TRIBUTE: MARCEL OPHULS
Approaching his 88th birthday, Marcel Ophuls’ legacy as a filmmaker, a witness to history, and the conscience of Europe is assured. He assumes the mantle of mischievous raconteur in this peripatetic, unexpected autobiography that combines anecdotes, conversations, and loads of clips from vintage movies in a seductive whirl. The son of the great German-Jewish director Max Ophuls (La Ronde), Marcel was five when the family fled Germany for France and then California. He inevitably gravitated to the movie business in France, directing Jeanne Moreau and Jean-Paul Belmondo in Banana Peel (1963) before finding his path as a documentarian with The Sorrow and the Pity. Moreau and Frederick Wiseman are among the peers who join Ophuls on camera, but he’s less interested in revisiting his career than recounting stories of his childhood in Europe and young adulthood in Hollywood. An entertaining capstone to a stellar career, Ain’t Misbehavin' is a treat for movie lovers.
The Tribute program will feature an onstage conversation with Marcel Ophuls, a clip reel of his work, a screening of
Ain’t Misbehavin', and the presentation of the MVFF Award. Join us after the program for a celebratory reception at Il Davide Cucina Italiana in San Rafael.
Co-presented by
San Francisco Jewish Film Institute