'In the Loop' Screening Canceled

We regret that the Aero Theatre screening of the new Brit comedy IN THE LOOP has been canceled. If you purchased tickets you can go to the box office any time on or before July 15, 2009 to get a refund.

'Beaches of Agnes' Sneak to Highlight In Person Retrospective of the work of Filmmaker Agnes Varda

Agnès Varda, one of the founding members of the French New Wave will appear In Person at the Aero Theatre with a Sneak Preview of her latest film, plus a mini-retrospective of highlights of her long career as a filmmaker (including a 'Los Angeles' night featuring work from Varda's stay in LA in the 1960s. All this takes place at the Aero Theatre from June 24 - July 1. Learn more & see a film schedule.

A gifted and outspoken feminist and one of the most acclaimed directors anywhere in the world, Agnès Varda could be considered the prototype of today’s independent filmmaker. Varda is a survivor, a stubborn and patient observer of her time and her people, like the pop singer in CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7, the lovers in LE BONHEUR (HAPPINESS) or the drifter in VAGABOND. "I have fought so much since I started … for something that comes from emotion, from visual emotion, sound emotion, feeling, and finding a shape for that," Varda has said.

Varda directed her first feature, LA POINTE COURTE, in 1954, with no formal training in filmmaking. The movie has often been identified as the film that started the French New Wave ("and a famous flop," as Varda has wryly noted). Along with Alain Resnais and Chris Marker, she made up the so-called "Left Bank Group" of the early 1960s, distinct from other New Wave directors for their interest in both documentary and fiction and their passion for both political and social filmmaking. Her marriage to Jacques Demy (1931-1990) made her one-half of the most beloved filmmaking couple of their day, and her tribute to Demy, JACQUOT DE NANTES, is one of her finest films.

In 1962, Varda directed the legendary CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7, a French New Wave classic about two hours in the life of a pop singer. The film’s sense of profound realism crossed with lyrical visual poetry pointed the way toward much of Varda’s later work, which would alternate between acclaimed documentaries and romantic but naturalistic fiction features. Capable of crafting both gritty cinematic time capsules and expressionistic mood pieces like LES CREATURES, the breadth of Varda’s talent is nearly as astonishing as its depth. For more than 50 years, she has continued to experiment and innovate, creating one of the first digital video masterpieces (THE GLEANERS AND I) as well as timely portraits of cities from L.A. (LIONS LOVE) to Paris. She has worked in nearly every form of filmmaking that exists, from shorts to documentaries to a delightful celebration of film history (ONE HUNDRED AND ONE NIGHTS), and has mastered them all.

As if that weren’t enough, Varda also helmed one of the greatest French films of the 1980s, VAGABOND, and published a highly acclaimed autobiography. Recent years have seen no slowing down of her output and no lessening of her talent: Her latest film, THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS, won the Cesar (the French equivalent of the Academy Award) for best documentary. Varda has been quoted as saying that she wants "to illuminate women’s lives—not only their hardships, although they’re important, but also the light, the transparency, the pleasure of being a woman." While Varda has certainly accomplished this, the range of her work is more expansive than perhaps even she knows—it is not enough to label her a feminist filmmaker, or a New Wave filmmaker, or a political filmmaker. She is simply one of the greatest living directors in any country, working in any language, in any form.

Agnes Varda's official website.
Senses of Cinema Article on Agnes Varda

See a Trailer for Beaches of Agnes

The Cinematheque is proud to present a sneak preview of THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS along with a series of Varda’s masterpieces, with the director herself live and in-person.

American Girl Silent Screen at the Egyptian Theatre

Kids traveled back almost 100 years into the past to experience watching movies as Rebecca Rubin, the newest American Girl character did in 1914 when she saw Charlie Chaplin in "Dough and Dynamite." Dan Redfeld played piano for the Chaplin short as well as an Oswald Rabbit and Alice in Cartoonland cartoon and a Harold Lloyd film. An American Girl craft (making a carousel horse) and a tour of the historic Egyptian Theatre were also on the agenda! Biggest laugh? The kids loved when a lion in the Alice short took out his teeth and filed them, before popping them back in to chase Alice (who eventually beats up the lions inside a tree trunk!). After the program, two girls declared the Harold Lloyd short their favorite. This program has two more installments this summer with new films on July 19 and August 15! More information will appear on the Cinematheque website.

THE HURT LOCKER Sneak Preview with Cast & Crew In Person June 5th!

Stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty and screenwriter Mark Boal will join director Kathryn Bigelow for q & a with the Sneak Preview screening of THE HURT LOCKER on June 5 at 7:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre. A few tickets are still available on www.fandango.com

THE HURT LOCKER, 2009, Summit Entertainment, 131 min. Acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow brings together realistic action and intimate human drama in a landmark film starring Jeremy Renner (THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD), Anthony Mackie (WE ARE MARSHALL), Brian Geraghty (JARHEAD), and co-starring Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") and Guy Pearce. In the summer of 2004, Sergeant Sanborn (Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Geraghty) are part of a small counterforce trained to handle homemade bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The job, a high-pressure, high-stakes assignment that soldiers volunteer for, requires a calm intelligence that leaves no room for mistakes. When Staff Sergeant James (Renner) cheerfully takes over the team, Sanborn and Eldridge are shocked by what seems like his reckless disregard for military protocol and basic safety measures. Is James really a swaggering cowboy who lives for peak experiences and the moments when the margin of error is zero – or is he a consummate professional who has honed his craft to high-wire precision? The men have only 38 days left in their tour, but with each new mission comes another deadly encounter. As James blurs the line between bravery and bravado, it seems only a matter of time before disaster strikes. A gripping portrayal of real-life sacrifice and heroism, and a probing study of the soul-numbing rigors and potent allure of the modern battlefield. Based on the first-hand observations of journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq -- a squad whose members spoke of explosions as putting you in "the hurt locker." Discussion following with director Kathryn Bigelow and Stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty and screenwriter Mark Boal.