Caesarea

Marguerite Duras / France / 1978 / Czech Premiere / 11 min.

synopsis

The name Caesarea or Kaisareia refers to a now-defunct ancient city, probably named in honour of Gaius Iulius Caesar. It is an exploited metaphor for a forgotten place. It is similarly used by Racine or Louis Aragon.

“Both films (Cesarea and The Negative Hands) are made from unused footage for The Ship Night. The statues in Place de la Concorde and Maillol were too ostentatious for the empty shots of the intended film. Also, the shots are too figurative and, in the case of The Negative Hands, unsuccessful. I don't know what the technical problem was, but the red light looks more like a bloodstain.” – Marguerite Duras

biography

The writer, playwright, screenwriter, and eventually director entered the world of film in the second half of the 1950s. Initially, she adapted her own works or wrote original scripts. Her independent film directing work begins in the 1970s. She was a completely original artist who brought modernism to cinema.