
As the inaugural event for CCA’s new, engaging series, Closer Looks: Cinema + Conversation, series curator Paul Barnes has selected the 1956 seminal classic from French auteur Robert Bresson, A Man Escaped. Regarded as one of the most suspenseful jailbreak films of all time, A Man Escaped is noted for its incredible impact with the simplest of techniques.
Based on the account of an imprisoned French Resistance leader, this unbelievably taut and methodical marvel follows the fictional Fontaine’s single-minded pursuit of freedom, detailing the planning and execution of his escape with gripping precision.
Paul Barnes speaks of his selection, “…Bresson’s film is not merely about process—it’s also a work of intense spirituality and humanity.”
This special event kickoff will feature hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, and the program is followed by an in-depth discussion and open conversation on the film’s importance among the series curators and audience. To learn more about Closer Looks and this new initiative to bring cinemaphiles both seasoned and new into a social setting that is both fun and informative, click here.

Paul Barnes’ works as editor include Wasn’t That A Time (1982, Best Documentary Editing Award from the American Cinema Editors), Say Amen, Somebody (1982, Best Documentary, Boston Film Critics) and The Thin Blue Line (1988, Best Documentary Award, New York Film Critics). Paul was editor of Ken Burns’s Oscar-nominated Statue Of Liberty (1985), beginning a 25-year collaboration that resulted in numerous award-winning films and series.