Marcelo Mastroianni’s Presence at Rendez-Vous With French Cinema

A photo exhibit at the Film Society of Lincoln Center features color stills from the set of Fellini’s 8 1/2, the maestro’s last film in black & white. Photographer Paul Ronald shot them as an aside while he was shooting black & white production stills, and of course, as these things go, the cache was lost—and now found. Glorious Anouk Aimee, and Marcelo Mastroianni seated in profile, waiting, perhaps for his next scene. Curated by Sam Stourdze, the show will stay up till summer, as the Film Society is now planning to screen a Mastroianni retrospective. Back in the day, Mastroianni came to Lincoln Center for the New York Film Festival. Following a press screening, reporters and critics surrounded him, begging for autographs. “But you are the press,” he said gesticulating wildly, reminding the crowd of its place. Icon that he was, he would not tolerate this breach of decorum.

This week’s Rendez-Vous, a favorite festival, had another icon in attendance, Agnes Varda, whose photography is on display at the Blum & Poe. Among the notable features was the opening night film Django, which arrived in New York just after its opening night debut at the Berlinale. Set in World War II, the film tells the story of Django Reinhardt during the war years, a focus for the war experiences of Europe’s gypsies, targets for Nazi roundup, deportation, and genocide. Of course there is much action, danger, intrigue, and beautiful women, especially Cecile de France, but most memorable is Django’s music. Reda Kateb, attending Rendez-vous, still wears the pencil thin mustache that evokes Django, and said he had to learn to play jazz guitar. Anticipating a U.S. opening for this, his feature debut, director Etienne Comar attended opening night festivities at the French Embassy’s Payne Whitney mansion.

You cannot have Rendez-Vous without Francois Ozon, Francois Ozon, this year with his sublime Frantz, a tender movie set after World War I in Germany and France. A mysterious young man visits the grave of a fallen German soldier, catching the eye and heart of the dead man’s fiancé. Shot in black & white, this gem has an antique delicacy, and will open on March 15.

Regina Weinreich

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura