A concise look at New York’s repertory offerings, key venues, and the Raymond Depardon retrospective opening at Film at Lincoln Center on February 20th
New York’s repertory scene has come alive. This season, museums and neighborhood cinemas across Manhattan and Brooklyn are digging into archives, dusting off original prints and unveiling fresh restorations. Programs range from 35mm and 16mm celluloid screenings to newly completed digital transfers, and many pair those films with talks, panels and curated materials that reframe cinema history for contemporary audiences. The result: long-neglected filmmakers and overlooked titles are getting new visibility — and viewers are being encouraged to look closely.
What’s happening, where and why
– Who: Major cultural institutions (museums and repertory houses), independent cinemas and specialized archives.
– What: Retrospectives, restorations and themed series that foreground original formats and archival research.
– Where: Mainly Manhattan and Brooklyn venues with access to prints and international loans.
– Why: Curators want to preserve material culture while reintroducing films in contexts that reveal their historical, aesthetic and ethical stakes.
A centerpiece: Raymond Depardon
Film at Lincoln Center’s sweeping Depardon retrospective anchors this moment. The program collects the French documentarian’s unsparing courtroom and hospital films alongside rarer fiction and autobiographical pieces. Seen in sequence, his work — long takes, static framings, minimal intervention — reads as a rigorous inquiry into institutional power, observation and human vulnerability. Critics and curators argue the series reframes Depardon for today’s debates about surveillance, testimony and the politics of visibility.
How venues are presenting prints and restorations
Programmers are juggling two priorities: fidelity to archival form and accessibility for modern audiences. Some screenings present original 35mm and 16mm elements; others use high-quality restorations to recover lost texture and sound. Many of the most compelling programs augment the screenings with:
– Introductions by curators or filmmakers
– Post-show panels and Q&As
– Contextual materials like program notes, production documents and provenance information
These additions turn a single screening into a richer, more educational encounter — a practice that benefits casual viewers, scholars and collectors alike.
Leading venues and standout programs
– Museum of the Moving Image: An ambitious slate exploring the year 2001 in cinema, including a 35mm screening of A.I., animation programs and international imports.
– Roxy Cinema: Regular 35mm presentations that attract collectors and curious moviegoers; occasional rare 16mm screenings with expert intros.
– BAM: A focused strand on Black Cuba, tracing the island’s cinematic traditions through historical and contemporary lenses.
– Metrograph: A mix of 35mm presentations and restored digital transfers that draw connections across eras.
– IFC Center and Anthology Film Archives: Late-night genre series, experimental programs and single-print rarities that celebrate the medium’s breadth.
– MoMA and Film Forum: Curated programs like MoMA’s Seoul After Dark and Film Forum’s Tenement Stories that use filmmaker input and thematic framing to revive neglected works.
Why format and curation matter
Projection format changes what a film feels like. Grain, projector light, original aspect ratios and period sound mixes shape rhythm and mood in ways digital transfers sometimes flatten. Archivists and curators factor in provenance and print rarity when deciding whether to show a film on celluloid or via a restoration. Pairing restored features with shorts, scholar-led talks and archival ephemera is increasingly seen not as optional but essential: these elements teach viewers how to read a film historically and materially.
Depardon: what to watch for
At these screenings, notice pacing, spatial composition and sound. Depardon’s refusal of close-ups and music forces attention on gesture, institutional routine and the distances that separate people. Framing often isolates subjects within architectural or procedural grids; ambient noise becomes an argumentative element. The retrospective’s fiction and autobiographical works reveal how the same formal constraints operate across genres, tracing Depardon’s path from still photography to moving image.
Screenings as research opportunities
Repertory showings function as living archives. Program notes frequently list a print’s source, restoration methods and any missing or altered scenes — information that matters for interpretation and scholarship. After screenings, curators and guest speakers often explore production histories, censorship, distribution issues and archival choices, giving viewers a clearer sense of how films traveled through time and why they look the way they do now. These conversations are especially useful for researchers, students and programmers planning future exhibitions.
Practical tips for attending
– Read the program notes or booklet before the screening to learn about format and provenance.
– Note technical details: film gauge, aspect ratio and whether you’re seeing an original photochemical print or a digital transfer.
– Bring questions for panelists about restoration ethics and source materials.
– Request archival documentation from venue staff if you’re researching a film — many institutions will share further materials on request.
What’s happening, where and why
– Who: Major cultural institutions (museums and repertory houses), independent cinemas and specialized archives.
– What: Retrospectives, restorations and themed series that foreground original formats and archival research.
– Where: Mainly Manhattan and Brooklyn venues with access to prints and international loans.
– Why: Curators want to preserve material culture while reintroducing films in contexts that reveal their historical, aesthetic and ethical stakes.0
What’s happening, where and why
– Who: Major cultural institutions (museums and repertory houses), independent cinemas and specialized archives.
– What: Retrospectives, restorations and themed series that foreground original formats and archival research.
– Where: Mainly Manhattan and Brooklyn venues with access to prints and international loans.
– Why: Curators want to preserve material culture while reintroducing films in contexts that reveal their historical, aesthetic and ethical stakes.1