4-time Academy Award nominated Writer & Director November 13, 2006

AFI & SKIRBALL invite YOU to meet some of today’s most important
filmmakers at…

CINEMA’S LEGACY:

Appearing this month (TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 7:30 PM):

4-time Academy Award nominated Writer & Director
Robert Towne!
(Chinatown, Shampoo, Mission Impossible 1 & 2, Personal Best, etc…)

One of the most accomplished writers and directors in Hollywood over the last four decades, Robert Towne (Chinatown, Shampoo, The Firm, Days of Glory, Personal Best, Ask The Dust)) discusses his craft, and presents one of the greatest war films of all time, La Grande Illusion, by French master filmmaker Jean Renoir.

Q&A to precede the screening with Robert Towne.

ROBERT TOWNE screens LA GRANDE ILLUSION
Directed by Jean Renoir
1937 114 MIN 35MM

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 7:30 PM*
at the Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049 • (310) 440-4500 • www.skirball.org
*cash wine & beer bar and healthy concession at 7 PM. Event starts at 7:30
Avoid the traffic—take Mulholland Drive. It’s breathtaking and so simple!

$10 General • $8 AFI, Skirball, and Cinema’s Legacy Members* • $6 Students. Advance tickets recommended: Available via TicketWeb at (866) 468-3399 or www.ticketweb.com. Tickets also available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

*To become a member of the Cinema’s Legacy Google group and receive ticket discounts and information on upcoming events, please email us at [email protected]

For more about the Cinema’s Legacy series, visit www.afi.com.

ABOUT ROBERT TOWNE:
Robert Towne is a four-time Academy Award nominee best known for his Oscar-winning classic, CHINATOWN. Towne was born in Los Angeles and raised in San Pedro, CA where he worked as a tuna fisherman and went on to study philosophy at Pomona College in Claremont. His many screenwriting credits include MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 1 & 2, THE FIRM, GREYSTOKE, SHAMPOO, DAYS OF THUNDER and THE LAST DETAIL. His uncredited contributions include such notable films as THE GODFATHER, BONNIE & CLYDE as well as the blockbuster hits CRIMSON TIDE and ARMAGEDDON. He also is one of the most sought-after script doctors in Hollywood.

Towne has directed four of his own scripts; the recently released film noir ASK THE DUST starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek, PERSONAL BEST, TEQUILA SUNRISE and WITHOUT LIMITS, the critically acclaimed feature film about the great Oregon distance runner Steve Prefontaine.

ABOUT THE FILM:
During World War I, three French airmen are shot down in German territory: Capt. de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), a wealthy and aristocratic officer; Lt. Maréchal (Jean Gabin), a burly but intelligent working-class mechanic; and Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio), a prosperous Jewish banker. The three are brought to a POW camp, where the commander, Von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), takes an immediate liking to de Boeldieu. Both are members of the upper class and believe that the political and intellectual world they once knew will soon be a thing of the past with the rise to power of the proletariat. When the three Frenchmen discover that their fellow prisoners have been digging an escape tunnel, they band together and agree to help.

Frequently cited as both one of the greatest films about war and one of the greatest films ever made, Jean Renoir’s LA GRANDE ILLUSION is an often witty, sometimes poignant, moving examination of the futility of war.

ABOUT CINEMA'S LEGACY:
Inspired by a simple question—“What filmmaker has most inspired you?”—Cinema’s Legacy is an ongoing monthly series of conversations where contemporary filmmakers screen work they credit with encouraging and shaping their art and discuss firsthand the films and filmmakers that have influenced their careers. Presented by the American Film Institute and the Skirball Cultural Center, this acclaimed series has featured numerous notable filmmakers including most recent guests Oliver Stone, Dennis Hopper, Jon Favreau, Forest Whitaker, and John Landis. Additional information about the series is available at www.afi.com.

Official Website: http://skirball.org