March 2023
In 1979, the French actor and director Pierre Clémenti was invited to participate in San Sebastian Festival’s New Directors section with his film New Old (1979). The references to his visit in the archive are extensive. As well as featuring in a series of iconic photographs, those showing his entrance to the Victoria Eugenia Theatre on Ocaña’s arm, file 1979-1980.0914 of the General Archive also contains the correspondence that led to his invitation. The file opens with a number of standard documents: in August 1979, the general secretary Pilar Olascoaga asked Clémenti, on two occasions, to send material for inclusion in the catalogue: the production credits, three passport photographs, a biography and a filmography. There appears to have been no answer. Some time later, the correspondence resumed in October 1979, when the moviemaker informs in friendly tones that his film suffered serious damage when screened in San Sebastian and asks the festival to cover the cost of a new colour copy. From here on, the correspondence becomes embroiled in exchanges between Olascoaga and the Pompidou Centre (co-producer of the film) on the costs of the new copy. The general secretary asks, again insistently repeating her request on two occasions, that Clémenti send the damaged film so that the insurance company can assess the damage and make the corresponding payment. Yet again the archive shows no signs of a reply from Clémenti, although there is an entry, in March 1980, in the shape of a hand-written note on a promotional postcard for the film Steppenwolf (Fred Haines, 1974). And three passport photographs.
Full description sheet
File
Communication with the director Pierre Clémenti
Identity statement area
ID: 15118
Catalogue number: AO1979-1980.0914
Location: M02.B06.C02
Classification scheme: 4.1.4. International directors
Title: Communication with the director Pierre Clémenti
Date of creation: 1979
Level of description: Composite documentary unit
Extent and medium of the unit of description: 1979 – 1980
Context area
Producer: San Sebastian International Film Festival
Content and structure area
Places: France
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access: Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction: Conditions governing reproduction
Control area
Preservation: Anna Ferrer, Andrea Sánchez
Cataloguing: Edurne Arocena (Ereiten)
Other documents of the month
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Letter from Wolf Kochmann to Pilar Olascoaga on the death of Bette Davis (1989) San Sebastian Festival Archive. [+]
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Letter from Luis Buñuel to the Mayor of San Sebastián Antonio Vega de Seoane (1960) San Sebastian Festival Archive. [+]
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Letter sent by Antonio de Zulueta y Besson to the Cineclub Irún accepting to collaborate with them (1960) San Sebastian Festival Archive. [+]
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Letter from underground filmmaker Antoni Padrós to Pilar Olascoaga (1977) San Sebastian Festival Archive. [+]
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Letter from Alfredo Guevara, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture of Cuba and founder of ICAIC, to Luis Gasca, Secretary General of the Festival (1977) San Sebastian Festival Archive [+]
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HLetter sent by VALIE EXPORT to Festival Director Miguel de Echarri (1977) San Sebastian Festival Archive [+]
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Handwritten letter from Jean Cocteau to Antonio de Zulueta y Besson (1959) San Sebastian Festival Archive [+]
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Accreditation of Pilar Olascoaga to attend the 40th edition of the Berlinale (1990) San Sebastian Festival Archive. [+]
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Handwritten note by Pedro Almodóvar (1980) San Sebastian International Film Festival Archive [+]
