1) In his seminal essay, “Art Cinema as Institution,” Steve Neale argues that “Art is thus the space in which an indigenous cinema can develop and make its critical and economic mark” (14). What do you think he mean by this?
2) In his examination of Art Cinema as an institution, which three countries does Neal highlight? In your own words, please briefly explain why each of these is significant?
3) According to David Bordwell’s essay, “The Art Cinema as a Mode of Practice,” what is the importance of 1) realism, 2) authorship 3) ambiguity in Art Cinema?
4) Jean Luc Godard's Breathless (1960) contains several references to other films that Jonathan Rosenbaum highlights in his short documentary about Breathless. Reflexivity is commonly used by directors to overtly and usually ironically reflecting conventions of genre or form. What are some examples from Breathless that Rosenbaum highlights and why do you think "reflexivity" is a key characteristic in "art films"?
5) In the press kit for The Wonders, director Alice Rohrwacher states, “We took the same path as the family: we found a house, we put it in order, we set up the garden and brought in the animals. Of course, all of this took months. I think that it can be seen, felt, in the film the very special relationships that arise between the actors and the location, between the crew and the location. The experience still matters, in my opinion. I like working on a fictional story, a fabricated story with characters who do not exist, but with very real relationships. I think all of this, even if it is something invisible, is able to penetrate the images like some kind of magic dust, and then somehow be seen in the movie.”
With this quote in mind, please explain how The Wonders engages with some of the traditions of Italian Neorealism that I highlight in my online presentation. In your response, please choose one specific scene from The Wonders that best illustrates your points.