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Sun, Sept 24 / 7 pm
Fri, Sept 29 / 7 pm
Sun, Oct 8 / 3 pm
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
1979, Soviet Union, 163 min
Russian with English subtitles
One of the most immersive and rarefied experiences in the history of cinema has recently been re-released in a new 4K restoration. Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker embarks on a metaphysical journey through an enigmatic post-apocalyptic landscape. A hired guide—the “Stalker” of the title – leads a writer and a scientist into the heart of the Zone, the restricted site of a long-ago disaster, where the three men eventually zero in on the ‘room’, a place rumored to fulfill one’s most deeply held desires. Tarkovsky adapted a science-fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, to make what would be his final Soviet feature. He succeeded in creating a challenging and visually stunning work and his painstaking attention to material detail and sense of organic atmosphere is further enriched by this vivid new digital restoration. A religious allegory, a reflection of contemporary political anxieties, and a meditation on film itself, Stalker envelops the viewer by opening up a multitude of possible meanings.
