Ninotchka
Making lists is an activity moviegoers are fond of. Every year, the same ritual: compilation of the ten best films, with comparative analyses, debates, heated discussions. But what about the ultimate list of the most outstanding films in the history of cinema? That is to say, those films that must be seen, those that have forever transformed the art of cinema, but also our way of seeing a culture, of understanding the world as well as our own lives? This program aims to tackle this challenge with nearly eighty films, produced between 1916 and 1960, while waiting for your lists!
Ninotchka is sent to Paris by the Soviet authorities to keep an eye on three comrades who are a little too used to the charms of Western civilization. She meets Count d'Algout, an idle capitalist, along the way...
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch was a German-born American film director who began his career as an actor. A prolific director, he made over fifty films in thirty years and left a mark on cinema history with his comedies, including Design for Living, Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not to Be, and Heaven Can Wait. Renowned for his mastery of ellipsis, anticipation, and surprise, Lubitsch stood apart from the expressionism of German cinema and the conventions of silent films. The celebrated Lubitsch Touch is defined by its elegant emotional restraint, creating a unique cinematic style where nothing feels overstated. It reflects an art of living, shaping the interactions between characters, as well as between the film and its audience. It also embodies his Jewish humor, offering a graceful resistance to the absurdities of human foolishness.
