We are immensely proud to share that our very own Professor Elisabeth Subrin has been nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry!

Professor Subrin’s film, "Maria Schneider, 1983" has been nominated for Best Documentary Short Film as part of the 2023 César Awards, which is the French equivalent to the Academy Awards. 

The film first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 during the annual Director’s Fortnight screening and since has been seen at many film festivals around the world including as a selection for the IDFA and in Paris, London, Zagreb, Riga, Argentina and more!

[Professor Elisabeth Subrin’s short film at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight!]

"Maria Schneider, 1983" centers around the late French film actress, Maria Schnieder, who may have been best known for her role as Jeanne in "Last Tango in Paris," a film that cast her alongside actor, Marlon Brando.

Subrin based her film on a 1983 interview of Schneider where she spoke about the violations and challenges she faced when filming Last Tango in Paris at just 19 years old. These included a particularly controversial scene with then 48-year-old Marlon Brando that left Schneider feeling violated. 

In the interview, Schneider discussed the discouraging amounts of gender inequality in the film industry, in which men were (and continue to be) in vastly more positions of power than female counterparts. 

In Subrin's film, Maria Schnieder is portrayed by three ethnically diverse actresses: Manal Issa, Aïssa Maïga, and Isabel Sandoval. Each one interprets the controversial 1983 interview, bringing their own identities into the character thereby adding diverse perspectives to the story of Schnieder (who was white). The film puts a powerful twist on identity while still honoring Schnieder’s legacy.

Maria Schnieder wanted women to be able to take charge in the film industry and Professor Subrin has exemplified this desire through her work and is well deserving of this nomination. We couldn't be more proud!

The 48th annual César Awards will occur on February 24, 2023, in Paris, France. We'll be watching and crossing our fingers!  

The Philadelphia premiere has been planned for Wednesday, March 1^st at LightBox Film Center -- stay tuned for more information on how to get tickets!

ALSO 

Prof. Subrin will be presenting a multi-channel sculptural installation version of the project, The Listening Takes, at Brown University’s David Winton Bell Gallery.  The opening is Thursday, February 9^th in Providence.  The exhibition runs through June 4^th, 2023 -- check it out if you are in RI!

--written by Alyssa Threadgill