Special Screenings
STALKER
DIRECTOR: ANDREI TARKOVSKY
USSR, 1979
Bathed in eerie sepia tones, STALKER is a disturbing scientific meditation on the possibility of human happiness and the search for truth. Since the fall of perhaps a meteorite, inexplicable mutation on both the landscape and nearby inhabitants have caused the devastated area to become a no-man’s land, its borders sealed and zealously patrolled by the government. Three men—a scientist, a thrill-seeking writer, and a “stalker” or guide—travel into this forbidden, post-apocalyptic wasteland. The mysterious zone conceals “the room,” a secret place where “the strongest and sincerest wish can come true.” The three undergo terrible ordeals before attaining the goal of their journey, but once their wishes come true, will they really know happiness? “A cultural event. ... No one interested in the world of cinema should miss it.”—J. Hoberman, Village Voice. (163 mins.)