Annette Insdorf, the legendary critic and scholar, was a film professor at Yale where she counted the likes of Jodie Foster, Edward Norton and Angela Bassett among her students. Now a professor at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, she has also been the curator and host of 92Y’s celebrated Reel Pieces series for more than three decades. The list of people she has brought to our stage is a who’s who of the most significant actors, directors and producers in cinema, an astonishing achievement. This evening, she embarks on a fresh program in her new “Reel Pieces Remote” discussion series: films focused on racial and social justice, with guest artists and critics. We caught up with her to talk about her long and treasured relationship with 92Y.
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How many film presentations have you had at 92nd Street Y?
I’ve done between 260 and 300 film presentations at 92Y, depending on whether you count the online events I’ve been offering since the pandemic began in March. My first appearance on the 92Y stage was in 1981 with Jacob the Liar. That’s when I was writing my book about how the Holocaust has been represented onscreen. When Indelible Shadows was then published by Random House in 1983, I presented a series of films about the Holocaust. That was my first 92Y solo effort, as I had co-moderated a 1982 series with Michael Webb, focused on the intersection of politics and cinema. I remember interviewing the sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg — after a screening of a documentary about their parents — and being nervous about rising to the occasion.
Then came “Critics on Criticism”— a series in which I interviewed luminaries like Vincent Canby and Pauline Kael — plus another series of my discussions with leading screenwriters. Reel Pieces began in October of 1987, in Buttenweiser Hall. By 1988, it became so popular that we had to move downstairs to Kaufmann Hall.
I’ve been very fortunate to have such smart and supportive 92Y “bosses” for almost 40 years. In addition to the wonderful Susan Engel now, I fondly recall John Ruskay, Daniel Stern, Helaine Geismar Katz, Sol Adler, Deborah Nadel Magee, and Henry Timms.
So many films, so many conversations. Which stand out?
First, of course I was in awe of some of the stars whose films had affected me as a youngster. Interviewing Kirk Douglas, Sidney Poitier, Julie Andrews, and Harry Belafonte — who retain a larger-than-life quality — was thrilling.
Dr. Cecile Insdorf and Daniel Day-Lewis
Second, the evening with Tom Cruise stands out in my memory, partly because he was so kind and attentive with my mother. I’m thinking a lot about the great Dr. Cecile Insdorf these days because the tenth anniversary of her death is on August 12. From 1981 till early 2010, she never missed one of my 92Y appearances. She was a professor of French literature and film at Hunter College, and a Holocaust survivor. The artists who talked with my mother backstage were always smitten with her. One of my favorite memories is of her sitting in the green room with Daniel Day-Lewis — who she knew from years earlier — as he held her hand.
Speaking of the unique Dr. Insdorf, I’ll never forget the night Richard Gere returned to Reel Pieces. As the curtain rose on the two of us seated before the audience of about 800, his first words after the thunderous applause were, “Cecile? Where's Cecile?” My mother raised her hand from the first row. “I'm here because of Cecile,” he continued to the audience. “Every time I see Annette’s mother at a screening or a party, she says [and here he mimicked her accent perfectly], ‘Reechard, you have to come to my daughter’s 92nd Street Y series.’ Well, Cecile, I'm here!”
One of the funniest lines from a guest came from Jeremy Irons. Because we sometimes lose audience members when switching from my questions to those from the audience (especially if it's late in the evening), he noticed the departures and quipped, “The ones left now are the very young, the very old, and the childless.”
In terms of emotionally charged moments, I recall the relatively few standing ovations for a guest: while this was expected for the likes of Al Pacino and Meryl Streep, it was quite moving when Angela Bassett appeared on-stage after the screening of What’s Love Got To Do With It. I was very proud of my former student.
Finally, among the numerous actors I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing, Sir Ben Kingsley stands out for the poetry and profundity of his responses, especially in his first of three Reel Pieces appearances. He is not only exceedingly intelligent but also spiritually vibrant.
In addition to interviewing actors, you also brought critics like the legendary Roger Ebert to our stage, on December 10, 1984.
I first interviewed Roger Ebert in 1984 as part of my “Critics on Criticism” series. But our really memorable 92Y evening was on May 2, 2001. By then, we had a warm personal relationship because he chose me to co-host Cannes Film Festival coverage with him for American television. We presented Closing Night ceremonies (and often Opening Night as well) on BRAVO and IFC in the 1990s. Since his death in 2013, I miss him, and often quote his perceptive reviews to my students.
During the pandemic you have moved your Reel Pieces series online, and have interviewed luminaries such as Hugh Jackman and Sofia Coppola remotely. Your events are more popular than ever. What do you think appeals to people about your film discussions during this time?
People have been telling me since April how grateful they are to escape from the constant — and often frightening — news reports by entering the world of film masterpieces. They seem to appreciate not only my selection of motion pictures, but also the amount of information I convey. I do a lot of preparation for each class, even if I don’t use all of it. For example, before interviewing a major artist like Hugh Jackman, I make a point of watching many of his films beforehand.
You are about to begin your new Reel Pieces Remote series this evening (Sunday, August 9) in which you present seminal films that have confronted the oppression of Black people in the United States and South Africa. What is the role of film in confronting issues of racial justice?
While film is sometimes primarily entertainment — about as nourishing as popcorn — it can also be a powerful tool in exposing injustice, engendering awareness, and even contributing to social change. This subject comes up often when I “talk shop” with my husband, Mark Ethan Toporek — an actor who has been teaching a variety of film courses since 2003 for 92Y (from the Makor to the Himan Brown Senior Program). He has explored issues of race on film — especially through the movies of Sidney Poitier — and will be one of my guests on August 30.
Are there any films that never get old to you? Films that you watch and re-watch?
Of course. The best films are like great books or poems. Each time I watch a real cinematic masterpiece, I find new elements to appreciate — whether it’s a lyrical camera movement, a recurring melody on the soundtrack, the way an actor allows herself to be totally vulnerable — even on a 20th viewing. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but I have indeed seen Kieslowski’s Decalogue and Philip Kaufman’s Unbearable Lightness of Being at least two dozen times. Ditto for some classics that I might be presenting in an online September series for 92Y, like Hiroshima, Mon Amour, The Pawnbroker, The Conformist, The Conversation, and A Woman Under the Influence. I never tire of introducing audiences to the films I love, and discussing what makes these works worthy of our passionate attention.
Many of Annette Insdorf’s Reel Pieces interviews are available in our vault.