I am Curious (Yellow)
Pink Narcissus
Friday, January 10 at 7pm I am Curious (Yellow)
Saturday, January 11 at 5pm Pink Narcissus
dir. Vilgot Sjoman, Sweden, 1967, 35mm, b&w, 121 min.
dir. James Bidgood, US, 1971, 35mm, 71 min.
Seized by customs upon entry to the United States, subject of a heated court battle, and banned in numerous cities, Vilgot Sjöman’s I Am Curious—Yellow is one of the most controversial films of all time. This landmark document of Swedish society during the sexual revolution has been declared both obscene and revolutionary. It tells the story of Lena (Lena Nyman), a searching and rebellious young woman, and her personal quest to understand the social and political conditions in 1960s Sweden, as well as her bold exploration of her own sexual identity. I Am Curious—Yellow is a subversive mix of dramatic and documentary techniques, attacking capitalist injustices and frankly addressing the politics of sexuality.
Photographer James Bidgood shot Pink Narcissus on 8mm in his small New York apartment over the course of seven years, though upon its initial release the director was uncredited. The film is awash in vivid colors as the main character imagines himself in a series of erotically charged fantasies that draw on mythological themes and surrealistic tableaux. Pink Narcissus is an enduring classic of early Queer cinema.
Preceded by: Touch Cinema
Oblivion
dir. Valie Export, Austria, 1968, HD, 1 min.
Preceded by: Jabbok dir. Tom Chomont, US, 1967, 16mm, 3 min. dir. Tom Chomont, US 1969, 16mm, 6 min.