Reimagine happily ever after with QAGOMA’s newest cinema program – Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power, Enchantment
Since December, the galleries of QAGOMA have been transformed into a fantastical dreamscape whilst its acclaimed Fairy Tales exhibition delights audiences with a wondrous and whimsical showcase of the fascinating stories that have shaped childhoods for centuries. In collaboration with this enchanting exhibition, GOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque is presenting an exciting new film program, which will continue this fairy-tale adventure through the likes of cinema classics as well as contemporary retellings.
Curated by Sophie Hopmeier, Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power, Enchantment summons an exciting array of films from diverse origin countries, eras and styles to illustrate the universal power of fairy tales and storytelling across different times and contexts.
“There are thousands of fairy-tale films out there, so finding a way of representing this diversity was both a challenge and a joy!” said Sophie. The final program comprises more than 40 films to look at the evolution of fairy-tales throughout time – particularly as they transform and update to meet our ever-changing world.
Fairy Tales Cinema is one of Australian Cinémathèque’s most diverse programs yet, traversing from 80s classics like ‘The Princess Bride‘ (1987), ‘Wild at Heart‘ (1990) and ‘A Fish Called Wanda‘ (1988) and international flicks such as ‘Petite Maman‘ (2021) and ‘Thrilling Bloody Sword‘ (1981) to fantasy touchstones like ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ (2014) and ‘Alice in Wonderland‘ (2010).
Through this disparate line-up, Australian Cinémathèque showcases a richer understanding of fairy-tales and the genre’s core aspects. “I was keen to boil down some of the core elements which underpin fairy-tales such as gender, class, otherness, landscape, and narrative,” said Sophie. The addition of ethereal features such as Indian film ‘Kummatty‘ (1979) – which mirrors the tale of ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ – demonstrate how in different contexts, the same stories can be reinvented with completely new resonance and meaning.
“I was interested in how filmmakers from different times and places have used the shared language of fairy-tales in innovative ways to comment on particular social or political situations, and to experiment with cinematic techniques to impart wonder and hope.”
The spectacular selection of films is now showing until Sunday April 28, with each week screening a unique variety of fairy-tale-themed cinema. Sophie says she hopes the program can enrich audiences’ understanding of the fairy-tale genre itself as well as the role these stories play in our own lives. “I hope audiences come away with a fresh understanding of how versatile and vibrant fairy-tales are, and how older storytelling structures continue to inform the ways we imagine our world and our futures.”
Prepare to be enchanted and head on over to the QAGOMA website for more information on the films and screening times.
This article was written in partnership with our friends at QAGOMA.
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