The Wednesdays screenings at Lamakaan in August celebrate Roman Polanski's films.
Raymond Roman Thierry Polánski 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. During his career Polanski has received five Oscar nominations, winning the Best Director in 2003 for The Pianist. He has also received two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTAs, a Palme d'Or of the 2002 Cannes Film Festival in France, as well as multiple Césars.
His Polish–Jewish parents moved the family from his birthplace in Paris back to Kraków in 1937. Two years later, the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany started World War II, and the family found themselves trapped in the Kraków Ghetto. After his mother and father were taken in raids, Polanski spent his formative years in foster homes, surviving the Holocaust by adopting a false identity and concealing his Jewish heritage. Polanski's first feature-length film, Knife in the Water (1962), was made in Poland and was nominated for the United States Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. After living in France for a few years, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he directed his first three feature-length films: Repulsion (1965), Cul-de-sac (1966), and The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). In 1968, he moved to the United States and cemented his status in the film industry by directing the horror film Rosemary's Baby (1968).
Polanski's life turned in 1969 when his pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate, and four friends were murdered by members of the Manson Family. He made Macbeth (1971) in England and Chinatown (1974) back in Hollywood. In 1977, Polanski was arrested and charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. As a result of a plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful sex with a minor. In 1978, upon learning that the judge planned to reject his plea deal and impose a prison term instead of probation, he fled to Paris. As a result, Polanski is a fugitive from the U.S. criminal justice system. In addition to his conviction, multiple other women have accused Polanski of sexually assaulting them as children. After fleeing to Europe, Polanski continued directing. His other critically acclaimed films include Tess (1979), The Ghost Writer (2010), Venus in Fur (2013), and An Officer and a Spy (2019).
Film Title: Macbeth| 1971 | 140 Minutes
Macbeth (or The Tragedy of Macbeth) is a 1971 historical drama film directed by Roman Polanski and co-written by Polanski and Kenneth Tynan. A film adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, it tells the story of the Highland lord who becomes King of Scotland through treachery and murder. The film stars Jon Finch as the title character and Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth, noted for their relative youth as actors. Themes of historic recurrence, greater pessimism and internal ugliness in physically beautiful characters are added to Shakespeare's story of moral decline, which is presented in a more realistic style.
Polanski opted to create an adaptation of Macbeth as a means of coping with the highly publicized Manson Family murder of his wife, Sharon Tate. Finding difficulty obtaining sponsorship from major studios, the production was funded by Playboy Enterprises. Filming was troubled by poor weather around the British Isles. Macbeth was screened out of competition at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, and was a commercial failure in the United States. The film was controversial for its depictions of graphic violence and nudity, but has received generally positive reviews since its release, and was named Best Film by the National Board of Review.
SCREENING FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION!
ALL ARE WELCOME!!! ENTRY IS FREE & OPEN TO ALL!!!