L’avventura (1960)

L’avventura is the first part of Antonioni’s modernist trilogy on alienation and is considered by critics as one of the best films ever made. Few canonical arthouse films are as essential and influential as this one.

During a sailing trip off the coast of Sicily, a young woman (Lea Massari) mysteriously goes missing. Her fiancé Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti) and best friend Claudia (Monica Vitti) go looking for her. The search leads the two across a rocky, windy and inhospitable island, where the memory of Anna increasingly fades into the background. The starting point seems simple, but viewers who expect a classic mystery must radically adjust their expectations.

Not only in terms of narrative, but also in terms of visual language, this masterpiece was radically innovative. Instead of narrative dialogues or action scenes, he lets the images do the work: the beautifully stylized shots of the rorsy sea, Sicilian landscapes and volcanic activity speak volumes.

This film is part of the series BODIES OF WATER, to be seen in May and June in De Uitkijk.

The people at de Uitkijk have kindly offered a limited amount of free tickets for Subbacultcha members. Please make a reservation by sending an email to mailinglist@subbacultcha.nl with “L’avventura (1960)” in the subject line + your name in the email.