New 35mm print: The Wild Child January 17, 2009

(L’ENFANT SAUVAGE, François Truffaut, France 1970, 85 min., French/subtitles)

In 1798, a feral boy (the marvelous 12-year-old Jean-Pierre Cargol) is discovered in a forest and eventually comes under the care of a kindly doctor (director Truffaut, in his first lead performance). With patience and love, the doctor sets out to prove that the “wild child” can learn to speak, read, and write. Based on a true story, Truffaut’s entrancing movie features lovely cinematography by Nestor Almendros (Days of Heaven).

Official Website: http://dryden.eastmanhouse.org/films/the-wild-child/