In less than a century, cinema has evolved past its roots in theater and vaudeville, to become the predominant vehicle for communicating information, fantasy, and collective reality. As the medium increasingly permeates every avenue of daily life, from mobile devices to our very language, the Museum of Arts and Design presents An Assault of Reality, an investigative survey into the effect of cinema – in the broadest sense of the term – on the formation of perception, truth and existence.
From Neo-Realism to web videos, documentary to Reality TV, CNN to children's programming, An Assault of Reality brings together unexpected combinations of works that contrast various approaches by filmmakers from around the world. In the process, these double billings reveal the evolution of this artistic practice into a dominant force for the construction of what we know to be reality.
A Trip to the Moon + The Real World
Friday, July 8, 2011 – 7:00 pm
Georges Méliès silent classic, screening with live piano accompaniment, is paired with the watershed reality television show "The Real World."
Special Q & A with original "The Real World" cast member Rebecca "Becky" Blasband
Nocturne + Footlight Parade
Thursday, July 14, 2011 – 7:00 pm
Lars Von Trier's pre-Dogme 95 works pairs with iconic pre-code era Busby Berkeley's dance extravaganza.
Steamboat Willie + Time of the Wolf
Friday, July 15, 2011 – 7:00 pm
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse classic screens with Cannes favorite Michael Haneke's tour de force.
CNN + Stalker
Thursday, July 21, 2011 – 7:00 pm
A 35mm screening of Andrei Tarkovsky's science fiction masterpiece pairs with the first broadcast of CNN to explore information and education through cinema.
Camera + Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
Friday, July 22, 2011 – 7:00 pm
David Cronenberg's rarely seen short pairs with Nick Broomfield's revealing documentary into the first female serial killer.
The Maria Bamford Show + Grey Gardens
Thursday, July 28, 2011 – 7:00 pm
The Maysles Brothers' classic documentary screens with comedian Maria Bamford's online television show.
Yet Untitled [»Pieces of Nature« ] + Rome, Open City
Friday, July 29, 2011 – 7:00 pm
Rossellini's Italian Neo-Realism classic pairs with fine art's Mario Pfeifer's look at the construction of filmmaking.
Artaud Double Bill + The Society of the Spectacle
Thursday, August 4, 2011 – 7:00 pm
Guy Debord's directorial debut screens with Atom Egoyan's Cannes Film Festival's commission exploring the future of cinema.
