Antoine Duhamel, born in 1925, is a leading composer, acknowledged world-wide today, having worked with Europe's most outstanding film directors since the sixties. In 2002 he was awarded the Silver Bear for his music for Bertrand Tavernier's "Laissez-passer" at the Berlin Film Festival.

His film music incorporates the best characteristics of French film music: music of great charm and structural transparency, sometimes pointed, sometimes tender. In addition to his work as a composer of film music he has written ballets, chamber music and operas.

Antoine Duhamel will present a selected choice of his films and talk about his work. Important dates will be an introductory speech by film music specialist Professor Lothar Prox and the German debut of Tavernier's "Laissez-passer".


FILMS (Excerpt)

1965		Pierrot le fou
1970		Domicile Conjugal
1976		Wenn das Fest beginnt (César)
1978		La Chanson de Roland (César)
1979		Death Watch
1985		Symphonisc suite for "Intolerance"
1993		Belle Epoque
1996		Malena
2002		Laissez-Passer
2003		L'Embrujo de Shanghai

This series is supported by BS Energy and the Bureau Culturel Francais





Speech by Lothar Prox - "The film music of Antoine Duhamel"
We, October 29 19:30 CinemaxX 4

The film music specialist Professor Lothar Prox will give a speech about Antoine Duhamel's work on Wednesday, October 29 at 19:30 in the CinemaxX 4.




Laissez-Passer
Director: Bertrand Tavernier, F/D/E 2002, 170 min, Cinemascope, colour, GS
Th, October 30 19:30 CinemaxX 3 Guest: Antoine Duhamel
Sa, November 1 11:00 CinemaxX 3 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



Paris 1942. The "Continental", a company founded by occupying German troops, produces pro-Nazi propaganda films. The fates of two different men cross paths here. Jean Devaivre works for "Continental" but is at the same time active in the French resistance. For script writer and author Jean Aurenche resistance begins when he writes. Tavernier's characters are not heroes. In their day-to-day life food is rationed and bombs fall.




L'Acrobate
Director: Jean-Daniel Pollet, F 1975, 97 min, Beta SP, colour, ES
We, October 29 17:15 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



Léon is shy and works in a sauna; he falls in love with Fumée, an attractive prostitute and wishes to be her only client. At a dance course one day, Léon gets an idea and decides to follow in the footsteps of his friend Ramon. Ramon seduces all the women he meets with his bold dance style. So Léon turns to the tango with a passion - and turns out to have extraordinary talent. Fumée is his partner and together they take all the prizes. But then Léon is in danger of losing her to Ramon...




Ceux d'en face
Director: Jean-Daniel Pollet, F 2000, 90 min, Beta SP, colour, ES, german premiere
Th, October 30 17:15 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



In an empty isolated house musician Mikael composes a psalm. Linda, a young woman, comes to fetch a suitcase belonging to her boyfriend Sebastien. This suitcase is full of photographs of wars, natural catastrophes and suffering humanity. Linda is supposed to make an exhibition with them. She accepts Mikael's suggestion to stay there with him till she is finished. The two gradually come to trust one another.

"Ceux d'en face" is Duhamel's most personal film since Mikael strongly resembles him.




Pierrot le Fout
Director: Jean-Luc Godard, F/I 1965, 110 min, 35 mm, colour, GV
Fr, October 31 22:30 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel
Su, November 2 20:00 Universum 3



Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo) helps his former girl-friend Marianne (Anna Karina) dispose of a corpse. He abandons the life he has been living up to now and joins her gang of criminals. After an accident in Southern France there is a fight with a rival gang. Ferdinand discovers that Marianne's supposed brother is really her lover. The situation escalates.




Belle Epoque
Director: Fernando Trueba, E 1993, 109 min, 35 mm, colour, GV
Fr, October 31 11:00 CinemaxX 1 Guest: Antoine Duhamel
Su, November 2 15:30 CinemaxX 4



It is the spring of 1931. Spain is between a dying monarchy and a rising second republic. Having had enough fighting for the King, Fernando deserts. He first finds refuge at the estate of Manolo but Fernando wants to go to America. But this wish changes when he meets Manolo's four daughters - each one more beautiful than the other!




Death Watch (La mort en direct)
Director: Bertrand Tavernier, D/F 1979, 115 min, 35 mm , colour, GV
Sa, November 1 22:30 Universum 2 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



"Death Watch" is the name of a television programme which consists of live broadcasts from the final days of dying people. Romy Schneider plays the role of a supposedly deathly ill woman fleeing from this programme. She does not suspect that Roddy (Harvey Keitel), the man accompanying her, is a camera man with a secret camera implanted in his eye.




Domicile Conjugal
Director: François Truffaut, F/I 1970, 100 min, 35 mm, colour, GV
Th, October 30 15:00 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



Antoine and Christine are married. He colours flowers in the yard while she gives violin lessons up in the apartment. Among their neighbours are an opera singer and a mysterious lodger they all call the Strangler. When Antoine meets the pretty Japanese woman Kyoko his life goes awry.

"Domicile Conjugal" is an entertaining love film characterized by warm humour, masterfully controlled lightness and subtle charm.




L'Homme du large
Director: Marcel L'Herbier, F 1921, 86 min, Beta SP, b/w, SM, german premiere
Su, November 2 10:45 CinemaxX 2 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



The Breton fisherman Nolff and his wife have two children. While the girl helps her weak Mother, the boy Michel exploits his father's love, refuses to help on the boat and loves the pleasures of the city. After their mother dies Michel takes his sister's share of the inheritance and hurts her. Cornered by his father on the beach, Michel commits perjury...




La Voleuse
Director: Jean Chapot, D/F 1966, 85 min, 35 mm, b/w, GV
Fr, October 31 15:00 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel
Su, November 2 13:15 CinemaxX 1



Julia, long married but childless, feels compelled to kidnap the child she had before she got married and whom she gave away to foster parents. When the foster father tries to get it back Julia, as natural mother, gets custody. In despair the foster father climbs up onto a chimney and threatens to jump off.




L'Embrujo de Shanghai
Director: Fernando Trueba, E 2002, 88 min, 35 mm, colour, ES
We, October 29 21:00 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel
Sa, November 1 20:00 CinemaxX 4 Guest: Antoine Duhamel



The resistance fighters who return from the other side of the border with tales of their adventures are the only bright spot in drab, post-war Barcelona. The story of one of these mythical heroes captures the imagination of young Dani and Susana, until a dose of reality breaks up the spell. Like Susana, Dani too has lost his father to the war. Susana, the perfect Lolita, is his first true love, and one which will mark him for life.




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