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69
69
January-December, 2009
1969 was a moment between times. The year was simultaneously the epitome and the end of an era. With optimism and fear, triumphs and tragedies, freedoms and violations, love and war, a decade of diametric struggles was coming to an end. Filmmakers attempted to reconcile the clash of mixed emotions and a social, political and cultural landscape that had quickly become convoluted. Hollywood struggled to keep up with the great shifts of the time, and the studios made awkward dance partners with a new generation of irreverent independent, foreign and avant-garde filmmakers. Forty years later, as we close out the first decade of the 21st Century, 1969 is a reflection of the kinds of issues, dilemmas, creative sparks, contradictions and open future that we face today, in our world and our cinema. Northwest Film Forum presents an in-depth, yearlong exploration of the films of 1969, presenting a diversity of feature films, documentaries and experimental works that were seen on screens during that tumultuous year.
Vastly different visions from both veteran directors and emerging filmmakers (many of whom would come into prominence in the ‘70s) challenge traditional ideas of war, patriotism, faith, sexuality, human nature and the very boundaries of filmmaking. The films share a common sense of alienation, discontent and uncertainty toward the future. Outsiders and drifters of various incarnations grope for meaning, love and direction. Many take to the open road, embarking on quests for freedom, connection and the great unknown. Seen together, these must-see films comprise a fascinating mosaic of cinema in a significant time of transition when essential questions were being asked in bold new ways. And this is just the beginning of our ongoing series. 69 provides a rare opportunity to experience important works of modern filmmaking as well as the overlooked rarities of the time on the big screen. And it presents a vast cinematic landscape for one’s own personal road trip.
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Summer Program Notes
When Neal Armstrong and crew took off on July 16th in their lunar module heading towards the moon, seeking to take one giant leap for mankind, 1969 had already been a year of giant steps. Steps were taken toward civil rights for homosexuals at Stonewall as New York City streets erupted into violence, Woodstock was a giant leap for free love, and Easy Rider roared onto screens with such attitude that the cinema was changed forever.
Northwest Film Forum continues its exploration of 1969's landmark achievements, cataclysmic episodes and generation-defining events through our screening of twelve films this summer. Depicting seismic shifts in the cinematic exploits of Hitchcock, Truffaut, Godard, Rohmer, Meilville; building the emblematic identities of Belmondo, Picoli, Redford, Gould, and Hackman; the films in our summer program further the era's inquiry into war, patriotism, faith, sexuality and of course the boundaries of cinema. These films, filmmakers and stars played a crucial role in not only bringing novel aesthetic devices and storytelling styles to American screens, but also opening eyes of filmgoers to the social problems being experienced by many who had been deemed not worthy of artistic investigation. Compelling, timely and simply great cinema, 69 continues to chronicle the year through the ups and downs of a cinema searching for its future.
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Full series passes are sold out!
6-MONTH SERIES PASS:
Available for just $69!
For a limited time, we’re offering passes good for admission to the 30+ films shown in the series over the course of the summer and fall (through December.) Get your pass today!
Purchase 6-month series pass now
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Keep up to date as NWFF publishes contextual videos, news clippings and more at Hot Splice, NWFF's blog.
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM and The Stranger
The Gay Deceivers
Co-Presented by Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Jul 08 - Jul 09
(Bruce Kessler, USA, 1969, 35mm, 97 min)
In the year of the Stonewall riots and the dawn of the gay rights movement, it’s ironic that the one US release to deal openly with homosexuality was this outrageous comedy about two straight men pretending to be gay to avoid the draft. Although criticized for its stereotypes, for viewers today it's a fun watch that’s frequently hilarious—with a lavishly decorated bungalow as the set for the bedlam and bed-hopping.
Downhill Racer
Special introduction by film critic Ted Fry on July 17
Jul 17 - Jul 23
(Michael Ritchie, USA, 1969, 35mm, 101 min)
The debut film from director Michael Ritchie (The Candidate) is satirical spin on the American Dream set in the world of Olympic skiing. Robert Redford (the same year as Butch Cassidy) stars as a handsome, detached loner who is determined to be the best. He travels with the US ski team to Kitzbuhel, St. Anton, Wengen and several other world cup venues. Gene Hackman plays the team coach, and the gorgeous Camilla Sparv plays the love interest.
Camille 2000
Jul 17 - Jul 23
(Radley Metzger, Italy/France, 1969, 35mm, 115 min)
Originally X-rated, legendary “art film” director Radley Metzger's version of Dumas' Camille is a stylish work of 60s erotic cinema that sets a succession of parties and lovemaking amidst the opulent palaces of Rome. The film stars the beautiful Daniele Gaubert and Nino Castelnuovo, and features bubble furniture, mirrored dresses and a classic, ethereal-yet-funky lounge score by Piero Piccioni. The film opened in New York on July 16th, nearly 40 years ago to the day of our weeklong engagement.
Moon Landing: Screening and Live Event
In Honor of the Moon Landing 40th Anniversary!
Jul 20
Join us as we commemorate this profound event for humankind with a 40th anniversary screening of the original television broadcast (at 7pm), followed by a live remix presentation in which filmmaker and sound artist Joe Milutis reworks images of major NASA events leading up to and including the landing.
Topaz
Special introduction by film critic Ted Fry on July 31
Jul 31 - Aug 06
(Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1969, 35mm, 143 min)
Hitchcock’s adaptation of the Leon Uris novel is an exciting espionage thriller set in Washington, Paris and Havana at the time of the Cuban missile crisis. Unlike most of the director’s previous films, the cast is comprised mostly of unknowns. While Topaz was not well received at the box office, New York Times critic Vincent Canby hailed it as "Hitchcock at his best," and Hitchcock won the Best Director prize from the National Board of Review for the film.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Special introduction by film critic Ted Fry on July 31
Jul 31 - Aug 06
(Peter R. Hunt, UK, 1969, 35mm, 142 min)
In one of the best and often overlooked films in the long running James Bond series (and the first without Sean Connery), 007 (George Lazenby) teams up with the lovely Tracy Di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg, of Avengers fame) to topple scar-faced Ernst Blofeld (Telly Savalas) in the Swiss Alps. Her Majesty’s has the distinction of being the only film in which Bond falls in love. No other filmmakers took Bond this seriously again until 2006’s Casino Royale.
Dillinger is Dead
New 35mm Print
Aug 05 - Aug 06
(Marco Ferreri, Italy, 1969, 35mm, 90 min)
Long unavailable in the US, Ferreri’s nightmarish Dillinger is Dead is considered to be his first masterpiece. Michel Piccoli stars as an alienated industrial designer yearning to break free from his materialistic, humdrum existence. His life is changed when he discovers a revolver tucked away in a kitchen cabinet, wrapped in old newspapers announcing the death of notorious bank robber John Dillinger. The gun becomes a symbol of redemption and freedom in this masterful cinematic puzzle critiquing middle-class values.
Mississippi Mermaid
Aug 14 - Aug 20
(François Truffaut, France, 1969, 35mm, 123 min)
Inspired by Hitchcock and dedicated to Jean Renoir, François Truffaut’s updating of Cornell Woolrich’s story stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a wealthy industrialist living on a remote island in the Indian Ocean and Catherine Deneuve as a lovely, double-crossing mail-order bride. When Deneuve empties his bank account and disappears, Belmondo follows her back to Europe and straight into a whirlpool of murder and deceit. Mixing noir and romantic melodrama, the film creates a complex mélange of guilt, obsession and l’amour fou.
Le Gai Savoir
Aug 14 - Aug 20
(Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1969, 35mm, 95 min)
Le Gai Savoir begins to integrate the director’s formal concerns with his political ones, building a case for the historical necessity of revolution. This film essay is an account of young militants who meet in a darkened TV studio to discuss, and ultimately deconstruct, the oppressive connection between language and capitalism.
Army of Shadows
Aug 19 - Aug 20
(Jean-Pierre Melville, France/Italy, 1969, 35mm, 145 min)
Precursor of the New Wave and legend of the French gangster film, Jean-
Pierre Melville realized his dream of a quarter century when he adapted Joseph Kessel’s The Book of the Resistance. Army Of Shadows is a riveting, intimate epic of the French Resistance in WWII. Melville himself served underground for years in his youth, and the director added a finale of his own that reduced Kessel to sobs on his first viewing.
The Prime of Ms. Jean Brodie
Sep 11 - Sep 17
(Ronald Neame, UK, 1969, 35mm, 116 min)
Based on the novel by Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie stars Maggie Smith as an eccentric and loveable teacher at an exclusive Catholic girl's school in 1930s Edinburgh. The charismatic, idiosyncratic, fearless and funny Jean Brodie is worshipped by her students, adored by her married lover (Robert Stephens, Smith's real-life husband at the time) and cordially hated by the Headmistress (Celia Johnson). Smith won her first Oscar for this role.
If...
Sep 11 - Sep 17
(Lindsay Anderson, UK, 1968, 112 min)
An allegorical critique of the rigid social structures exemplified by the British public school system, If… film caused a sensation upon its initial release and launched the career of charismatic young actor Malcolm McDowell. The rebellious student Mick Travis unleashes chaos on the authority figures around him as he increasingly blurs fantasy and reality. Although it technically premiered in December of 1968, If… was released in ‘69 and won the Golden Palm Award at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.