About this Event
Surrealist Study Group (SSG) proudly welcomes Chloë Cassens, the representative of the Severin Wunderman Collection, the largest collection in the world of works by iconoclastic French artist Jean Cocteau, for an in depth conversation with dama – artist, curator, PRS librarian, and host of SSG – about Jean Cocteau’s incredible life and brilliant work, accompanying a screening of his mythic masterpiece ORPHEUS (Orphée) (1950).
The brains behind , a project dedicated to educating the globe about Cocteau, and emissary of the Severin Wunderman Collection, whose collection makes up the entirety of the contents of the official Musée Jean Cocteau in France, Cassens is a longtime scholar of Cocteau with a unique perspective, as she is Wunderman’s granddaughter. This evening, she will illuminate us on Cocteau’s life and work, his fascination with and exploration of myths and archetypes, and the deeply personal nature and lasting impact of his most acclaimed film (winner of the International Film Critics Award at the 1950 Venice Film Festival) — ORPHÉE.
Visually stunning, dreamy, and profound, Cocteau transforms the tragically romantic Greek myth into a wholly singular surrealist thriller. The second installment in what is now referred to as The Orphic Trilogy, following The Blood of a Poet (1932) and preceding The Testament of Orpheus (1960), Orphée stands as one of his best loved films and an indelible influence on future generations of cinema, perhaps most notably David Lynch — Twin Peaks' paranormal M**der mystery and Black Lodge certainly owes some inspiration to Orphée's through-the-looking-glass Underworld intrigue!
ABOUT ORPHEUS (Orphée)
"It is much less a film than it is myself, a kind of projection of the things that are important to me.” – Jean Cocteau on Orphée
Jean Cocteau’s update of the Orpheus myth depicts a famous poet (Jean Marais), scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love for both his wife, Eurydice (Marie Déa), and a mysterious princess (Maria Casarès). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the princess from the world of the living to the land of the dead, through Cocteau’s famous mirrored portal. Orpheus’s peerless visual poetry and dreamlike storytelling represent the legendary Cocteau at the height of his powers.
Dir. Jean Cocteau, France, 1950, 95 mins, B&W, French w/ English Subtitles, Digital.
Special thanks to Brian Belovarac and Sam Dinerstein of Janus Films.
Tickets: $10 (In Person Event Only)
Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
ABOUT CHLOË CASSENS
Chloë Cassens is the representative of the Severin Wunderman Collection, the largest in the world of works by iconoclastic French artist Jean Cocteau. It makes up the entirety of the contents of the Musée Jean Cocteau-collection Severin Wunderman in Menton, France. She is a longtime scholar of Cocteau with a unique perspective, as she is Wunderman’s granddaughter. Based in Los Angeles, she was raised between LA, Switzerland and France before receiving her BA in Comparative Literature from Barnard College. She is the author of SACRED MONSTER, a biweekly essay project dedicated to celebrating Cocteau and the Collection. As the Collection’s representative, she works to educate others about Wunderman’s legacy and popularize Cocteau’s work around the globe.
Chloë Cassens on Instagram
Chloë Cassens website
Sacred Monster website
ABOUT SEVERIN WUNDERMAN
Severin Wunderman (1938-2008) was the Chairman of Corum Timepieces. A survivor of the Holocaust, his extraordinary trajectory saw him go from a child hidden from Nazis to striking gold as the Founder of Gucci Timepieces. Born in Belgium, he later became an American citizen who lived in La-colle-sur-loup, France; Laguna Beach, CA; and London, England. He dedicated his life to philanthropy, and anonymously gave his fortune away to those who needed it most. Married seven times, the love of his life was his art collection. He amassed the world’s largest collection of works by Jean Cocteau, starting from when he was nineteen years old until his death. On December 31, 2004, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by President Jacques Chirac. A titan of the watch industry, he was known as “The Time Lord”. The Musée Jean Cocteau-collection Severin Wunderman opened in 2011, and contains over 1200 pieces donated by Wunderman to Menton, France. He is survived by four children and six grandchildren.
ABOUT dama
Amanda Maciel Antunes (aka dama) is a Brazilian artist based in Los Angeles. Her auto-didactic and transdisciplinary practice merges language and durational performance to create site-specific works. She works in collaboration with public libraries, nature and communal spaces, reflecting on the selective nature of memory, inherent language and anthropological references written by women as points of departure.
Sites of practice have included a former WWII military shelter in East LA, Sæborg historical theatre in a northern fjord, Iceland, The Crowley Theatre in Marfa, TX; a Dessana Tribe territory in Rio Negro, Brazil; the Los Angeles National Forest; and the High Desert of California. She has exhibited her work in the USA, Brazil and Iceland. Recent select exhibitions and solo performances at Galeria Vermelho, Galeria Chão, Wignall Museum, Track16 Gallery, Irrational Exhibits, 18th Street Arts Center, Oregon Contemporary, Brand Art Library, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Philosophical Research Society. Her first book titled was published in the Spring of 2023 by HEXENTEXTE. dama is a librarian at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles where she also curates and hosts a monthly Surrealist Study Group focusing on women authors and artists in conversation.
ACCESSIBILITY
PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.
REFUND POLICIES
All sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.
In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.
PARKING
Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking.
PRS EVENT POLICIES
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
USD 12.51
