Black Orpheus (1959)

Rare outing for an ancient myth given new life in 1950s Brazil with Carnival costumes, bossa nova soundtrack and spectacular Rio backdrop.

Director Camus garnered the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with this vivid adaptation of de Moraes’s play, with a sublime musical soundtrack by Antônio Carlos Jobim.

Orfeu (Breno Mello) is a talented musician, a Casanova who’s smitten by country ingénue Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) when she arrives in his favela seeking refuge from a sinister stalker at her cousin’s shack. The masked costumes of Carnival provide cover for their romance, as rival samba schools rehearse for the spectacular parade. But Death is never far behind.

Don’t miss the chance to see this influential film, beloved of creative artists as diverse as Basquiat, Bong Joon-ho, Ethan Hawke, Euzhan Palcy, Guillermo del Toro and Wyclef Jean! Ellie Pole

France, Brazil, Italy, 1959. Director Marcel Camus. Screenplay by Marcel Camus and Jacques Viot from the 1956 musical play Orpheus of the Conception by Vinicius de Moraes based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. With Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn. 107 mins. PG

Introduced by Caroline Greville-Morris.

Screening sponsored by Jenifer and Martin Roddy

Screening at BAC
£8.50/£7.50/£6
25-and-under £3
10% off for BAC supporters.

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