Hoezo in KINO

Gena Rowlands passed away on August 14th. A commanding presence on the stage, on television and in film, Gena Rowlands’ impressive and versatile career span over six decades. Starting off on the small screen, her most lauded and enduring work was created with actor-director and husband, John Cassavetes. His often no-budget independent films were the ideal playground for Rowlands’ raw talent, digging deep into her characters without studio interference or subjected to mass appeal. To celebrate her life we screen two (of the ten) collaborations with Cassavetes showcasing two maternal characters that could not be more apart. On Gena’s request, husband John Cassavetes wrote a script depicting a woman – a loving mother and a spouse – who is unravelling under the pressure of modern family life and mental illness. No studio would touch it, but John and Gena, pioneers of independent cinema, were undeterred and with some borrowed cash, assistance from film students and their own house as the filming location, the duo set out to capture one of the best performances in cinematic history. The film slowly gained notoriety through the festival circuit and built momentum, cementing its reputation as an indie classic in the years to follow. Rowlands delivers an acting tour de force that will leave you reeling from a range of emotions. English language without subtitles.