was also considerable, although now too often remembered only for its place in the financial history of American film distribution. This homage is curated by Victoria Duckett. From the same period, we continue our popular annual voyage to the first projections of cinema, revisiting another year from “100 years ago”: 1906. Andrea Meneghelli will coordinate the presentations coming from various archives. Another precious Bologna tradition, a series dedicated to the greatest silent stars, will continue with a tribute to William S. Hart (1870-1946), the first “icon” of the Western, whose influential personality has served as the gauge and inspiration for generations of newcomers, ranging from John Wayne to Randolph Scott to Clint Eastwood, with the originality of Hart’s own combination of severity and sentimentality forever intact. The retrospective, which will be a prelude to the much-awaited return of the films of producer Thomas Ince in Pordenone/Sacile, will be curated by Diane and Richard Koszarski. Next, the comedians. First of course, Chaplin, continuing Bologna’s landmark project with new restorations of ten Keystone shorts, jewels from this uniquely mischievous period of Chaplin’s career; and, much in the same key, A King in New York (1957), a profoundly original, radical and angry film, well worth a new look and re-evaluation. Then, Raymond Frau (1887-1953), best known as Kri-Kri, whose crazy illumination and universal charm made him a star in three countries, Italy, France and Austria. Eric Leroy will curate this section, with the collaboration of Davide Pozzi and Paolo Caneppele. The great Italian name of this year’s edition is Alberto Lattuada (1914-2005), a reader of signs of brutality and greed, who observed in an incomparable way the brave new world where only wolves can move easily. At the same time, he was one of the most delicate, nuanced stylists and a master of creative adaptation, whether working with Gogol (an incredible version of The Overcoat!), Chekhov, Pushkin or even Macchiavelli. His profound knowledge of all the arts is evident in all his work. He also had a great muse, his wife, Carla del Poggio, who will take part in our Lattuada retrospective, which is organized by Paolo Mereghetti, Tatti Sanguinetti and Goffredo Fofi, in collaboration with the Cineteca Italiana di Milano. Last year’s highlight, the mise-en-scène of World War II, will have its logical continuation with the mise-en-scène of the Cold War, featuring harsh realities and immense absurdities, both in fiction and documentary, from a range of countries: the Soviet Union, Hungary, Spain, Italy and of course the United States (with the long-awaited chance to revisit Leo McCarey’s My Son John). A related theme will be films about the Marshall Plan, a period especially well documented in the propaganda films destined for Italy. All this of course offers a fine contextual introduction to the experience of Chaplin’s A King in New York. Another liaison, indirect but “made in heaven”, is Cold War melodrama. As with the musicals of World War II, post-war entertainments were curiously close to the realities, or at least the atmosphere, of this dark period. We thus offer a collection of fantastic melos, from a variety of countries: Sweden (Hasse Ekman), England (a Gainsborough melodrama), Italy (Raffaello Matarazzo), Finland (Teuvo Tulio)... Depending on the fate of the wonderful Arlecchino cinema, we will have either a farewell to our widescreen section, or another round of unforgettable CinemaScope delights. At its center will be some of the greatest films of Vincente Minnelli, starting with Some Came Running, Home from the Hill, and Two Weeks in Another Town. Plus, at last, some European Scope films, including the restoration of Ophuls’ Lola Montès (in German), the director’s cut of Joseph Losey’s The Damned and Arne Sucksdorff's colourful documentary En Djungelsaga. Before it’s too late, we welcome all ideas from our friends to mount a special last effort to project any remaining copies in the original 1:2:55 CinemaScope format, reviving that brief moment in which screen splendor reached its peak. As of this writing, we already have some treasures promised: Douglas Sirk’s Sign of the Pagan, Minnelli’s The Cobweb, Walter Lang’s There’s No Business Like Show Business (with one of Marilyn’s greatest numbers, “Heat Wave”, in its original format, not witnessed in 50 years)... On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Film Culture, we’ll begin an investigation into independent American cinema, with the restoration of Lionel Rogosin’s classic On the Bowery (1956). We also very much hope to welcome a raconteur of those incandescent times, one of the most blazing personalities of that era, Jonas Mekas. Our popular “dossier” presentations will continue, with programmes presented by leading specialists. The protagonists this year will be Roberto Rossellini, Joris Ivens, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Michelangelo Antonioni. In addition, once again there will be a dossier dedicated to a single film, one which has remained enigmatic: Orson Welles’ Mr. Arkadin (Confidential Report). Then, of course, there is our classic “recovered and restored” section, which this year will showcase about 50 brand-new prints coming from all over the world, offering all kinds of cinematic emotions, as well as an overview of the ever-dynamic world of film restoration, which brings back to life so many forgotten films of our dreams. Il Cinema Ritrovato is of course a “must” for all those who are interested in music for silent films, or in the rare materials (reference books, DVDs) on sale at the festival’s Cinema Publishing Fair. This invitation is by no means a final word, but above all a call for dialogue. All good ideas are cordially welcome for this year and future editions. We look forward to seeing you all in Bologna! Artistic Director Peter von Bagh President Gian Paolo Testa -------------------------------- IIl Cinema Ritrovato 2006 is promoted by the Mostra Internazionale del Cinema Libero in collaboration with the Cineteca del Comune di Bologna. With the support of the Comune di Bologna - Settore Cultura e Università, Regione Emilia-Romagna - Assessorato alla Cultura, Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per il Cinema and Media Progamme. In association with the Università di Bologna - Dipartimento di Musica e Spettacolo, Fondazione Teatro Comunale and Laboratorio L’Immagine Ritrovata. With the support of Porsche Italia and Bologna Marconi Airport. Il Cinema Ritrovato will begin in the early afternoon on Saturday 1st July 2006, and will end on the evening of Saturday 8th July. The first draft of the programme will be available from mid May at www.cinetecadibologna.it/en/ritrovato.htm (where you can already find other useful information, such as a map of the festival locations, and a list of special price hotels).

Cineteca del Comune di Bologna and Mostra Internazionale del Cinema Libero Via Riva di Reno 72 - 40122 Bologna – Italia - Fax: + 39 051 219 48 21 Hospitality office and general information: Lucia Principe Direct line: + 39 051 219 48 14 – cinetecamanifestazioni1@comune.bologna.it Festival coordinator: Guy Borlée Direct line: + 39 051 219 48 13 – guy.borlee@comune.bologna.it Press office: Patrizia Minghetti Direct line: + 39 051 219 48 31 – cinetecaufficiostampa