Los Angeles Plays Itself

Colour, BETA
USA, 2003, 169 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

This 169-minute film essay is an unusual portrait of a city used in so many films that we know it almost intimately even without ever having been there. Consisting almost exclusively of footage from films shot in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Plays Itself is a must-see and offers the utmost pleasure to all film buffs. A well-informed and funny guide through film history featuring films such as Chinatown, Blade Runner and L.A. Confidential, in which Los Angeles plays either another city or sometimes even itself. Full of unforgettable scenes with a witty commentary by the director himself, the film is also a special declaration of love dedicated to a city that exists more in our minds than in reality. 

About the director

Thom Andersen (b. 1943, Chicago) teaches directing and film history at California Institute of the Arts. He has been making documentary films since 1965. The most well-known are: Melting (1965), Olivia’s Place (1966) and Red Hollywood (co-directed with Noël Burch, 1995).