Jun 15, 2023 AERO THEATRE
A few months ago Janus Films announced in its app, the film: Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) by Hungarian director Bela Tarr, which I must confess, I still didn't know anything about him or his work.
I simply loved the small trailer of less than 1 minute presented about the film that now receives a new treatment in 4K and returns to theaters I found the cinematographic work with black and white photography absolutely wonderful, as well as the movement of the camera as if slowly contemplating one of the beautiful scenes that seem to take place in a bar.
Watching this scene, I had the feeling that I was transporting myself into the canvas and observing everything around me in minute detail. Almost as if immersively I was inserted into the film. It was like that little device in the palm of my hand was absorbing me in a more interior way.
Everything I described about this interaction lasted less than 1 minute because I watched it on the janusfilms.com app. However, the impression struck me because whenever Janus Films publishes something I receive an alert on my phone.
To my absolute surprise another website that I follow quite often, the American Cinemateque here in Los Angeles announced for the month of June a retrospective with director Bela Tarr who would be here in person for a celebration of his films as well as Q&A sessions right after each presentation. To my frustration, all the sessions would take place on days and times when I would be at work and that complicated my life a little because I couldn't participate in any of these days due to the conflict of schedules. I ended up accepting that this time it wouldn't be for me .
I don't know if miracles happen but I certainly have great reasons to believe. Because on June 10th, while at work, I received an email/alert in the heat of the moment inviting me to watch the film Family Nest (1979) by Bela Tarr (it was his first feature) at the Aero Theater (Santa Monica) next to the my Q&A work with the director right after the movie was shown at 9.30 PM - perfect time and FREE.
I couldn't believe something so sublime had happened on a night I knew for sure was going to be special. The film Family Nest was the director's first feature film and reports with incredible precision and realism the difficulties of a family with 7 adults and a child all living in a small apartment in Budapest.
The main story revolves around a couple in which the husband who had a drinking problem returns home and faces the demands of his own father who does not get along with his son's wife. Making the couple's life a zone of constant conflict. I liked the movie a lot.
Right after the screening of this incredible film, it was time for the Q&A with director Bela Tarr - much applauded by the audience - who, despite his advanced age, insisted on participating and telling a little of his stories about how he managed to succeed and film everything he filmed only with a Soviet camera in hand, with all non-professional actors, without a script but with a general idea of what he was about to film and that at one point he was arrested for some time for disagreeing and expressing an opinion about the communist regime in Hungary at that time.
The director is absolutely critical of the system and in particular of how movies and studios work here in Hollywood. He talks to and encourages young filmmakers who were present there and emphasizes that he doesn't like to give hints or interfere in the form or even in the individual ideas of each one. He believes that you gain experience by filming and the so-called cinematographic "style" will come to you as you develop your own projects.
I would like to be better equipped and prepared as I should if I knew that this would happen one day in my life, but I managed to capture - not with the best quality I want, but still - a small part of what was the night I went introduced to the exquisite work of one of the most respected names in international cinema on this planet, the Great Director Bela Tarr.
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