The 'Alén' film cycle, organised by the Vice-Rectorate of the Pontevedra campus, will explore the themes of boundaries and limits through a series of six screenings from October to January. The programme begins on Friday, 23 October, with the screening of 'Lettre de Sibérie' (1957).
In collaboration with the Pontevedra City Council, the cycle aims to highlight how these concepts can symbolically and metaphorically convey a multitude of narratives. Suso Novás, the programmer of the series, stated that the cycle aspires to showcase some of the cinematic routes that address or question these limits.
Each screening will take place at 19:00 and will be followed by a discussion. The opening film, 'Lettre de Sibérie', directed by Chris Marker, is a cine-essay that encourages reflection on the boundaries of cinema as an artistic medium, exploring how the interpretation of images can change based on language.
On the following Friday, 30 October, Orson Welles' 'Sede de mal' (1958) will be screened. This film, which focuses on the physical border between the United States and Mexico, also raises questions about moral and ethical boundaries, illustrating how a character must use ethically questionable tools to achieve justice.
In November, the cycle continues on 12 November with 'O home invisible' (1933), a science fiction film by James Whale that examines the transition between silent and sound cinema, as well as the boundary between the corporeal and incorporeal. The following screening, 'Xogos de guerra' (1983) by John Badham, will take place on 30 October and will shift the focus to the boundary between reality and the virtual world, telling the story of a hacker who accesses the American nuclear defence system.
The cycle will conclude in January with two additional films. 'Scarface' (1932) by Howard Hawks, scheduled for 15 January, will delve into themes of power and the pursuit of ambition without limits. The final screening on 22 January will feature 'O home dunha terra salvaxe' (1971) by Richard C. Sarafian, which will explore the limits between humanity and nature, as well as the capabilities of the human body.
