The interconnection of different social classes and the constant struggle for a fair distribution within the urban fabric is a theme that unites visionary urban planners, architects and filmmakers alike. While in Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis, we follow the story primarily from the perspective of the young and working class and Freder, who tries to stop his father from suppressing a workers' uprising, in Francis Ford Coppola's more recent film we follow the young architect Cesar as he fights against Mayor Cicero to realize his dream of a utopian city. Coppola's latest film cannot be separated from the classic 1927 silent film, which Coppola himself cites as the inspiration for his 40-year-long project. CAMP will present both films in a special double screening. Ondřej Čížek will guide you through the evening.
Metropolis
The inhabitants of Metropolis live in a strictly two-class society. Above ground is the life of the rich and privileged and below ground is the world of exploited workers. Joh Fredersen, the ruler of the city, pulls the strings and controls the heart of the Metropolis system. His son, Freder, is the only one amongst the privileged to challenge the prevailing inequality and sets out to the workers' city to help the angelic Maria. His authoritarian father, however, tries to quell any uprising and orders the inventor Rotwang to create a robotic double of Maria to help destroy the workers. Fritz Lang's monumental silent classic is considered the prototype of dystopian science fiction films and has influenced many other works in its content and visual style.
Fritz Lang / Germany / 1927 / 153 min / silent film Trailer Metropolis (1927) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
**Megalopolis **
Megalopolis is a Roman heroic epic set in an imaginary future America. The city of New Rome must undergo a transformation, which triggers a conflict between Cesare Catilina, a brilliant architect who seeks to transition to a utopian, idealistic future, and his adversary, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains loyal to the status quo of greed, self-interest and partisan warfare. Caught between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor's daughter, whose love for Cesar breaks her loyalties and leads her to discover what she believes humanity truly deserves. The fact that this most ambitious project of Coppola's career was reportedly edited by the director up to 300 times over 40 years only goes to show how extraordinarily important this visionary, humanistic story really is to Francis Ford Coppola.
Francis Ford Coppola / USA / 2024 /133 min / English / subtitles Trailer Megalopolis - Official Trailer (2024) Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza