SHOWTIMES:
Wed May 2 7:30pm Landmark WTTS Screening Room

Christo and Jeanne Claude's first grand-scale urban project, wrapping the oldest bridge in Paris - the same bridge where Christo courted Jeanne-Claude. A love story set in the heart of Paris: between a refugee artist and a French General's daughter; between a 400-year-old bridge and the people of Paris.

Since the days of King Henry IV, the Pont Neuf has inspired artists. Now it is the focus of the environmental artists, Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude - and the millions of Parisians who watch them create an astounding architectural poem. Rich in political intrigue and artistic debate, this film tracks Christo's escape from Bulgaria, his early years as a struggling artist, his romance with Jeanne-Claude and the fulfillment of a ten-year obsession: the wrapping of the Pont Neuf.

A film about the meeting of strangers and changing perceptions, it is the permanent record of a provocative act - and the celebration of a bridge that joins. Jack Lang, the French Minister of Culture, remarks in the film, "Never did anyone look at the Pont Neuf as much as on the day that it was hidden. Christo teaches us to see.

SCREENS WITH:

ISLANDS (Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, US, 1986, 58 minutes)