Today, February 11th
SEE THE GREATEST SURREALIST FILM EVER MADE, “L’ÂGE D’OR.” Considering it’s a collaboration between Luis Buñuel and the father of Surrealism, Salvador Dali, this all-out assault on the bourgeoisie is surprisingly linear, but no less surprising or alive. Its vignettes on the theme of love thwarted by repressive morality retain much of the subversive edge that scandalized Paris in 1930 (getting it banned for 50 years). The Guardian calls it a “blasphemous and erotic film to puzzle over and constantly revisit.”
“L’Âge d’or.” 63 min, B&W, French with English subtitles. Tuesday, February 11, 4:00PM; Followed by a wine and beer reception. Get tickets here or at fiaf.org.
FIAF Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street
Nicholas Pinnock plays the inmate-turned-lawyer litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own wrongful conviction.
THE WRONGFUL-CONVICTION DRAMA "FOR LIFE" PREMIERES AT 10:00PM ET. "I used to be just like you,” inmate Aaron Wallace tells viewers—expressing the belief of the show’s producer (rapper and actor Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) that anyone, no matter their background, will relate to this story of an imprisoned family man who becomes a lawyer to try and reverse his life sentence for a crime he didn't commit.
Wrongful incarceration seems to be a hot topic—from the new Michael B. Jordan/Jamie Foxx film, “Just Mercy” to “Convicted,” “Actual Innocence” and a host of true crime podcasts. But "For Life” is “the farthest thing from ‘Law & Order’ and other procedurals,” explains co-creator, Hank Steinberg. Inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., it’s a story about surviving in prison, the flaws in our penal system, winning back one’s estranged family—and how one person can make a difference when fighting for the truth.
"For Life" premieres Tuesday, February, 11th @ 10:00PM ET on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu. Watch the trailer here.
From Brasilische Pilzblumen (1895).
CLICK WITH NATURE. As part of its mission to provide free, worldwide access to knowledge about life on Earth, the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) has recently made over 150,000 botanical illustrations public domain.
John Sibthorp’s Flora Graeca (1806-1840) has been called “the most costly and beautiful book devoted to any flora,” with each of its 25 copies selling for £254 (though each cost £620 to produce).
From an 1833 DIY Taxidermist’s Manual to 19th-century lithographs depicting wild animals in London’s Regent’s Park, these public images belong to a 55-million-page archive culled from hundreds of thousands of libraries and journals and across the world—some dating back to the 15th century.
More than a feast for the eyes, the collection is essential in combating the climate crisis. “To understand the complexities of swiftly-changing ecosystems in the midst of an extinction crisis and widespread climate change, we need access to the world’s collective knowledge about biodiversity,” says the Library.
To enjoy the same access that is revolutionizing global research, simply visit the Library’s portal at biodiversitylibrary.org and start searching.
