Saturday, July 02, 2005

IL CINEMA RITROVATO, BOLOGNA, 2-9 JULY 2005

THEMES OF THE YEAR
Ritrovati & restaurati
Eventi speciali
La messa in scena della guerra
Cantando durante la guerra
Cinema di propaganda: 1947-1962. Democrazia Cristiana – Partito Comunista Italiano
Progetto Chaplin
Cento anni fa: i film del 1905
Omaggio a Betsy Blair
Omaggio ad André Deed
Omaggio a Lewis Milestone
Dossiers: Buñuel, Chaplin, Fellini La strada, Pasolini, Rossellini
Il Cinema Ritrovato DVD Awards

It was another great year at Il Cinema Ritrovato. There was again triple simultaneous programming, meaning that it was possible to see only a third of it at best. I focused on five themes.
CENTO ANNI FA: I FILM DEL 1905 was a magnificent "festival inside the festival", lovingly covering all aspects of cinema a hundred years ago. Surprisingly many films were shown in good prints.
TIH MINH was the wonderful morning serial of the year.
OMAGGIO AD ANDRE DEED covered the career of the great pioneer and visionary of comedy, also here many new prints were very good.
PROGETTO CHAPLIN brought us in full silent frame several Keystone films which have been available in cropped prints only. A Woman in Paris was premiered with a new Chaplin score; for the first time it is being made available with a good musical score, thanks to Timothy Brock.
THE DOSSIERS presented unknown materials of and about the great masters.

Technically the Cinema Arlecchino screenings were brilliant, and the screening of American Madness was technically for me the high point of the Festival; I heard that the restored UCLA print of Paths of Glory was even better, if that is possible. Some films were presented on video and DVD; there should be a warning about that in the programme schedule. With so many live presentations and exceptionally many short films in different speeds, the Festival's programme mosaic was very successfully realized, and the hospitality and guest service was excellent.

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