For the very first or very last time

Nicholas Ray used to say that “every sentence, thought, or phrase that is spoken on screen must sound as though it is being spoken for the very first or the very last time”. This idea seems to be deeply rooted in a most peculiar feeling, a mixture of eagerness and uncertainty that is not unknown to passionate filmmakers. The first or the last films of a director usually radiate a sense of both power and fragility, probably an expression of the precariousness of their own occupation: will they be able to make a film again?

Ray, director of classic masterpieces such as Johnny Guitar (1954) and Rebel without a cause (1955), assumed this uncertainty as something inherent to the filmmaking profession. what be er name for a section devoted to commemorating the most acclaimed debut films in cinema history than the words of such brilliant director?

In an homage to Nicholas Ray, his debut film They live by night (1948) will be on show this year. The screening will be followed by a lecture and an informal discussion on Nicholas Ray’s life and work conducted by professor and filmmaker Luis Aller.