In 1962, film directors François Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock sat down to record a week-long interview about Hitchcock’s entire body of work. Through this extensive conversation, later published in a book, the master of suspense exposed his creative mind and detailed his visual approach and directorial process. More than 50 years later, a documentary based on the book and interviews was released.
We invite audiences to join us on this journey to reflect on one of the most iconic cinematic discourses and revisit two celebrated classics, with a side screening that pays tribute to the age of silent cinema.
Films are subtitled in English. Screenings are private and open to a limited number of attendees upon registration. Each screening will be followed by a discussion session. Further viewing links and reading materials will be shared with the participants. Attending all sessions is mandatory.
Program
Wednesday 4 January: Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015, Kent Jones, 79 min)
Wednesday 11 January: Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock, 128 min)
Wednesday 18 January: The 400 Blows (1959, François Truffaut, 99 min)
Wednesday 25 January: Side Screening | Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016, Bill Morrison, 120 min)
Cinematheque@TheLab is a film program that consists of private screenings coupled with critical discussions, assembled and led by groups of Arab film researchers and curators. The program centres around a large archive of Arab and international films, that is constantly growing and developed as part of a collective effort.
The project aims to function as a meeting point for film researchers and writers as well as film critics by inviting them to organize regular events of film programs, discussion sessions, workshops, and various screenings. Our mission is to provide a common space for an exchange of cultural knowledge related to the art of the moving image and to delve into the intersections between film as medium and other forms of artistic expression.
The discussion sessions are facilitated by Abdullah Al Bayyari.
Abdullah Al Bayyari is a writer, independent researcher, curator and art practitioner, with a focus on critical theory and cultural studies. His writing work has been published in a number of peer-reviewed academic journals. He is a guest editor for a number of Western academic periodicals and has lectured at a number of Arab and foreign universities. Al Bayyari’s areas of research and interest include spatial studies, movement and city studies, geography in the visual arts, and archives. His articles, including contributions in film and cultural criticism, were featured in a number of Arab and foreign platforms and magazines.