1968 American sci-fi movie, the 8th movie from Stanley Kubrick. It was after Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Path of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita and Doctor Strangelove, and followed by Clockwork Orange.

It was in the middle of the 1960s, at the peak of the cold war and race to the space between USA and USSR. The year 2001 was then 35 years ahead. With the fast paced technological advances in a foreseeable future, space travel seemed to be a realistic possibility. 1968 was also a year for dreamers, that utopian cities would be built, etc. Today, 55 years later, history shows that it was a bit over optimistic, and we're still stuck on earth with bad roads...

Or maybe there were other intentions, like political or commercial? To know more, i invite you to come to the 16th April for a "Cine-masterclass" at Aurofilm, Kalabhumi, at 5PM. There will be historical and cultural documents, explanations of the techniques and style, of the thematics, of the influences and impact, and open discussions.

It took 4 years of development. It was shot in 70mm, a big production which suffered many delays, mainly due to the artistic ambition and the obsession for scientific perfection of the director. Fortunately, the MGM production was very patient and let budget and release date drift by 2 years.

When released, in 1968, there were so much expectations from the critics and the public, that many were very disappointed - Kubrick enjoyed surprises. Then, the film became iconic, a monument of cinema.

Definitely, it's a movie which questions the viewer and there are many readings: does the Odyssey refer to Omer's Odyssey? It starts in a weird way, and probably ends up even in an even stranger way, and in-between it is cold, analytical and slow paced (space travels are very long, and travellers are lonely, lost in space) with very little action. So, the big question is: what makes it one of the greatest movie ever made?

Who has seen it already? For those who haven't, maybe the best way to enjoy it is just to disconnect and relax.

So, let's see, and enjoy the trip...

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The visionary and controversial director Stanley Kubrick pushes the limits of his art, delivering messages and asking questions to the audience that goes way beyond the story line: a space trip to discover the origins of a mysterious phenomena.

"2001" is one of the very few classics that define milestones in the history of cinema. It is probably the most influential sci-fi film ever made, to which any other movie of the genre would be compared to, even 55 years after its release.

Made the same year than Auroville's inauguration and at the midst of the big space exploration programs of the late 1960s, the film is a breathtakingly beautiful, delicate and poetic meditation on the ingenuity - and folly - of mankind.