Serge Bromberg on L’Enfer

The enigmatic and original project, with an unlimited budget, was meant to be the cinematographic event of the time at its release. In his attempt to create a visual manifestation of jealously, Cluzot concocted some of the most striking images ever put on film, juxtaposing mundane black & white with dizzying, psychedelic colour straight out of the drug fuelled, pop-art sixties. The studio bosses were so impressed that they remove all restrictions on the length of footage. However, the shoot proved intense beyond expectation and pushed all involved to the limit. Reggiani left the set, never to return, and the film was doomed thereon.

The unfinished work would remain Cluzot's greatest regret. Serge Bromberg, the tireless and passionate film historian and archivist, who created Lobster films which has restored hundreds of works and holds a collection of over 50000 films dating back to the earliest known in cinematic history, set out to recover these images.

Fifty years on and 185 cans (or 13 hours) of film thought to be lost are recovered. Bromberg meticulously reconstructs the ill-fated story of a magical work and gives us snapshots of a mythical actress filmed in a manner that will remain imprinted in the mind forever. Bromberg talks exclusively to Cinémoi about this tragic tale in cinema's history.

THE SCREENING ON 21st JUNE 2009 at 10:00PM IS FREE VIEW - THIS PROGRAMME IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SKY VIEWERS