This is the true story of a man and a gun and a car…so opens The Hitch-Hiker (1953). Directed and penned by Ida Lupino, the film pares noir down to its essentials — shadowy cinematography, a psychological view of violence, and grim suspense that sinks into your very being. Two men going on a fishing trip pick up a killer hitchhiker and are brought to the brink through his games. With much more to it than initially meets the eye, The Hitch-Hiker is a landmark not only because it is the only true noir directed by a woman, but also for its place in early independent filmmaking. Its influence in style, story, and production can still be seen today.

We are thrilled to be hosting this event for PDX Panorama!

After dying from a respiratory disease, a mother's spirit possesses a vacuum cleaner to protect her husband when he begins showing the same symptoms. Winner of the Grand Prize at the 64th edition of Cannes Critics’ Week.

SCREENING + DISCUSSION

Childhood believes what is told and does not question it…it has complete faith in us…I ask of you a little of this childlike naivety and, to bring us luck, let me speak four magic words…Once upon a time…”

So entreats Jean Cocteau at the beginning of La Belle et la Bête, his surrealist version of the classic fairytale. Cocteau first and foremost referred to himself as a poet and La Belle et la Bête is a shining example of his cinematic poetry. With stunning production design and costuming, the film sweeps you away in its romantic fantasy. We invite you to give yourself away to its pull and return to the fairytales of childhood.

The screwiest of screwballs, Howard Hawks’s Bringing Up Baby is a delight and a riot. Starring gruesome twosome Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the film provides a space for their full charms and comedic prowesses to bloom. Hijinks abound as they deal with dinosaur bones, women’s negligee, a leopard who loves singing, and most of all each other. Your sides and cheeks will hurt after from hootin and hollerin.

To kick off a new year of Film School, we’re heading all the way back to cinema’s roots. This month we offer a small selection of shorts from early cinema, focused on comedy and surrealism. Come watch then discuss how cinema has changed and how it has stayed the same. Program to be announced soon!

Claire Denis’s quietly moving portrait of a father and daughter whose lives begin to diverge. Set in Paris, the film captures the tenderness of routine and the ache of change. Screening followed by a group discussion.

Robert Altman’s dark Hollywood satire about a studio exec caught in a murder and a system that rewards it. Our pick for the 1990s — movies about movies, and the mess behind them.

Where Is the Friend’s House? (1987)

Abbas Kiarostami’s tender, quietly powerful film follows a boy’s determined search for his classmate’s home after accidentally taking his notebook. What begins as a simple errand unfolds into a moving portrait of childhood, responsibility, and the small acts of care that shape community.

Join us for a screening and discussion of this landmark work of Iranian cinema.

Our pick for the 1960s: Godard goes sci-fi in this cool, cryptic noir where love is outlawed and logic runs the city. Shot in real Paris but set in a dystopian future, Alphaville is part detective story, part philosophical fever dream, and all style. Followed by a group discussion.

We’re moving into the 1950s with Pickpocket — Robert Bresson’s minimalist masterpiece and one of the most quietly influential films of the 20th century. A major inspiration for Taxi Driver, Pickpocket follows a young man’s descent into crime with stark realism and spiritual intensity. With its focus on hands, isolation, and grace, Bresson strips cinema down to its barest elements — and somehow makes something transcendent. A beautiful, haunting portrait of alienation and the flicker of redemption.