Le joli mai

"An epic of inquiring photography."—J. Hoberman, The New York Review of Books

After making provocative essay films on Israel and Cuba, the great French filmmaker Chris Marker turned his camera on his own country and its people just as the bitter French-Algerian War came to an end. In Le joli mai, Marker and legendary cameraman Pierre Lhomme take the personal, political, and social pulse of Paris during this transformative time through hours of revealing interviews with people on the street as they reflect upon their own lives, their families, and the future of their country. Narrated by Simone Signoret with music by Michel Legrand. (163 mins., DCP)

Before the screening, at 6 PM, Wexner Center Curator at Large Bill Horrigan discusses his history of collaborations with Chris Marker, including the photography exhibition Staring Back (on view at the Wex in 2007), which was inspired by their conversations about Le joli mai.