Sally Potter’s Orlando

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Nearly thirty years after its premiere, Sally Potter’s bold re-working of Virginia Woolf’s classic 1928 novel endures as a remarkable love story and an incisive tour through English history. Orlando is the story of a journey through time and a modern exploration of gender and identity, beginning in the age of Queen Elizabeth I and ending with the speed and noise of the twentieth century. The tale follows the innocent aristocrat, Orlando, played by Tilda Swinton, who is promised a generous fortune by the Queen provided that he “not grow old.” Orlando goes on to live for centuries while mysteriously changing genders along the way. Potter’s assured direction of Swinton’s subtle performance vividly refracts the seismic historical shifts in the tale through Orlando’s fluid shifts in gender, as well as in love, war, politics, and poetry. The result is a timeless cinematic achievement that celebrates the spirit, rather than the letter, of Woolf’s book.

This rare 35mm screening is organized in partnership with the Roxie Theater in conjunction with Orlando at McEvoy Arts (February 7 – May 2, 2020), guest curated by Tilda Swinton and organized by Aperture, New York.