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The Night Porter (Il portiere di notte)

Cabaret Cinema

Friday, August 26, 2016
9:30 PM–11:30 PM

1974, Italy, Liliana Cavini, 118 mins.

Introduced by philosopher Simon Critchley

This erotic psychological drama teases out the complexities of a sadomasochistic relationship between a Holocaust survivor, played by the inimitable Charlotte Rampling, and her former SS officer (Dirk Bogarde), grappling with his war-warped sense of self. The film is a cult classic that bends the mind to explore the dualities of sex, pain, and love.

“A provocative and problematic film”¦seen as an exercise in perversion and exploitation of the Holocaust for the sake of sensationalism. On the other hand, a closer reading of this English-language psychological thriller suggests a dark vision of compelling characters doomed by their World War II past.” —Annette Insdorf

This film was selected by the artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, whose exhibition Try to Altar Everything closed August 1.

About the Speaker

Simon Critchley is a philosopher and professor at the European Graduate School / EGS and is the Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School of Social Research. A prolific writer, he has published and edited twenty-eight books to date, many on the works of Emmanuel Levinas, Jacques Derrida, Ernesto Laclau, Martin Heidegger, and Wallace Stevens. Critchley is the moderator of the New York Times opinion series “The Stone,” which invites contemporary philosophers to contribute on a wide variety of philosophical topics.

Tickets: $10.00

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