Olivia
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: France | 1951 | DCP | 94 min. | French with English subtitles
Director: Jacqueline Audry
Cast: Simone Simon, Edwige Feuiller, Yvonne De Bray
At a repressive 19th century boarding school for girls, two headmistresses (Feuiller and Simon) compete for the hearts and minds of their students, including the newly arrived Olivia (Marie-Claire Olivia). Meanwhile, Olivia and her fellow students are embarking on their own discovery of the dangerous game of love and attraction. Difficult to see for decades, this haunting, beautiful feature by groundbreaking French female director Jacqueline Audry has been given new life in a meticulous new 4K digital presentation.
New Restorations: From the ridiculous (the Marx Bros.’ Horse Feathers) to the sublime (Claude Berri’s moving The Two of Us), our August-December calendar features more than a half dozen other programs of digital restorations not already included in one of our other series. A selection of features and documentaries from around the world and throughout cinema history, the highlight of this series will be an October 31 program of silent movies curated by The New York Times' film critic Mahohla Dargis.