Recommendations for Second Run

[Langland]

Oh, I see there is. So null points for me but I'll just say I got mine in the little cinema shop in the arcade in Prague where the Kino Lucerna is. They have lots of interesting stuff and of course stock the Second Run Czech films. Also great in Prague is the Karel Zeman museum just beside the Charles Bridge. They also stock the relevant Second Run releases.

[Langland]

Aha! I have got a reasonable suggestion. Among so many outstanding films on dvd from SR, Raya Martin's 'independencia' had a big impact on me. Another great film I saw from him, with a hypnotic mix of the everyday and dreamlike sequences, is available from France on dvd with French subtitling. It is called 'Now Showing'. Either that or a BD of 'Independencia' would not be unworthy of SR.

[Langland]

I am assuming that MichaelB is Michael Brooke and as he has been the source for me of many a tip and author of impeccable guides and introductions to films in booklets I hoped it wouldn't be too presumptuous to ask for some advice. Having got hold of Telewizja Kinopolska's Horrory collection a couple of other Polish directors unknown to me are in their promotional pullout and obtainable: Filip Bajon and Radosław Piwowarski. Krystyna Janda is in one of the latter's films (star of SR's Interrogation and much else besides). Any comments/advice? I seem to remember a Top Ten of Polish cinema on your BFI page but don't recall these directors.

[Langland]

I don't suppose SR would consider THE END OF AUGUST AT THE HOTEL OZONE written by Pável Juráček who wrote the two classics on SR, DAISIES and A CASE FOR A ROOKIE HANGMAN. I would very much like to see this film which I believe does have a US dvd release but it doesn't appeal in that format. There is also a documentary written by him about the Prague Spring and directed by Martin Šulik (wonderful TENDERNESS on SR) reflecting on his own difficult life - who knows?

[TodoModo]

Second Run is mostly busy with the Warsaw pact (polish-czech-hungarian huge cinema tradition), but recently many georgian (soviet era) masterpieces have been restored in 4k waiting for a good samaritan to publish them.
Take for example "Monanieba" (Repentance, 1984) by Tengiz Abuladze which won FIPRESCI prize at Cannes 1987 for its sarcastical and surrealistic take on autoritarianism (one of the best georgian movies of all time). The restored version was recently shown at Cannes in 2021. This new version can only be watched at the moment on global.cavea.plus georgian stream site, unfortunately without any subtitles.
A bluray version with a nice booklet would be sensational!

Despite being overlooked and intrinsically elusive with its exotic style and obscure folk references, georgian cinema has recently received a bit of attention in festivals and stream sites. The british stream site Klassiki has a decent collection of georgian movies but only "Eccentrics" 1973 by Eldar Shengelaia in its restored version. The German "Arsenal" has recently published on DVD the movie "Some interviews on personal matters" by Lana Ghoghoberidze.
On the blu-ray side, there's not much on the market. Criterion has cult movie "Color of Pomegranates" by georgian Parajanov, even though the movie is culturally armenian to be fair (despite the presence of georgian actors).

even if not soon, I hope in the next few years "Monanieba" will get a well-deserved blu-ray edition.

[brundlefly]

Second Run is mostly busy with the Warsaw pact (polish-czech-hungarian huge cinema tradition), but recently many georgian (soviet era) masterpieces have been restored in 4k waiting for a good samaritan to publish them.
Take for example "Monanieba" (Repentance, 1984) by Tengiz Abuladze which won FIPRESCI prize at Cannes 1987 for its sarcastical and surrealistic take on autoritarianism (one of the best georgian movies of all time). The restored version was recently shown at Cannes in 2021. This new version can only be watched at the moment on global.cavea.plus georgian stream site, unfortunately without any subtitles.
A bluray version with a nice booklet would be sensational!

Despite being overlooked and intrinsically elusive with its exotic style and obscure folk references, georgian cinema has recently received a bit of attention in festivals and stream sites. The british stream site Klassiki has a decent collection of georgian movies but only "Eccentrics" 1973 by Eldar Shengelaia in its restored version. The German "Arsenal" has recently published on DVD the movie "Some interviews on personal matters" by Lana Ghoghoberidze.
On the blu-ray side, there's not much on the market. Criterion has cult movie "Color of Pomegranates" by georgian Parajanov, even though the movie is culturally armenian to be fair (despite the presence of georgian actors).

even if not soon, I hope in the next few years "Monanieba" will get a well-deserved blu-ray edition.

Would love a blu release of Abuladze's whole trilogy, though I understand them to be very different films. Recently saw The Wishing Tree (on an old but watchable dvd) and, after initial resistance, was totally taken with it and left wanting more. I'm in if they go there.

And if someone wants to get early Otar Iosseliani back in print I would be there for those as well.

[TodoModo]

Second Run is mostly busy with the Warsaw pact (polish-czech-hungarian huge cinema tradition), but recently many georgian (soviet era) masterpieces have been restored in 4k waiting for a good samaritan to publish them.
Take for example "Monanieba" (Repentance, 1984) by Tengiz Abuladze which won FIPRESCI prize at Cannes 1987 for its sarcastical and surrealistic take on autoritarianism (one of the best georgian movies of all time). The restored version was recently shown at Cannes in 2021. This new version can only be watched at the moment on global.cavea.plus georgian stream site, unfortunately without any subtitles.
A bluray version with a nice booklet would be sensational!

Despite being overlooked and intrinsically elusive with its exotic style and obscure folk references, georgian cinema has recently received a bit of attention in festivals and stream sites. The british stream site Klassiki has a decent collection of georgian movies but only "Eccentrics" 1973 by Eldar Shengelaia in its restored version. The German "Arsenal" has recently published on DVD the movie "Some interviews on personal matters" by Lana Ghoghoberidze.
On the blu-ray side, there's not much on the market. Criterion has cult movie "Color of Pomegranates" by georgian Parajanov, even though the movie is culturally armenian to be fair (despite the presence of georgian actors).

even if not soon, I hope in the next few years "Monanieba" will get a well-deserved blu-ray edition.

Would love a blu release of Abuladze's whole trilogy, though I understand them to be very different films. Recently saw The Wishing Tree (on an old but watchable dvd) and, after initial resistance, was totally taken with it and left wanting more. I'm in if they go there.

And if someone wants to get early Otar Iosseliani back in print I would be there for those as well.

yes Iosseliani is a good choice as well. So many great directors.
In regards to "The Wishing Tree", well its' one of my favourite movie ever. Haunting horror. It still needs digital restoration as far as i know, along with "Vedreba"(The Plea) which I've only watched thanks to a Ruscico DVD. This last one only exists in horrid conditions, anywhere I looked.

The georgia film institute has been busy with this huge work of recovering silent era films stuck in Moscow's Gosfilmofond lately. A diplomatic job as well.
other notable already restored which could draw interest from international companies:
- The Eccentrics 1973 Eldar Shengelaia
- White Caravan 1963 Eldar Shengelaia
- A Strange Exhibition 1968 Eldar Shengelaia
- at least 6-7 by Lana Ghoghoberidze (one of the first to deal with women's POV in the USSR)
- Big Green Valley/Didi Mtsvane Veli, 1967, by Merab Kokochashvili (2k digital rest.).................this one is very interesting but not famous outside Georgia

other notable georgian classics still to be restored:
- Iosseliani's georgian-phase movies.
- Pirosmani 1969 by Giorgi Shengelaia (those who like Parajanov will find this fascinating as well)
- Aleqsandre Rekhviashvili 80s entire work.
- The Legend of the Suram Fortress 1985 by Parajanov (visually stunning)
- Blue Mountains 1983 Eldar Shengelaia (not sure if already done but the old DVD version looks good imo)
- The Sun of the sleepless 1992 Temur Babluani
- Iavnana/Lullaby 1994 by Nana Janelidze

[knives]

Does SR have any interest in releasing more Longinotto films? I recognize they might not be the best sellers in the world, but she always impresses me and at the very least her other two films with Jano Williams are among the best documentaries I’ve seen.

[Stefan Andersson]

This might be of interest to Second Run:

Kawalerowicz´Mother Joan of the Angels is up for re-release in France:
https://www.tamasa-cinema.com/film/mere ... des-anges/ (the online clip looks restored)

Sorry if the film is already out on English-friendly BD/DVD.


The Lady from Constantinople, plus five other films by Judit Élek, are now restored and showing at Cinématheque Francaise this month:
https://www.cinematheque.fr/cycle/festi ... -1223.html

Checking out online sites for French distributors is often rewarding, there are quite often online film clips and detailed press kits for individual films or groups of films.

[Bikey]

London's Phoenix Cinema hosts 'Second Run Sundays' from June to September.

9th June: THE SHOP ON THE HIGH STREET
7th July: MERRY-GO-ROUND
4th August: INTERROGATION
1st September: IKARIE XB-1

[perkypat]

Just seen the restored version of Esther Krumbachova's Murdering the Devil at Cinema Ritrovato. Great film and surely a good fit for Second Run.

[ynwa]

it is a crime that Nebeští jezdci (1968) has never been shown on uk tv
...top ace of Battle of Britain was a Czech
followed by Poles...
suck on that Farage followers

[knives]

On the off chance that any other Jasny films can be had this documentary sounds like it could be a good extra.

[ryannichols7]

Second Run seem to have a keen interest in Theo Angelopoulos. hopefully this bodes well for 2026!

[andyli]

The Angelopoulos retrospective is fascinating! I didn't know so many of his early (and late) films had received 4K or 2K restorations, though some essential works remain not labeled as such. I figure that given time all of them will be digitized by archives and rights holders?

[beamish14]

The Angelopoulos retrospective is fascinating! I didn't know so many of his early (and late) films had received 4K or 2K restorations, though some essential works remain not labeled as such. I figure that given time all of them will be digitized by archives and rights holders?

That’s been his estate’s goal. They really want DCP’s of everything, but the prints they have look gorgeous as well. When I saw a retrospective in Los Angeles, Landscapes in the Mist and I think The Beekeeper were the only ones that might have been original release 35s

[Stefan Andersson]

The Angelopoulos retrospective is fascinating! I didn't know so many of his early (and late) films had received 4K or 2K restorations, though some essential works remain not labeled as such. I figure that given time all of them will be digitized by archives and rights holders?

That’s been his estate’s goal. They really want DCP’s of everything, but the prints they have look gorgeous as well. When I saw a retrospective in Los Angeles, Landscapes in the Mist and I think The Beekeeper were the only ones that might have been original release 35s

The Hunters´ runtime is given as 168 minutes. Unless it is a mistake, this means a restoration of the longer first version, not the 144 min. one.
https://ica.art/the-hunters

[amberry]

The Reconstruction screening tonight looked gorgeous, having only seen these films on the old AE DVDs. It was mentioned that all screenings will be restorations. Not sure if we can read too much into SR picking them up - might just be a case of the ICA and SR being friendly going way back! Will maintain the hope regardless

[kekid]

I recall that Angelopoulos films were destroyed or badly damaged in fire.
Do I remember it right? If so, how are these restorations happening?

[Ribs]

His personal archive was destroyed in a fire, but I don’t believe it included film elements, but just his ephemera, letters, scripts, etc.

[dadaistnun]

With the recent news that Second Run is releasing Angela Schanelec’s Music, and given they released her previous film, I wonder about the possibility of her earlier films as well. AFAIK, her last two films are the only ones on bluray anywhere.

[MichaelB]

Not sure if we can read too much into SR picking them up - might just be a case of the ICA and SR being friendly going way back!

I can confirm that Second Run and the ICA are very, very friendly, have mutually supported each other pretty much throughout the label's existence, and that I'm not aware of any Angelopoulos plans. So I honestly wouldn't read anything into this.

[ryannichols7]

they usually do not post anything on social media about movies they haven't released, or intend on releasing. I think it's noteworthy personally

either way it's beyond past due that Angelopoulos be represented on Bluray in the anglosphere. not a soul can tell me there isn't interest, "the numbers aren't there", etc. we see far more obscure things get released

[MichaelB]

they usually do not post anything on social media about movies they haven't released, or intend on releasing. I think it's noteworthy personally

Mentioning the retrospective is certainly noteworthy (I wasn't aware of it myself until the BFI commissioned me to write a tie-in "Where to begin with Theo Angelopoulos" piece, which I'm very much hoping will be published any day now), but I'm not aware of any Second Run-specific plans. And it's not that unusual for them to champion rare events that they have a reasonable belief their regular customers will be interested in.

UPDATE: My piece has just been published.

[amberry]

they usually do not post anything on social media about movies they haven't released, or intend on releasing. I think it's noteworthy personally

Mentioning the retrospective is certainly noteworthy (I wasn't aware of it myself until the BFI commissioned me to write a tie-in "Where to begin with Theo Angelopoulos" piece, which I'm very much hoping will be published any day now), but I'm not aware of any Second Run-specific plans. And it's not that unusual for them to champion rare events that they have a reasonable belief their regular customers will be interested in.

UPDATE: My piece has just been published.

Great stuff - I've been trying to convince friends to come along to the programme but some balked at the length of Travelling Players so have settled with taking the length-reticent ones to Landscape/Eternity to start...