27-10-2009

Béla Tarr at MoMA

By Dávid Dercsényi
    The Museum of Modern Art in New York is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the American premiere of Satan's Tango (Sátántangó), Béla Tarr's masterpiece.

    The museum screened the 450 minute long opus magnum from the original reels owned by the MoMA. Jytte Jensen, curator of MoMA requested that Tarr make a selection of films for the jubilee, and he chose some films which inspired him and which were made made in his production studio TT Filmműhely (www.cegtudor.hu). They include The Hopeless Ones (Szegénylegények) by Miklós Jancsó, American Torso (Amerikai anzix) by Gábor Bódy, Passion (Szenvedély) by Fehér György, Johanna by Kornél Mundruczó, and Death Rode Out of Persia (A halál kilovagolt Perzsiából) by Putyi Horváth. American Torso, the first feature of Gábor Bódy (1946-1985) from 1975 was introduced to the audience by Tarr before the screening.

    The show is presented by MoMA, TT Filmműhely, Extremely Hungary organised by Hungarian Cultural Centre New York, Palisades Tartan distribution company, and Magyar Filmunió.