Destiny (1997)

Thursday, December 13, 2018 @ 7:00 PM
Globe Cinema - 617 8th Ave SW, Calgary, AB
$12 General | $10 Members/Seniors/Students | $40 5-Pack Punch Pass | $99 Season Pass

Sunday, January 13, 2019 @ 2:00 PM
Central Library - 802 3rd St SE, Calgary, AB
FREE Admission (Part of our Library Series, which presents a free screening of the film along with a short lecture/guided discussion of its cultural and artistic significance.)

DIRECTED BY YOUSSEF CHAHINE | EGYPT/FRANCE | 135 MINS.

Legendary Egyptian director Youssef Chahine was born in Alexandria between the two World Wars. Though he studied briefly in California as a young man, he remained a secular humanist artist very much of his time and place. That being said, viewers of the opulent large-scale spectacle that is 1997’s Destiny may well be reminded of the historical pageants of D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille at the dawn of narrative cinema proper. Set in the Spanish province of Andalusia but photographed in Lebanon and Syria, Destiny tells a story of political intrigue and sectarian tensions revolving around 12th century Arab Andalusian philosopher Averröes, whose teachings influenced developments in both Christianity and Islam. Featuring musical numbers throughout, Chahine’s opus maintains at all times a rhapsodic and declamatory mode of address. Destiny pits rationalism against fundamentalism, advocating for personal liberties and a healthy public discourse informed by open debate. This is inclusive, popular art at its most fundamentally radical. Chahine’s call for reason would seem only to grow more timely.

- Written by Jason Wierzba

FOCUS: WORLD MUSICALS

With the introduction of sound to the cinematographic lexicon, the Hollywood musical very quickly became one of the preeminent public entertainments of the 1930s. Even now, when one thinks of musicals, one may well be inclined to envision the lavish spectacles of Hollywood or Bollywood. There is a general tendency to overlook the variations on the form, often uniquely characteristic of their national or cultural spheres, that continue to emerge from around the globe. Calgary Cinematheque is pleased to have the opportunity this season to expose audiences to musicals from Hong Kong, Egypt, Iran, Japan, and Indonesia. Musicals are by nature popular entertainment, public art, spectacles meant to be enjoyed by amassed spectators representing a collective body. They are inherently celebratory and communal. Musicals from around the world viewed (and heard) in public space ideally expand our concept and experience of community. Think of these films as locally-global phenomena; experiences grounded in kinship and exultation.

LIBRARY SCREENING SERIES @ NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY

In partnership with the Calgary Public Library, these free Sunday afternoon screenings are paired with a lecture and guided conversation about each film’s artistic and cultural impact. One film from each of our programming series will be featured, as well as a special Remembrance Day screening. 

About Calgary Cinematheque

We are a non-profit film society dedicated to presenting significant, challenging, and essential works of cinema art in Calgary. During our season, which runs from October to April, we screen films weekly, in curated programs which situate each film in a thematic and historical context. We do this because we believe cinema is an essential form of artistic, social, and political expression. Audiences should be able to engage with a wide range of cinematic expression, not only with what is commercially viable. We believe in the power of sharing these experiences with other people in a theatrical setting and we strive to cultivate a community around that experience.  

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