Sculpting Time - Andrei Tarkovsky
Cinema Rediscovered 2016
Please note : this season finished in Aug 2016
Perhaps more than any filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky defines the essence of the cinematic. If you wanted evidence of film as an art form you would point to Tarkovsky films; their symbolic imagery, mesmerising rhythm, pace and innovative use of sound. The phrase sculpting time perfectly encapsulates the experience of watching his films – one where time is shaped into an immersive cinematic experience. His body of work amounts to a monumental and thematically consistent exploration of the human condition with an intensity on a par with Samuel Beckett in theatre or Gustav Mahler in music.
Starting with Ivan's Childhood at the end of May and then throughout July as part of Cinema Rediscovered, we are delighted to present new digitally restored copies of all seven of Tarkovsky’s films. From the extraordinary ode to the power of art via the life and times of Russia’s greatest icon painter – Andrei Rublev; the brilliantly original science-fiction epic Solaris that brought a new compassion and artistic sensitivity to the genre; his semi-autobiographical and mesmerising composition of a dying man’s dreams and recollections in The Mirror; to the decayed post-industrial wastelands of Stalker - considered by many to be Tarkovsky’s magnum opus; the deeply personal and poetic longing of Nostalgia; and his melancholic swansong The Sacrifice with its visually breathtaking meditation on existential terror.
Films that are characterised by metaphysical and spiritual explorations of the human condition, it's time to rediscover these timeless cinematic landmarks - each an artistic masterpiece of extraordinary visual beauty.
- The 18:00 screening of The Mirror on Wed 20 July will feature an introduction and Q&A with artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah who will be talking about the influence of Mirror on his own work and Tarkovsky’s innovative use of sound. A founding member of the influential Black Audio Film Collective, Akomfrah's work has been shown in museums and exhibitions around the world including most recently his exhibition Vertigo Sea at Arnolfini.
Ticket prices: Screenings before 16:00: £6.50 full / £4.50 concessions. Screenings after 16:00: £9.00 full / £6.50 concessions. Aged 24 or under? You can see any screening at any time for £4.50.
Get £2.00 off with a Cinema Rediscovered Pass: (this also allows you to book discounted tickets for any of the 20+ Cinema Rediscovered events from Thu 28 - Sun 31 July subject to availability, conditions apply). Pass prices: £80.00 full / £65.00 concessions and under 24s. Buy your Pass here.