January 19, 2009

Jack H. Skirball Screening Series
Manhatta and Other Restored Treasures

"Amazing... Manhatta with the grain and clarity of a platinum photographic print come to life." The New York Times

Archivist, curator and filmmaker Bruce Posner is on hand to attend to a collection of preserved vintage films and beautifully restored prints--all in 35mm. Its crown jewel is a digital restoration of Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler's Manhatta (1920, 12 min.), "a radical modern masterpiece... one of the first American avant-garde films and a forerunner of the 'city symphony' films," according to Posner. The program also includes Dudley Murphy's Soul of the Cypress (1920, 11 min.), with its original Debussy recording; Fernand Léger and Murphy's classic Ballet Mécanique (1923-24, 16 min.); Rudy Burckhardt's rarely seen Haiti (1938, 16 min.); Francis Lee's 1941 (1941, 4 min.); Maya Deren's haunting Meditation on Violence (1948, 13 min.); Francis Thompson's jazzy N.Y., N.Y. (1957, 15 min.); Confession (1990, 9 min.), the remarkable and moving fragment of Sergei Paradjanov's last unfinished project; and Posner's own Sappho and Jerry: Parts I-III (1977-78, 7 min.), completed in CinemaScope.

In person: Bruce Posner

The 2K digital restoration of Manhatta was performed by Lowry Digital under the supervision of Posner for Anthology Film Archives, British Film Institute, The Library of Congress, The Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, and Nederlands Filmmuseum.

Curated by Bruce Posner, Steve Anker and Bérénice Reynaud. Co-presented with Los Angeles Filmforum.

Funded in part with generous support from Wendy Keys and Donald Pels.

For student and CalArts alumni, faculty and staff discounts,
please call the REDCAT box office at 213-237-2800.