The venerable Magoski arts building that our LP Hastings profiled last month is home to Hibbleton Gallery, where filmmaker Steve Elkins projects forgotten arthouse classics before an audience seated in mismatched chairs and couches. The casual nature of the environment seems fitting for usual faces, yet perplexing for first time visitors who expect the kind of larger screening room that museums usually offer. But any cinephile- poor, rich, young, or old- can view any screening space as a welcome alternative to seeing a film on Hulu alone.
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Every month, Elkins presents a group of films linked by a particular theme or filmmaker, and this month's filmmaker spotlight is Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman. Bergman, whose films have inspired and polarized audiences and critics for the cerebral, existential nature of his work, has one of the most established artistic oeuvres of all time, I feel his work might not even need introduction. If you've found most of his movies hard to access online and expensive to buy, then consider making Hibbleton Gallery a twice-weekly stop this month for exposure to Bergman's greatest hits. No charge for admission, but snacks and beer are always provided for guests, you should donate some bucks in any case.
As the July Film Series's Facebook page puts it, Bergman's films are often an ongoing study of the search for God, and included themes of loneliness desire. The first half of Elkins' programming schedule is announced as follows:
Wednesday, July 2: Through A Glass Darkly (1961) and Summer Interlude (1951)
Monday, July 7: The Silence (1963) and The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wednesday, July 9: Persona (1966) and The Magician (1958)
Monday, July 14: Hour of The Wolf (1968) and Wild Strawberries (1957)
Wednesday, July 16: Shame (1968) and The Virgin Spring (1960)
In recent memory, Hibbleton's featured the films of Jean-Luc Godard, another highly visible auteur with political, controversial films that deconstruct language and film to their very essence. One such screening of Le Gai Savoir (The Joy of Learning, 1968) was one such art house gem whose content was so intellectual that a handful of viewers walked out midway through the screening. But Hibbleton's casual atmosphere allowed these guys to leave without notice; indeed, whether the remaining audience is a slim few or a packed house, lively and thoughtful discussions will ensue no matter what. Now that's an experience you don't want to miss.
For more information on the films, visit the series Facebook page here. Films begin with an introduction at 7:30pm.
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Aimee Murillo is calendar editor and frequently covers film and previously contributed to the OCW’s long-running fashion column, Trendzilla. Don’t ask her what her favorite movie is unless you want to hear her lengthy defense of Showgirls.