"Poetic Cinema" Arrives in Athens
ATHENS, Ohio (January 25, 2001) -- A new film series debuted Jan. 26 on Ohio University's main campus in Athens.
Cineastes, a student-organized film group, showed what some critics consider the greatest film ever made, "Children of Paradise" at 8 p.m. Director, Marcel Carne's, film is the first of several films in the group's weekly Friday night series entitled, "Poetic Cinema."
Along with Student Activities Commission at OU as a sponsor, the group plans to screen a diverse selection of international films, both to entertain and to enlighten audiences, said Nicholas Bittner, a president of Cineastes.
"This series offers the opportunity to see films that would not normally be exhibited in Southeastern Ohio," Bittner said. "It's a much different atmosphere than, say, The Athena's and University Program Council's 'Midnight Movies.'"
This comes as no surprise, considering that a couple of Poetic Cinema's designers were also responsible for starting the popular midnight series at The Athena. The latter series' success eventually encouraged the University to purchase the uptown theater, rather than see it be converted to a eatery.
From countries such as France, Japan, and India, Poetic Cinema's offerings include the highly-respected directors Chris Marker, Yasujiro Ozu, and Satyajit Ray, to name a few.
The series title suggests the lyrical variations of the film language shown throughout these films, said Colby Gilette, also a president of Cineastes. All films start at 8 p.m. on East Green in Morton Hall, room 235. Each film is free for all who attend.
Next week, "An Autumn Afternoon" from Ozu will screen followed on Febuary 9 by Marker's "Sans Soliel" with "La Jetee," Ray's "Pather Panchali" on Febuary 16, Marker again on Febuary 23 with "Letter From Siberia", and on March 2 "Hiroshima mon amour" by Alain Resnais is scheduled. "Pickpocket," directed by Robert Bresson, concludes Poetic Cinema's winter run on March 9.
Poetic Cinema's film screenings:
- January 26: Children of Paradise - Marcel Carne
- Febuary 2: An Autumn Afternoon - Yasujiro Ozu
- Febuary 9: Sans Soliel with La Jetee - Chris Marker
- Febuary 16: Pather Panchali - Satyajit Ray
- Febuary 23: Letter From Siberia - Chris Marker
- March 2: Hiroshima mon amour - Alain Resnais
- March 9: Pickpocket - Robert Bresson
