CRANFORD — Cranford movie goers love to see all kinds of films.
It’s all about the community coming together to experience magic on the big screen. Cranford Theater owner Doreen Sayegh says it’s about preserving something meaningful and bringing people together in decades to come.
Cranford Theater’s Passport to the Movies: International Film Series, is a celebration of world cinema that invites audiences to experience remarkable films from around the globe – right in their own backyard at Cranford Theater.
The series recently kicked off with “Jules and Jim,” a 1962 French noir film. The two remaining films are “Elevator to the Gallows,” showing on Sunday, May 31, and “Cleo from 5 to 7,” showing on Sunday, June 21.
Gerard Amselleum is the curator of the series. He’s an artist, educator and filmmaker. He saw Cranford Theater as an interesting place to “take a risk” whereas most theaters are mainstream. He said, “It takes a little courage to stand up for ‘different.’”
While Amsellem says people are still interested in classic films, it’s more than just the film. It’s the background of the film. He said, “We’ll talk about the director, the actors, (and) an introduction to give people tools to connect with the film. I try to give a learning experience. You learn about the culture.”
Amsellem considers “Elevator to the Gallows” (1958) one of the greats. It’s a stylish and suspenseful French noir directed by Louis Malle. The story follows a war veteran who commits the perfect crime to be with his lover, only to find himself trapped in an elevator in the very building where the murder took place.
The score was by Miles Davis. “French people were into jazz,” said Amsellem. “Miles Davis was the hit of the time. What’s so special about the score; it’s improvised. As he was watching the film, he was playing the music. Unbelievable creativity for the time. It’s a love story. And at the same time, it’s a thriller. Two different layers, filmed in such a different way. A rich film.”
The French classic “Cleo from 5 to 7” (1962) is the third film in the series – the celebrated French New Wave masterpiece directed by Agnes Varda. The film follows Cleo, a young Parisian singer, as she anxiously awaits the results of a medical test while wandering through the streets of Paris during the course of two transformative hours. Told almost entirely in real time, the film offers a beautiful and intimate portrait of self-reflection, fear and personal awakening.
The film was directed by Agnes Varda. “This is one of the first women statements of the ’60s,” said Amsellem. “She’s the voice of a new era for women. She had a big statement and (a) loud voice about the position of women in society.”
Amsellem is an American and French citizen with a deep passion for classic, foreign and independent cinema from around the world. He spent the first 25 years of his life in France and studied painting at the University of Paris, earning a master’s degree in French literature and art history. He continued his education at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Amsellem has directed several short films and is currently developing two independent film products.
His production company, New Waves Productions, is the promotion of film as an art form and provides public access to high quality cinema.
Amsellem said that working with Cranford Theater is a great experience.
Visit Cranford Theater at: https://www.cranfordtheater.com/.
Photo Courtesy of Jackson Cooperman
