Acclaimed director Ava DuVernay found time amid a busy schedule to curate TCM’s “The Essentials” film series — sitting down for a marathon session with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz to talk movies. The AP reports that DuVernay, an obvious film lover, found time for the project in the midst of a schedule that includes editing her Netflix miniseries “Central Park Five” and readying a new DC movie, “New Gods.”
“The new season, which launches Saturday, May 4, will include widely known films like ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ and ‘Gandhi’ as well as films that may not be as familiar, like ‘Losing Ground,'” the AP reports.
The report adds: “Some of the films Mankiewicz had never seen before DuVernay put them on her list, like Haile Gerima’s ‘Ashes and Embers,’ about a Vietnam veteran returning home, and Kathleen Collins’ semiautobiographical ‘Losing Ground,’ both from 1982. Others he had seen before, but said he appreciates in a different way after his talks with DuVernay, like ‘Dog Day Afternoon,’ ‘Harlan County U.S.A.’ and ‘The Battle of Algiers,’ which he now counts among his top 10 or 15 favorite films.”
We encourage readers to click on the link above to the AP to read the full report.
In the interview after “Marty” Ben Mankiewicz mentioned two movies from 1955 that Ava DuVernay had picked as Essentials in the past. I didn’t catch the name of either movie but they were both from 1955 and both about ordinary people. If anyone could tell me he names of these movies I’d appreciate it. Thanks!