Press
release30.04.2003
Gabriel Axel's feature
film, the Academy Award-winner "Babette's Feast" (1987) has been invited
to screen at the Filmoteca Vaticana in Rome on 12 May in conjunction with
a symposium, for invited guests, organized and co-sponsored by MoMA, the
Museum of Modern Art in New York.
"Babette's Feast" is
included in a series of over fifty artistic works which will take part in
the project "Hidden God" - which deals with the subject of spirituality in
the cinema. MoMA have invited a number of writers, critics and friends of
the cinema to contribute an essay on their favourite spiritual film, and
have collected these writings in an anthology which is due for release in
the autumn, when the films of each writer's choice will be
screening.
"Babette's Feast" is
based on Karen Blixen's novella from 1950, about Babette Hersant who
sought refuge in Denmark after the Paris Commune in 1871. In a small
community in West Jutland she earns her living as a housekeeper for two
spinsters. When she wins a lottery prize she decides that the proceeds are
to be spent on a culinary feast for her devout and frugal hosts. French
actress Stéphane Audran plays the role of Babette, while Bodil Kjer,
Birgitte Federspiel and Jarl Kulle play leading roles. Supported by the
Danish Film Institute, the film was produced by Panorama Film
International and Nordisk Film. "Babette's Feast" has been sold world-wide
and has recently become part of the film collection at MoMA in New York.
Gabriel Axel will be present at the screening in Rome as well as at the
symposium where he has been invited to join the guest panel which includes
Bishop Foley, the President of the Pontifical Council for Social
Communication, the director of the Filmoteca Vaticana, Monsignor Enrique
Planas, veteran Italian screenwriter Suso Cecchi D'Amico as well as Mary
Lea Bandy, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of MoMA and Director of the
Department of Film & Media. Ms Bandy is also co-organizer of the
project in collaboration with Antonio Monda, Free Lance Curator and
Professor at New York University.
For further
information
Museum of Modern
Art, New York Jytte Jensen Jytte_Jensen@moma.org / www.moma.orgNatalie_Hirniak@moma.org
Filmoteca
VaticanaMonsignor Enrique Planas +39 0669 88 3197 fv@pccs.va
Danish Film
Institute / Press & InformationVicki Synnott tel +45 3374
3438 vickis@dfi.dk