The Relativity of Time Restrospective
One of the many ‘superpowers’ of movies is that they can bend time. We invite you to join us in our celebration of the cinematic world of seconds, minutes, hours and even centuries, so that we may all share time enjoying these cinema classics on the big screen.
Guest curated by Anna Kopecká.
2024 Programme
THE ART OF TIME + Q&A
Documentary
In contemporary culture we are often told that ‘time’ as we have experienced it historically is being obliterated by the speed and acceleration of our technology-driven society. Many artists, writers and creative practitioners in various fields feel that the work they make contests this process. The Art of Time asks: how are leading artists and thinkers responding to today’s new and rapidly changing world? It captures some of today’s most exciting developments in the art of time, exploring how leading international practitioners in architecture, video art, film, theatre and philosophy are challenging traditional temporal ideas, questioning the nature of memory and perception today, and inventing new and radical notions of ‘time’.
FRI 8 | ARC | 20:15
TUE 12 | TRISKEL | 15:00
BEFORE SUNRISE
Fiction
The first part of Richard Linklater’s Before… trilogy, Before Sunrise features Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as Jesse and Celine, two young people who meet on a train to Vienna and spend the night wandering around the city, both knowing that their romance may only last until the morning. Linklater successfully manages to capture the essence of young romance, using the almost real-time experience. He chose this method not to build suspense or urgency, but to create an intimate immersive experience, making it possible for the audience to feel as if they are walking alongside the couple, witnessing their growing attraction, and feeling the love in the air.
THU 14 | EVERYMAN | 14:00
DONNIE DARKO
Fiction
Richard Kelly’s debut feature focuses on Donald “Donnie” Darko, an emotionally troubled teen who narrowly escapes death in a freak accident, and starts seeing a man in a large rabbit suit called Frank who tells him that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. The film’s psychological time-warping storyline, paired with a superbly awkward performance from Jake Gyllenhaal and a killer Eighties soundtrack, generated an underground cult following after its DVD release, eventually propelling it into the mainstream, boosting the career trajectories of Jake and his on- and off-screen sister Maggie.
Featuring superb support roles from Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore, and especially the late Patrick Swayze playing very much against type.
FRI 15 | EVERYMAN | 14:00
HIGH NOON
Fiction
Will Kane, marshal of Hadleyville, prepares to retire and move to another town with his new wife, but news of a notorious criminal heading to Hadleyville forces Will to decide if he will leave or stay to confront the villain at noon.
Widely considered to be one of the greatest Westerns of all time, High Noon is also one of the finest early examples of how using real-time in a film can accentuate the build-up of pressure and keep the audience fully engaged in the dilemmas of its lead character (a device later used to superb effect in films such as Run Lola Run and Phone Booth). A classic tale of a man torn between his family and his duty, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
SUN 17 | ARC CINEMA | 14:00
IRRÉVERSIBLE
Fiction
Brutal and shocking, fascinating and unforgettable. Gaspar Noé’s notorious 2002 film Irréversible follows the events of one traumatic night, revealed in reverse order. Nothing that happens can be avoided by what comes before it, and we must witness the protagonists journey from darkness and violence to happier times.
Shot as if we are following one floating, continuous shot, despite the films reverse-chronology, and starring France’s then- “golden couple”, Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, Irreversible is a prime example of how movies can let the audience witness and experience things not readily accessible in real life or through other art forms. Featuring intense, unflinching scenes of violence and sexual abuse, it remains as harrowing and horrifying as it was when it competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
WED 13 | TRISKEL | 20:30
MILLENNIUM ACTRESS
Fiction
Hoping to revive the reputation of a once prestigious but now ailing production studio, a TV interviewer and his cameraman visit the home of one of the studios’ greatest stars, Chiyoko Fujiwara, a reclusive retired actress, who has agreed to a career-spanning interview. Reflecting on her own life, Chiyoko’s own story and those of her past roles weave and bind until fact and fiction are inseparable.
The second feature directed by Satoshi Kon took a different direction from his debut, the outstanding psychological thriller Perfect Blue, constructing a love letter to classical Japanese cinema bursting with heart, whilst still retaining all the thrills and suspense of his earlier work.
Millennium Actress remains a key film in Kon’s works, a career sadly cut short when he passed away in 2010, leaving the world with a near-perfect collection of four features and a twelve-part animated series, all of which remain essential viewing.
SUN 10 | ARC CINEMA | 13:00
