Dance Films Association & the Film Society of Lincoln Center Co-host

Talking Pictures: The Cinema of Yvonne Rainer
Opening Night Reception

Following the screening of the Opening Night film Lives of Performers
(Yvonne Rainer, 1972, 16mm, 90 minutes)

Friday, July 21, 2017
Screening at 7:00PM
Reception to follow in the studio at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center

 

Franc​esca Be​ale The​ater at the El​inor Bun​in Mu​nroe Fi​lm Cen​ter
The Film Society of Lincoln Center
14​4 We​st 65​th Stre​et
New York, N​Y 100​23

 

Click here for directions.

Dance Films Association is pleased to co-host the Opening Night Reception of Talking Pictures: The Cinema of Yvonne Rainer, a retrospective series dedicated to the cinematic works of the renowned choreographer and filmmaker at the Film Society from J​uly 2​1 – 2​7.

Lives of Performers begins, fittingly, with a rehearsal. Cinematographer Babette Mangolte’s roving camera arcs across the bodies of dancers as they commit a pattern of movement to memory, and this image—of a work in the process of becoming—serves as an emblem of sorts for Rainer’s film, which stages a familiar story of infatuation and uncertain feeling in an unorthodox fashion. As a love triangle between a man and two women plays out as a series of tableaux against an austere backdrop, the particulars of its development are revealed largely through off-camera line readings and fragments of on-screen text. Pulling the viewer in and pushing them out with equal force, Lives of Performers is a beguiling example of anti-illusionism, coolly revealing the mechanics of melodrama while illustrating the power and potential of its appeal to sentiment.

Art historian and critic Douglas Crimp will introduce Lives of Performers at the Francesca Beale Theater. The Opening Night reception will follow the 7:00PM screening.

Series organized by Thomas Beard.
Still from Lives of Performers, courtesy Zeitgeist Films

Get Tickets

The Opening Night reception is open to Lives of Performers ticket holders! Buy your tickets in advance here.
*DFA members will receive a discount code for tickets to the full series via email.* Hosted by: The Film Society of Lincoln Center is devoted to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema. The only branch of the world-renowned arts complex Lincoln Center to shine a light on the everlasting yet evolving importance of the moving image, this nonprofit organization was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international film. Via year-round programming and discussions; its annual New York Film Festival; and its publications, including Film Comment, the U.S.’s premier magazine about films and film culture, the Film Society endeavors to make the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broader audience, as well as to ensure that it will remain an essential art form for years to come. Dance Films Association, Inc. (DFA) is dedicated to furthering the art of dance film. Connecting artists and organizations, fostering new works for new audiences, and sharing essential resources, DFA seeks to be a catalyst for innovation in and preservation of dance on camera. Currently, DFA is actively seeking to broaden its audience via new media initiatives and membership drives, to support cutting edge approaches to dance documentation, and to expand partnerships with schools, arts partners, media sites, and other institutions. Alongside the Dance on Camera Festival, DFA conducts year round programming such as the Dance Film Lab, Dance Films Presents, and Capturing Motion NYC and additionally acts as a Fiscal Sponsor and offers a Production Grant. This program is made possible in part with support from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, The Office of the Mayor Bill De Blasio, and Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl.

Drinks and refreshments for the Opening Night Reception are generously provided by Lagunitas Brewing Company, Aveníu Brands, and Paul J. Galando.