One of the most familiar sayings in cinema is "suspension of disbelief," that is to say, let go of everything we know about the world and devote ourselves to the experience and logic offered by the film. But the past 18 months, reality itself has required us to suspend disbelief and accept the near-cinematic life that the pandemic has created for us. In such a situation, cinema, rich with imaginary heroes whose storylines are ultimately tailored to a familiar narrative scheme, may prove to be a source of assurance and comfort.
As the desire for solace was one of the guiding factors in the selection for this program, which offers a journey of rediscovering and revisiting restored treasures of the seventh art, we hope that the program will also offer an opportunity to rejoice in life itself.