6/21 – 6/22/14
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Mimi Brody photography
by joel lerner
Cinema expert is no new kid on the Block
Mimi Brody is the Pick-Laudati curator of film and director of Block Cinema at the Block Museum in Evanston. Reading: Currently I’m reading a book of essays written by Cahiers du Cinéma film critics — postwar American cinema written about by French film critics who later became famous directors. I also finished “An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man.” I love reading early African-American travelogues; that’s an interest of mine. Listening: I’ve been listening to a lot of early jazz and also Bollywood film music. Jelly Roll Morton and a wonderful collection of Bollywood disaster movie soundtracks. I’ve been revisiting some of the music I loved in my college days, like Neutral Milk Hotel and early Pixies, and I’ve also discovered some great Thai music from the 1970s. Watching: In terms of film, a lot of early 1930s films for a film series we’re doing at the museum that’s a companion to our Left Front exhibition. I’ve been looking for left-leaning and socially conscious films of the 1930s. In terms of my favorite films, I loved a Chilean film called “Gloria” about a 50-something woman in Santiago who rejoins the dating world. It’s an amazing film full of drama and humor. There’s also a wonderful Israeli film called “Fill the Void.” It’s unusual in that it’s a film made by a woman from the Orthodox community in Israel. It felt like a Jane Austen novel set in the Orthodox community. Following: The best way for me to keep up on top of trends and what films are coming out is attending film festivals and conferences. I go to the annual Toronto Film Festival. It’s a great showcase for new films coming out in the fall, some of the best international film that have not been released. I also attend the Berlin
Film Festival in February — it’s particularly good for international films and world cinema. In June, I attend the annual film festival in Bologna, Italy [Cinema Rediscovered]. This festival showcases some of the best restored on 35-millimeter and digitally restored films. It’s an incredible selection of cinema from the past century, usually focused on a director, actor, or national cinema. This year it’s [the work of] William Wellman, early Japanese found films, and films of 1914. Activity: I’m responsible for a public film series that is usually Thursday and Friday evenings. I curate the film series, researching the films, writing about them, publishing our calendar, hosting events and film speakers. Occasionally I do this in conjunction with faculty or students, to present what they’re interested in. Most of the time we’re looking to bring the best contemporary and independent films in the art world. We also show quite a lot of classic Hollywood films, including silent films that may have live music performed along with the film. Eating: I live in Andersonville, and I love some guilty pleasures. Ba Le makes some of the best Vietnamese sandwiches I’ve ever had. My favorite is the tofu avocado banh mi. If I ever move away from Chicago, that’s what I’ll miss. Evanston’s got a lot of great restaurants as well. I love Olive Mountain — really fresh Middle Eastern food. What is your favorite mistake? In your first year of college you’re trying hard to impress people. You can have awkward moments as you try to do and say everything right. We were in a class and the topic of the Marquis de Sade came up, and I pronounced it like the pop singer’s name. It was crushingly humiliating at the time, but now it’s hilarious. I had a friend who threatened to name an alternative rock band after [my mispronunciation]. I wish she had! ■
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