An Evening with Christopher Nolan

For writer-director Christopher Nolan, proximity to violence—literal and figurative—guarantees taint; this is evident in his films from Memento to The Dark Knight Rises. In his writing and directing debut, 1998’s Following, Nolan introduces audiences to his particular take on that theme of propinquity to criminality—a concept that forms the heart of film noir. For Nolan—who was also cinematographer and one of the editors on Following— the genre can be delivered in a fable-like flow, until the protagonist is totally sucked in by the undertow. Here, it’s a writer (Jeremy Theobald) at a loss for income and inspiration trailing strangers for a creative spark. The writer sets his eye on the confident and charismatic Cobb (Alex Haw), which proves to be both the most fascinating and corrosive path our hero could ever have imagined for himself. Following set the template for the fractured narrative style that Nolan often employs. What’s also impressive about the filmmaking is the attention paid to sound; the aural ambience slowly deepens the level of paranoia in the film, a rarity in low-budget films to this day.

Bing Theater | Frequently Asked Questions (PDF | 72kb) | Conversation after a screening of Following

$10 for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, and The New York Times Film Club members; $14 for LACMA members, students with valid ID, and seniors (62+); $20 for the general public.

STANDBY ONLY: Tickets for this event are no longer available for purchase in advance. A standby line will form at 6:30 pm at the Hammer Building Ticket Office on the night of this event. Guests in the standby line will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, though unfortunately there is no guarantee of tickets being made available to guests in this line.