Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF

(2002). The series was not a big success. One of the reasons could be that
it was too constructed or “over-curated” and it was too unclear how the
concept of surrealism was used. Many of the films would without a doubt
have had a larger audience had they been framed in another, more classical
setting.
In April 2007 we showed the series “The Last Cigarette – Smoking and Smoke
in American Film”, which received positive press coverage and attracted a
large audience. Made relevant by the implementation of the new Danish
smoking ban, which mainly prohibits
smoking indoors in Danish offices and
public buildings, we presented a small
collection of American films featuring a
direct smoking theme, with cigarettes
and smoke as symbolic and stylistic
elements in the overall expression. The
series was also complemented by the
many new “cigarette-films”, such as Coffee
and Cigarettes, Romance and Cigarettes,
Good Night and Good Luck, and Thank You
for Smoking. Several old popular classics
such as Casablanca, Double Indemnity,
Gilda, and To Have and Have Not also fit the
concept perfectly. The series, inspired by
a similar series at the Oslo cinematheque,
showed that a thematic concept could
give a number of films more exposure
than they otherwise would receive.
Geographical Series
Jesper Andersen and Zhang Yimou at the DFI, 2002.
The presentation of geographical series –
often in co-operation with the embassies
of the countries in question – is a
regular feature in many cinematheque
programmes, and they often have a very
engaged audience. A couple of years ago
we arranged a Chinese programme. We
chose five excellent films that had been
shown to the public at the Shanghai
Film Festival, but in the final programme
we also included seven films by Sixth
Generation directors as well. None of
these films were previously distributed
in China, and were mainly financed
by foreign distributors. The overall
programme presented a broad range of
contemporary Chinese films.
We probably should have predicted some
of the cultural clashes, although just a
couple of years earlier we had a visit from
the Chinese Film Bureau and all had gone
smoothly. To curate a film programme, to
Osterreichisches Filmmuseum, Wien.
choose films, also means to take a position in the context of established
14 Journal of Film Preservation / 81 / 2009