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The World Onscreen
Lincoln Center’s tribute to 30 years of First Run Features
Tony from The Up Series
The most recognizable title in the incredible 30-year catalog of independent film distribution company, First Run, is The Up Series. Roger Ebert called the British documentary, “an inspired, almost noble use of the film medium. (Director) Apted penetrates to the central mystery of life.” The same could be said about most titles released by First Run. Though the particular mysteries that each film illuminates may be modest in scope, they are areas of human existence we may not be able to reach on our own.
First Run films goes into these darker corners of life, bringing audiences into the world through stories, fiction and nonfiction, that give a greater sense of the scope and breadth of humanity. A title such as Making Grace goes along on a lesbian couple’s journey into motherhood. War Photographer shows the baffling bravery behind James Nachtwey’s images, some of the most moving and effective combat photographs ever taken. Many of the films to come out of First Run receive praise from Human Rights Watch. The films indeed push the limits of the medium, leaving the viewers inspired to push limits within their own lifetimes.
This August 26 to September 4, in recognition of First Run’s 30th anniversary, the Lincoln Center Film Society will show 18 selections from the hundreds of First Run Features. Below are some highlights.
49 UP: The seventh installment of the documentary that, every seven years, revisits a socially diverse group of British citizens. Meant to be an exploration of class influence on a selected group of children, the actual lessons and meanings run much deeper.
Ballerina: Selected from First Run’s considerable catalog of dance films, this documentary received high critical praise upon its 2006 release. Going behind the stage with five dancers at one of the world’s finest dance institutions, the Mariinsky Theatre (also known as the Kirov), lovers of ballet become intimately acquainted with the passion and physical anguish behind the artistry.
A Boy and His Dog: Epitomizing the truly independent spirit in mid-seventies filmmaking, A Boy and His Dog takes an irreverent angle on post-apocalyptic society. Starring Don Johnson before his Miami Vice fame.
Merci pour le chocolat: From director Claude Chabrol, a prolific member of the French New Wave, this quiet psychological thriller leaves you second-guessing accepting a drink from a stranger, or even a family member.
Visit Lincoln Center’s website for show times, tickets and information on guest appearances. Also playing: Alice, Architecture of Doom, Before Stonewall, Born in Flames, Bright Leaves, The Cat and the Canary, Defamation, The Embalmer, Iran’s Daughter, A Life Apart: Hasidism in America, Moving Midway, Sherman’s March, Suzan Pitt’s World, Watermelon Woman, We Were So Beloved.