#National Cinematheque

[coochiequeens]

A violent man leads other violent men to vandalize a place of cultural significance because he was told to leave the women's restroom. After the cinema apologized and the security guards were fired. This became just an excuse to vandalize and steal.

By Nuria Muíña García. September 22, 2023

A trans-identified male led a gang of activists to ransack the concession of a culturally significant cinematheque in Mexico last week in protest of his removal from the women’s washroom.

On September 12, a man calling himself “Laura Glover” took to social media to complain that he had been physically removed from the women’s washroom at the National Cinematheque in Mexico City, the nation’s most culturally significant film archive and theatre.

Following his removal, Glover went to lodge a complaint against the guards at one of the cinema’s offices, where an employee asked him to calm down and referred to him as “sir,” which, in his own words, “invalidated his gender identity.”

Glover was then recorded by his friend confronting security outside of the cinema, screaming at a male guard for the behavior of the female officer who had initially asked him to leave the women’s facilities.

“This is an act of discrimination by the National Cinematheque of Mexico,” Glover exclaimed in the video. “We women are tired. This bitch beat at my door and she hit it very hard and this happened at the National Cinematheque of Mexico.”

Towards the end of the short clip, initially uploaded to Instagram, Glover was seen verbally attacking the female guard, calling her sexist slurs and attempting to stalk her across the entrance path as she tried to keep her distance from him.

Within hours of the clip going viral on social media, the Cinematheque issued a statement apologizing to Glover and reaffirming its commitment to “non-discrimination.”

In the apology, uploaded to the Cinematheque’s official X account, the cultural site goes on to state it was committing to the re-education of its employees, and would be sending staff to “training, awareness and professionalization courses on human rights, the right to non-discrimination and the right to equality.”

But despite receiving an official apology and the termination of the security guards involved in the incident, Glover called for a protest at the Cinematheque on September 16, demanding the resignation of the cultural heritage site’s managing director, Alejandro Pelayo.

According to Excélsior, the protest was attended by approximately “500 members of the trans and non-binary community, as well as LGBT+ dissidents.” Glover used a loudspeaker to call the Cinematheque transphobic, and was later seen encouraging members of his gang to ransack and steal from the cinema’s concession stand.

During the protest, Glover presented a petition calling for both the resignation of Cinematheque manager Pelayo and a 30% employment quota for people who claim to be trans.

Outside the Cinematheque, trans activists vandalized screens and walls, spray painting slogans such as “Let us shit, Cineteca NaZional.”

Glover has threatened another protest at the Cinematheque this coming Saturday, complaining that his demands have not yet been met by Cinematheque administrators.

Trans activists in Mexico are known for being particularly violent and staging aggressive or hostile demonstrations against those they disagree with.

Earlier this year, trans activists violently attempted to siege Mexico City’s Congress after an initiative was introduced to ban minors from accessing “gender affirming” surgery. In disturbing footage circulated on X from both inside and outside of the House of Congress, a hoard of screaming trans activists were seen smashing their way into the historic building by beating and breaking the glass window panels open.

In July of 2022, a transgender politician violently disrupted a government conference aimed at tackling human trafficking after becoming offended at the implications abolitionist policies would have on trans “sex workers.”

Maria Clemente, a trans-identified male politician elected to Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies last year, called the suggestion that the sex trade be abolished for the protection of women and children “hate speech.” To a critic, Clemente said: “I am a woman, and I am a whore!  It’s my job and and how my family eats! I love it!”

Clemente was later exposed for having allegedly lied about being in the sex trade after his ex-husband issued a scathing rebuttal of his public persona in a public letter he posted in an effort to demand Clemente finalize their divorce. 

Months later, trans activists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico staged a “coup” of one of the women’s washrooms on the campus in apparent retaliation for a lesbian pride mural having been painted nearby.

The activists claimed the mural made them feel “unsafe” and demanded another gender neutral washroom be established near the Samuel Ramos Library. Less than 24 hours later, the activists took over the largest women’s restroom in the building, littering the walls with threatening vandalism directed at women who are critical of gender ideology.

[mariacallous]

The High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, on Thursday issued an order to support key cultural national institutions, including the National and University Library in Sarajevo, amid severe financial difficulties. The decision follows decades of unmet obligations by local authorities, pushing these institutions to the brink of collapse.

Using his so-called “Bonn powers”, Schmidt – the international official responsible for overseeing the implementation of the peace deal that ended the Bosnian war – delivered his order in front of the library, which closed last month due to its financial problems.

Schmidt said that his decision aims to protect all major state-level cultural institutions “if they ever come into the same situation”.

“I would like to call on everyone to contribute in this context. Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the founder of these institutions, is obliged to exercise its responsibilities, including appointments to positions and funding,” he said.

He emphasised the plight of seven national cultural institutions: the Bosnian Cinematheque, the National Museum, the Historical Museum, the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts, the Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Art Gallery, and the National and University Library.

Schmidt pointed out that library workers have been working without pay since March and library phone lines have been cut off due to unpaid bills.

This year, the assembly of Sarajevo Canton, one of ten cantons in Bosnia’s Federation entity, passed a Law on Temporary Co-financing for key cultural institutions, promising partial support.

But the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth allocated only 220,000 Bosnian marks, or some 122,000 euros, for 2024, the same as the year before but nearly 200,000 marks less than in 2022. This only covers two months of salaries.

The Federation entity’s Ministry of Education and Science has not issued a public call for co-financing, and the funds it has provided are insufficient and temporary. Similarly, the Federation Ministry of Culture and Sports has not issued a public call to support cultural institutions sufficiently.

Bosnia’s old City Hall is one of the most iconic buildings in the country. Opened in 1896 under Austro-Hungarian rule, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated shortly after leaving it in 1914, triggering World War I.

It became the national library in 1949. Bosnian Serb forces besieging Sarajevo shelled it in 1992 and almost destroyed it, while thousands of ancient manuscripts perished in a fire. Since then, the National Library has not been able to return to the City Hall.

“This institution survived an attack on August 25, 1992, when the Vijecnica [City Hall] was shelled. We must protect this symbol of tradition and this symbol of a shared future,” Schmidt remarked, underscoring the historical significance of the library.

The library, along with the other cultural institutions mentioned by Schmidt, has been unable to function properly due to unpaid bills.

Since it has been closed, the library has also been unable to issue the ISBN numbers that identify books, which Schmidt described as a “direct attack” on cultural development in the country.

Because a book needs an ISBN number and the library is the sole provider in the Federation entity, no books have been published in the entity since it closed in October. A different institution issues ISBN numbers in the Republika Srpska entity.

Schmidt’s new order will secure the payment of overdue electricity and phone bills, ensuring the institutions can continue to operate. He has given Bosnia’s Council of Ministers a 60-day deadline to propose a law that will regulate the future functioning of these institutions.

“This is an opportunity to restore not only the possibility of issuing ISBN numbers but to ensure the functioning of the library,” Schmidt added.

[williamkisser]

✰— Pola Negri in her only French made movie „Fanatisme” (1934) + my attempts at tracking it down below

I SWEAR i HAVE to watch this. For the longest time i assumed it is a lost movie, until i found a person who once rented a DVD with it from a language school library. When I discovered this i immediately tracked down and contacted two French archives - including the Museum of Art and one American, all of which apparently are in possession of it, more or less in full. The George Eastman house quickly reached out to me and revealed they in fact own Fanatisme, available for public viewing on top of that! However, of course i am not in the US, therefore I can’t go there in person. Got to look further. The same day, Cinematheque Francaise answered my (poorly translated to French by google) question, explaining they do not have it, or at least they aren’t sure, although they reccomended me to get in touch with the National Audiovisual Institute and ask if it was ever broadcasted somewhere, which i’ll most likely do soon. I am only waiting for the Museum of Modern Art to reply, as apparently Pola Negri herself has donated the movie to them decades ago. I want to track that DVD SO BAD. My last resort will be probably confronting the person who rented that DVD and asking where they got it from and later contact that place. I will get my hands on this TRUST.

[tartyfart]

Abigail Child has been at the forefront of experimental writing and media since the 1980s, having completed more than thirty film/video works & installations, and written 6 books. An acknowledged pioneer in montage, Child addresses the interplay between sound and image, to make, in the words of LA Weekly: “brilliant exciting work…a vibrant political filmmaking that’s attentive to form.”   Her films rewrite narrative, creating the cult classics PERILS, MAYHEM and COVERT ACTION (1984-87). Other productions borrow documentary to poetically envision public space including B/Side (1996) and SURF AND TURF (2011). Child’s re-constructed home movie THE FUTURE IS BEHIND YOU (2004) served as inspiration for UNBOUND: Scenes from the life of Mary Shelley shot as imaginary home movies. In recent years, Child has expanded her vertical montage to multiple-screen installation with MIRRORWORLDS and THE MILKY WAY. ACTS AND INTERMISSIONS, the second in her trilogy on Women and Ideology, circling around the life of Emma Goldman and a history of protests, premiered at The Museum of Modern Art’s Doc Fortnight in February 2017.

Child is the principal director, cinematographer and editor on her films. Cultural displacements, mostly urban ones, have been at the heart of her concerns. Her work involves intimate collaborations, with poets: Monica de la Torre (To and No Fro), Gary Sullivan (Mirror World), Nada Gordon (Ligatures) and Adeena Karasick (Salomé) as well as with notable downtown composers including John Zorn (The Future Is Behind You), Ikue Mori (B/side, 8 Million), Zeena Parkins (Unbound, Mayhem), Christian Marclay (Mayhem, Surface Noise) and Andrea Parkins (Vis A Vis and Acts and Intermissions). Child is currently working on the last film in the trilogy "The Andriod Project" (wt).

Her films, compulsive visual and aural legerdemain, have been widely awarded and shown internationally. Child has been honored with a Rome Prize Fellowship (09-10), as well as a John Simon Guggenheim, Radcliffe Institute and Fulbright Fellowships. She is winner of the Stan Brakhage Award, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Jerome Foundation, LEF Foundation, Mass Arts Council, and Art Matters. Child's film and media works have been exhibited worldwide, in venues including The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Biennial Exhibitions (1989+1997); Centre George Pompidou, Paris; Rotterdam International Film Festival; New York Film Festival; CAPC Musée, Bordeaux; Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid; Pacific Film Archives, Berkeley; and festivals in Oberhausen, Locarno, Berlin, Toronto, Brazil, Mexico City and Seoul, among many others. Her work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art New York and Centre Pompidou among others. Harvard University Cinematheque has created an “Abigail Child Collection” which will preserve and exhibit her films. 

Child is also a writer with more that 5 books and numerous chapbooks. Her critical study, THIS IS CALLED MOVING: A Critical Poetics of Film (2005) is the only critical book written by an active American artist/filmmaker in over two decades. Her book of poetry MOUTH TO MOUTH came out in 2016, courtesy of Eoagh Press and was honored with a Lambda Prize in 2017. Child is Emeritus Professor of Media at Tufts University, the SMFA, and lives and works in New York City. 

[auressea]

1914 silent film. wow! OK, I'm sorry I missed this screening.

"A remarkable portrait of the Kwakwaka’wakw (formerly Kwakiutl) people of northern Vancouver Island and the central coast, In the Land of the Head Hunters was the first feature film made in B.C. and is the oldest extant feature made in Canada. It’s also the first feature made with an entirely Indigenous North American cast. Directed by Edward S. Curtis, the renowned American photographer of First Nations life, the film mixes documentary and dramatic elements, recording authentic traditions and rituals, including the potlatch ceremony, but also offering an epic tale of love, war, and adventure set in pre-European times. It premiered in New York and Seattle in December 1914. This beautiful DCP restoration includes John J. Branham’s original 1914 score performed by Vancouver’s Turning Point Ensemble."

[kellygallagherbio]

Kelly Gallagher is a filmmaker, animator, and Associate Professor of Film at Syracuse University. She is the recipient of a 2024 Creative Capital award. Her handcrafted films and commissioned animations have screened at venues including: the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and the Smithsonian Institution. Recent commissioned animations have screened on Netflix and PBS. She’s presented solo programs of her work at institutions including: SFMOMA, Close-Up Cinema London, SF Cinematheque, and Wexner Center for the Arts. Kelly enthusiastically organizes and facilitates fun and inclusive film workshops and camps for communities of all ages, from Kentucky to California, from New York to Iowa and beyond.

[golden-childe]

Bucket list in my late 20s

Updated list of things I want to cross out before I d-word. This serves as both an inspiration and reminder for me to work hard and enjoy the fruits of my hard work.

Local (Philippines)

Explore Palawan - Visit the Underground River and take a boat tour in El Nido.

Island-hop in Siargao - Relax on the white sand beaches and visit the Sugba Lagoon.

Visit Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte - Wander through the cobblestone streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Relax in Tagaytay - Enjoy the view of Taal Volcano from a cozy café.

Explore Intramuros, Manila - Discover the historic walled city and its Spanish-era landmarks.

Visit Davao's Eden Nature Park - Stroll through gardens and enjoy panoramic views.

Explore Batanes - Experience the serene landscapes and traditional Ivatan houses.

Visit the Chocolate Hills in Bohol - Marvel at these unique geological formations and check on the Tarsier sanctuaries.

Explore Cebu’s Historic Sites - Visit Magellan's Cross, Fort San Pedro, and Temple of Leah and more.

Attend the Sinulog Festival in Cebu - Experience vibrant street parades and cultural performances.

Visit Sagada - Experience the serene mountain scenery, explore the Hanging Coffins, and unwind in Echo Valley.

Tour the Banaue Rice Terraces - Marvel at these ancient terraces and learn about the Ifugao culture.

Visit a traditional Ifugao village - Learn about indigenous customs and crafts.

Watch an indie film at the Cinematheque Centre Manila - Explore local cinema.

Join a local pottery-making workshop - Create your own clay masterpiece.

Attend a Filipino cultural show at CCP - Experience traditional music and dance.

Learn about Filipino history at the National Museum - Explore the rich cultural heritage.

Attend a local music festival - Discover new artists and enjoy live performances.

Abroad (Japan and gaming focused)

Visit Kyoto, Japan - Explore the temples, gardens, and traditional tea houses in this historic city.

Experience the cherry blossoms in Tokyo - Stroll through parks and enjoy hanami (flower viewing).

Explore Akihabara, Tokyo - Dive into the world of gaming and otaku culture, especially otome games.

Visit the Pokémon Center in Osaka - Enjoy the themed merchandise and activities.

Visit Japan during Cherry Blossom Season - Stroll through sakura-filled parks.

Explore Kyoto's Temples and Gardens - Experience traditional Japan.

Attend an anime or gaming convention in Japan - Meet fellow enthusiasts and explore the latest trends.

Play otome games at a themed café in Japan - Immerse yourself in the gaming experience.

Visit a retro gaming arcade in Tokyo - Relive classic gaming moments.

Explore the Pokémon Center in Tokyo - Enjoy themed merchandise and activities.

Abroad (SEA focused)

Tour Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea - Immerse yourself in Korean history and culture.

Relax in Jeju Island, South Korea - Explore the volcanic landscapes, beaches, and serene countryside.

Visit a book café in Seoul, South Korea - Relax with a good book and coffee.

Visit Taipei, Taiwan - Discover the bustling night markets, temples, and cultural landmarks.

Stroll through Gardens by the Bay in Singapore - Experience the futuristic gardens and Supertree Grove.

Explore Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia - Discover the ancient temples and learn about their history.

Visit the temples of Chiang Mai, Thailand - Experience the rich cultural heritage and serene environment.

Relax in Bali, Indonesia - Enjoy the beaches, rice terraces, and cultural experiences.

Explore the Old Quarter in Hanoi, Vietnam - Wander through the bustling streets and enjoy local cuisine.

Visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand - Marvel at the ornate architecture and learn about Thai history.

Tour the tea plantations in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia - Enjoy the cool climate and scenic landscapes.

Explore the streets of George Town, Penang, Malaysia - Discover the colonial architecture and street art.

Visit the Great Wall of China - Walk along a piece of history.

Abroad (EU, US and Others)

Visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London - Immerse yourself in the world of magic.

Explore the cafés of Paris - Enjoy the local cuisine and the ambiance.

Take a scenic train ride in Switzerland - Experience the Alps and beautiful landscapes.

Explore the streets of Amsterdam by bike - Visit the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House.

Visit the Colosseum in Rome - Step back in time at this historic site.

Stroll through the streets of Barcelona - Admire Gaudí’s architecture.

Explore the street art in Melbourne, Australia - Discover vibrant murals and graffiti.

Attend a classical music concert in a historic European venue - Experience a performance in a grand setting.

Miscellaneous

Create a playlist inspired by your travels - Capture the essence of each place with music.

Attend a Fall Out Boy concert in the U.S. or Europe - Enjoy a live performance in an iconic venue.

Attend a local music festival in Southeast Asia - Discover regional talent.

Attend a gaming convention in the U.S. - Experience the latest in the gaming industry.

Collect exclusive otome game merchandise - Find rare items on your travels.

Create fan art or fan fiction for your favorite otome game - Share your creativity online.

Childe/Tartaglia focused

Visit Russia - Explore St. Petersburg and Moscow, the cities that inspired Childe's homeland, Snezhnaya.

Learn Archery - Take up archery as a hobby, channeling Childe's mastery of the bow.

Create a Childe-Inspired Outfit - Design a casual outfit or accessory inspired by Childe's style, minus the cosplay.

Explore Ice Caves in Iceland - Immerse yourself in the icy landscapes reminiscent of Snezhnaya.

Attend a Genshin Impact Fan Event - Connect with other fans, and explore Childe-themed art and merchandise.

Play the Harp - Learn to play a song from the Genshin Impact soundtrack on a harp or lyre, reflecting Childe's connection to music.

Collect Genshin Impact Merch - Specifically seek out Childe-themed figures, posters, and other collectibles.

Travel to Lake Baikal - Visit this vast, frozen lake in Siberia, evoking the icy waters and landscape of Snezhnaya.

Go Ice Skating in a Scenic Location - Enjoy the winter atmosphere, reminiscent of Snezhnaya's icy landscape.

Visit a Hot Spring - Relax in a hot spring, imagining Childe taking a break from his intense training.

Watch a Ballet Performance - Experience Russian culture through ballet, a graceful and powerful art form.

Learn to Make Russian Cuisine - Try cooking traditional Russian dishes like borscht or pelmeni.

Volunteer for a Charity Run - Participate in a cause that aligns with Childe's sense of duty and strength.

Visit a Frozen Lake - Experience the serene beauty of a frozen lake, reminiscent of Snezhnaya's chilly waters.

Ayn/Ayin focused

Visit a Historical Castle - Explore a castle or historic site, immersing yourself in the grandeur and mystery of Ayn’s world.

Attend a Renaissance Fair - Experience the charm of the past with costumes, jousting, and medieval-themed activities.

Learn Calligraphy - Channel Ayn’s elegant and refined nature by mastering the art of beautiful writing.

Read a Classic Romance Novel - Dive into a timeless love story that resonates with the themes of destiny and romance in Ayn’s narrative.

Attend a Classical Music Concert - Enjoy the sophistication of classical music, reflecting the elegance associated with Ayn’s character.

Visit a Museum of Art and History - Explore exhibits that blend art and history, connecting with the themes of love and time.

Write a Love Letter - Pen a heartfelt letter, inspired by the timeless and romantic gestures associated with Ayn Alwyn.

Majority of the items ay para sa mga interests ko na mukhang long term na kasi its been a hyperfixation and been going on for years. Hopefully may mga macross-out ako in the near future.

[aaroncutler]

Sessão Mutual Films: Elek / Mészáros: Cronistas húngaras [Mutual Films Session: Elek / Mészáros: Hungarian Chroniclers]

July 17th: The link above leads to Portuguese-language information about the 24th edition of the Mutual Films Session, co-curated and organized by me and Mariana Shellard, whose screenings will take place between July 17th and 27th at the São Paulo-based unit of the Instituto Moreira Salles and on July 27th at the Instituto’s unit in Poços de Caldas.

The event places into dialogue four early works from two extraordinary voices of Hungarian and world cinema. Márta Mészáros (born in 1931) is a prolific author of searing dramas that poignantly explore the profundities of solitude, oftentimes through stories of young women striving both to survive and to define themselves in relation to harsh surroundings. Judit Elek (born in 1937) is the maker of myriad documentary and fiction portraits of isolated members of her society who are presented both with great compassion and with social criticism.

Mészáros’s work has had a critical renaissance in recent years thanks to a large-scale restoration project of her films undertaken by the Hungarian National Film Archive – a project which was originally set to premiere in retrospective form at the Bergamo Film Meeting, pre-pandemic, and which has toured the world in rousingly successful fashion since then, both at physical festivals and virtually. The Archive has also more recently realized a large-scale restoration project devoted to Elek’s filmography, which premiered in 2023 within an expansive retrospective of Elek's films at the Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR).

The two filmmakers hold evident similarities (among these gender, nationality, and multiple collaborators in common), while displaying tremendous differences between them in terms of interests and aesthetic approaches. The selection of works that will screen at the Instituto already gives a sense of this with one short and one feature-length film from each director. One program pairs Elek’s first completed solo film, 1963’s Encounter, with Mészáros’s first feature (and the first feature directed by a woman in Hungary since before the Second World War), 1968’s The Girl. The other program pairs one of Mészáros’s most strikingly humanist short films, 1964’s Blow-Ball, with Elek’s first feature, 1969’s The Lady of Constantinople. Each artist would realize several great films in the years following these works – what will screen is just a sample from their long-lasting careers.   

The screening on July 18th in São Paulo will be followed by a talkback with the programmers and cultural producers Maria Vragova (responsible for the organization of a recent film series in the Brazilian city of Curitiba devoted to the work of Eastern European women filmmakers, as well as numerous other film series and visual art exhibitions through the production company Ars et Vita) and Nayla Guerra (an employee of the Cinemateca Brasileira/Brazilian Cinematheque, as well as the author of a recently published book that surveys the production of short films directed by female filmmakers in Brazil during the years of the country’s most recent military dictatorship). The first of the two screenings in Poços de Caldas on July 27th will be followed by a talkback with the locally based filmmaker, photographer, and pedagogue Dani Alvisi. Both screenings with talkbacks have free admission, while the series’s other screenings have ticket prices of 10 Brazilian reais full price and 5 Brazilian reais half-price.

This edition of the Mutual Films Session is realized with the special support of two entities. One is the Consulate-General of Hungary in São Paulo, which has provided aid to the Mutual Films Session for the second time, with the first being our screenings in 2019 of Miklós Janscó’s Red Psalm (a film also restored by the extraordinary team of the Hungarian National Film Archive). The other is the Brazilian online platform and theatrical distributor FILMICCA, whose streaming catalogue includes a collection of twelve restored films directed by Mészáros, as well as a number of other restored classics held by archives and small distributors.

We were fortunate to be able to translate into Portuguese two supplements for the series section on the Mutual Films website. One is a selection of interviews with Márta Mészáros which were originally published in English in the American scholar Catherine Portuges's crucial 1993 book about the filmmaker, Screen Memories: The Hungarian Cinema of Márta Mészáros, and whose translation appears with Portuges's consent. The other is a translation of a piece of a conversation originally published in Hungarian in 2006 between Judit Elek and her then-husband, the late filmmaker Zsolt Kézdi-Kovács, which was initially held for his documentary film about the Hungarian Revolution called That Day Was Ours and which appears in English in the book Judit Elek - The Lady From Budapest (co-organized by Gyöngyi Fazekas, Olaf Möller, and Barbara Wurm on behalf of the IFFR, which published the book in 2023 to accompany its retrospective). This text appears in Portuguese with the permission of the IFFR's communications team (led by Anne Wabeke) and of Judit Elek.

The series is dedicated to the memory of the Brazilian journalist and translator of Hungarian descent Edith Elek (no relation to Judit) – who passed away in November of last year – as well as some important figures from Hungarian film history who have also perished during the past few years. And, in addition to the series thanks that are listed on the Mutual Films website and in the Instituto Moreira Salles’s monthly film program booklet, I myself wish to thank two individuals. One is the vital Brazilian film programmer Carla Italiano, whose conversations with me about Márta Mészáros’s work have enriched my understanding of its importance. The other is Ava Shellard-Cutler, who turned one year old on July 9th, and whose felicity continues to inspire me and Mariana in very much of what we do.  

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Cleveland Institute of Art

11702 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, OH

The Cleveland Institute of Art, previously Cleveland School of Art, is a private college focused on art and design and located in Cleveland, Ohio.  The college was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, at first attended by one teacher and one pupil in the sitting room of its founder, Sarah Kimball.  The school moved several times, first to the attic of the Old Cleveland City Hall, and then to the Old Kelly homestead on Wilson Avenue (now East 55th Street).

     Having become a co-educational school, it was renamed the Cleveland School of Art in 1892. After unsuccessful attempts to merge the school with Western Reserve University, the school became independent. In the fall of 1905, the first classes were held in a newly constructed building at the corner of Magnolia Drive and Juniper Road in Cleveland's University Circle. Beginning in 1917, the school offered classes for children and adults on weekends and in the summer.  The school participated in the WPA Federal Art Project during the Great Depression (1930s). Medical drawing and mapmaking were added to the curriculum during World War II (1939–1945).  The school began offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1947, and it officially became the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1949. The college gradually incorporated more academic courses into the curriculum, while retaining its key objective to offer practical training.

     In 1956 the school moved to a new building at 11141 East Boulevard that it would name for George Gund II, who served as the college's board president and generous patron from 1942 to 1966. In 1981, the college acquired the former Albert Kahn-designed Euclid Avenue assembly plant which was built by Ford in 1914-1915 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Cleveland Institute of Art named the building the Joseph McCullough Center For Visual Arts following remodeling.  In early 2013, CIA announced it would sell its East Boulevard building to the Cleveland Museum of Art and Case Western Reserve University. In 2015, the college unified its operations at the Euclid Avenue site, where it completed construction of an 80,000-square-foot building adjoined to the McCullough Center on the west, and also named for George Gund II.

     This new George Gund Building has been designed to look crisp and contemporary without detracting from the historic McCullough building next door. It houses the Peter B. Lewis Theater, the new home of CIA's year-round, nationally acclaimed Cinematheque film program; the Reinberger Gallery for public exhibitions; and CIA's programs in Animation, Ceramics, Drawing, Game Design, Glass, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry, Metals, Life Sciences Illustration, Painting, Photography, Video, Printmaking, Sculpture,  Expanded Media, the American Greetings Welcome Center, the Admissions and Financial Aid offices, and administrative operations.  This campus unification fully connects CIA to the new Uptown development of retail, restaurants, and residential construction anchored by CIA to the east and the new home of the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland to the west. Uptown Phase II, at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Ford Drive, includes CIA's new freshman residence hall that opened in August 2014.

[irisfilmcollective]

Iris Film Collective recommends: Come celebrate the life and work of David Rimmer with a free National Canadian Film Day program devoted to his singular experimental film practice. Friends and collaborators will be in attendance, with remembrances shared throughout the evening. Wednesday, April 17th 2024 at 7pm, The Cinematheque at 1131 Howe Street. (photo: Self Portrait, by David Rimmer)

[inapat16]

Overview of the preservation of the audiovisual sector in Tunisia 

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember walking to school every day in front of this big wasteland in construction at the centre of Tunis. Once I asked my mother, "What is this thing?" she said, "It's another Ben Ali construction site... God knows if it will ever be finished". I believed her but against all odds, after decades of nothingness, the giant ball of the city of culture in Tunis was finally constructed/erected.  

Inaugurated in 2018, مدينة الثقافة also known as La cité de la Culture is a building that offers Tunisian citizens a place where all components of Tunisian culture gather. There you can find different institutions as the National Centre for Puppetry Arts, The Tunisian Institute of Translation, The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Opera Theatre, the Tunis Opera Ballet, the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra, the National Music Troupe, the National Popular Arts Troupe and the Malouf House, the Maison du roman AND the National Centre for Cinema and Image with it film library.

A lot for one place, isn't it? 

Well, that's what this article is about. In my country, which I love so much, there are many good intentions, but they are often poorly implemented, especially in terms of sustainability. 

The Tunisian Cinematheque was originally the idea of Chiraz Latiri, a woman who directed this innovative and promising place at its very beginning. So many good intentions. According to her  views this place should be a place of transmission, resistance and memory, a Cinematheque that aims to enhance the values of heritage films by making them available to the audiences of today and tomorrow. It thus prevents the erosion of memory.

It therefore assumes an historical role, on the one hand, by participating in the democratic transition with the ambition of making cinema a tool for popular education, and on the other hand, by establishing reference points and instilling values. This form of contribution to the writing of history can only be a participatory project aiming to propagate civic-mindedness and citizenship through knowledge of the cinema. But... There is always a "but" since for the past two years, nothing is moving forward and no one is working to develop the project further.

First of all, the cinematheque is a small room of 15 square meters with only books. Ironic for a cinema venue not to have a cinema. No DVDs, no VHS, no film reels... 

As I asked to consult the collection and particularly the cataloguing/indexing of it, I was told that it was in the process of being transferred between Gammarth and Tunis, or that the films had to be requested by letter to the director general of the national film centre.  This is proof that there are many complications before accessing the information. The objective is far from being reached and with the rise of Kais Saied's government it is not about to accelerate or even evolve in the right direction. The project is not taking off and the place remains empty. Few are those who work to feed this cinematheque and this transfer of archives may take as much time and energy as the place that will host it..... La cité de la culture, 15 years of work for unsatisfying results.

Maya Labiadh

[amcinematheque]

National Geographic: Focus On Out World - Free Screening!

JANE (2017)

Saturday, June 9 - 11:00AM, Aero Theatre, Santa Monica, CA

TICKETS

This event is free with RSVP to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jane-tickets-45989566030

Discussion following with director Brett Morgen, moderated by Anne Thompson.

2017, National Geographic, 90 min, USA, Dir: Brett Morgen

Drawing from more than 100 hours of never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives for over 50 years, award-winning director Brett Morgen tells the story of JANE, a woman whose chimpanzee research challenged the male-dominated scientific consensus of her time and revolutionized our understanding of the natural world. Set to a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass, the film offers an unprecedented, intimate portrait of Jane Goodall - a trailblazer who defied the odds to become one of the world’s most admired conservationists.

[falkenscreen]

Film Fight Club S4E10: Film & Festivals Adapting + Bond, James Bond

Where we discuss a new coalface for film, filmmakers, festivals and upcoming live-streams as the sector reacts to COVID-19 and in lieu of ‘No Time to Die’ all things 007 – Wednesdays 7:30PM on 2SER and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes & Spotify

[draculasdaughter]

Watch classic films directed by women online and for free

Change Before Going Productions

This channel has a vast historical archive of public domain that encompasses from documentaries to TV commercials, as well as rare works from pioneering directors from the early 20th century, among them, Alice Guy-Blaché, Lois Weber and Maya Deren.

Women Film Pioneers Project

The Women Film Pioneers Project (WFPP), associated to the Columbia University, aims to highlight the works of several women behind the filmmaking process (directors, scriptwriters, producers, editors, camera operators, costume designers, etc.) from different nationalities.

Clássicos de Mulheres no Cinema (Classic Films By Women)

Brazilian channel dedicated to the dissemination of classic films directed by women. There are dozens of movies by directors around the world, such as Ida Lupino, Vera Chylitová, Gilda de Abreu and Kinuyo Tanaka — all of them with subtitles in Portuguese!

Cinemateca Popular Brasileira: Filmografias & Cronologias (Brazilian Popular Cinematheque: Filmographies & Chronologies)

Organized by Armazém Memória (Memory Archive) on YouTube, Cinemateca Popular Brasileira (Brazilian Popular Cinematheque) holds some retrospectives of male and female directors of Brazilian cinema.

Selected by Rafaella Britto (Medium, 2019).

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Tragedy Strikes with Historic Brazilian Cinematheque in Flames as Community Lashes Out: ‘An Indescribable Pain’

With decades of Brazilian film legacy potentially destroyed by the blaze, the film community explained why the tragedy was a long time coming.

[Image description: the Brazilian Cinematheque on fire.]

On Thursday evening, the Brazilian Cinematheque was engulfed in flames in western Sao Paulo, where the 6,500-square meter building has housed much of the country’s filmmaking legacy for decades. The organization was founded in 1940 and serves as the largest film archive in South America, with 250,000 rolls of film, 90,000 titles, one million documents and historical materials like early projectors.

Early reports suggest that the fire, the second to strike the complex in six years, was caused by a short-circuit in the air conditioning system. However, many in the Brazilian community have been quick to denounce the blaze as the fault of the government, which eliminated funding for the Cinematheque in early 2020 and caused it to remain abandoned since then.

While it remains too early to ascertain the full extent of the damage, early reports from the ground show that while there were no victims in the blaze, the fire has consumed a large portion of the building where former employees say many archives were kept.

Pushback to the government’s neglect of the Cinematheque has been building over the past year. Last summer, activists from the Sao Paolo Filmmakers Association staged multiple protests outside the building in the hopes of raising awareness for the situation. The demonstrations also took place in the wake of the country’s push to eliminate financing for Ancine, its central regulatory agency for the national film industry.

Continue reading.

[adrian-paul-botta]

This booklet is the work of many people who have been associated with the National Film Theatre during the past eight years. Apart from the contributions which are credited in the text, there are critical assessments by Lotte Eisner (Cinematheque Francaise), Penelope Houston (editor of “Sight and Sound”), Gavin Lambert (lately editor of “Sight and Sound”), Ernest Lindgren (Curator of the National Film Archive), Rachael Low (film historian and author), Liam O’Laoghaire (Film Acquisitions Officer of the National Film Archive), and Karel Reisz (film director). We take this opportunity of thanking them for their work which has helped so much to bring this present series of National Film Archive programmes into existence.