SIFF’s Noir City 2020 Returns

Posted on February 17, 2020, 1:41 pm
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Cinephiles won’t want to miss the latest from SIFF:

What: Noir City Seattle
Where: SIFF Cinema Egyptian
When: Feb 14 – 20

The 2020 incarnation of the world’s most popular Film Noir festival, Noir City, is returning to the legendary SIFF Cinema Egyptian February 14 through 20 for a weeklong excursion into darkness hosted by Eddie Muller, internationally renowned “Czar of Noir” and host of the popular Turner Classic Movies series “Noir Alley.”

The festival presents 20 classic films from around the globe, a wide-ranging, thematically cohesive immersion into a sordid world of sinister and sexy affairs—including neon-streaked alleys of Japanese yakuza thrillers, the stylish Parisian underworld, Italian palazzos hiding crimes of every social strata, a Kafkaesque Prague as envisioned by the Czech New Wave—even a rare serial killer film set in Nazi Germany made by Hollywood’s finest director of film noir, Robert Siodmak.

For veteran cinephiles, this year’s Noir City is a chance to again experience cherished cinematic masterpieces in a bona fide movie palace, including several films presented in glorious 35mm. For those just starting their cinematic journey, it’s the perfect introduction to a wide world of international filmmakers and stars, on the big screen, larger than life. Tour guides include some of the world’s most revered filmmakers: Julien Duvivier, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jirí Weiss, Kim Ki-young, and Masahiro Shinoda.

In addition to films, trivia, and nightly prizes, we are partnering with KNKX to present the Dmitri Matheny Group on Closing Night, playing noir jazz with an international flair.

Stan Shields, SIFF Festival Programming Manager, says, “We are excited to bring Noir City back to SIFF Cinema Egyptian again this year. Audiences will be treated to rare, hard-to-find noir gems, and there is no better venue to experience these powerful international contributions to film noir.”

SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett puts it all in perspective; “SIFF and the Film Noir Foundation have been partnering for years to support the restoration of noir films, and bring this artistically and culturally important genre to SIFF audiences,” adding, “What makes this partnership so special is Eddie. Eddie Muller is our fabulous guide, giving audiences a treasure map to a cache of films that might otherwise go unseen and unappreciated.”

Passes and tickets for Noir City 2020 are on sale now, and the full schedule is available at siff.net/noir.

Monday, February 17
The Facts of Murder | Un Maledetto Imbroglio
A home break-in seems trivial until the victim’s neighbor turns up dead. An intricate mystery that’s equal parts thriller, policier, and black comedy. (d: Pietro Germi c: Pieto Germi, Claudia Cardinale, and Franco Fabrizi, Italy, 1959, 115 min) Italian with English subtitles.

A Woman’s Face | En kvinnas ansikte
Legendary star Ingrid Bergman, pre-Hollywood, plays a disfigured gang boss who goes against her criminal cohorts in a last chance at redemption. (d: Gustaf Molander c: Ingrid Bergman, Tore Svennberg, and Anders Henrikson, Poland, 1938, 100 min) Swedish with English subtitles.

Never Let Go (35mm)
A salesman whose car is stolen risks his life to retrieve it in London’s underworld. The villain? Peter Sellers in an unexpected, terrifying turn. (d: John Guillermin c: Richard Todd, Peter Sellers, and Elizabeth Sellars, England, 1960, 90 min) English no subtitles.

Victim (35mm)
In its time, this film about a gay lawyer who agrees to defend an ex-lover on a theft charge, was considered as daring a film as had ever been made in England. (d: Basil Dearden c: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Syms, and Dennis Price, England, 1961, 96 min) English no subtitles.

BEYOND THE VS DAILY HIT

Tuesday, February 18 
… and the Fifth Horseman is Fear | … a páty jezdec je Strach (35mm)
A former doctor defies the Nazis by trying to save a resistance fighter during one long, surreal night in Prague. A Czech New Wave masterpiece. (d: Zbynek Brynych c: Miroslav Machácek, Jiri Adamira, and Zdenka Procházková, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 100 min) Czechoslovakian with English subtitles.

90 Degrees in the Shade | Třicet jedna ve stínu
A liquor store audit results in life-altering revelations for everyone involved, both guilty and innocent. A unique Czech-British co-production. (d: Jiri Weiss c: Anne Heywood, James Booth, and Rudolf Hrusinsky, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 100 min) English no subtitles.


Wednesday, February 19
The Housemaid | Hanyo
A middle-class Korean family spirals into a delirious nightmare after hiring a young housemaid. A unique mix of soap opera, noir, and horror. (d: Kim Ki-young c: Kim Jin Kyu, Ju Jeung-nyeo, and Myung-sook, South Korea, 1960, 111 min) Korean with English subtitles.

Black Hair | Geomeun Meori
The mistress of a yakuza is scarred and tossed aside after she’s raped by one of his henchmen. Only she’s not going down without a fight. (d: Lee Man-hee c: Moon Jeong-suk, Jang Dong-he, and Chae Rang, South Korea, 1964, 105 min) Korean with English subtitles.


Thursday, February 20
The Devil Strikes at Night | Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam (35mm)
The hunt for a serial killer in Nazi Germany runs afoul of the Reich when the culprit doesn’t fit their desired profile. Late classic by a noir master! (d: Robert Siodmak, c: Claus Holm, Annemarie Düringer, and Mario Adorf, West Germany, 1957, 97 min) German with English subtitles.

Black Gravel | Schwarzer kies
A black-market trucker, whose former flame is married to a U.S. officer, tries to hide a fatal hit-and-run. Rescued Cold War cinema at its bleakest. (d: Helmut Käutner, c: Helmut Wildt, Ingmar Zeiberg, and Hans Cossy, West Germany, 1961, 113 min) German with English subtitles.


About the Film Noir Foundation

The Film Noir Foundation is a non-profit public benefit corporation created as an educational resource regarding the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of film noir as an original American cinematic movement. As a focal point of the classic film noir revival, the Foundation serves as a conduit between film companies and repertory cinemas still eager to screen these films in 35mm. Revenues generated by ticket sales encourage studios film archives to strike new prints of films that are at risk of disappearing from public view, either through neglect or scarcity. Once these films are unearthed and returned to circulation, the chances exponentially increase that they will be reissued on DVD, available in pristine, affordable form for future generations of film-lovers.

About SIFF

Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival is the longest, most highly attended film festival in the United States, reaching more than 140,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 400 features, short films, and documentaries from over 80 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical releases, arthouse, international titles, and classic repertory film showings daily on five screens at the SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Cinema Egyptian, and SIFF Film Center, reaching more than 150,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 8,000 students and youth in the community each year.