Good cinema needs a collector. The 14th open-air film festival "China under the stars". This year's festival program includes the most prominent film movements and their representative works, from German Expressionism and the French New Wave to New Hollywood cinema.
In 2023, the festival will ask its audience - how can we collect cinema? Who are film collectors and how do you become one? "When we started thinking about this year's festival and its concept, we realized that the topic of film collecting stimulates the imagination and raises many interesting questions. How do we collect what we can't take home, hang on the wall or put on a shelf? How to collect experiences, how to systematize them? Where should we start when we decide to collect cinema? - says festival manager Andrė Balžekienė.
"This year, Cinema under the Stars will invite future and existing collectors to travel through the history of cinema - important and significant waves of cinema, schools, movements. All of them acted on each other, influenced each other and finally merged into the film history we currently have," said Giedrė Vyšniauskaitė, organizer of the "Cinema under the Stars" festival program.
10 movies worthy of film collectors in this year's Cinema Under the Stars program:
Until the last breath, dir. Jean Luc Godard
The "Cinema under the Stars" festival will be opened by the feature-length debut of director Godard, who has become a symbol of the French New Wave. The film "Until the Last Breath" can be compared to the beginning of modern cinema, it was free like jazz, therefore it shocked the film community with its innovation and broke all the written and unwritten rules of cinema of that time, first of all, of course, editing. The choppy editing, almost documentary style of filming somehow shrouded the film in myths and legends and established perhaps the most influential film movement of all time - the French "New Wave".
The film will be released on July 31.
Strange Face, dir. Stanley Donen
Almost all films starring Audrey Hepburn are considered unrepeatable classics. She can be compared to such stars as Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly. One of such undeservedly forgotten roles of Hepburn is in 1957. in the musical "Strange Face". It's an ode to love, fashion and the most charming musical traditions. While watching this film, the audience will travel around Paris with Audrey Hepburn and enjoy the traditions of the classic musical.
The film will be released on August 1.
Bonnie and Clyde, dir. Arthur Penn
1950 - 1960 Hollywood was going through a crisis - it was becoming more and more difficult to attract viewers to cinemas. Old-timers in Hollywood were forced to rethink their strategy and turn to young, innovative directors who do not shy away from risky creative solutions. This paved the way for the formation of the American New Wave. One of the first films to herald the renaissance of Hollywood was Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde.
The film will be released on August 2.
Fight Club, dir. David Fincher
The first rule of Fight Club: "Don't tell anyone about Fight Club." The second rule of Fight Club is "Don't tell ANYONE about Fight Club." The Cinema Under the Stars festival will break these rules and show this example of postmodern cinema aesthetics in the courtyard of the House of Lords.
"Fight Club" is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by the American writer Chuck Palahniuk. Paradoxically, the book was popularized in 1999. the movie came out. Such Hollywood stars as Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were filmed in the Oscar-nominated film.
The film will be released on August 3.
The Sky Over Berlin, dir. Wim Wenders
"Sky Over Berlin" is an inspiring example of New German Cinema, revealing a memorable portrait of the spirited Berlin cinema of the XNUMXs. The film brought W. Wenders the Cannes Film Festival award for best director, as well as the New York and Los Angeles critics' awards. The film narrative created shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall became one of the most memorable film portraits of the German capital and earned the status of a cult film.
The film will be released on August 4.
When Harry Met Sally..., dir. Rob Reiner
Romantic comedies have been declining in popularity in recent years, and the same can be said for traditional comedies. Therefore, "Cinema under the stars" invites us to look back to this genre, the times when romantic comedies flourished. "When Harry Met Sally..." is a classic 1989 film by Rob Reiner. a comedy with a strong female character, witty dialogues and, of course, the therapeutic effect typical of such comedies.
The film will be released on August 7.
Birds, dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Auteur cinema pioneer Alfred Hitchcock's thriller The Birds reveals the virtuosity of the master of suspense. Hitchcock showed all his strongest points in this film, allowing the tension to rise naturally to an almost unbearable level. After watching this movie, you will never look at birds the same way again... The movie celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
The film will be released on August 8.
Paprika, dir. Satoshi Kon
Paprika had a major impact on the animation industry, inspiring many animators and filmmakers to push the limits of storytelling and visual solutions. The unique combination of reality and the world of dreams, along with the exploration of complex themes, became a feature of the works of Japanese cinema master Satoshi Kon and inspired several new generations of anime creators. Paprika is believed to have been a huge influence on Christopher Nolan's Inception as well.
The film will be released on August 9.
Four weddings and one funeral, dir. Mike Newell
The absolute classic of British comedies is packed with biting dialogue and memorable performances by Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell. Nominated for two Oscars, Four Weddings and a Funeral was the highest-grossing British film for a long time, until 1999. it grossed $260 million, even though lead actor Hugh Grant thought during filming that the film was bound to flop.
The film will be released on August 10.
Coffee and cigarettes, dir. Jim Jarmusch
The festival will be closed by Jim Jarmusch's film mosaic, which has grown out of the "No wave cinema" tradition, smelling of smoke and coffee. The iconic American independent film director spent 17 years working on this film. The result is 11 funny, absurd stories, often featuring famous actors and musicians playing themselves, smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee and talking about all sorts of things.
The film will be released on August 11.
The open-air cinema festival "Cinema under the stars" will traditionally take place in the courtyard of the Palace of Lords. Spectators will be able to purchase the first tickets at a lower price on July 4-5.
