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Medium Cool
Haskell Wexler; US, 1969, 111 min
Famed cinematographer Wexler's cultish film about moral responsibility in the media, focusing on a TV cameraman, John
Cassellis, who films events with frosty detachment until personal persecution and social injustices stir him into political
consciousness. A fascinating fusion of cinéma vérité and political radicalism, it is one of the few counterculture films of
the 1960s to actually remain relevant. It provided the inspiration for films like Volker Schlöndorff&'s classic Circle
of Deceit (1981).
Monday 10 July
Delicatessen AF
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro; France, 1990, 99 min
Somewhere in the mist-shrouded future of France, Louison, a grieving ex-clown takes a job as janitor in a crumbling apartment
block. Unbeknown to him, this job has a history and previous incumbents have ended up on the neighbour's dinner table via
the butcher's block. When Louison innocently falls for the butcher's myopic daughter, the knife is held back to spare her
feelings. But as bellies begin to rumble, will love be enough to keep Louison out of le charcuterie? Increasingly inventive
as it progresses, this fast funny debut film entertains from sinister start to frantic finish. One of Time Out magazine's
list of top 100 films.
Monday 17 July
The Gleaners and I
Agnès Varda; France, 2000, 82 min
Beginning with the famous Jean-François Millet painting of women gathering what's left over from a harvest, Agnès Varda
focuses her ever-seeking eye on gleaners: those who scour already-reaped fields for the odd potato or turnip. Her investigation
leads us from forgotten corners of the French countryside to off-hours at the green markets of Paris, following those who
insist on finding a use for that which society has cast off, whether out of necessity or activism. Varda's own ruminations
on her life as a filmmaker give her a connection to her subjects that creates a touching human portrait. Best Documentary
2001: New York Film Critics Circle, Chicago International Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
Monday 24 July
Dolls
Takeshi Kitano; Japan, 2002, 114 min
Inspired by the everlasting emotions expressed in Bunraku doll theatre, legendary director and actor Takeshi Kitano departs
from his usual stylish gangster thrillers to present a masterpiece that is both artistic and moving. Bound by a long red cord,
a young couple wanders in search of something they have tragically forgotten. An aging yakuza mysteriously returns to the
park where he used to meet his long-past girlfriend. A disfigured pop star confronts the phenomenal devotion of her biggest
fan. Three stories delicately intertwined by the beauty of sadness. With stunning photography shot with the magical colours
of the four seasons, and costumes by world-renowned fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto.
Monday 31 July
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