Unless you’re a film geek or Harvard student, you’ve probably never heard of the Harvard Film Archive. Scratch that. Harvard students haven’t heard of it either.
The HFA Cinematheque, a classy (read: snack-free) 210-seat movie theater on Harvard’s campus, shows films from its collection of over 10,000 independent, international and historical films.
This hidden gem screens famous flicks by Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman, as well as throwback advertisements and “social engineering” films from the 1950s. So whether you’ve had your fill of Judd Apatow box office smashes or just want to look back at the pop culture of yesteryear, the HFA’s variety of films leaves no need for buttery distractions.
Massive movie collection aside, the HFA’s draw lies in its celebrity guests. Filmmakers and actors including William Klein and Tommy Lee Jones have presented and discussed their work there. (And no, we’re not talking about Volcano. Jones, a Harvard alum, screened his directorial debut, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, at the HFA last January.) On September 21, writer and sometime-director Norman Mailer will introduce his film Maidstone.
The audience is a “healthy mix” of students and Cambridge and Boston residents, according to HFA film specialist Steffan Pierce. The 48 people at a recent showing of Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and, Videotape included equal parts college-aged kids, thirty-somethings and seniors.
Unfortunately, 48 isn’t a bad draw for the HFA. “We show so many cool movies here that play to 12 people,” said John Passirini, an usher at the theater.
Without Ivy League funding, a movie house showing relatively obscure films couldn’t stay afloat, Pierce explained. Harvard’s backing allows the HFA to stay calm in the face of competition from downloading services and Netflix.
“Those [other viewing options] are challenges to any repertory house,” Pierce said. “But I think it also works the other way. Film culture has expanded in many different directions. It has a trickle-down effect; now, it’s easy to access films by Bergman or Fellini. Some percent of people [who see films on DVD] are going to make their way to a cinema.”
Still, the HFA offers what at-home viewing can’t provide: a shared movie theater experience. And according to Pierce, the Cinematheque makes for unique film memories: “Live piano to accompany a silent film. That’s something you can’t get on Netflix,” he said.