April 15 – 29, 2023
Classic mid-century melodramas had no greater proponent than legendary director Douglas Sirk (1897-1987), who fled Germany for the United States in 1937 and established himself in Hollywood as one of the most popular filmmakers of his era. Known for their lush Technicolor palette, hyper-detailed staging, focus on middle-class “domestic” issues, and exaggerated performances, Sirk’s films continue to influence filmmakers like Todd Haynes and Pedro Almodóvar today. This series of three adaptations Sirk made for Universal Pictures are programmed in partnership with the AFI Silver Theatre, and the Locarno International Film Festival, where a full retrospective of Sirk’s films was curated by Bernard Eisenschitz and Roberto Turigliatto in 2022.