As much as I find it hard to believe that it’s December once
again and we’re about to embark on another festive season, I’m going to have to
face facts and accept that I’m another year older and have a lot of Christmas
shopping to get through! The IFI Film Shop is always a good place to start.
There are plenty of gift ideas I could talk about (IFI Membership and IFI Gift
Cards are no-brainers!) but I’m going to pick out three things that I’ll be snapping
up in the coming days.
First up is a must-have for any cineaste. I simply love the
films of Michael Haneke. Showing currently at the IFI is his latest Palme d’Or
winning Amour which has to be one of
the best films of 2012. It has really given me the appetite to rediscover some
of his earlier films. The Films of Michael
Haneke box set (€60) is a ten disc collection and includes his entire
filmmaking career (with the obvious exception of Amour). There are so many classics in there. I can still recall the
chilling masterpiece and the sheer discomfort watching The White Ribbon, or the unsettling atmosphere in the thriller Hidden (Caché) starring our recent Festival
guest Juliette Binoche, and only recently I saw for the very first time the uncompromising
Funny Games which screened during our
IFI20 Landmark Films Season. So this box set is a must have for any Haneke fan
and it even includes the fascinating documentary 24 Realities per Second.
Next up is a DVD from one of my favourite Irish filmmakers,
Pat Collins. Many of you may have seen his recent film Silence which is an utterly spellbinding piece of filmmaking. His
2011 film, Tim Robinson: Connemara
(€14.99), is a sixty minute film based on three Connemara books and is an exploration
of landscape, history and mythology. It’s a beautiful film and perfect for any
lovers of the West.
As we’re about to embark on a full and comprehensive retrospective
of all of Hitchcock’s 52 films (in the biggest season the IFI has ever
undertaken) and in advance of the release of the new biopic Hitchcock, it’s a great time to read Paul Duncan's Alfred Hitchcock. The Complete Films (Taschen) or Looking for Alfred by Johan Grimonprez. Both make a fascinating read and a marvellous way to truly get to know the man behind
some of the famous thrillers ever made.
Happy shopping!
Ross Keane
Director
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