Our free screening series at the Calgary Central Library continues with Purple Noon (1960) René Clément's lush, colourful adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. Though the role is better known to contemporary audiences from Matt Damon's 1999 portrayal, French sex symbol Alain Delon stars as Tom Ripley, a duplicitous American charmer in Rome on a mission to bring his privileged, devil-may-care acquaintance Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) back to the United States. What initially seems a carefree tale of friendship soon morphs into a thrilling saga of seduction, identity theft, and murder. This free screening will feature a short introductory lecture from Kevin Allen (Research Lead of the Calgary Gay History Project), whose observations on the French thriller's queer subtext are sure to enrich the viewing experience.

About Kevin Allen: Kevin has been documenting and profiling queer people and events for 25 years through freelance writing and editing for various queer publications including: Clue! Magazine, QC Magazine, Xtra! West, and Xtra.ca. He is a career arts administrator and the past Executive Director of the Alberta Media Arts Alliance (AMAAS). He has previously worked for the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF), NUTV, and the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts.