Nel 1964 il drammaturgo irlandese Samuel Beckett si imbarcò in una delle più affascinanti avventure della storia del cinema: la sua travagliata collaborazione con il genio del cinema muto Buster Keaton nella produzione di un controverso film d’avanguardia: Film. Il cortometraggio, che realizzò insieme al regista Alan Schneider, all’editore Barney Rosset e al direttore della fotografia Boris Kaufman, è stato oggetto di lodi e condanne.
Cinquant’anni dopo il suo memorabile debutto alla Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, Ross Lipman, rinomato filmmaker e restauratore di Los Angeles, ne ripercorre l’appassionante vicenda produttiva in Notfilm, un “cine-saggio” che riporta alla luce materiali d’archivio straordinari – registrazioni audio, scene tagliate, fotografie, appunti, lettere – mostrando interviste inedite a critici, attori e cineasti – tra cui Haskell Wexler, Kevin Brownlow, James Karen, Barney Rosset, Steve Schapiro, Jeannette Seaver, James Knowlson e Billie Whitelaw.
Prodotto da Dennis Doros e Amy Heller della Milestone Films, Notfilm ci conduce dietro le quinte di Film e in una suggestiva esplorazione del cinema muto e sperimentale – da Charlie Chaplin a Buster Keaton, a Luis Buñuel, Dziga Vertov e Jean Vigo – sulle note del compositore ungherese Mihály Víg, stretto collaboratore del regista Béla Tarr.
Notfilm è un omaggio a due straordinari artisti, Beckett e Keaton, ma è anche, al contempo, uno dei più appassionati tributi all’histoire(s) du cinéma.
A shot from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Buster Keaton as “O”. Film is featured in NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video. Photo courtesy of Milestone Films.
Photograph of Samuel Becket and Grove Press’ Richard Seaver on the set of FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT (1965).
By the Brooklyn Bridge, shooting a scene from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Beckett is seen on the far right in his only trip to America, specifically to shoot the film. NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video.
Shooting a scene from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Alan Schneider is wearing the baseball cap and glasses, Buster Keaton is wearing his porkpie hat and Samuel Beckett is on the right. NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video. Photo courtesy of the BFI and Milestone Films.
By the Brooklyn Bridge, shooting a scene from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Beckett is seen on the left and Keaton on the right in his only trip to America, specifically to shoot the film. NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video. Courtesy of the BFI and Milestone Films.
By the Brooklyn Bridge, shooting a scene from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Beckett is seen on the far left in his only trip to America, specifically to shoot the film. Director Alan Schneider is wearing the baseball cap and glasses and Buster Keaton is wearing his porkpie hat. NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video.
Shooting a scene from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Alan Schneider is standing, wearing the baseball cap and glasses, Buster Keaton is seating his porkpie hat. Film is featured in NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video. Photo courtesy of the BFI and Milestone Films.
Samuel Beckett on the set of FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Film by Samuel Beckett is featured in NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video. Photo courtesy of the BFI and Milestone Films
Shooting a scene from FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT taken in the summer of 1964. Buster is reading the paper. This photo was taken on July 20th as the Mets had split a double header with the Cardinals the day before in St. Louis. 3 – 2 WP: Jack Fisher (Mets) LP: Curt Simmons (Cards) and 6 – 7 WP: Bob Gibson (Cards) LP: Willard Hunter (Mets) Film by Samuel Beckett is featured in NOTFILM, a kino-essay by Ross Lipman tells the story of the making of the film. Produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video. Photo courtesy of the BFI and Milestone Films
A portrait of Ross Lipman, director of NOTFILM, a kino-essay telling the story of the making of FILM BY SAMUEL BECKETT (1965), written by Samuel Beckett, starring Buster Keaton and produced by the legandary Barney Rosset. NOTFILM is produced by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller for Milestone Film & Video.
