Max Ophüls

It had been observed that Max Ophüls is a director of "fours" - before WWII, he made films in four countries in four languages (German, Dutch, Italian and French); fleeing the Nazis to Hollywood, he directed four films in the late 1940s; and, returning to Europe, he made four films in France. Such a schematic pattern resulted from a confluence of fate, history, art and person, which also gave rise to one of the most extravagant, evocative, powerful and distinct body of works in cinema history.

 Ophüls was an auteur before auteurism existed, a globalist before globalism was a catch phrase and a "womenist" before feminism was valued.

 In concert with the showing of Ophüls' Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) in August, part of the Critics Choice programme presented by our sister organization the Film Programmes Office, the Hong Kong Film Archive is screening two restored films of the master in June & July.

The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter.
The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.