Emmanulle Beart as Manon
I have fond memories of Jean de Florette and its sequel, Manon of the Spring,which came out in 1986. The brilliant Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil conspire against a thin, handsome (even with a hunchback!) Gerard Depardieu and, playing his daughter, the spectacularly beautiful Emmanuelle Beart, to acquire valuable land in gorgeous Provence in the 1920s. These films are suspenseful, funny, moving and lovely. (Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, Sat. 7:00 and 9:20; Sun. 3:45 and 6:30.)
Riefenstahl and crew
Lovely also are Leni Riefenstahl’s documentaries about the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Part I, Festival of Nations (Thu. 6:45, Fri. 7:15), features Jesse Owens’ satisfying triumphs over his Aryan rivals in track and field. Part 2, Festival of Beauty (Thu. 9:00, Fri. 9:30), focuses on sailing, rowing, and, notably, diving. Riefenstahl was dubbed “Hitler’s propagandist” but always denied any knowledge of Nazi ideology or crimes. See her controversial movies for yourself.
The Cleveland Museum of Art also features some intriguing documentaries this week. Last year’s The Waiting Room focuses on one day in an Oakland, California, emergency room. Receiving stellar reviews, it made many top-ten lists. It plays Wed. at 6:30 and Fri. at 7:00. Wednesday’s show features a panel discussion after the film.
Hitler’s Children (2011) examines how grandchildren of some of Nazi Germany’s worst criminals have fared. It shows this Sunday at 1:30 and next Wednesday, March 20th, at 7:00.