Chocolat

Dir. Claire Denis. 1988, 105 mins. New 35mm print courtesy of Film Desk. With Isaach de Bankolé, Giulia Boschi, François Cluzet. The first feature from the brilliant French filmmaker Claire Denis is a searing and eloquent work of semiautobiography that centers on a young white woman’s memories of growing up in 1950s Cameroon. Most of the film deals with the complicated relationship between her mother and their houseboy, Protée (the great de Bankolé). This beautifully made meditation on class, race, nationality, and colonialism touches on many themes Denis would continue to plumb through her formidable career.

​​Tickets for Friday evening screenings: $12 ($9 for senior citizens and students / free for Museum members) and includes admission to the Museum’s galleries, which are open until 8:00 p.m.