Surrealist Night in Paris at Studio des Ursulines on February 9

Studio des Ursulines is a legendary Paris film theater, and one of the oldest to be still running, opened on January 21 1926. It showed “Entr’acte” by René Clair, and “Freudlose Gasse” (Joyless street) by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, introducing Greta Garbo.

Then it became a famous “Art and Essay” film theater, and when the “Jules and Jim” trio by François Truffaut go to the movies, the scene is shot at the Ursulines.

Next February 9 night, at 9 PM, celebrates the 80 birthday of the Homeric first projection, on February 9 1928, in the same theater, of Germaine Dulac film “La Coquille et le Clergyman“(the seashell and the clergyman), considered as the first surrealist picture.

The film script had been written by Antonin Artaud, who probably wished to play the leading part, but for some reason, Germaine Dulac shot the movie as she indented too, without collaborating with him anymore. This premiere was attended to by André Breton, who read loud Artaud’s script while the film was running. Insults (by surrealists) and struggle (with the audience), as offended Germaine Dulac fainted, went on up to three in the morning in this usually peaceful little street.

This year’s program includes a projection of “La Coquille et le Clergyman” - which is of course a silent film, with a musical score composed by François Hadji Lazaro, a former alternative rock musician who’s been playing in a number of films. It will be followed by a video called “Tumulte aux Ursulines“, narrating this stormy night.

I guess that February 2008 will be a less passionate and hectic night than February 1928, but it will certainly be fun and fascinating, which cannot be expected of that many night at the movies on this century.

Studio des Ursulines, 10 rue des Ursulines 75005 Paris RER B Luxembourg tel 33(0)1 56 81 15 20. Reservation (from Wednesday February 6 )for Saturday February 9 at this number or by mail at info@studiodesursulines.

All about this film theater on : http://www.studiodesursulines.com/