A Grin Without a Cat

This epic film-essay from Chris Marker (La Jetée) investigates the worldwide political wars of the ‘60s and ‘70s, especially the emergence of the New Left. Originally released in 1978, BAM is delighted to show the restored and “re-actualized” version Marker released after the fall of the Soviet Union 15 years later. Described by Marker as "scenes of the Third World War," the film interweaves imagery of Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat in an indictment of the leftist movement’s unfortunate failure to manifest meaningful change. Whereas Vineland tracks the story of a fictional left wing revolutionary, Marker’s film traces the movement’s real successes and failures in the West.