Amos Gitai and the Challenge of Archives

Join us for a conversation with internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker Amos Gitai about his recent book, Amos Gitai and the Challenge of Archives.

This event will take place in person and online at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor.

Since his early films in the 1980s, Amos Gitai has built a body of work exploring memory, exile, war, and territory in the Middle East, moving fluidly between genres — from documentaries such as House, Wadi and Pineapple or feature films such as Kadosh, Kippur, and Rabin, The Last Day to stage productions and museum installations. Across this varied practice, Gitai returns to certain places, texts, and figures — including Yitzhak Rabin — treating history not as backdrop but as living material to be questioned, restaged, and reimagined.

The book Amos Gitai and the Challenge of Archives offers a kaleidoscope of writings that explore archival practices as they interact with the artist’s ongoing creative process. It includes Gitai’s lectures at the Collège de France, early poems and essays by scholars and practitioners, and a complete filmography of his decades-spanning oeuvre. It provides access to the creative process of a world-renowned artist who feels at home in the fields of cinema, architecture, theater, and visual arts, and a unique reflection on the role of art as a way for healing and dialogue. 

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To view the livestream | Whether you're attending in person or online, you must register with your email address. You will need a device with audio and/or video and an internet/cellular connection to view the livestream.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amos Gitai is an internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker. Born to Munio Weinraub, an architect trained at the Bauhaus, and Efratia Margalit, an intellectual and teacher, he studied Architecture at the Technion and earned a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Over his career, Gitai has created more than ninety works across diverse formats, including feature-length and short films, fiction and documentaries, experimental work, television productions, installations, and theater pieces. His work has been presented in major retrospectives worldwide. Eleven of his films have competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival, and for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Among his many distinctions are the Leopard of Honor (Locarno, 2008), the Roberto Rossellini Prize (2005), the Robert Bresson Prize (2013), and the Paradjanov Prize (2014). He was named Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (2023), and received France’s Légion d'honneur (2017) and Italy’s Grande Ufficiale dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (2019). In 2018, Amos Gitai was elected to the Chair of Artistic Creation at the Collège de France, where he served as professor and delivered a series of nine lectures on cinema.

Amos Gitai at NYPL

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• This event will also include signing and sales of the book.

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) are available upon request. Please submit your request via this form or contact SNFL at least two weeks in advance.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Livestream

• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) also available (see previous).


• Captions and a transcript will be provided.

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All programs are subject to change or cancellation. All programs are subject to recording and photography.

This event has been made possible through the generosity of Villa Albertine, Ambassade de France Aus Etats Unis, and Centro Primo Levi NY. 

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).