The Language of Film: The Long Take — Cinema in the Age of 24/7


Jun 3, Jun 10, Jun 24

Contemporary art cinema is often characterized by long takes, a static camera, minimal editing, and extensive periods of silence. In an age dominated by an increasingly frenetic pace and the 24/7 flow of information, filmmakers from diverse cultures have adopted an aesthetics of slowness and contemplation. This series, curated and presented by Hester Baer, a professor at the University of Maryland, will investigate the prominence of “slow cinema,” considering the reasons for its emergence and examining some emblematic recent examples.

Series Events

Full Series Pass

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Tickets: $55 / $45 Avalon members

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Session 1: Introduction and Analysis of Session 1: Introduction and Analysis of "The Long Take"

Wed, Jun 3, 10:30 am – 12:45 pm

Session 1 delves into the formal language of slow movies, focusing especially on the films of the Berlin School of German cinema. The workshop will combine a lecture, scene analyses, and the viewing and discussion of clips in order to consider how stillness, stasis, and silence open up new ways of seeing the world in contemporary film.

Tickets: $25 / $20 Avalon members

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Session 2: Meek's Cutoff Screening and Discussion

Wed, Jun 10, 10:30 am – 1:00 pm

Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday named MEEK’S CUTOFF the top film of 2011. During the 1840s, six settlers and their guide are caught in a dangerous situation: lost, with food and water running out, the surrounding desert threatens to claim them all. Meanwhile, their guide, Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), refuses to acknowledge that they may be weeks off-course. When a Native American is captured, Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams), one of the settlers, shields him from Meek’s wrath, and he offers to lead the group to water in return. 2011, 104 min, in English

Tickets: $18 / $15 Avalon members

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Session 3: Still Life Screening and Discussion

Wed, Jun 24, 10:30 am – 1:00 pm

Great changes have come to the town of Fengjie via construction of the Three Gorges dam: families that had lived there for generations have had to relocate to other cities. Fengjie’s old town, with its 2000-year history, has been submerged forever, but its new neighborhood hasn’t been finished yet. Two newcomers have arrived in Fengjie to look for loved ones: Sanming, a miner in search of his ex-wife of sixteen years, and Shen Hong, a nurse looking for the husband she hasn’t seen in two years. In the process they too will have to decide what in their lives is worth salvaging and what should be let go. 2006, 108 min, in Mandarin with English subtitles

Tickets: $18 / $15 Avalon members

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Series Curator

Hester Baer is a faculty member in German and film studies at the University of Maryland. Her current research and teaching focus on the history of German film, digital media, and global art cinema.

Showing Today at the Theater Tue, Mar 19

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Admission: $14.50 Adults, $11.00 Matinee Bargain Shows, $11.50 Seniors (62+), $11.00 Child (12 & under), Student and Military, $10.00 Avalon Members, $9.00 Seniors who are Avalon Members.
Same rates apply to Wednesday Signature Series programs unless otherwise noted. Weekend Family Matinees, Exhibition on Screen, NT Live and Special Event ticket prices vary; senior discounts may not be available for these programs.

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