BRESSON 101 / The week of films by Robert Bresson

Kino ARMATA, a public space in Prishtina that promotes alternative culture and social dialogue, has the pleasure of announcing the next partnership with Alliance Française de Pristina, the French Embassy in Kosovo and IF Cinema in bringing to Prishtina and Kosovo audiences some of the most important and relevant works of French auteurs.

Films from the ‘BRESSON 101’ series directed by Robert Bresson will be screened at Kino ARMATA between 20-24 January 2020 and include:

Monday, 20 January, 20:00h
"Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne" (1945), 84 min.

Tuesday, 21 January, 20:00h
“Pickpocket” (1959), 75 min.

Wednesday, 22 January, 20:00h
“Au Hasard Balthazar” (1966), 95 min.

Thursday, 23 January, 20:00h
“Lancelot du Lac” (1974), 85 min.

Friday, 24 January, 20:00h
“L'Argent” (1983), 83 min.

Robert Bresson (1901–1999) was among the most highly regarded French filmmakers of all time; his non-professional actors, ellipses, and sparse use of scoring have led his works to be regarded as preeminent examples of minimalist film. Bresson was trained as a painter before moving into films as a screenwriter, making a short film (atypically a comedy) Public Affairs in 1934. After spending more than a year as a German POW during World War II, he made his debut with Angels of Sin (1943). His next film, Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (1945), would be the last time he would work with professional actors. From Journal d'un cure de campagne (1951) (aka "Diary of a Country Priest") onwards, he created a unique minimalist style in which all but the barest essentials are omitted from the film (often, crucial details are only given in the soundtrack), with the actors (he calls them “models”) giving deliberately flat, expressionless performances. It's a demanding and difficult, intensely personal style, which means that his films never achieved great popularity (it was rare for him to make more than one film every five years), but he has a fanatical following among critics, who rate him as one of the greatest artists in the history of the cinema. He retired in the 1980s, after failing to raise the money for a long-planned adaptation of the Book of Genesis.

In both academic and colloquial terms, 101 denotes the elementary or basic facts associated with the field or subject specified. During 101, ARMATA becomes a learning ground for the novices and enthusiasts alike, offering fresh insight into some of the most influential movies and filmmakers of our era.

All films will be screened in the original language with Albanian subtitles and the entrance is free of charge. Kino ARMATA is supported by Prishtina Municipality and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and is located at Brigada e Kosovës St., behind the amphitheater at the Zahir Pajaziti Square.