4K Restoration of L'Age d'Or! After the success of Un chien andalou, Buñuel and Dalí were commissioned to collaborate on a follow-up to their landmark short film, resulting in their first talkie. “There was no going back after making Un chien andalou,” Buñuel wrote in his 1982 autobiography. “Making a commercial film was totally out of the question.” While not a direct sequel, L’Age d’Or is a sister film to its predecessor, as it continues themes of sexual repression and bourgeoise moral hypocrisy, demonstrated through the story of two lovers whose ardent attempts to consummate their desire for each other are thwarted by religion and society. The film caused an uproar from conservative groups following its premiere at Studio 28 in Paris, resulting in... it being banned in France for 51 years.

Thanks to the Cinémathèque française.

The 4K restoration of L'Âge d'Or was carried out by La Cinémathèque française and the Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Service du cinéma expérimental, at the Hiventy laboratory for the image and at the L.E. Diapason studio for the sound, thanks to the support of Pathé and the Maison de Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, patrons of the Cinémathèque française. A duplicate set of files is kept at the Centre Pompidou. There is no film version of this restoration.

Preceded by: Un Chien Andalou

1929 | 16 min | France | Black-and-White | English intertitles | Not Rated | DCP

A seminal film in the cannon of Surrealist cinema, Luis Buñuel’s directorial debut is the first collaboration and brainchild between the filmmaker and Surrealist Salvador Dalí. While the film seemingly lacks a plot, it was inspired by a conversation Buñuel and Dalí had about dreams they had experienced. This exchange motivated them to write the irrational and often shocking sequences that make up the film. Using the medium to challenge traditional narrative structure, they explore the concept of repressed desire and the subconscious.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.