In Aelita: Queen of Mars (dir. Yakov Protazanov, USSR, 1924), a Soviet engineer builds a spaceship to find the Martian queen who has been observing him from her planet; to his surprise, he discovers that Mars is a contradictory society with highly advanced technology but stark social inequalities. This interplanetary adventure film features Constructivist costumes, […]
Directed by native St. Louisan Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight,” “The Invitation”) — who receives SLIFF’s Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award — “Destroyer” follows the moral and existential odyssey of LAPD detective Erin Bell (Oscar® winner Nicole Kidman, who also stars in “Boy Erased” at this year’s fest). As a young cop, Erin was placed undercover […]
Expressionist art is the inspiration for Algol: Tragedy of Power (dir. Hans Werckmeister, Germany, 1920), in which a starman shares his extraterrestrial technology with a coal miner, allowing the miner to produce limitless renewable energy and close the mines—with unexpected consequences. Digitally restored by the Munich Film Museum, this rare film can be viewed again […]
In L'Inhumaine (dir. Marcel L'Herbier, France, 1924) an opera diva's celebrity reaches new heights with the help of a scientist's imaginative inventions, in a film that resembles an elaborate abstract painting thanks to designs by painter Fernand Léger and architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. Digitally restored by Lobster Films, this rare film can be viewed again on […]