• Film
  • Goody and Woodard

Film

Goody and Woodard

In honor of the most prolific living 'European' directors, Berlin’s cutest mini cinema will feature 18 of Jean-Luc Godard and Woody Allen films in OV, a rare enough occurrence in Berlin

Image for Goody and Woodard

It’s November and Lichtblick Kino is bringing us a great retrospective of two of the world’s most industrious and everlasting filmmakers: Jean-Luc Godard and Woody Allen. Besides sharing titles of being the most prolific or most influential living ‘European’ (Woody fans will agree) directors, they share a birthday in the first days of December when they will turn 80 and 75 respectively. In pre-celebrative mood, Berlin’s cutest mini cinema will feature 18 of their films in ORIGINAL VERSION, a rare enough occurrence in Berlin (where most big classics are shown dubbed).

So don’t miss the sci-fi, almost McCarthyan universe of Alphaville (first screening November 6, 21:00) and that masterpiece of European cinema Le Mépris [Contempt] – surely the only time Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance and Fritz Lang appeared on screen together. The incredible setting in Capri, the beauty of the cinematography, Bardot’s naked arse and cult lines alone – “Do you like my arms?”, “And my ass; do you like my ass?” – make it worth the re-visit (first screening November 8, 20:15).

The retrospective spans ‘only’ three decades of masterpieces from 1960 (Breathless November 4, 18:00) to the 1990s (Histoire(s) du Cinema, November 6 and 7, 13:00). Godard’s uncompromising genius and aloofness from this world’s gallantries might explain but can’t justify why he’s still so off the radar (to the point many think he’s dead!).

Woody might suffer many phobias but he didn’t suffer the same fate, maybe because he’s always obsessively been starring in his films the most famous, sexiest young females of their generations (from stylish Keaton to bimbo Scarlett Johansson), which well… sells!

Lichtblick gives us a tour of Allen’s pre-Anglophile, pre-bimbo-phile prime, with films spanning the 1970s-80s, from slapstick Bananas (November 20 and 21, 18:00) and Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex (November 20, 21 19:30 and December 1 17:00) and through the great Diane Keaton’s era with: Love and Death (November 27, 28 20:30), Manhattan (November 29, 30, Dec 1 22:00) and Annie Hall (November 22, 23 20:30).

JEAN-LUC GODARD AND WOODY ALLEN, November 4-December 3 | for full schedule go to www.lichtblick-kino.org. All movies in OV with German subtitles.