Meredith Monk at the Movies
Meredith Monk at the Movies amplifies the sonic and cinematic range of the visionary artist’s creations. All screenings are free and open to the public.
Location:
Humanities Quadrangle, Lower Level
320 York Street
New Haven, CT
MONK IN PIECES (Billy Shebar & David Roberts, 2025, DCP, 94 mins)
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
Billy Shebar in person! An inventive and engaging portrait of Meredith Monk, this documentary mosaic captures the boundary-breaking spirit of the composer, choreographer, filmmaker, and performer who has reshaped contemporary art through her radical vocabulary of voice, movement, and sound. Featuring Bjӧrk, David Byrne, Philip Glass, and more, Monk in Pieces is a perfect primer for those new to Monk’s work, and an insightful celebration for longtime fans. Post-screening discussion with Shebar and Yale Dean of Humanities Marc Robinson, moderated by Archer Neilson. DCP from Kino Lorber.
BOOK OF DAYS (Meredith Monk, 1989, digital, 75 mins)
16 MILLIMETER EARRINGS (Robert S. Withers, 1979, 16mm, 25 mins)
7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
In Book of Days, Meredith Monk’s visionary meditation on ritual and renewal, a young Jewish girl experiences visions of the 20th century while her medieval plague town descends into xenophobic violence. Presented with the preservation premiere of the performance film 16 Millimeter Earrings, which captures Monk’s unique synthesis of voice, movement, and design. Digital file from the House Foundation for the Arts, 16mm print from the Yale Film Archive.
TRUE STORIES (David Byrne, 1986, 35mm, 89 mins)
7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026
40th anniversary screening! This offbeat portrait of a pastel-hued Texas town exalts American eccentricity, combining documentary flavor with stylized tableaux. Visit a place where the flat landscape is punctuated by synchronized lawnmower dances and twangy pop interludes, all delivered with a wide-eyed fascination that makes the mundane mesmerizing. Cast includes John Goodman, Spalding Gray, Swoosie Kurtz, and Pops Staples! 35mm print from Park Circus.
NOTRE MUSIQUE (Jean-Luc Godard, 2004, 35mm, 100 mins)
7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, 2026
With a structure borrowed from Dante—and film clips borrowed from his own oeuvre—Godard’s “autumnal meditation on war, violence, and ethnic hatred” (A.O. Scott) mixes essay, fiction, text, and documentary. Shot largely on pixelated MiniDV, yet still profoundly visual, the film reflects on the moral and poetic limits of representation. “A marvel of lucidity and wit” (John Powers). In French with English subtitles. 35mm print from the Yale Film Archive.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Joel Coen, 1998, 35mm, 117 mins)
7 p.m. Saturday, April 4, 2026
Join The Dude and his bowling buddies in a case of mistaken identities, angry nihilists, a dubious kidnapping, an aquatic marmot, infinitely quotable dialogue, and lingonberry pancakes. The Coen brothers’ screwball noir stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, Julianne Moore, Sam Elliott, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, and many more. It’ll make you laugh to beat the band (parts anyway). 35mm print from the Yale Film Archive.
See the full Yale Film Archive screening schedule here.