- CAMERON SHERWELL
In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before. Cameron Sherwell from Projection and the Box Office selects our Staff Choice film for this Season, the 1961 Alain Resnais classic.
In this unconventional French drama, a group of unnamed aristocrats interact at a palatial château, resulting in an enigmatic tale told partially in flashback.
X (Giorgio Albertazzi) is convinced that he has met the beautiful A (Delphine Seyrig) before in the Czech resort town of Marienbad, and implies they had a romantic relationship. M (Sacha Pitoeff), who may be A's husband or boyfriend, confronts her mysterious suitor, leading to conflict and questions about the truth behind his story.
Elegantly enigmatic and dreamlike, this work of essential cinema features exquisite cinematography and an exploration of narrative still revisited by filmmakers today.
Cameron says:
"Part formalist puzzle and part mesmeric examination of obsession, memory, and the liminal terror of the present, 'Last Year at Marienbad' is one of those rare, enigmatic films that shape-shifts with every viewing.
To struggle to secure a single meaning is beside the point: to watch is to dream - one need only submit."