The Melbourne Cinémathèque & ACMI present
Singing on the Treadmill
When
Wed 21 Dec 2022
This lively parody, both kitsch and caustic, takes aim at the paternalistic rule of János Kádár as two zany librettists attempt to cast their new operetta. Against the drab background of communist regulation, the intermittent hues of bubble gum pink lighting and social resistance, Gazdag creates a work of surrealist cinematic dissent. Praised as one of the most original of Hungarian filmmakers, the iconoclast Gazdag was a visible target, leading to many of his films, including this one, being initially banned in his home country.
Digital restoration courtesy of the Hungarian National Film Institute.
Also screening on Wed 21 December
Program
Genre Nonconformity and East Side Stories: Decentering the Musical Part 1
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) – Wed 7 Dec, 7pm
City of Lost Souls (1983) – Wed 7 Dec, 8.50pm
The Lure (2015) – Wed 14 Dec, 7pm
The Legend of the Stardust Brothers (1985) – Wed 14 Dec, 8.45pm
The Hop Pickers (1964) – Wed 21 Dec, 7pm
Singing on the Treadmill (1974) – Wed 21 Dec, 8.45pm
About the program
The movie musical, while intermittently revived in the mainstream affections, has long been associated with the golden age of Hollywood between the 1930s and the 1960s. This season demonstrates that the musical has also flourished away from this perceived American “centre” – while still existing in dialogue with it – throughout the subsequent decades.
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About Melbourne Cinémathèque
Australia's longest-running film society, Melbourne Cinémathèque screens significant works of international cinema in the medium they were created, the way they would have originally screened.
Melbourne Cinémathèque is self-administered, volunteer-run, not-for-profit and membership-driven.
