A different take on edelweiss and alpine frenzy in new austrian film series
The Austrian Cultural Forum New York presents a four-part alpine-themed film series in conjunction with the exhibition, Alpine Desire, which is on view through May 8. A cooperation with the Austrian Film Museum and curated by Michael Loebenstein, the film series features restored gems from the silent movie era as well as rarely seen contemporary films. Just like the exhibition, the films examine the various desires associated with and the abysses hiding behind the cultural-historical subject of the Alps and the "alpine", and show that beauty and horror can exist side by side, and the sublime can conceal nightmares. Wednesday March 9 at 7pm, 'Blind Husbands' by Erich von Stroheim; Thursday March 10 at 7pm 'The Rapture of the Alps', a selection of two contemporary Austrian experimental shorts and a recently rediscovered silent travelogue (Elaine Brennan will provide the live piano score for these two screenings). Admission is free, but reservations are required.