Calgary Cinematheque is thrilled to kick off 2025 with a special series: every Thursday in January, enjoy a screening of a classic French film from the iconic "Cinema du Look" movement.
The 1980s, often dubbed the “decade of decadence,” marked a cultural shift where visual aesthetics reigned supreme. While the 1960s and 1970s were defined by political narratives and experimentation, the 1980s embraced hedonism, glamour, and the power of the visual image.
In Britain, directors like Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Adrian Lyne, and Alan Parker transitioned from advertising to create some of Hollywood's most memorable films of the era. Meanwhile, in France, the “Cinema du Look” emerged, a movement coined by French critic Raphaël Bassan. Directors such as Leos Carax, Jean-Jacques Beineix, and Luc Besson redefined French cinema, blending high and pop culture to produce emotionally charged, visually striking masterpieces that remain iconic in European cinema.
Join Calgary Cinematheque to explore this groundbreaking era in French film history, showcasing movies that, as famed critic Pauline Kael
put it, “think with their eyes.” Don’t miss this dazzling celebration of cinematic artistry!
Directed by Luc Besson
January 16, 2025
Loosely based on the life story of famed diver Jacques Mayol, Luc Besson’s fairy tale romance The Big Blue (Le Grande Bleu) is one of the legendary cult films of 80’s European cinema. The relationships revered diver Jacques (Jean Marc Barr) has with his arch rival, Enzo (Jean Reno at his most charismatic) and his insurance adjuster girlfriend, Johana ( Rosanna Arquette) are tested by his nearly mystical obsession with the sea itself. When his arch rival challenges him to a deep sea diving contest where the winner must essentially break a world depth record, Jacques limits begin to know no bounds…
Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix
January 23, 2025
Betty (Beatrice Dalle) lives in romantic seclusion in a stilt house on the beach with barely employed writer Zorg (Jean Hugues Anglade). Betty has dropped into Zorg’s life on a whim and decided not only is he her soulmate but he’s also an artistic genius. Their intense mutual passion is very soon tested by Betty’s inability to ground her own autonomy: Her passionate attraction to Zorg becomes dangerously all consuming, threatening both her sanity and Zorg’s genuine love for her.
Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix
January 30, 2025
Diva is the starting point of “Cinema Du Look.” It’s the film that invented a cinematic movement. Famed opera diva Wilhelmina Higgins refuses to have her voice recorded in any shape or form. When a devoted fan secretly records her lucrative voice, multiple parties in the underground Parisian crime world begin to vie to get their hands on the coveted recording.
