British director Terence Davies has established an international reputation as a leading film artist despite having only five features and one trilogy of short films to his credit. Davies has pioneered a “cinema of reminiscence,” distinguished by exquisite craftsmanship, astringent recall, and genuine depth of feeling. Born in 1945 into a large, working-class Liverpudlian family, Davies frequently weaves autobiographical strains into his films—even in his adaptations of others’ novels—expanding and enriching the personal until it becomes universally relevant to human experience. Family, music, gender, and sexuality are important themes in every Davies film, and all are inflected with measures of guilt, comfort, and, always, beauty. All films are from Great Britain and directed by Terence Davies.
Organized by Laurence Kardish, Senior Curator, Department of Film.