An Angel at My Table, 1990
Dir. Jane Campion
Programmed by Naomi
Language: English
Runtime: 158 min
Format: DVD
Jane Campion’s biographical triptych traces the life of writer Janet Frame from childhood to artistic maturity. Raised in rural New Zealand amid hardship and brief moments of grace, Frame survives years of misdiagnosis and institutionalization before finding her voice as a writer.
Three actors portray her through the decades, yet the film imparts a steady continuity of self, reminiscent of an intimacy that mirrors the act of close reading. Campion’s lens rarely leaves Frame, insisting on her sovereignty when institutions sought to erase it.
The late beloved Agnès Varda praised the film's intelligence and sensitivity, and Mira Nair described Campion as "a big sister who opens unexpected doors and gives me courage." That generosity of vision shapes each frame. By the film's end, Frame sits alone at her typewriter, her expression suggesting she has finally found her place in the world, grounded in a solitude that is precisely her own.
SHOWTIMES
Friday, March 6
6 pmSaturday, March 7
6 pmSunday, March 8
3 pm