We kick off this series with a session on Béla Tarr. Béla Tarr is a hungarian director and writer who started making films at the age of 16 (mostly documentaries about the poor and overworked in Hungary). his films are characterized by their deep understanding of beauty and tragedy, paired with long panning shots and abstracts.  Mihály Víg is sort of his ennio morricone, and i have to say im absolutely smitten with his scores. i wouldnt normally do this, but this quote really sums up what i would like to say about Béla Tarr.

 

 

8:00PM - south philly

1988 - 116 minutes

a turning point in Tarr's career, this film is a collaboration with Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorka. until this point, tarr had worked solo both in filming and writing. this marks the begining of his now signature style of long panning shots and beautiful abstracts.

 

 

6:00PM - south philly

1985 - 122 minutes

compared to Sartre's No Exit, Almanac of Fall (Öszi Almanach) relates the tale of 5 people living in close quarters in a small apartment. in this film, Tarr uses the camera angles and light plays to emphasize the angst and intensities of the central characters, creating an extra depth to their development.

 

8:00PM - south philly

2000 - 145 minutes

described as elegant and haunting, Werckmeister Harmonies (Werckmeister Harmóniák) is a follow up to Tarr's seven hour epic Satantango (based on a novel by Laszlo Krasznahorka) which explores the history and cycles of violence in eastern europe. this film will close the series on Béla Tarr.