The Lone Star Film Society (LSFS), in partnership with The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, is pleased to present a series of films by the celebrated Spanish film director Luis Buñuel. The 1930 release L’AGE D’OR will screen as the first of four films in the ArthouseFW Auteur Series. The film will screen at 2:00 PM on February 22, 2014 at The Modern.
The other three films selected for the series are BELLE DE JOUR (1967), THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972) and THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (1977). All films will be projected using 35mm film prints, and the series is the first in an ongoing examination of the work of the most celebrated directors in the history of world cinema. See the full series schedule below.
The LSFS selected Buñuel for the first installment of the Auteur Series because of the director’s unique place in the history of film. As a collaborator with Salvador Dalí, Buñuel’s early work on UN CHIEN ANDALOU won film an official place in the surrealist movement. L’AGE D’OR is the duo’s follow-up feature to the celebrated experimental short that also earned a permanent memory in the subconscious of every film student. The series thus highlights the direct connection between art and cinema in a museum setting.
With 35mm projection all but gone from traditional movie theaters, an objective of ArthouseFW is to help preserve the history of cinema, which is rooted in celluloid. In this way, the LSFS shares with museums an emphasis on displaying works of art in the manner originally intended. The Modern Art Museum has the only theater in Fort Worth that is properly equipped to accommodate archival film prints such as the ones to be used for the series.
In addition to the Auteur Series, ArthouseFW will also include a late night series exploring the collaborative relationship between John Carpenter and Kurt Russell; a Samurai Series intended as a complement to the Kimbell Art Museum’s upcoming exhibit, Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection; and Silent Sundays, which will pair classic films from the silent era with live musical accompaniment of original scores composed by local musicians.
Individual screening tickets for ArthouseFW will be $7 for the general public and $5 for members of the Lone Star Film Society or the museum at which each respective screening is held. Currently enrolled students with a valid I.D. will be admitted free of charge.
Attendees can also purchase an annual pass that will provide admittance to all screenings for the spring season and beyond for $75. The Lone Star Film Society also offers a variety of membership plans that include the ArthouseFW Annual Pass. Tickets, passes and memberships are now on sale at lonestarfilmsociety.com and will be available at the door beginning one hour before show time.
ABOUT THE AUTEUR SERIES:
The first installment of the ArthouseFW – Auteur Series emphasizes the Spanish director Luis Buñuel’s surrealist critique of society throughout his career. The selections highlight Buñuel’s stylistic coherence that has defined him as one of the most accomplished auteurs in cinematic history. The series will play at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth as part of an ongoing partnership with the Lone Star Film Society.
AUTEUR SERIES SCREENING SCHEDULE:
Feb. 22 L'AGE D'OR
(Buñuel, 1930) Auteur Series 2:00 PM @ The Modern
Buñuel’s first full-length film highlights the beginnings of cinematic surrealism, created in collaboration with another iconic surrealist, Salvador Dali. This critical vision of society in the early 20th century was banned for its progressive artistry and not-so-subtle innuendo.
Mar. 22 BELLE DE JOUR
(Buñuel, 1967) Auteur Series 2:00 PM @ The Modern
Building on his extensive filmography beginning with L’AGE D’OR, Bunuel redefined surrealism for a new generation with the 1967 erotic classic BELLE DE JOUR. Starring the beautiful Catherine Deneuve as a married aristocrat moonlighting as a prostitute, Buñuel’s vision delves into the mind of a bored and lustful woman whose bleak façade is in complete contrast to her lustful actions.
Apr. 26 THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE
(Buñuel, 1972) Auteur Series 2:00 PM @ The Modern
Buñuel’s delicate satire of the upper class, THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE follows a group of wealthy individuals who just want to have a meal together. The film won the 1972 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and highlights Buñuel’s comedic tendencies.
May 24 THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE
(Buñuel, 1977) Auteur Series 2:00 PM @ The Modern
In 1930, Buñuel arrived on the film scene with one of the most visually and philosophically exciting movies in existence. In 1977, Bunuel would leave the film world as he arrived in it, with a groundbreaking vision of upper class mistrust through the eyes of a surrealist. Using two actresses to play the lead, THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE shines a light on the pitfalls of desire and obsession.
