Chinatown
Introduced by photographer Brad Temkin, whose work is featured in the FotoFest Biennial 2024 central exhibition, Critical Geography (on view through April 21).
In one of the best American films of the 1970s, a private detective (Jack Nicholson)—hired by a woman (Faye Dunaway) to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles—finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Chinatown endures as a cinematic masterpiece, with memorable villainous appearances by John Huston and the director, Roman Polanski.
About the Screening
Chinatown is a document of 1930s Los Angeles, grappling with a burgeoning water crisis that threatens its future. Prior to the screening, the introduction by artist Brad Temkin addresses the ongoing California water crisis by drawing parallels between infrastructure issues represented in Temkin’s series Aqueduct (2021–22) and corruption scandals in Chinatown.
About the Speaker
Brad Temkin’s work is held in numerous permanent collections, including the MFAH. His images have appeared in publications such as Aperture, Black & White, TIME, and European Photography. Temkin’s grants and fellowships include a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2017. He has published three books and teaches at Columbia College Chicago.
Community partner: FotoFest Biennial 2024: “Critical Geography”
Underwriting for the Film Department is provided by Tenaris, The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, and the Vaughn Foundation.
Generous funding is provided by The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea; Nina and Michael Zilkha; Lois Chiles; Foundation for Independent Media Arts; Franci Neely; Carrin Patman and Jim Derrick; Ms. Laurence Unger; L'Alliance Française de Houston; and ILEX Foundation.
Chinatown
Directed by Roman Polanski
(USA, 1974, 130 minutes, in English)
Brown Auditorium Theater, 4k digital restoration