An Interview with Eugene Ionesco - Screener

Film distributed by Contemporary Arts Media www.artfilms.com.au/Detail.aspx?ItemID=1355
Code: SRC-Ion
Eugene Ionesco (1912-1994), the Romanian-born French dramatist, speaks at length about his childhood, his studies, the type of theatre he enjoyed in his youth, his original personality, and his constant need for solitude.
He also discusses the absurdity of our world and our inability to communicate. His plays draw on parody and symbolism to denounce the absurdity of life and social relationships. Finally, he touches on his Nazi resistance and his disbelief over the reaction of intellectuals during the war. A rare archive film shot in 1961, b/w, 30 mins. Transcript available with the film by request.

[@JoyceDade]

After half a century of waiting, I get the honor of meeting, Eugene Ionesco in person on YoutTube today. I am very grateful to have seen this video, thank you. Professor Ashley is in the house. As an undergrad the professor required his students to read and enjoy Ionesco. I can see him now, half a century ago, pulling out his pipe with sweet smelling tobacco, and the cloud of smoke that emerged when it was lit. Thank you, Professor Ashley. You made my life richer and seeing Ionesco now, I am thrilled and sense myself a student again, only older, but still filled with awe. The Humanites live and I am grateful for that as well.

[@DOPTv2012]

I am very happy to see that a writer born in a small city,not any city but my home city,is well-known and liked all over the world!

[@1123maxi]

He is my Great-Great Uncle :D

[@sussexcountyavantgarde6252]

For real?

[@1123maxi]

@@sussexcountyavantgarde6252 Yes! :)

[@sussexcountyavantgarde6252]

My friend it is a pleasure to know you you're great uncle the better play right then Shakespeare

[@TheShantum]

that is some cool ass flex my man, good to know!

[@logue1980]

La leçon and La chantatrice chauve are two of my favourite plays. He was a great writer.

[@The7thTerror]

Este hombre era realmente brillante.

[@Discovery_and_Change]

I found out about Eugene through the Enliven app which used his quote: "It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question."

[@laurenthou]

Wow, j'adore ça façon de s'exprimer, avec un français si beau... malheureusement de plus en plus rare de nos jours... What a great French language he have

[@BelatedCommiseration]

'Je suis tres, tres sympathetique' towards the nihilistic absurdist's like Ionesco, Camus and even Satre (although the term 'existentialist' is applied, Camus's 'the myth of sisyphus' and Satres 'Huis Clois' are fundamentally absurdist works also). Been rediscovering Pinter lately as well, somewhat...life is fundamentally absurd and existence is ultimately a drain. If you think about it for even a second it either makes you angry or obsessive. That's probably why most people just don't...

[@badtreap]

Voilà un homme sensé et qui s'est interrogé sur sa précence ici..

[@bellinivernon]

.Exelente ; gracias ,desde argentina.

[@LockedPig]

oh, thank you so much for this video =^_^=

[@j166429]

There's not that many approximations in the translation. I fully understand why the subtitles say that Mayenne is in Paris.The way Ionesco describes where he went to school would leave you believe that Mayenne was indeed in Paris.

[@emmyaward7]

Does anyone know the interviewer's name? I'd like to cite this in a paper.

[@dilau01]

Perhaps Benzema, Trezeguet and Henry are truly French.