By Utpal Borpujari / New Delhi
The Cannes Film Festival attendees this year are in for more than a special treat this year, as “2001: A Space Odyssey” will get screened in the Cannes Classics section commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the Stanley Kubrick-directed cult science-fiction film.
The screening on May 12 will be introduced by filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who will be attending the Festival de Cannes for the first time, and will be attended by members of Stanley Kubrick’s family including his daughter Katharina Kubrick and Stanley’s long time producing partner and brother-in-law Jan Harlan.
For the first time since the original release, this 70mm print has been made from new printing elements made from the original camera negative. “This is a true photochemical film recreation. There are no digital tricks, remastered effects, or revisionist edits. The original version will be presented to recreate the cinematic event audiences experienced 50 years ago,” a Cannes Film Festival statement said. A longtime admirer of the late American auteur, Nolan worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the mastering process.
With “2001: A Space Odyssey”, Kubrick redefined the limits of filmmaking and cemented his legacy as one of the most revolutionary and influential film directors of all time. Originally released in 70mm Cinerama roadshow format on April 3, 1968, the film ignited the imaginations of critics and audiences alike and its impact continues to resonate to this day.The film will be released in select U.S. theatres in 70mm beginning May 18.
“One of my earliest memories of cinema is seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, in 70mm, at the Leicester Square Theatre in London with my father. The opportunity to be involved in recreating that experience for a new generation, and of introducing our new unrestored 70mm print of Kubrick’s masterpiece in all its analogue glory at the Festival de Cannes is an honour and a privilege,” Nolan said.
Cannes Film Festival president Thierry Frémaux said, “It is a great honour for the Festival de Cannes to host the 50th anniversary celebration of one of the most extraordinary films in the history of cinema. And to welcome to the Festival for the first time Christopher Nolan, whose presence creates a precious bond between past and present, without which cinema would have no history.”