Doha Film Institute (DFI) has announced that it is organising ‘Watching the Classics’, an online programme where filmmakers and cinephiles can deepen their knowledge of film history.
Presented by renowned scholar Richard Pena, professor of Film Studies at Columbia University and director emeritus of the New York Film Festival, this series of lectures/discussions focuses on undisputed world cinema classics.
In the monthly sessions, Prof Pena will present a given film within its aesthetic, economic, technological and social/political context, detailing each director’s formal techniques while teasing out the implications of these artistic and technical decisions.
To get the most from the programme, participants are recommended to view the selected films before each session, and all are readily available through various popular streaming services.
During the lecture, select images and clips will be included for discussion, and participants will be able to send Prof Pena questions, which will be addressed at the end of each session.
As part of this initiative, a nine-part series titled ‘Making Movies Modern’ begins on May 1. It will explore this cinematic revolution, analysing some of its major trends and tendencies as well as offering discussions of some of its most emblematic works.
"By the late 1950s, the cinematic models and approaches that had largely defined movies all over the world began to break down. New generations of filmmakers took advantage of changes in technology to bring their films in closer dialogue with the physical world; meanwhile, the depiction of interior, mental states become more pronounced and intense. The impact of major changes in other media—from painting to dance to novels—inspired filmmakers to find new ways that broke with the confines of traditional three-act story-telling style," the DFI website said.
"By 1960, all of these developments came together and burst into a series of 'new waves' in France, Poland, Japan, Italy, Brazil and several other nations; the impact of new wave style could eventually even be seen in Hollywood," it added.
Among the artistes whose works will be discussed are Luis Bunuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Michelangelo Antonioni and Andrei Tarkovsky.
Each session will also include a detailed analysis of that week’s selected film.
The first session takes place on May 1, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. It will discuss ‘The Exterminating Angel’ by Luis Bunuel (Mexico/1962).
"A group of sophisticated, wealthy Mexicans gather for a post-concert dinner, but then discover they just can’t seem to leave. A key figure of the 1920s surrealist cinema, Luis Bunuel maintained his loyalty to the movement as he moved to Mexico and commercial cinema—a crucial link between the early modernist cinema of the 1920s and its 1960s evolution," the website explained.
The session will be conducted in English and the fee is QR70. Qatar Museums Culture Pass holders will get a 20% discount, and are required to pay QR56.
Subsequent sessions will take place on the last Monday of every month. The films to be featured will be announced in due course.
This programme is open to applicants over the age of 18. The sessions are best suited for those with some knowledge of filmmaking and who wish to expand their understanding of film history. To register and secure your place, purchase a ticket online to this event by visiting https://my.dohafilminstitute.com/events/detail/?id=42416
Your registration will be confirmed once the payment is processed.
You will receive all necessary webinar links via e-mail reminders before the sessions.
Richard Pena
