This January includes the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Detroit Film Theatre, programming in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, music, drop-in workshops and more at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). Make sure to visit our exhibitions: Let Me Show You What I Saw: American Views on City and County, 1912–1963; Balance of Power: A Throne for an African Prince; Foto Europa: 1840 to Present; andWatch Me Move: The Animation Show, which ends on January 5. Don’t forget Caravaggio’s Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy is on view through January 12.
Programs are free with museum admission unless otherwise noted. For more information, call (313) 833-7900 or visit www.dia.org.
The museum will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 1.
The museum will be open Monday, Jan. 20 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Guided Tours:Tuesdays–Fridays, 1 p.m.; Saturdays–Sundays, 1 & 3 p.m.
Detroit City Chess Club: Fridays, 4–8 p.m.
The club’s mission is to teach area students the game and life lessons. Members have won state, regional and national competitions. People wanting to learn how to play chess should show up between 4 and 6 p.m. There will be no teaching between 6 and 8 p.m., but visitors can play chess.
Drawing in the Galleries (for all ages): Fridays, 6–9 p.m. Sundays, noon–4 p.m.
Drop-In Workshops (for all ages)
Fridays, 6–9 p.m. Stained Glass: Have fun creating your very own stained glass art project using a variety of art materials.
Saturdays, January 11, 18 & 25 noon–4 p.m. Watercolor Postcards:Use watercolors to create your own postcard.
Sundays, January 12, 19 & 26, noon–4 p.m. Musical Instruments: Rattles:Small containers and boxes morph into fantastic percussion instruments when dried beans, rice, feathers and fun papers are added.
Special Holiday Drop-In Workshops
Thursday, January 2, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Refrigerator Magnets:Have fun designing and making refrigerator magnets to add to your collection.
Friday, January 3, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Flip Books: Bring your drawings to life using this simple form of animation.
Saturday, January 4, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Watercolor Postcards:(See January 11, 18 & 25 for details)
Sunday, January 5, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Musical Instruments: Rattles:(See January 12, 19 & 26 for details)
Monday, January 20, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Tibetan Prayer Flags: Learn how Tibetan prayer flags are made and used while you create your own personal flags to take home (Martin Luther King Jr. Day programming)
Friday Night Live, January 10
Music:Piano Works Music of Morton Feldman: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Robert Conway performs Morton Feldman’s monumental compositions for solo piano. These rarely performed pieces include For Bunita Marcus (1985), Palais de Mari (1986), Vertical Thoughts 4 (1963) and Piano Piece (to Philip Guston) (1963).
Detroit Film Theatre 40th Anniversary Weekend—January 10–12, 2014
On the occasion of our 40th anniversary in 2014, we invite you to join us for a weekend of memorable films that we’ve shown over the years, beginning on January 10 with a special screening of our very first presentation, Claude Jutra’s haunting and exquisite 1971 Canadian classic, Mon Oncle Antoine. To make the weekend even more of a celebration, all ten films will be shown at 1974 admission prices—$2 for all seats. For tickets, visitwww.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp.
Friday, January 10 at 9:30 p.m.
Talk to Her (Spain/2002—directed by Pedro Almodóvar)
The 2002 Best Screenplay Oscar® went to Almadóvar’s masterpiece about a bond that develops between two men as they care for two female coma patients. A transcendent, romantic, breathtaking work. In Spanish with English subtitles. (122 min.)
Saturday, January 11 at 1p.m.
My Left Foot (England/1989—directed by Jim Sheridan)
Daniel Day-Lewis’s stunning performance as Christy Brown, who became a gifted writer despite his debilitating cerebral palsy, is at the core of director Jim Sheridan’s inspiring film, which co-stars Brenda Fricker and nominated for five Academy Awards®. (103 min.)
Saturday, January 11 at 4 p.m.
Burden of Dreams (USA/1982—directed by Les Blank)
For five years, Werner Herzog struggled to complete his dream project, Fitzcarraldo, the story of a obsessed man’s struggle to build an opera house in the Amazon jungle. Documentarian Les Blank’s chronicle of Herzog’s journey is both riveting and spectacular. (95 min.)
Saturday, January 11 at 7 p.m.
In the Mood for Love(Hong Kong/2000—directed by Wong Kar-wai)
Wong Kar-wai’s elegantly fractured portrait of love and longing in 1960s Hong Kong is one of the most visually breathtaking works of modern cinema. Christopher Doyle’s shimmering images coupled with Michael Galasso’s haunting music create a unique big-screen experience. In Cantonese and Shanghainese with English subtitles. (98 min.)
Saturday, January 11 at 9:30 p.m.
Spanish Dracula (USA/1931—directed by George Melford)
Filmed at night on the same sets as Bella Lugosi’s Dracula, Melford’s Spanish-language version—featuring a completely different cast—is even stranger, more disturbing and stylized than its famous sibling. Fully restored, the survival of the Spanish Dracula is a cause for celebration. In Spanish with English subtitles. (104 min.)
Sunday, January 12 at 1 p.m.
Russian Ark (Russia/2002—directed by Alexander Sokurov)
Using cutting-edge digital technology and 867 actors, Russian director Alexander Sokurov redefined the possibilities of cinema with this vision of centuries of Russian history, filmed within the magnificent walls of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in one unbroken, 99-minute shot. In Russian with English subtitles.
Sunday, January 12 at 4 p.m.
Tristana(France/1970—directed by Luis Buñuel)
This masterpiece from the great surrealist director Luis Buñuel is the darkly comic, perversely erotic tale of a young orphaned woman (Catherine Deneuve) placed in the guardianship of respected aristocrat Don Lope (Fernando Rey) with troubling results. This is the recently restored, original cut, in Spanish with English subtitles. (95 min.)
Sunday, January 12 at 7 p.m.
El Norte (Guatemala/US/1983—directed by Gregory Nava)
A Guatemalan sister and brother dream of leaving poverty behind and starting a new life in the North (El Norte), but their journey to America is not what they imagined. A visually rich, dramatically overwhelming work that Roger Ebert called “The Grapes of Wrath for our time.” In K’iche, English and Spanish with English subtitles. (140 min.)
Sunday, January 12 at 9:45 p.m.
Wake in Fright (Australia/1971—directed by Ted Kotcheff)
A modern cult classic of Australian cinema, Wake in Fright (originally shown at the DFT in a cut version calledOutback) tells of a young schoolteacher plunged into a nightmarish, five-day orgy of gambling, beer and kangaroo hunting. Paranoid and disturbing (and including actual hunting scenes), it was described by The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael: “There’s talent and intelligence in this original film. You come out with a sense of epic horror.” (109 min.)
Saturday, January 11—DFT 40th Anniversary
Detroit Film Theatre: An Affair to Remember: 6 p.m.
Please join Friends of the Detroit Film Theatre for a strolling dinner celebrating the Detroit Film Theatre’s 40thAnniversary. For details and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.dia.org/calendar/
Family Sunday, January 12
Sunday Music Bar: Pianist Buddy Budson: 1–4 p.m.
Storyteller Performance: Roan Judd: 2 p.m.
Roan Judd is a storyteller who uses mime, puppetry and physically based acting techniques to tell stories from around the world and many different cultures.
Friday Night Live, January 17
Detroit Film Theatre: The Great Beauty: 7 p.m.
Journalist Jep Gambardella has charmed and seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades. Since the legendary success of his novel, he has been a permanent fixture in the city’s literary and social circles, but when his sixty-fifth birthday coincides with an unforeseen shock from the past, Jep finds himself unexpectedly taking stock of his life. For a detailed description, visit www.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp. Tickets: $7.50; DIA members, seniors and students, $6.50.
Music:Michigan Philharmonic Miniature Masterpieces: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
Miniature Masterpieces features the wind section of the Michigan Philharmonic performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade for Winds no. 10, K. 361/370A “Gran Partita.” Concertmaster and violinist Joseph Deller joins the wind section as soloist on Michael Daugherty’s Ladder to the Moon, based on paintings of New York skyscrapers by the American artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
Saturday, January 18
Meet Me at the DIA: A Program for People with Early-Stage Dementia and Their Caregivers: 10:30 a.m.–noon
People with early-stage dementia (including Alzheimer’s) and their caregivers can participate in gallery discussions about art led by DIA staff and volunteers. Participants are made to feel welcome and comfortable, and discussions are based on the observations and connections made by the group. The program provides opportunities for social engagement and intellectual stimulation in a safe, inspiring environment. All are encouraged to contribute to the discussions; participants are given small prints of DIA artworks so conversations can be continued. To register go to www.dia.org or call 313-833-4005.
Lecture: The Long Breath: Postwar Korean Art 1961—79: 2 p.m.
Joan Kee, professor of the history of art at the University of Michigan, looks at Tansaekhwa, the loose constellation of abstract paintings that ranks among the most important artistic movements in post-1945 Asia.Sponsored by Asian & Islamic Art Forum and Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art
Detroit Film Theatre: Port of Shadows: 3 p.m.
Port of Shadows is one of the most haunting and dreamlike tales in French cinema history. In a lonely flophouse at the edge of Le Havre, outsiders converge: Jean Gabin’s hungry, broke, pugnacious, probably AWOL soldier; mysterious teenager Michèle Morgan in iconic beret and plastic raincoat; and shopkeeper Michel Simon (L’Atalante). Ultimately the choice for Gabin comes down to hopping a ship or the continuing pursuit of a sudden love. For a detailed description, visit www.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp. Tickets: $7.50; DIA members, seniors and students, $6.50.
Detroit Film Theatre: The Great Beauty: 7 p.m.
(See Jan. 17 for details)
Family Sunday, January 19
Detroit Film Theatre: The Great Beauty: 1 p.m.
(See Jan. 17 for details)
Sunday Music Bar: Pianist Mick Dobday: 1–4 p.m.
Artist Demonstration: Faina Lerman: noon–4 p.m.
Faina Lerman’s work stems from investigations of the biological, sociological and emotional landscapes that make up the human experience. Join us for this artist demonstration of unique painting techniques.
Detroit Film Theatre: King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery To Memphis: 4:30 p.m.
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis is a monumental documentary that follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from 1955 to 1968, as he rises from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King’s speeches, protests and arrests are interspersed with scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause. For a detailed description, visit www.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp. Tickets: $7.50; DIA members, seniors and students, $6.50.
Monday, January 20
Detroit Film Theatre: King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery To Memphis: 2 p.m.
(See Jan. 19 for details)
Detroit Film Theatre: The Great Beauty: 4:30 p.m.
(See Jan. 17 for details)
Friday Night Live, January 24
Music:Satori Circus 25th Anniversary Performance:7 & 8:30 p.m.
In September of 1988, performance artist Russell Taylor first unleashed Satori Circus on an unsuspecting Detroit theater community. A quarter century later, his grease-paint avatar is still punching clowns and brilliantly satirizing prevailing cultural winds. The DIA is honored to host the 25th anniversary performance of Satori Circus in the Detroit Film Theatre. Sponsored by Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art
Saturday, January 25
Detroit Film Theatre: The Great Beauty: 1 p.m.
(See Jan. 17 for details)
Detroit Film Theatre: Saturday Animation Club: Porco Rosso: 3 p.m.
This unsung treasure from the great Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro) nestles a tale of morality inside a soaring airborne adventure. Set in a mid-war Italy swept by fascism, the film follows the life of Marco, a world-weary flying ace turned bounty hunter, who plies his trade above the waters of the Adriatic. For a detailed description, visit www.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp. Tickets: $5.
Detroit Film Theatre: Let the Fire Burn: 7 p.m.
On May 13, 1985, a longtime feud between the city of Philadelphia and the controversial radical urban group MOVE came to a deadly climax. TV cameras captured the conflagration that quickly escalated, resulting in the tragic deaths of eleven people and the destruction of 61 homes. It was only later discovered that authorities decided to “let the fire burn.” In this gripping new documentary director Jason Osder has crafted that rarest of cinematic objects: a found-footage film which unfurls with the tension of a great thriller. For a detailed description, visit www.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp. Tickets: $7.50; DIA members, seniors and students, $6.50.
Family Sunday, January 26
Artist Demonstration: Dueling Weavers: noon–4 p.m.
Michael Daitch and Jim McCutcheon use only yarns of the highest quality to create hand-woven pieces that are both visually arresting and sensually pleasing. In combining lustrous fibers and rich colors with the fine art of weaving, their hand-woven items possess all the charm and irregularities of handmade textiles, making each one unique.
Sunday Music Bar: Dance Band: 1 & 3 p.m.
Dance Band, featuring Detroit horn masters Al and Darryl Duncan, explores the jazz/rock fusions of the 1970s, such as the music of Miles Davis, Earth Wind and Fire and Weather Report.
Detroit Film Theatre: Let the Fire Burn: 2 p.m.
(See Jan. 25 for details)
Friday Night Live, January 31
Music: Maria Meirelles: 3 B-flat Piano Sonata Masterpieces: 7 & 8:30 pm
Detroit pianist Maria Meirelles performs piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Sergei Prokofiev, all in the key of B-flat. The sonatas are Beethoven’s Hammerklavier op. 106, Schubert’s Piano Sonata, D. 960 and Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 8, op. 84.
Detroit Film Theatre: 2014 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (ages 17 and older): 7 p.m.
The titles haven’t been announced yet, but this popular annual program features this year’s Oscar® nominated shorts in both the animated and live-action categories. For a detailed description, visitwww.dia.org/dft/schedule.asp. Tickets: $7.50; DIA members, seniors and students, $6.50.
Hours and Admission
Museum hours are9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors ages 62+, $4 for ages 6–17, and free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and DIA members. For membership information, call 313-833-7971.
