Melbourne 2014 Announces The Most Ambitious Screening Yet

I am quite conflicted about this one. The Melbourne International Film Festival has announced it will be screening obscure French production Out 1 Noli Me Tangere in its twelve-and-a-half hour entirety. This dystopic serial directed by Jacques Rivette was commissioned then rejected by French television in 1971 and mostly concerns the aftermaths of the troubled socio-political events of May 1968.

"In the annals of monumental cinema, there are few objects more sacred than Out 1... The cinephile's holy grail" - New York Times

Set in the studios, cafés, streets and even movie studios, Out 1 functions as a time capsule of Paris and is a mostly improvised mish-mash of genres, something far beyond the new wave.

It is exciting and interesting a television series this obscure will be playing in Melbourne as part of MIFF, but I personally feel it is a programmers nightmare and prevents some other actual films into the near three-week slot. It is also part of a large agenda of Francophilia under MIFF's recent direction.

What do you think? Is this the longest film played at a festival? Is cinephile cred really worth the endurance? Who would be excited to see this thing in public? Sound off below.

The full program will be announced Tuesday 8 July and tickets go on sale Friday 11 July.
The Festival runs 31 July-17 August 2014.

Stay tuned to ScreenAnarchy as more on MIFF develops.

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