American Cinematheque’s Festival of Despair Returns with Isabelle Huppert, Ari Aster, and More in Person
“Bleak Week,” the world’s saddest film festival, is set to host guests such as Isabelle Huppert, Ari Aster, Warwick Thornton, and Werner Herzog this June in Los Angeles
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, While misery has always loved company, the brilliant programmers at the American Cinematheque have successfully turned communal wallowing into an annual must-see event. Now in its fifth year, Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair returns to Los Angeles from June 1 to 7, offering a lineup that allows film fans to immerse themselves in existential dread and human suffering.
Across the Egyptian Theatre, Aero Theatre, and Los Feliz 3, more than 45 films will explore themes of devastation. Since its launch in 2021, the festival has championed the idea that artistic tales of heartbreak play best to an audience already primed for emotional impact.
“We were reopening theaters after the pandemic and getting comments like, ‘Show comedies! Uplift the community!'” said Chris LeMaire, Bleak Week creator and the Cinematheque’s director of programming. “But instead, we thought, ‘What if we did the exact opposite and faced it all head-on—with even more despair?'”
What began as a niche experiment has now grown into a global phenomenon, spanning nearly 100 theaters across 73 cities and eight countries. LeMaire notes that seeing these challenging works on the big screen with an audience provides a powerful form of comfort that watching alone at home cannot replicate.
Special Guests and Featured Screenings
French cinematic icon Isabelle Huppert serves as this year’s guest of honor. She will make multiple appearances, including for screenings of Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate, Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, and a Claude Chabrol double feature.
The rest of the guest roster is equally prestigious:
- Ari Aster: The genre revolutionary will present Hereditary, his director’s cut of Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid.
- Denis Villeneuve: Appearing for a screening of his powerful film Incendies.
- Werner Herzog: Presenting Heart of Glass for its 50th anniversary.
- Haley Joel Osment: Attending the 25th anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
The Art of Restoration
A major focus this year is on high-quality restorations. The Aero Theatre will host the world premiere of a new restoration of The Man Who Wasn’t There, featuring a Q&A with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins. Additionally, the Los Feliz 3 will screen the U.S. premiere of a brand-new 4K restoration of the nuclear war nightmare Threads, with director Mick Jackson in attendance.
LeMaire points to the 1985 anti-war masterpiece Come and See as the program’s emotional North Star. “I came out of the theater with an audience of 500 people and no one was saying a single word,” he recalled. “It was that devastating. We need a good dosage of really bleak films that people experience at least once in their lives.”
Highlighted Programming for Bleak Week Year 5:
Egyptian Theatre
- The Piano Teacher (25th Anniversary) – Q&A with Isabelle Huppert
- Midsommar: The Director’s Cut – Q&A with Ari Aster
- Mysterious Skin (New 4K Restoration) – Q&A with Gregg Araki
Aero Theatre
- The Man Who Wasn’t There (World Premiere of New Restoration) – Q&A with Roger Deakins
- Eddington (2025) – Q&A with Ari Aster
- Come and See (1985)
- Sátántangó (1994) – A salute to Béla Tarr
Los Feliz 3 Theatre
Spider (David Cronenberg) – U.S. Premiere of New 4K Restoration
Threads (New 4K Restoration) – Q&A with Mick Jackson
Beau Is Afraid – Q&A with Ari Aster
