Vancity Theatre: March Cinema Salon Hosted by Michael Audain

February 20, 2015

Each month, Melanie Friesen invites a distinguished guest to Vancity Theatre’s Cinema Salon, in order to present his/her favourite film. After the screening, both audience and speaker have the opportunity to engage over drinks and snacks in the Vancity lounge. This month’s film is Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1964 film The Gospel According to Matthew.

The consequence is a crescendo of excitement and involvement with the fervor and passion of Jesus and an accumulating sense of the irony and tragedy of Jesus’ suffering, in historical as well as spiritual terms.” — Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Pasolini was a poet. The Gospel According to Matthew is a stunning example of his talent, as the audience gets the feeling of watching a documentary of Jesus’ life with the mystical sense of being there. No other film about Christ is as contemplative, inviting us simply to meditate on the life and teaching of Jesus.

This isn’t a divine evangelist in shining white robes, executing his abilities in awesome spectacles. As with any Italian neo-realism film, the faces (all non-actors) and images are simple and strong, a refreshing departure from the heavy-handed symbolism and melodrama of other adaptations of Christ’s life. The exceptional soundtrack includes Bach, a Congolese choir, and Odetta, to broaden the film’s relevance to all audiences by including music that transcends time and place.

Michael Audain is Chairman of Polygon Homes Ltd., one of BC’s leading home builders. A fifth generation British Columbian, Mr. Audain was educated at the University of British Columbia and at the London School of Economics. Audain is also a governor and past Chairman of the Business Council of British Columbia.

An active supporter of the visual arts, Mr. Audain is Chair of the Audain Art Museum and the Audain Foundation, the first Honorary Chairman of the Vancouver Art Gallery, a past Chair of the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Vancouver Art Gallery Foundation. Mr. Audain has also been appointed to the Order of Canada and to the Order of British Columbia.

To top this illustrious list, Audain’s received honorary degrees from four universities, as well as the Queen’s Diamond and Golden Jubilee Medals.