April 19 - Girlhood (2014), 113 minutes, directed by Céline Sciamma, starring Karidja Touré and Assa Sylla.
Filmmaker Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) has written and directed a coming of age film unlike any other. Girlhood concerns a metaphoric battle for the body and soul of Marieme, an African-French teenager living in crime-filled highrises on the outskirts of Paris. It’s a brutal and at times painful film to watch, journeying into a Paris rarely if ever seen by tourists. “The film is about Marieme, and what happens to her, and perhaps, too, it’s about seeing life in the projects for what it is: a milieu of mingling stories, some happy, some sad, and all shot through with moments of joy,” wrote Barbara Speed of The New Statesman.
April 2024 CinemaLit - International Coming of Age Films
CinemaLit is going international this month, with four films from four countries exploring coming of age and its universality. Each film movingly explores those moments when childhood is lost forever, leaving the protagonists to forge ahead in the adult world with uncertainty but heightened awareness and wisdom. Join us for Ida (2013) from Poland, Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) from Taiwan, Girlhood (2014) from France, and The Way He Looks (2014) from Brazil.
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies. His most recent book, On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, examines the screen legend's entire career.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Mechanics' Institute Members Free
Non-Members $10
Cafe opens at 5:30 pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, and fresh-popped popcorn for sale.
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Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
