NASHVILLE | Dir. Robert Altman | 1975 | 159 min | PG

In NASHVILLE (1975) Altman assembles a powerful cast of multi-talented performers to compose a truly authentic soundtrack. Featuring a myriad of actor-singers, many of whom wrote and performed their own songs, this film is one of the most decorated and best loved of Altman’s works. Nominated for five Oscars, including Altman’s first Best Picture nomination and his second for Best Director, NASHVILLE even brought home the Oscar for Best Song. With its multi-layer storylines and overlapping dialogue, it is a comprehensive testament to characteristics that would become synonymous with his filmmaking style.

NASHVILLE is the third film in this season’s Master Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.