“She is talented. She is intellectual. She is incredibly articulate. She is a very beautiful woman and she has the sophistication. She understands-really understands how to work with people, and I think she sees into these stories, the souls of her characters…the characters are so fully drawn,” said Anne Morra, associate curator in the Department of Film at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Morra was referring to the dynamic subject of MoMA’s current program, “Filmmaker in Focus: Euzhan Palcy.” Organized by Ronald S. Magliozzi, assistant curator, and Morra, the lauded exhibition opened on May 18 and runs through May 30 at MoMA’s Roy and Niuta Titus Theatre 2 at 11 W. 53rd St. in New York City.
“She has all these remarkable qualities,” Morra said about Palcy, a Cesar Award-winning filmmaker who was born in Martinique, resides in Paris and makes films globally. “She is the kind of filmmaker with the kind of films that we are interested in at MoMA, and right now we view her within the context of the “Filmmaker in Focus” exhibition, which is really a mid-career retrospective, and we see this unfolding body of work.”
Palcy’s evolutionary filmography, which spans three decades, includes features, documentaries and television films. Among them are the ground-breaking “Sugar Cane Alley” (1983, France, Martinique, 103 min.), “A Dry White Season” (1989, USA, 97 min.), set in South Africa, “Simeon” (1992, France/Martinique, 106 min.), “Aime Cesaire: A Voice for History” (1994, France, Senegal, ), “Ruby Bridges” (1998, USA, 90 min.), “The Killing Yard” (2001, USA, 110 min.), “Parcours de Dissidents” (2006, France) and “Les Mariees de L’Isle Bourbon” (2007, France, 90 min.)
Noting the various technologies Palcy utilizes in her craft, Morra pointed out: “She is working in digital and television. She is finding these new ways of telling her story and getting the material out there, and she is not dogmatic in saying, ‘I have to make 35 millimeter films.’ She is telling great stories and finding the right audiences.
Morra’s introduction to Palcy’s work began with “Sugar Cane Alley.” She recalled, “I remember seeing it when it first came out. At first I didn’t know if Euzhan was a man or a woman, but I don’t think it was something I really spent time searching for. I was just very taken by how she brought the world of Martinique and the community in Martinique to the screen.”
Through Palcy’s film, Morra learned a lot about this unfamiliar world. “It was a story I knew very little about in terms of their communities in the Caribbean islands and how, basically, the people were enslaved by being brought to the islands. Then the second wave of enslaving, which is, ‘Do we work and do we stay here or do we leave our home and move on somewhere else?’” Morra was struck by the original way in which Palcy’s narrative unfolded.
When Morra learned about Palcy’s next film she was intrigued. “I said, ‘Oh, this is the same person that made “Sugar Cane Alley.”‘ That is when I really took the time to find out who she was and learned at that point that Euzhan Palcy is a woman.” This amazed Morra. “Traditionally we think of women’s films, but obviously if you are a good artist, which she is, you can tell any good story and that’s something that always made me look for her work.”
That’s when destiny stepped in and the stars lined up. “When you came to talk to Ron and me, I was very excited because I knew it would be my opportunity to explore her other works,” Morra said, recalling my early meeting with the two assistant curators in December of 2008 to pitch a MoMA/Palcy film program.
“The real treasure is reconnecting with the work, and that is something that Ron and I have had the luxury of doing-watching Euzhan’s films again, watching them in this sort of unfolding story and then also being able to articulate why her films are the kind of films we want to show at MoMA. That has been our dream as curators,” she continued.
Commenting on the reaction of the MoMA audience, Morra said, “During the screenings of Palcy’s films, the audience have been totally engaged and visibly moved. Ron and I are very happy with the outcome of the exhibition.” Magliozzi shared, “‘Simeon’ and ‘Brides…’ were very well received. Folks were literally dancing in the aisle at the end of ‘Simeon.’”
In concluding, Morra revealed, “We are very happy that this has come to fruition. Euzhan’s films don’t get seen very much and this is an opportunity to look at her body of work and how a filmmaker develops-that’s something that we at MoMA really try to do: look in depth at the work of the filmmaker.”
And with the closing credits, we proudly present a Casting Pearls Director Extraordinaire Award to Ms. Euzhan Palcy for her acclaimed, trailblazing body of films. Bravo!
We also proudly present the Museum of Modern Art with a Casting Pearls Innovative Award for Promoting Culture and Diversity with programs such as “Filmmaker in Focus: Euzhan Palcy.” We would also like to acknowledge and thank MoMA’s film acquisition committee for voting to purchase new 35mm prints of “Sugar Cane Alley” and “Simeon” to be added to their permanent collection. Thank you, MoMA! This is major and very significant! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
For screening schedules and other information please visit: MoMA.org
Please join the Caribbean Lingo! series in June for Caribbean Heritage Month when we continue the dialogue with Morra’s as it touches upon the important themes of Palcy’s work as a groundbreaking filmmaker, from an international perspective-Caribbean, African, American and French-as well as Palcy’s unique position as a woman making films.
The “Casting Pearls” series pays tribute to the brilliant professionals of stage and screen.
