Mar 19, 2019
Festival
In-Depth Conversation with Claire Denis will Precede the Screening of Her New Film High Life at the Victoria Theatre April 11
San Francisco, CA – SFFILM announced today that adventurous filmmaker Claire Denis will be honored during the 2019 San Francisco International Film Festival (April 10–23) with a special tribute, followed by a screening of her new sci-fi film, High Life. The intimate onstage conversation and the screening will take place Thursday, April 11, at 8:00 pm at the Victoria Theatre.
“SFFILM and our audiences have been fans of Claire Denis’ work since very early in her career, and her films have been the highlight of many past Festivals,” said SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen. “It’s always an occasion when she is able to come to San Francisco to present her films in person, and we are thrilled to be able to devote an evening to our appreciation for her unparalleled work.”
“For me,” says master filmmaker Claire Denis, “Cinema is not made to give a psychological explanation; for me cinema is montage.” Those who have experienced works like Beau Travail (Festival 2000), Friday Night (2003), The Intruder (Festival 2005), or her debut feature Chocolat (1988), know the singularity of Denis’ work. None of her films resembles one another, and yet there’s no one else on earth who could have made them. This very special tribute to a filmmaker long beloved by SFFILM audiences will feature a highlight reel from her career, an onstage discussion, and a presentation of her astonishing new film High Life. When asked about her new film’s look and design, Denis commented, “My aesthetic was simple: it’s a jail. I wanted the interior of the spaceship to look like a prison. That was my only radical beginning in terms of aesthetics.”
High Life
Germany/France/USA/UK/Poland 2018, 113 min
Anyone familiar with her work knows that a Claire Denis sci-fi film will not be like any other sci-fi film, but High Life is even stranger, bolder, and more sexual than expected. Set aboard a ship populated with death row inmates employed in dangerous space exploration, this masterwork is more concerned with internal galaxies and the black holes of man than interstellar wonders. Starring Robert Pattinson, André Benjamin, and a magnificently tressed Juliette Binoche, High Life also features a mesmerizing score by Denis’ frequent collaborator Stuart A. Staples of Tindersticks.
Tickets to Claire Denis: Tribute + High Life are $25 for SFFILM members, $30 for the general public.
Other prominent honorees who will be presented with public tributes and awards at the 2019 SFFILM Festival include Madeline Anderson, Laura Dern, Claude Jarman, Jr., Laura Linney, John C. Reilly, and the documentary series BBC Arena.
For general information visit sffilm.org/festival.
For photos and press materials visit sffilm.org/press.
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2019 San Francisco International Film Festival
The longest-running film festival in the Americas, the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities. The 62nd edition runs April 10–23 at venues across the Bay Area and features nearly 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards with close to $40,000 in cash prizes, and upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests.
SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization with a mission to champion the world’s finest films and filmmakers through programs anchored in and inspired by the spirit and values of the San Francisco Bay Area. Presenter of the San Francisco International Film Festival, SFFILM is a year-round organization delivering screenings and events to more than 75,000 film lovers and media education programs to more than 12,000 students and teachers annually. In addition to its public programs, SFFILM supports the careers of independent filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond with grants, residencies, and other creative development services.
For more information visit sffilm.org.
This press release is available online at sffilm.org/press/releases.
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