The Children's Hour
We're celebrating 75 years of the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, the oldest professional French-language theater still operating in Quebec. Each film in this cycle is based on a play that played at the Rideau Vert and marked a key moment in its history. The Children's Hour is adapted from Lilian Hellman's Innocentes, the first play presented on its stages; James Goldman's The Lion in Winter was performed under the artistic direction of Yvette Brind'Amour, co-founder of the theater; Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's My Fair Lady were staged during the time of current Artistic Director Denise Filiatrault, who also starred in André Brassard's Il était une fois dans l'Est, co-written by playwright and author of Les Belles sœurs, Michel Tremblay.
In an upscale U.S. neighborhood, Karen and Martha, two long-time friends, have managed to make their private school for girls profitable. However, a frustrated student spreads a rumor that the two headmistresses are having an inappropriate relationship, which will have serious consequences for both of them.
William Wyler
William Wyler was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Academy Awards for Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben-Hur (1959), all of which also won for Best Picture. He holds the record of twelve nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director. Wyler immigrated to the United States in 1921 where he worked first for Universal Studios in New York before moving to Los Angeles. By 1925, he was the youngest director at Universal, and in 1929, he directed Hell's Heroes, their first sound production filmed entirely on location. Film historian Ian Freer calls Wyler a "bona fide perfectionist", whose penchant for retakes and an attempt to hone every last nuance "became the stuff of legend." His ability to direct a string of classic literary adaptations into huge box-office and critical successes made him one of "Hollywood's most bankable moviemakers" from the 1930s to the 1960s. Through his talent for staging, editing, and camera movement, he turned dynamic theatrical spaces into cinematic ones. Wyler is also known for his work as an actors' director, often propelling them to stardom. For his oeuvre of work, he was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award.
Explore
Presented in collaboration with
