I’m Not There(Filmmaker in Focus Series All Those Magnificent Obsessions Allow: The Cinema of Todd Haynes )

As implausible as it sounds, six actors of different ages, colors, and genders play Bob Dylan, song singer-composer, rebel icon, poet, prophet, outlaw and, recently, Nobel winner in I’m Not There. Here Haynes revisits his favorite themes: popular music, shifting identities, the construction of the cult status of stars, and the relationship between life and art. The film also manifests his sensibilities in directing his actors (Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, etc.), letting them realize their full capacities and magnificent potentials. Special Jury Award and Best Actress (Cate Blanchett) at 2007 Venice Film Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Cate Blanchett) at 2008 Golden Globes Awards.

*Post-screening discussion on 14 Oct 2017