FESTIVAL _

film/PREVIEW

_ Avanti Avati!“

A perennial joy of the Edinburgh International Film Festival is the discovery of new faces, but this year‘s model might perverser turn out to be an old one, in the shape of Italian jazz clarinettist turned film director, Pupi Avati. Despite turning out twenty films in as many years, Avati is practically unknown to English speaking audiences, a discrepancy which EIFF

director David Robinson is determined : to redresswith this year’sthirteen-film i

retrospective (including three video presentations).

Robinson admits he's been fascinated by the ltalian's work since 1983‘s We Three, which he describes

_ Landis Ho!

‘How can you do this? My films are so stupid!‘ was, reportedly, the reaction at director John Landis, when told of the retrospective of his films planned for this year‘s Edinburgh International Film Festival. Yes, that‘s right, the man who brought you Coming To America, The Blues Brothers and National Lampoon’s Animal House to be honoured at the 44th Edinburgh celebration of (ahem) cinematic art.

Festival director David Robinson can

barely be accused of kowtowing to the celluloid purists, but with fewer and fewer directors for festivals to ‘discover‘ it‘s certainly an arresting

. 2-. ._ __-__.__j

as, ‘the best of the Mozart films‘. It speculates on a true incident in the young Wolfgang Amadeus‘ childhood when the papers for a music exam he

inexplicably failed were later altered to

secure a pass. Avati suggests that having discovered friendship in the Bologna countryside the prodigy contrived to fail, knowing that a pass would condemn him to a life of lonely genius.

‘Avati is a master storyteller,‘ Robinson enthuses, ‘very visual and skillul with atmosphere.‘ Claims that are certainly vindicated by the lucid charm of his most recent piece, A Story of Boys and Girls, in which the Iilm-maker evocatively recounts the tensions of his parents‘ engagment party.

Edinburgh audiences will get a taste of the man‘s eclectic output Irom the lantastical Stars in The Ditch (1979), based on stories from Bolognaisi folklore, to the autobiographical offerings Cinema!!! (1979) and Jazz Band (1978) and even a musical, Help Me To Dream (1981). ‘It‘s idiotic that these films never got to us,‘ Adds

Robinson, ‘they are all so beautiful and

I just want people to see them.‘

Entrance to the Pupi Avati Iilm shown at

the film festival will be free on presentation of the ‘Pupi Avati Event Card‘, which costs £12 and is available only from the box oftice at Filmhouse,

Lothian Road (031 228 2688). The price

also includes a special publication and admission to the Pupi Avati Round Table on Sat 10 Aug from 10am. See Daily Diarytorlurtherprogramme details.

move. Robinson‘s thesis is that as an avowedly populist film-maker working for a young contemporary audience, Landis chooses not to demean the intelligence or degrade the morale of his vulnerable viewers. Certainly Landis is the premier purveyor of mainstream Hollywood comedy, and in a smartly crafted entertainment like Trading Places one can certainly discern the gentle moral guidance to which Robinson relers.

Beyond that, the director has to go down as one of the most knowledgeable and allusive of tinseltown talents, his career at various points demonstrating a love 01 genre flicks (Schlock, An American Werewolf in London), a passion for rhythm‘n‘blues music (The Blues Brothers), and an eclectic cineaste’s penchant for cameo roles from directors as diverse as Don Siegel and Costa-Gavras (Into The Night, Spies Like Us). There's surely enough material in there to make an auteur of him yet. (Trevor Johnston)

The John Landis retrospective begins with a double-bill of Schlock and Michael Jackson‘sThriller, in Filmhouse One on Sun 13 Aug at 2pm,

with the director‘s presence an

expected bonus. See Daily Diary for

; turtherprogramme and ticket

information.

\ I3 LY

in association with

(‘/

_ /fi/’/§//7/’l’

FREELOAD ON THE

FESTIVAL

Readers with taste will love our ASSEMBLY 10 celebrations! The Assembly Rooms and their major sponsor - HARP PREMIER EXPORT LAGER - are offering a generous number of tickets for the best shows. This year‘s anniversary programme is the strongest yet with a marvellous line-up of comedy, theatre, music, drama and cabaret. Only on the day of each performance tickets will be Issued on a first come, first served basis, but no later than two hours prior to the start of the performance. Vouchers should be presented at the Assembly Rooms Information Desk. Only one offer per person per Issue.

AMERICAN FESTIVAL THEATRE

A pair of free tickets to see

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR on Sat 11th, Sun 12th (3.45pm). Up to 3 pairs of tickets available for each performance.

DAVID GLASS

A pair of tickets to see

POPEYE IN EXILE on Fri 10th, Mon 13th (4.00pm). Up to 3 pairs of tickets available for each performance.

TOM ROBINSON

A pair of free tickets to see MOONLIGHTING on Mon 13th, Wed 15th (11.45pm). Up to 3 pairs of tickets available for each performance.

DENIS LEARY

A pair of free tickets to see

- NO CURE FOR CANCER on Fri 10th. Mon 13th (10.15pm). Up to 3 pairs of tickets available for each performance.

I NATIONAL NSTC A pair of free tickets to see

THE HYPOCHONORIAC on Fri 10th.

Sat 11th (2.00pm). Up to 3 pairs of tickets available for each performance.

WI

COMPANY

I THEATRE I

I'hcl |\I ll! Il).'\llf_!ll.\l Itiiit153