|
Annette Insdorf is Director of Undergraduate Film Studies and a Professor in the Graduate Film Division at Columbia University where she has been teaching for over 20 years. It is hard to be a film fan in New York and not see Dr. Insdorf everywhere you look. From film lectures at the MOMA and commentary on countless DVDs to hosting the coverage of the Cannes Film Festival for BRAVO/IFC, she is a constant presence in the academic film industry and a celebrated member of the National Board of Review.
Born in Paris, but raised in New York, Insdorf has been a lover of films since she was a young girl. She recalls seeing her first movie in the U.S., Trapeze, and "being dazzled by the circus milieu and high-flying acts." But it wasn't until she was in graduate school at Yale that she realized she could turn her love of film into a career. "I was going to the student-run film society screenings every night," Dr. Insdorf remembers, "and finding the experience of watching classics (many times twice in one night) more rewarding then some of my classes!"
Her PH.D. in English at Yale led to a teaching job there, where she still remembers some of the great papers written by her then unknown students, like Jodie Foster, Ed Norton and Angela Bassett. While it has been rewarding to see the careers of many of her former students flourish, Insdorf finds that the most satisfying aspect of being an educator is the opportunity to turn students onto great films, sophisticated storytelling, and inspirational artists." It's a thrill to introduce bright young people to films they would otherwise ignore, from Bertolucci's "The Conformist" to Philip Kaufman's "The Right Stuff."
Dr. Insdorf is also the creator and host of the popular film series, "Reel Pieces" at the 92nd Street Y. She has interviewed over a hundred film artists from Meryl Streep to Sean Penn, but recalls that Ben Kingsley stood out as one of the most articulate. "The way he spoke about acting was downright poetic and spiritual!" she exclaims. Upcoming guests for her series this month include Ed Zwick, Glenn Close, and Holly Hunter.
"I think 2003 has been a good year for films, particularly from the
independents. When I recall such original and finely-made movies as
"American Splendor," "Pieces of "April," "The Station Agent," and "The
Cooler," I can't complain. Moreover, many of the year's best films--and
here I would add "Dirty Pretty Things," "In America" and "The Barbarian
Invasions"--are ensemble pieces: counterpointing the traditional,
hero-driven movies like "Master and Commander" and "The Last Samurai,"
ensemble films suggest that group dynamics might be even more expressive
of our time than the odyssey of an individual."
- "Decalogue" dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski
- "Rules of the Game" dir. Jean Renoir
- "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" dir. Philip Kaufman
- "Three Colors: Blue, White, Red" dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski
- A Woman Under the Influence" dir. John Cassavetes
|
