All retrospective films that will be shown at the Filmmuseum after the Viennale - from 1.11. - can of course also be reserved as usual at filmmuseum.at or by calling 01/533 70 54 and purchased at the box office of the Austrian Film Museum. The prices of the Austrian Film Museum apply.
Raúl Ruiz – born in Chile in 1941; shortly after the coup d’etat of 1973, exiled in France, where he died in 2011 – is primarily known for his film work. But he was also an extremely productive, well-read, and innovative artist in whose work a wide variety of places, styles and aesthetic traditions come together. He not only directed over one hundred films (features, shorts, television series, videos) but also wrote two books on film theory as well as works of fiction that defy common genre classification – an extremely diverse oeuvre! Furthermore, Ruiz was active as a playwright and theater director, conceived and organized a radio program, and curated a multimedia exhibition. His films were regularly shown at renowned festivals in New York, Cannes, Rotterdam, and Toronto.
Despite these successes, Ruiz’s extensive work is all too little known and researched. For many years, he was considered an elite filmmaker who occupies a marginal position in the European and Latin American film industry. And for all the esteem he enjoyed among critics and film scholars, access to his work and the commitment of the professional community was limited due to the experimental nature of his art and the poor commercial distribution of his films. At the same time, his uncompromising artistic experimentation aroused the interest of international film stars such as Marcello Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Melvil Poupaud, and John Malkovich.
Ruiz’s enormous importance in the world of films as well as what is now, finally, a growing interest in his work can, however, mainly be attributed to his legacy as a multitalented cineaste. Audiences, creatives, and film scientists come back to his works again and again, because they continually raise the question of what cinema can be, in general – especially at a time when it is increasingly seen as an art form threatened by television, streaming services, and other new media. As part of this generous retrospective of the oeuvre of a great film artist, around forty works will be shown. Among these are also works that have only recently been restored or completed thanks to the dedication of Ruiz’s coworkers, like, for instance, his wife and his frequent editor Valeria Sarmiento, and the producer and actress Chamila Rodríguez. For example, EL REALISMO SOCIALISTA COMO UNA DE LAS BELLAS ARTES (1973/2023), which for a long time was only available in fragmentary form and has now finally been completed.
In the presence of Valeria Sarmiento, Ignacio Agüero and Paulo Branco.
