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SCREENING, DRIVE-IN PRESENTATION

12 Monkeys + La Jetée

Friday, Apr 9, 2021 at 7:00 pm

Part of Queens Drive-In and Proceed with Caution: Science on Screen at the Queens Drive-In

Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi classic, plus two shorts that speak to how past mistakes can haunt us, including the 1962 film that inspired it.
This screening is made possible with the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
With an introduction by Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo—lead epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative—about pandemic preparedness and what we can learn from the past to help our present and future.

12 Monkeys
Dir. Terry Gilliam. U.S., 1995, 127 mins. With Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer. In a future where all humans are forced underground by the ravages of a deadly virus, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about how to stop its spread. Inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 short La Jetée, Terry Gilliam (Monty Python, Brazil) crafts a riveting, action-packed update featuring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Christopher Plummer, and Brad Pitt in his first Oscar-nominated role. Rated R.

La Jetée
Dir. Chris Marker. France, 1962, 28 mins. With Étienne Becker, Jean Négroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich. Marker’s seminal science-fiction masterpiece, concerning a time traveler in a postapocalyptic Paris who is haunted by his own mysterious past, is considered by many the greatest short film ever made. Told in photographs (with one remarkable exception), this mind-bending work has influenced countless filmmakers.

Semmelweis
Dir. Jim Berry. U.S., 2001, 21 mins. With Fritz Michel, Eden Riegel, James Kelly. This dramatic short, inspired by the life of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis, ostracized by the scientific community for his belief that hand-washing could save lives, has newfound resonance since the outbreak and response to the COVID-19 virus. Semmelweis was produced with support from a grant awarded by NYU in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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