WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6 pm, the Clark Art Institute presents a screening of "Rififi," the first in a series of films celebrating Mariel Capanna's yearlong public spaces installation Giornata.

 

Inspired by Capanna's practice of imposing time constraints upon herself while painting, this five-part series showcases films by directors who worked within time constraints.

 

After making such American noir classics as Brute Force and The Naked City, the blacklisted director Jules Dassin went to Paris and embarked on his masterpiece: a twisting, turning tale of four ex-cons who hatch one last glorious robbery in the City of Light. Rififi is the ultimate heist movie, a mélange of suspense, brutality, and dark humor that was an international hit, earned Dassin the best director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and has proven wildly influential on the decades of heist thrillers that have come in its wake. Its most famous scene imposes a time constraint on the bank heist, one that must be carried out in absolute silence. (Run time: 1 hour, 55 minutes)

 

All films in this series are free and screened in the Manton Research Center auditorium on select Thursdays at 6 pm. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524.