For many, the pursuit of great cinema can mean a trip to a big city ' or at least the local video store. But for the students and residents of Athens County, it is just a walk down the street.
In October, the Athena, 20 S. Court St., began hosting the Cinematheque series, a monthly collection of films sponsored by Arts for Ohio. The first set of films was randomly selected to act as a model for upcoming months. But since then, Cinematheque has evolved into an organized series that includes a unique monthly theme and several correlating films from different film genres.
This month, the series will feature a retrospective of several famous deceased directors in a series called Dearly Departed. Each month, Ruth Bradley, director of the Athens Center for Film and Video, and Chris Iacofano, program manager, sit down to brainstorm ideas and eventually choose the films for the series. While the organizational process is difficult, the real challenge lies in locating the actual films, said Iacofano.
It's fun actually. It's kind of like detective work
he said of the hunt for the rare 35 mm films.
While audiences often take for granted the abundance of films in contemporary theaters, classic films such as the ones shown in Cinematheque often only have a few 35 mm prints in existence, making their stay in Athens particularly special.
It's pretty unique for this region especially to have an opportunity to see films like this
Iacofano said.
Although many of the films are readily available on DVD, the chance to see these classic, foreign and art-house films on the big screen is just one of the goals of Cinematheque. Films such as these are better appreciated in the theater because the viewing becomes a collective experience for the audience, Bradley said.
Before each film, an Athens guest speaker familiar with the subject of the film introduces it. Afterward, formal and informal discussions are held, with audience members sharing trivia, thoughts and reactions, Iacofano said.
Not only does the series act as a cinematic social gathering, but as the Cinematheque creators intended and hope to expand upon, the films can be tied into the classroom as well. Many of the films tie into a college or a major's curriculum, making the films part of the student's out-of-classroom education.
First and foremost
this program is about enriching the student's experience here
said Iacofano, who contacts student groups with interests that correlate with the films.
I really like seeing the full house in there
with the full audience in the theater
and I really like seeing people get involved with the films in that way
he said. Everybody gets this sort of education
more than just watching the film.
Ryan Navaroli, an OU alumnus and manager of the Athena, is encouraged by attendance so far and hopes to see the series expand over the years. For him, Cinematheque is an opportunity to be surprised by the variety of cinema that exists.
There are so many movies out there that you may never have heard of
never thought of
