Antigone

press release:

Germany, France | 1992 | 35mm | 100 min. | German with English subtitles

Director: Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet

Cast: Astrid Ofner, Ursula Ofner, Werner Rehm

By burying the body of her murdered, dishonored brother, Antigone bravely defies the orders of Creon, the new ruler of Thebes. When he punishes her with live burial to discourage any further rebellion that her action could inspire, questions of power, sacrifice, and suffering emerges Creon’s family and advisers react to his decisions. Based on Bertolt Brecht’s version of Sophocles’s tragedy, Straub-Huillet shot the film in the Teatro di Sigesta, an ancient amphitheater in Sicily.

Not Reconciled: The Films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet

Icons of avant-garde cinema, the husband-wife team of Jean-Marie Straub and the late Danièle Huillet provided film history with one of its most intimate collaborative relationships. Beginning in 1954 and ending with Huillet’s death in 2006, Straub-Huillet worked closely together on every aspect of every project starting with a conceptual stage and carrying through to the final editing process. Together, they produced a body of work that includes several adaptations and re-thinkings of classical texts. This sampling of Straub-Huillet features seven of the duo’s best known features and shorts presented in original 35mm prints and new DCP restorations overseen by Jean-Marie Straub.

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.