By Jon Peters for LAist
Tomorrow night Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre presents a rare gem from the Czechoslovak New Wave, Intimate Lighting, directed by Ivan Passer. (Passer is perhaps best known as Milos Forman’s co-writer on such classics as Loves of a Blonde and The Fireman’s Ball.) The 1965 film, not available in the U.S. on DVD, will be shown on 35 millimeter imported directly from Prague. And to top it off, director Ivan Passer will be on hand to talk about the film. The film is part of Cinefamily’s aptly named Czech Your Head series which runs through February.
Intimate Lighting film is a winsome look at two long-lost comrades, Petr and Bambas, together again in their small town for a concert. Petr may have left for the city, but Bambas has stayed behind and built a life as a principal at the local music school. The film follows their perambulations as they reconnect, play music at a funeral, and recall old times. It's certainly not a weighty film, yet it provides moments of careful insight.
According to Cinefamily executive director Hadrian Belove, “We just fell in love with the film's light touch, a kind of wit and charm that can easily get overlooked.”
This film is a rare chance to see this truly neglected classic on the big screen and a must-see for film buffs and people who care about the quirky alike. As Belove says about the series, “It's the perfect programming confluence of masterful filmmaking, crowd-pleasing coolness and underexposure.”
See these films before they slip away.
Intimate Lighting
Saturday, 7:30 pm
Silent Movie Theatre
Tickets $10
