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Contemporary Australian cinema The Lady Vanishes: Alexandra's Project and Rolf de Heer by Jake Wilson De Heer continues in his latest, minutely controlled film a 'naïve' sensibility that resonates with contemporary trends in international cinema. New Histories of the Kelly Gang: Gregor Jordan's Ned Kelly by Ina Bertrand How does the latest portrait of the legendary bushranger stack up against previous versions?    Alexandra's Project Remembering Stan Brakhage Stan Brakhage: A Short Introduction by Fred Camper Camper explores the visionary, innovative and beautiful nature of Brakhage's film work, and the man's generous spirit. A Remembrance for Stan Brakhage by Phil Solomon A celebration of Brakhage's inspiring life and work, by a friend and collaborator. Eye Myth    Yes, Madam! Woman and the Chinese Martial Arts film The Book, the Goddess and the Hero: Sexual Politics in the Chinese Martial Arts Film by Bérénice Reynaud An examination into the martial arts genre that reveals the extent of its ambivalence and complexity toward questions of gender, femininity and the submissiveness of 'woman'. Cinema and the Holocaust The Atheist's Shoah - Roman Polanski's The Pianist by Christos Tsiolkas An analysis of Polanski's film in light of the question: can narrative cinema, with sensitivity and vision, conjure the complexity of history and, specifically, the "unspeakable" tragedy of the Holocaust? A Propos of None Shall Escape by Sylvie Pierre Can cinema help us understand the sources of fascism? Pierre argues that this 1943 film succeeds in giving a human face to evil.  The Pianist   Code Inconnu Michael Haneke Do the Right Thing: the Films of Michael Haneke by Maximilian Le Cain Fragmented yet logical, estranging yet compassionate, Haneke's films find new ways to dramatise and diagnose contemporary alienation. Between Action and Repression: The Piano Teacher by Nina Hutchison Haneke's latest film takes us to the limits of empathy in its analysis of sexual dysfunction and the repressions of high culture. Interviews - various Rob Nilsson  Making Films like a Viking Marauder - Interview with Rob Nilsson by Stephen Teo Fiercely independent, committed to the expansive, beautiful qualities of "actual human behaviour" and inspired by the work of Bergman and Cassavetes, Rob Nilsson is a rarity in contemporary cinema. "The relationships that are created here are durable": Jerry Rudes and the Avignon Film Festival Interview by Noel King Celebrating its 20th anniversary this June, the Avignon Film Festival's continuing values of exchange, community and cinema as an art form ensure it occupies a unique position in international film culture. Interview with Kent Jones by Steve Erickson New York-based writer, critic and programmer, Kent Jones discusses his early experiences of cinema, beginnings as a film critic, being an editor at Film Comment, Robert Bresson, and much more. Experimental cinema Casotto Underground Features of Yesterday and Today: Palmer & Weisman, Fotopoulos, Jolly, Packard by Brian Frye Frye explores the various, diverging sensibilities of filmmakers from both the past and present working in cinema's 'underground'. Italian cinema A Journey Through Italian Cinema by Alberto Pezzotta Pezzotta argues that a good deal of Italian cinema's innovative and politically-engaged directors remain unexplored in Martin Scorsese's Il Mio Viaggio in Italia. Infernal Affairs  Asian Cinema In A Global Context - Part 1 Infernal Affairs: High Concept in Hong Kong by Charles Leary Hong Kong's most ambitious blockbuster reveals shifts in the industrial logic of world cinema. Restorations Ford Rises from the Dead. Again. by Tag Gallagher John Ford's early film, Bucking Broadway, was recently 'found' in Paris and later restored. Ford expert, Tag Gallagher appraises the restoration. Catch Me If You Can  Title sequences Catch Me If You Can, Auto Focus, Far From Heaven and the Art of Retro Title Sequences by Deborah Allison A look at the stylish heyday of title sequences in the 1950s and '60s - and some current films that playfully revisit this era. Book Review Underground   Emir Kusturica by Dina Iordanova Book Review by Daniel J. Goulding You can order this book directly from Festivals/conferences Looking Back, Looking Forward: the Sydney Film Festival at 50 by Tina Kaufman Fespaco and the Transformations of Pan-African Film Promotion by Niels Buch-Jepsen Going Far for the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference Report by Renata Murawska    Abouna at Fespaco Face Masks at the 27th HKIFF by Stephen Teo Cinémathèque Annotations on Film The following are annotations for films screening at the Melbourne Cinémathèque on Wednesdays during May, June and July. Editorial    Vengeance at HKIFF Click here for information on the editors of the annotations, the Melbourne Cinémathèque and queries regarding contribution. The Illustrated Auschwitz by Karli Lukas This film screens on Wed, May 21, 7:00 p.m. Germany Year Zero   Nuit et brouillard by James Leahy This film screens on Wed, May 21, 7:00 p.m. Germany Year 90 Nine Zero by Marc Lauria This film screens on Wed, May 21, 8:10 p.m. Beginning Again from Zero: Post-War Reconstruction by Megan Carrigy Germany Year Zero screens on Wed, May 21, 9:20 p.m. Il Grido: Modernising the Po by James Brown This film screens on Wed, May 28, 7:00 p.m. Lisbon Story: Portugal Year Zero by Carloss James Chamberlin This film screens on Wed, May 28, 9:00 p.m. Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls by Lindsay Henderson This film screens on Wed, June 4, 7:00 p.m. A City of Sadness by Acquarello This film screens on Wed, June 11, 7:00 p.m. The Boys from Fengkuei by Kevin Lee This film screens on Wed, June 18, 7:00 p.m. The Puppetmaster by Howard Schumann This film screens on Wed, June 18, 8:50 p.m. A City of Sadness Yellow Submarine by Martyn Bamber This film screens on Wed, June 25, 7:00 p.m. The Last Detail by Richard Armstrong This film screens on Wed, July 9, 7:00 p.m. California Split by Peter Tonguette This film screens on Wed, July 9, 9:00 p.m. Mother Joan of The Angels by Jorge Didaco This film screens on Wed, July 16, 7:00 p.m. Yellow Submarine