Metafora + Tout la mémoire du monde

This program spotlights the vast national libraries of France and Greece, with works by Alain Resnais and Elias Giannakakis.

Tout la mémoire du monde (1956)
Dir. Alain Resnais
22min; DCP

In French with English subtitles

Alain Resnais’s short documentary portrays the French national library as an all-encompassing project with many moving parts, starting out in the subterranean storage rooms and reaching to the sky.

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Metafora (2020)
Dir. Elias Giannakakis
105min; DCP

In Greek with English subtitles

Founded in 1832, the National Library of Greece holds over a million items, including manuscripts and artifacts from a period spanning more than 1,000 years. This documentary follows the relocation of the library from its neoclassical home in central Athens to a privately-funded cultural precinct on the bay. It ponders the challenges and contradictions of preserving this cultural heritage, especially in an era of political turbulence when the protesters who fill the streets are making their own separate demands. Like Resnais’ film, the library is personified, a living witness to the struggles that continue to shape the city.