Restored Classics and Cinematic Tributes: Highlights of the 79th Locarno Film Festival
The 1990 western film "Dances With Wolves," directed by Kevin Costner, has undergone a 4K restoration of its extended director's cut. This restored version will debut at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this summer. The festival's Histoire(s) du Cinéma program will feature various restorations and classic screenings, including the newly restored version of "Dances with Wolves," which won seven Academy Awards and helped redefine the western genre in the 1990s. The restoration includes over half an hour of previously unseen additional material, offering audiences the chance to experience Costner's epic masterpiece as originally intended.
Another film receiving a restoration is Safi Faye's "Letter From My Village" (1975), which won the 2025 Heritage Restoration Contest. This film, blending documentary and fiction, follows a young couple in rural Senegal whose marriage plans are disrupted by drought and village life challenges. The Locarno Film Festival's artistic director, Giona A. Nazzaro, emphasized the festival's commitment to preserving and showcasing cinema's rich history, engaging with both acclaimed masterpieces and lesser-known works to cater to diverse audiences.
In addition to the restoration of classic films, the festival will pay tribute to Roger Corman with a screening of his last directorial work, "Frankenstein Unbound" (1990). This film, a blend of science fiction and Gothic horror, reimagines the Frankenstein myth for the late 20th century. The festival's Heritage selection aims to celebrate a variety of filmmakers and perspectives, ensuring that the legacy of cinema continues to thrive in the present and inspire future generations.
As part of its collaboration with the Cinémathèque Suisse, the festival will showcase two films by Swiss experimental filmmaker Isa Hesse-Rabinovitch in the Cinéma Suisse Redécouvert section. Additionally, a special tribute will be dedicated to the late Isao Takahata, co-founder of Japan's Studio Ghibli and a renowned animation master. The festival will screen Takahata's "Grave of the Fireflies" (1988) in his honor, introduced by his son, Kosuke Takahata. The 79th Locarno festival is scheduled to take place from August 5 to 15, offering a diverse and enriching cinematic experience for attendees.