Volker Schlondorff’s The Making Of Last Year At Marienbad Unearthed, Screens For A Select Few

If there is one thing that gets me more stoked than a classic, French New Wave, film getting a release, it’s the discovery of a new, making of documentary on the film, getting a similar release. That is why this is easily one of the most interesting and truly great pieces of news that I’ve had the honor to write about.

According to The Criterion Collection, a new making of documentary based around the film Last Year In Marienbad has been found, and has screened for a select set of audiences. The film was originally thought to have been lost to history after actress Francoise Spira, member of the film’s cast, but apparently it was discovered in 2008, and made its way into the hands of the film’s screenwriter, Alain Robbe-Grillet.

The film was directed by German filmmaker Volker Schlondorff, the original film’s second unit director, and was shot by Spira, on 8mm film. The film is called The Making Of Last Year At Marienbad, and has been called a “touching reflection of Last Year At Marienbad,” characterizing it as “a truly new film, a behind-the-scenes tale of a masterpiece refracted in hallways and mirrors, hieratic and unwavering dialogues.”

Personally, not only is Last Year a brilliant film, and one of the best French New Wave films, but it’s also one of cinema’s most interesting pieces. It follows a stranger who attempts to talk a woman into running away with him, but realizes that the girl doesn’t have any recollection of the affair that they may or may not have had. While this would have been a perfect addition to the recent Marienbad Criterion release, one can only hope that this film will get some sort of release, as this is one film that I really cannot wait to check out.

Source: Criterion