Bleak Week, a film festival dedicated to the “cinema of despair,” has expanded from a contrarian response to post-pandemic calls for feel-good movies into a global event. Now in its fifth year, the festival takes place in 100 theatres across 73 cities in eight countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Puerto Rico and Latin America.
Organised by the American Cinematheque, a non-profit arts group based in Los Angeles, the festival was conceived by artistic director Grant Moninger and programmer Chris LeMaire. “We didn’t know how it was going to go,” Moninger said. “People may like this…or people may look at it and somehow be offended.” The first edition in 2022 featured austere world cinema such as Elem Klimov’s anti-war epic “Come and See” and Béla Tarr’s 439-minute “Sátántangó.”
LA-based film critic Katie Walsh, an early champion, said she tweeted the “sickos” meme in response to the announcement. “I was just like, yes, this is for me, this for the sickos,” she recalled. “We were really enthusiastic about it online. I think that they were like, OK, great, this is like a concept that is going to translate.”
Despite its bleak theme, Moninger emphasised the festival’s positive intent. “Although Bleak Week sounds depressing, it’s really a celebration of the human experience,” he said. “It’s really what cinema is about: Empathy and understanding the world.” The festival has attracted notable figures; Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, who had previously said he would never return to the United States, attended the second edition. Sean Baker and Mikey Madison were spotted at a screening of “In a Glass Cave.”
This year’s programme includes appearances by Isabelle Huppert, who will participate in Q&As for films including “The Piano Teacher” and “Heaven’s Gate,” filmmaker Ari Aster showing his director’s cut of “Midsommar,” and Denis Villeneuve on behalf of his breakout film “Incendies.” Local programmers have been empowered to make their own selections, resulting in over 300 films being shown globally. The most programmed film this year is Isao Takahata’s animated “Grave of the Fireflies.”
