Jun 17
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Title : Shoeshine (Sciuscià)
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Year : 1948
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Studio : Societa Cooperativa Alfa Cinematografica
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Director : Vittorio de Sica
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Cast : Franco Interlenghi, Rinaldo Smordoni, Annielo Mele, Bruno Ortenzi, Emilio Cigoli
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Notes : Giuseppe & Pascuale save money, buy a horse, are arrested, face hardship, and meet tragedy.
May 23
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Title : From Caligari to Hitler
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Year : 2014
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Studio : Looks Filmproduktionen
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Director : Rüdiger Suchsland
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Cast : Rüdiger Suchsland (narrator)
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Notes : Based on the book by Siegfried Kracauer.
May 17
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Title : The Grapes of Wrath
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Year : 1940
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Studio : 20th Century Fox
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Director : John Ford
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Cast : Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin
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Notes : I guess the ending of the novel would have been hard to get past the censors in 1940. Still, a fine script and outstanding performances.
May 15
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Title : La Ronde
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Year : 1950
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Studio : Films Sacha Gordine
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Director : Max Ophüls
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Cast : Anton Walbrook, Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Simone Simon, Daniel Gélin, Danielle Darrieux
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Notes : A circle of not-quite-licit affairs in turn of the century Vienna, overseen by a time-traveling raconteur.
Jul 09
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Title : Promised Land
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Year : 2012
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Studio : Participant Media
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Director : Gus Van Sant
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Cast : Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Titus Welliver, Hal Holbrook
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Notes : Fracking and deception.
Jul 06
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Title : Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution
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Year : 2015
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Studio : WTIU Public Television
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Director : Glenn Gebhard
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Cast : Rita Moreno
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Notes : Interviews with survivors of the anti-Batista movement in Santiago and Havana.
May 27
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Title : Welcome Danger
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Year : 1929
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Studio : Harold Lloyd Corporation
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Director : Clyde Bruckman
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Cast : Harold Lloyd, Barbara Kent
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Notes : Big trouble in little China.
May 23
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Title : Papa: Hemingway in Cuba
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Year : 2015
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Studio : Yari Film Group
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Director : Bob Yari
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Cast : Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson, Adrian Sparks, Minka Kelly
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Notes : Hemingway and Denne Petticlerc in Cuba during the revolution.
May 20
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Title : Naqoyqatsi
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Year : 2002
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Studio : Qatsi Productions
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Director : Godfrey Reggio
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Notes : The third in the trilogy, and nowhere near as interesting as the original.
May 20
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Title : The Princess Bride
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Year : 1987
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Studio : Act III Communications
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Director : Rob Reiner
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Cast : Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Peter Falk
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Notes : It would take a miracle.
May 18
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Title : Les Rendez-vous d’Anna
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Year : 1978
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Studio : Hélène Films
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Director : Chantal Akerman
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Cast : Aurore Clément, Helmut Griem, Magali Noël, Hanns Zischler, Lea Massari, Jean-Pierre Cassel
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Notes : Anna Silver seems detached and remote.
May 12
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Title : A Hen in the Wind (風の中の牝鶏 Kaze no naka no mendori)
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Year : 1948
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Studio : Shōchiku
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Director : Yasujirō Ozu
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Cast : Kinuyo Tanaka, Chieko Murata, Chishū Ryū, Shūji Sano, Hohi Aoki , Chiyoko Ayatani, Takeshi Sakamoto
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Notes : Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
May 06
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Title : Requiem for the American Dream
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Year : 2015
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Studio : PF Pictures
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Director : Peter D. Hutchison, Kelly Nyks
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Cast : Noam Chomsky
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Notes : 10 principles for creating and sustaining an undemocratic society.
May 02
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Title : Ida
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Year : 2013
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Studio : Canal+ Polska
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Director : Paweł Pawlikowski
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Cast : Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik
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Notes : The unsuspecting Jewish novitiate, her aunt, and a search.
Apr 25
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Title : The Record of a Tenement Gentleman (長屋紳士録 Nagaya shinshiroku)
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Year : 1947
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Studio : Shōchiku
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Director : Yasujirō Ozu
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Cast : Chōko Iida, Hōhi Aoki, Eitaro Ozawa, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Reikichi Kawamura, Chishū Ryū, Takeshi Sakamoto
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Notes : Tane-san reluctantly takes in a kid separated from his father.
Apr 24
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Title : Leningrad Cowboys Go America
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Year : 1989
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Studio : Villealfa Filmproduction Oy
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Director : Aki Kaurismäki
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Cast : Matti Pellonpää, Kari Väänänen, Leningrad Cowboys
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Notes : Nine band members, a shady manager, a coffin, and a Cadillac drive cross country to Mexico.
Apr 23
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Title : As Long as You’ve Got Your Health (Tant qu’on a la santé)
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Year : 1966
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Studio : C.A.P.A.C.
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Director : Pierre Étaix
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Cast : Pierre Étaix, Denise Péronne, Sabine Sun, Claude Massot
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Notes : 4 vignettes about modern life.
Apr 21
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Title : Purple Rain
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Year : 1984
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Studio : Purple Films
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Director : Albert Magnoli
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Cast : Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams III
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Notes : Jealousy, abuse, comedy, love, terrible acting, and great music.
Apr 20
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Title : A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
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Year : 2014
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Studio : Roy Andersson Filmproduktion AB
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Director : Roy Andersson
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Cast : Holger Andersson, Nils Westblom
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Notes : Absurdist comedy and harsh insights.
Apr 19
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Title : Shadows in Paradise (Varjoja paratiisissa)
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Year : 1986
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Studio : Villealfa Filmproduction Oy
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Director : Aki Kaurismäki
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Cast : Matti Pellonpää, Kati Outinen, Sakari Kuosmanen
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Notes : The course of true love never did run straight. The ex-butcher now garbageman, and the grocery store clerk.
Apr 18
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Title : Gertrud
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Year : 1964
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Studio : Palladium
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Director : Carl Theodor Dreyer
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Cast : Nina Pens Rode, Bendt Rothe, Ebbe Rode, Baard Owe
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Notes : Dreyer’s last film, directed as if it were still a play.
Apr 16
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Title : Get Shorty
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Year : 1995
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Studio : Jersey Films
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Director : Barry Sonnenfeld
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Cast : John Travolta, Rene Russo, Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, James Gandolfini
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Notes : Really fine performances in this film.
Apr 16
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Title : La Maison de la Radio
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Year : 2013
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Studio : Les Films d’Ici
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Director : Nicolas Philbert
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Cast : Jean-François Achilli, Evelyne Adam Jean-Claude Ameisen, Arno
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Notes : Inside Radio France.
Apr 15
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Title : Bananas
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Year : 1971
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Studio : MGM
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Director : Woody Allen
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Cast : Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalban, Natividad Abascal, Howard Cosell, the UJA.
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Notes : Music by Marvin Hamlisch.
Apr 11
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Title : Land of Milk and Honey (Pays de cocagne)
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Year : 1971
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Studio : C.A.P.A.C.
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Director : Pierre Étaix
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Cast : ordinary French people
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Notes : Étaix sticks the knife into the belly of bourgeouis society and twists, repeatedly.
Apr 10
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Title : There Was a Father
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Year : 1942
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Studio : Shochiku
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Director : Yasujirō Ozu
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Cast : Chishû Ryû, Shûji Sano, Shin Saburi, Takeshi Sakamoto
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Notes : Chishû Ryû thinks he knows what’s best for his son, and maybe he’s right. Maybe not.
Apr 09
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Title : The Match Factory Girl (Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö)
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Year : 1990
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Studio : Finnkino
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Director : Aki Kaurismäki
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Cast : Kati Outinen, Elina Salo, Esko Nikkari, Vesa Vierikko, Silu Seppälä
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Notes : Iris is ill-treated, and gets damned tired of it.
Apr 07
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Title : Le Bonheur
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Year : 1965
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Studio : Parc Film
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Director : Agnès Varda
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Cast : Jean-Claude Drouot, Claire Drouot, Marie-France Boyer
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Notes : Happiness, infidelity, tragedy, happiness.
Apr 04
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Title : Mon oncle d’Amérique
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Year : 1980
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Studio : Gaumont
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Director : Alain Resnais
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Cast : Gérard Depardieu, Nicole Garcia, Roger Pierre, Nelly Borgeaud, Pierre Arditi
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Notes : A study of human behavior and development.
Apr 03
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Title : Place de la république
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Year : 1974
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Director : Louis Malle
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Cast : People on the street.
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Notes : Interviews with people on the street in Paris, 1974.