MON 2 May – MON 9 May 2011
Kiss Kiss Kill Kill; The Forgotten Spy Films of Cold War Europe
An exhibition of 60s and 70s spy film posters
A special treat for everyone who loves ‘Eurospy’ and the spy film genre, this exhibition conceived by collector Richard Rhys Davies, curator of the Kiss Kiss Kill Kill Archive, shows 1960s and 70s film posters from all over Europe as well as fascinating artwork for many forgotten Soviet bloc films. Different graphic styles give a detailed picture of European taste, national identity and politics during the Cold War.
Presented by the Goethe-Institut London and the University of Hertfordshire Galleries.
VENUE: Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL, www.riversidestudios.co.uk
opening times: Mon-Fri 08.30am-10.30pm, Sat 10.00-11pm, Sun 11am-10.30pm
Admission: free
THE CELLULOID CURTAIN
EUROPE'S COLD WAR IN FILM
May 6th - May 9th 2011
The Goethe-Institut London, in collaboration with EUNIC*, is proud to present a major European spy film festival to mark the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
This unique series of feature films, made at the height of the Cold War on both sides of the ‘Celluloid Curtain’, will be screened over a special ‘spy film weekend’ at Riverside Studios, London. There will be curators’ talks and a panel discussion, chaired by the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera. The distinguished panel includes writer and ‘spy specialist’, Phillip Knightley. Celluloid Curtain aims to shed new light on the history of the Cold War in Europe and itsdepiction in film. It will focus on the Cold War ‘spook’ as a cinematic creation of the Iron Curtain and look at the legacy of the films and politics of the period. This is a subject of great topical relevance: talk of a new Cold War, Wikileaks and ‘spy stories’ dominate ournews, bookshops and cinemas today.
Celluloid Curtain has been commissioned by the Goethe-Institut London, with the support of EUNIC London *. It is curated by the European film experts Nikolaj Nikitin and Oliver Baumgarten. They have uncovered some remarkable and rare films made in the countries of East and West Europe in the 1960s - popular films geared at entertaining their citizens and winning the propaganda war. Celluloid Curtain is a series of 11 films from Cold War Europe. It includes the 1965 British masterpiece, ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’.
On 1 June, the films travel to Berlin, to the Zeughauskino, (the cinema of The German Historical Museum on Unter den Linden) where they will be shown for a further two weeks.
Celluloid Curtain is an exciting and unusual film festival. We hope it will make an important contribution to understanding the Cold War and its spies, and our continuing fascination with them.
*EUNIC: European Union of Cultural Institutes
FILM SCREENINGS AND PANEL DISCUSSION
FRI 6 May 6.45 pm
S-a furat o bombă (A Bomb Was Stolen)
Romania 1961, b/w, 72 mins, no dialogue.
Dir. Ion Popescu-Gopo, Cast: Iurie Darie, Emil Botta, Haralambie Boroş et al.
In this visually inventive, dialogue-free film a man comes into possession of a suitcase that appears to contain an atomic bomb - and becomes the target of a whole host of villains. Satire, science-fiction and the consequences of spying and paranoia.
With an introduction by Claudia Amthor-Croft (Head of Arts, Goethe-Institut London), Dorian Branea (Director Romanian Cultural Institute, London), Oliver Baumgarten and Nikolaj Nikitin (curators “The Celluloid Curtain”)
With kind support of the Romanian Cultural Institute, London.
FRI 6 May 8.45 pm
Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse (The 1000 Eyes Of Dr. Mabuse)
FRG/Italy/France 1960, b/w 103 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Fritz Lang, Cast: Dawn Addams, Peter van Eyck, Gert Fröbe et al.
Dr. Mabuse equips a hotel with optical espionage units. Soon all the guests are spying on each other. This film superbly reflects the paranoia of the Cold War and Fritz Lang was the first filmmaker to recognize the power of surveillance.
With an introduction by Oliver Baumgarten (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
SAT 7 May 2 pm
Spotkanie ze szpiegiem (Rendezvous with a Spy)
Poland 1964, b/w, 105 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Jan Batory, Cast: Ignacy Machowski, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Stanislaw Mikulski et al.
A spy lands in Poland in a hot air-balloon. He’s pursued by Polish security using sophisticated intelligence and technology. Filmed in black and white, visual starkness highlights the tensions between good and evil, friend and foe, home and enemy territory.
With an introduction by Anna Gruszka (Film Programmer, Polish Cultural Institute, London).
With kind support of the Polish Cultural Institute, London.
SAT 7 May 4.30 pm
FotÓ Háber
Hungary 1963, b/w, 105 mins, with English subtitles
Dir. Zoltán Várkonyi, Cast: Éva Ruttkai, Zoltán Latinovits, Miklós Szakáts et al.
Ex-prisoner Csiky begins working at Háber’s photo shop – actually a front for a spy ring. Csiky successfully carries out a dangerous mission, but it’s feared there may be a mole. Beautifully shot, a spy story told like the best crime film.
With an introduction by Gábor Zsigmond Papp (Hungarian film director).
With kind support of the Hungarian Cultural Institute, London, and the Hungarian National Film Archive.
SAT 7 May 6.50 pm
The Spy Who Came In From the Cold
United Kingdom 1965, b/w, 112 mins.
Dir. Martin Ritt, Cast: Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Peter van Eyck et al.
One of the most famous spy films ever made and based on John Le Carre’s novel. Following the complete destruction of Britain’s spy network in the GDR, the British engineer the social decline of one of their agents to make him a decoy for the East.
With an introduction by Oliver Baumgarten (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
SAT 7 May 9.20 pm
Comando de Asesinos (High Season for Spies)
Spain/Portugal/FRG 1966, colour, 89 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Julio Coll, Cast: Antonio Vilar, Letícia Román, Peter van Eyck et al.
Competing western spies arrive in Lisbon - all trying to stop some new technology falling into the wrong hands – and clash. A classic example of the 1960s spy film - pulp fiction, rich in propaganda but cheaply shot in a European co-production.
With kind support of the Instituto Cervantes, London.
With an introduction by Oliver Baumgarten (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
SUN 8 May 12 noon
Skvorets i Lira (Skvorets and Lira)
Soviet Union 1974, colour, 142 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Grigori Aleksandrov, Cast: Lyubov Orlova, Pyotr Velyaminov, Nikolai Grinko et al.
A Soviet spy couple has infiltrated top West German business circles whose leaders want to restore Germany’s post-1945 reputation – if necessary by military means against the Soviets. A rarely seen Soviet film and a sophisticated depiction of the Cold War.
With a special introduction by John Kampfner (Chief Executive, Index on Censorship), Sergey Lavrentiev (Russian film critic) and Nikolaj Nikitin (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
In association with Index on Censorship.
With special thanks to Mosfilm.
SUN 8 May 3.30 pm
Les Barbouzes (The Great Spy Chase)
France/Italy 1964, b/w, 109 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Georges Lautner, Cast: Lino Ventura, Francis Blanche, Bernard Blier et al.
When an important French arms manufacturer dies, spies from both East and West try to track down his widow to obtain his patent for a nuclear weapon. Funny, chaotic and clever with an excellent cast, this film highlights the deep East-West divide.
With an introduction by Oliver Baumgarten (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
With kind support of the Institut français du Royaume-Uni.
SUN 8 May 6 pm
From Cold War To Wikileaks - Panel Discussion
How successfully did film-makers in East and West tread the fine line between propaganda and entertainment? What do their films tell us – directly or indirectly – about recent history? With discussion about modern-day cyber-espionage and WikiLeaks, the panel will bring the story right up to date by looking at the legacy and impact of the Cold War – and of its films – on spying, politics and the arts today.
With: Phillip Knightley (writer, historian and ‘spy specialist’); Sergey Lavrentiev (Russian, film critic and curator); Gábor Zsigmond Papp (Hungarian film director); Oliver Baumgarten and Nikolaj Nikitin (curators “The Celluloid Curtain”) and Padraig Reidy (News Editor, Index on Censorship)
Chaired by Gordon Corera (BBC Security Correspondent).
SUN 8 May 8.10 pm
Nyama nishto po-hubavo ot loshoto vreme (There’s Nothing Finer Than Bad Weather)
Bulgaria 1971, b/w, 129 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Metodi Andonov, Cast: Georgi Georgiev-Getz, Elena Daynova, Kosta Tsonev et al.
Using a pseudonym, Bulgarian super agent Boev starts work in a western company shielding a major spy ring. Boev must flush out the spies. With its dynamic and jazzy camera work, this is an innovative and clever film.
With an introduction by Nikolaj Nikitin (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
With kind support of the Bulgarian Embassy in London.
MON 9 May 6.30 pm
Smyk (Skid)
Czechoslovakia 1960, b/w, 104 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. Zbyněk Brynych, Cast: Jiří Vala, Jiřina Švorcová, Jiřina Jirásková et al.
Suffering amnesia after an accident, Czech immigrant František is trained as a spy for West Germany. Disguised as a German circus clown, his task is to seize a microfilm from Prague. A psychologically intense film highlighting the West German-Czechoslovakia conflict of the 1960s.
With an introduction by Ladislav Pflimpfl (Director, Czech Centre, London).
With kind support of the Czech Centre, London, and the Czech National Film Archive.
MON, 9 May 8.45 pm
For Eyes Only
(For Eyes Only – Streng Geheim)
GDR 1963, b/w, 103 mins, with English subtitles.
Dir. János Veiczi, Cast: Alfred Müller, Helmut Schreiber, Ivan Palec et al.
An East German spy working in a West German secret service HQ comes under suspicion after several American spies are exposed. The film’s premise is that the West planned to attack the GDR – and that’s why the Berlin Wall was built.
With an introduction by Nikolaj Nikitin (curator “The Celluloid Curtain”).
VENUE: Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL, www.riversidestudios.co.uk
tickets: £8.50 (£7.50 concs.), unlimited season ticket £30 (£27 concs.) - available on 020 8237 1111 & counter only
booking: 020 8237 1111
information: www.celluloid-curtain.eu
MON 2 May – MON 9 May 2011
Kiss Kiss Kill Kill; The Forgotten Spy Films of Cold War Europe
An exhibition of 60s and 70s spy film posters
A special treat for everyone who loves ‘Eurospy’ and the spy film genre, this exhibition conceived by collector Richard Rhys Davies, curator of the Kiss Kiss Kill Kill Archive, shows 1960s and 70s film posters from all over Europe as well as fascinating artwork for many forgotten Soviet bloc films. Different graphic styles give a detailed picture of European taste, national identity and politics during the Cold War.
Presented by the Goethe-Institut London and the University of Hertfordshire Galleries.
VENUE: Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL, www.riversidestudios.co.uk
opening times: Mon-Fri 08.30am-10.30pm, Sat 10.00-11pm, Sun 11am-10.30pm
Admission: free
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