CINE FAN Nov-Dec 2023

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society will celebrate the innovative works of two contrasting mavericks, Jerzy Skolimowski from Poland and Alejandro Jodorowsky from Chile, in the upcoming November/December edition of the repertory Cine Fan programme.

As a leading representative of the Polish School, Skolimowski revolutionised cinema with his groundbreaking aesthetics, meticulous mise-en-scene, and instinctive improvisation.

The upcoming tribute programme, titled Jerzy Skolimowski: An Existential Quest for Liberty, will showcase a selection of ten films that highlight Skolimowski’s prodigious talents and diverse style.

The programme will explore his early experimental works in Poland, including Identification Marks: None, Walkover, Barrier, The Departure, and Hands Up! – the ban of which resulted in his exile.

Following his move to Britain, Skolimowski continued to impress audiences with iconic films such as Deep Endand Moonlighting, which garnered international acclaim.  He further elevated his craft with films like Four Nights with Anna, Essential Killing, and EO, exploring profound meditations on humanity and the world, while skilfully blending elements of fascination, empathy, and violence.

In stark contrast to Skolimowski’s freestyle approach, Jodorowsky captivates audiences with his phantasmagorical cinema, characterised by outrageous obscenity and bloody violence.  The programme titled Alejandro Jodorowsky: The Psychomagical Alchemist will showcase six of his features, including the cult sensation Fando and Lis and El Topo.

Jodorowsky’s visionary provocateur style constructs his own mythical legend through films like The Holy Mountain and Holy Blood, while also exploring his own soul through nostalgic and autobiographical works like The Dance of Reality and Endless Poetry.

Additionally, the annual Cine Fan Film Course, titled The Tapestry of Suffering – The Cinema of Lee Chang-dong, will highlight the works of South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong.  The course consists of six lectures that delve into the filmmaker’s harrowing tales, placing his characters in extreme psychological and physical agony.  Films covered in the course include his debut feature Green Fish, the critically acclaimed Peppermint Candy and Secret Sunshine, as well as his latest work, Burning.

To complement these programmes, Cine Fan will feature a collection of short films by pioneering American avant-garde film and video artist Kenneth Anger.  Titled Kenneth Anger’s Garden of Earthly Delights, the public can through this programme discover some of Anger’s most iconic works such as Scorpio Rising and Fireworks in rarely screened restored 35mm prints.

In celebration of Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary, Cine Fan will present two legendary classics from the studio: The Maltese Falcon, a pioneering film noir directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, and Rio Bravo, which defined the Western genre, directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne.  The programme will also feature Robert Altman’s genre-defying films The Long Goodbye and McCabe & Mrs. Miller, providing an interesting contrast to the two Warner classics.