Summer in Luxor – A Photographic Perspective

Summer in Luxor - The photographic view

Following the success of ‘Zeman aan de IJssel’, Luxor Theater is once again presenting a special programme this summer featuring films of exceptional quality never before screened in the Netherlands, under the title ‘Summer at Luxor – The Photographic Gaze’.

From 2 July to 26 August, the films by the New York-based filmmaker and photographer couple Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin – *Little Fugitive* (1953), *Lovers and Lollipops* (1955) and *Weddings and Babies* (1958), whilst the Algerian-Parisian filmmaker Guy Gilles’s films *L’Amour à la mer* (1964), *Au pan coupé* (1967) and *Le clair de terre* (1970). The programme was organised in collaboration with the Morris Engel Archive in New York, Carlotta Films, FPA Classics and Lobster Films in Paris.

The filmmakers
Morris Engel (1918–2005) and Ruth Orkin (1921–1985) were the first independent filmmakers in the US. Their films, shot with a (self-developed) portable camera, offer a brilliant glimpse into everyday life in Coney Island, Brooklyn and Little Italy.

Guy Gilles (1938–1996) was a romantic. His films are delicate, emotional and dazzlingly beautiful, yet they were consigned to oblivion for more than five decades. Now that they are being rediscovered as masterpieces, he is, 30 years after his death, recognised as a grand master of the Nouvelle Vague.

Apart from their photographic vision, these filmmakers share a connection with the Nouvelle Vague. Whilst Guy Gilles has been rediscovered in recent years as a forgotten grand master of the Nouvelle Vague, that very same Nouvelle Vague, as François Truffaut declared, ‘would never have come into being without the young American Morris Engel, who showed us the way with his production of *Little Fugitive*.’

Film descriptions

Little Fugitive (1953)
This indie classic tells the story of seven-year-old Joey, who runs away to Coney Island after falling victim to a practical joke.

Lovers and Lollipops (1955)
Seven-year-old Peggy watches with mixed feelings as her mother, a former model and widow, begins dating an old friend.

Weddings and Babies (1958)
Al Capetti makes a living taking wedding and baby photographs. His girlfriend thinks it’s time for them to start thinking about getting married and having children themselves.

L’Amour à la mer (1964)
A wistful portrait of the love between a young Parisienne and a sailor from Deauville. Autumn brings distance, heartbreak and fallen leaves.

Au pan coupé (1967)
The thwarted love story between two adolescents, told ‘in a way never before seen in the history of cinema’, according to Marguerite Duras.

Le clair de terre (1970)
A heart-wrenching tale of Pierre, a Parisian who sets off for his hometown of Tunis to retrace the footsteps of his past.

The films are screened daily from 2 July to 26 August. Check the Luxor website or the free Luxor newspaper for dates and times.