Forgotten Color: Revisiting Early Color Films

Film

Wednesday, December 18, 7:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 2

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2

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Technicolor test, Pioneer Pictures, 1933–35

This program presents several recent collection rediscoveries, all painstakingly restored in 4K and faithful to the original color palettes. Among the highlights are hand-colored butterfly dance films from the 1890s; some of the finest existing examples of artificially colored animations from maestros Winsor McCay and Wladyslaw Starewicz; new Kinemacolor restorations derived from original camera negatives; some truly remarkable demonstration footage made to promote Technicolor’s new three-strip process in the early 1930s; plus other surprises! Professor Barbara Flueckiger, founder of the Timeline of Historical Film Colors, will join us for a discussion of the films and technology. Piano accompaniment by Makia Matsumura. Program approx. 90 min.

Followed by a book signing to mark the launch of the English-language
edition of Color Mania (Lars Müller Publishers), edited by Barbara
Flueckiger, Eva Hielscher, and Nadine Wietlisbach.

This film accompanies Hidden Histories.

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