Al Pacino at the American Cinematheque (Note the Egyptian program time change!)

Al Pacino as King Herod in SALOME

Here at the American Cinematheque, we're beginning the month of August in a big way - we're thrilled to welcome actor and filmmaker Al Pacino for appearances at both the Egyptian and Aero Theatres! 

Please note that the time of the August 10th program at the Egyptian has changed from 7:30 PM to 5:30 PM due to a schedule conflict for Mr. Pacino. SALOME will begin at 5:30 PM. At 7:30 PM, WILDE SALOME will be shown. The Q&A with Mr. Pacino will follow WILDE SALOME. After the Q&A, SALOME will be projected again for those who cannot arrive at 5:30 PM. Tickets are still on sale for this program!

Pacino and theatrical director Estelle Parsons spent nearly two years developing a production of Oscar Wilde's Salome, the story of a princess who lived in the time of Jesus, before bringing it to Broadway, and then to Los Angeles's Wadsworth Theatre in Westwood in 2006. Jessica Chastain, a young actress then two years out of Juilliard's drama program and credited with a few TV roles, was cast in the title role, alongside Pacino as King Herod. Pacino worked with a camera crew to document the process of creating and executing the Los Angeles production. Now, several years later, his documentary WILDE SALOME is a finished work, capturing the highs and lows of presenting this challenging piece of theatre through a revealing and avant-garde journey on film. Paired with it is SALOME, Pacino's narrative filming of the play.

After her role as Salome, Jessica 
Chastain went on to star in 
Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE 
and receive Oscar nominations for 
her roles in THE HELP and ZERO 
DARK THIRTY. WILDE SALOME is her
 first appearance in a feature film. 

"SALOMÉ is my attempt to merge play and film. The mediums can collide and my hope is to have them unify so that you're seeing pure theater on film. To make that hybrid effective has been my goal; to have the more naturalistic photogenic qualities of film complement the language-driven essence of theater." - Al Pacino

Sold Out!

Sunday, August 4th - 5:00PM 

Aero Theatre, Santa Monica

Double Feature: WILDE SALOME & SALOME 

Discussion following SALOME with Al Pacino.

This event at the Aero is now sold out. 
There will be a standby line at the door on the night of the show.

Saturday, August 10th - 5:30PM 

Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood

Double Feature: SALOME & WILDE SALOME

Discussion following WILDE SALOME with Al Pacino.

Due to the change in the start time, SALOME will screen again after the discussion with Mr. Pacino for those who cannot arrive by 5:30PM.

Tickets are still available for the event at the Egyptian and can be purchased on Fandango here.

No passes or vouchers will be accepted for these programs. Advance tickets are recommended.

More on the films:

SALOMÉ

2013, Salome Productions, 78 min, USA, Dir: Al Pacino

The story of a princess who lived in the time of Jesus. Salomé is in love with prophet John the Baptist, whom her stepfather, King Herod, has imprisoned in a well for heresy. But her love is spurned, and after the king drunkenly promises the princess anything she wants in exchange for an erotically charged dance, Salomé puts Herod in a terrible position by demanding the head of John the Baptist - the only man the king fears. 

WILDE SALOMÉ

2011, Salome Productions, 95 min, USA, Dir: Al Pacino

This filmic collage captures the highs and lows of presenting a challenging work by one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, Oscar Wilde. Staging the play live in Los Angeles, director Al Pacino tackles its problems and issues and helps discover a new star, Jessica Chastain, in the title role of SALOMÉ. Pacino also grapples with Wilde’s need to express something utterly different from anything he had written before, and with finding a way to make a movie of the entire event. An unusual, revealing and avant-garde journey into the light and heart of Oscar Wilde's masterwork.