Rice Cinema to feature early films of Olivier Assayas

CONTACT: Margot Dimond
PHONE: (713) 348-6775
E-MAIL: mdimond@rice.edu

RICE CINEMA TO FEATURE EARLY FILMS OF OLIVIER ASSAYAS
Renowned filmmaker’s first four films are rarely shown in U.S.

Five films of French filmmaker Olivier Assayas  — four of which have never been distributed in the United States – will be shown at Rice University Cinema March 31-April 10.

Assayas, regarded today as one of the shining lights of the contemporary international film scene, has had his last three films selected for the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival.

The Rice series will feature his first four films as follows:
–March 31 and April 1, "Disorder" (Desordre) (1986)
–April 2 and 3, "Winter’s Child" (L’enfant de L’hiver) (1989)
–April 7 and 8, "Paris Awakens" (Paris s’éveille) (1991)
–April 10, "A New Life" (Une Nouvelle Vie) (1993)

All shows begin at 8 p.m.

In addition, Assayas’ latest firm, "Clean" (2005), will have a special showing April 9 at 5:00 p.m. Unlike his first four, this film will be distributed in the United States, but not until fall. It stars Maggie Cheung, who won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her work in the film, and Nick Nolte in what has been described as a career-defining performance.

The Assayas film series is the brainchild of Rice Senior Daniel Stuyck, an art history/Spanish major who has been a fan of the filmmaker since he first saw one of Assayas’ films, "Late August, Early September," while working at a Houston movie theater.  Stuyck has been working on this project for the past eight months.

"What makes this a real coup is that Assayas is considered by many to be one of the greatest filmmakers working on today’s international film scene," Stuyck said. "These four early films form kind of a holy grail of his beginnings."

With support from the French Consulate, l’Alliance Française de Houston and Rice, Stuyck was able to procure rare prints of these films.

A commemorative booklet featuring new essays about Assayas from well-known film critics, as well as an interview with the filmmaker, will be distributed to attendees.

Olivier Assayas began as a painter, but eventually segued into writing film criticism for and editing the influential monthly Cahiers du Cinema , the home of such New Wave luminaries as François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard and Eric Rohmer.  He made his first feature film in 1986.

The films are in French with English subtitles.

Tickets are available at the door for $6, general admission and $5 for seniors and Rice students.

Rice Cinema is located on the Rice University campus, inside of Entrance No. 8 University Blvd. at Stockton Dr., 2nd building on the right hand side.  Parking is free.
 
For more information, visit http://ricecinema.rice.edu .   

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