VCU Cinematheque returns for another year of world cinema

Alex Carrigan
Contributing Writer

The VCU Cinematheque film series has returned another collection of acclaimed films from around the world. The series is sponsored by VCU Cinema professors Robert Tregenza and Kirk Kjeldesen and is shown at the Grace Street Theater.

“Most of the films are relatively new, independent films, mostly European,” P.J. Norton, senior Cinema student said. “Most are award-winning and have been in famous festivals, but for whatever reason, arent available to modern audiences.”

All the films are on 35mm prints and are shown through a brand new 35mm projector, presenting high- quality versions of the films, although the prints are not without their scratches and various marks. Chad Brown, a sophomore cinema student, said this allowed the films to have an “effect that is dying out.”

“You get that bit of flicker and thats part of the illusion,” Brown said. “Its a nice part of the cinema, you get the little dust particles and scratches.”

On Tuesday, Cinematheque showed the 2011 Turkish film “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia,” which won the acclaimed Grand Prix prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film details a police search for a dead body in rural Turkey, with the criminals having to help locate the body despite inebriation, making it difficult to remember exactly where the body is.

The film follows the search, with repeated questions about crime, revenge and death.

For cinema students, it is mandatory to attend the screening in order to gain class credit. However, the showings are free to the general public, so any student can attend the showings.

“Getting the prints themselves is relatively expensive,” Norton said. “Planning is pretty far out, since most of these films dont have a multitude of prints that they send out. They plan almost an entire semester in advance as far as trying to book the films and schedule the screenings.”

After the screening, viewers are allowed to stay behind for a Q&A session. In “Anatolia”s case, the discussion involved certain techniques of the filmmaking, the themes and other important elements. This allowed students to discuss points such as the motif of water and even discuss how the film is a spin on the “Road Movie,” a film that follows characters moving from place to place.

“We dont get the chance to see many films from other parts of the world, even with things like Netflix and other online sources,” Norton said. “A lot of stuff isnt available to us, so this gives people an experience to really see what else is out there.”

The series will continue through the fall semester, with a screening of the Russian film “Silent Souls” on Sept. 25.

“There are a lot of films that you wont get to see unless you come here,” Brown said. “Richmond has a great film culture, and it’s a great way to get into that.”