Le Bassin de J.W. (The Hips of J.W.). 1997. Directed by João César Monteiro

Film

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The Hips of J.W. (Le bassin de J.W.). 1997. Portugal/France. Directed by João César Monteiro. Courtesy The Cinema Guild

Le Bassin de J.W. (The Hips of J.W.). 1997. Portugal/France. Directed by João César Monteiro. Screenplay by Monteiro, with texts by August Strindberg, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Teixeira de Pascoaes, André Breton. With Monteiro, Pierre Clémenti, Hugues Quester. 4K digital restoration by Cinemateca Portuguesa. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 134 min.

After receiving a postcard from Serge Daney in which the French critic told him of a dream about John Wayne beautifully swinging his hips in the North Pole, Monteiro wrote The Hips of J.W., a biting political satire of Monteiro’s Portugal that features a theatrical company fanatically rehearsing August Strindberg’s Inferno and a battle of wills between God (Monteiro) and Lucifer (Hugues Quester) in a world corrupted since its inception. Dedicated to Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, the film is in equal parts majestic and perverse, as Monteiro teeters to the edge of theatrical abstraction in a moment of personal crisis that anticipates the provocative, radical artistic statement of his Snow White.

This film accompanies João César Monteiro: Symphonies of a Libertine.

Past events

Tue, Nov 4, 2025, 6:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Sun, Nov 2, 2025, 4:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2, Theater 2

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2

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