The page meets the screen at REEL TO READ, a curated series of independent and classic cinema. These free screenings, hand-picked by local authors and film experts, include a Recommended Reads list based on the movie.

A Winter's Tale

Curated By Annette Insdorf & NYPL Staff
Annette Insdorf, Professor in the Film Program of Columbia University's School of the Arts, selected
Happy People as a curator select pick this month. Don’t miss the Author Talk on her new book
Cinematic Overtures: How to Read Opening Scenes at Mid-Manhattan on Wednesday, January 10 at
6:30 PM.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2010)

Saturday, December 2, 2017, 2-4 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.
Curated by Annette Insdorf, Professor in the Film Program of Columbia University's School of the Arts

Why she chose the film: "Winter is particularly icy in Happy People: A Year in the Taiga, co-directed and narrated by the great German filmmaker Werner Herzog. Like his Oscar-winning Grizzly Man, this documentary gives new life to original footage—in this case of rugged fur trappers in the Siberian Taiga, shot by Russian videographer Dmitry Yasyukov."

North Face (2008)

Saturday, December 9, 2017, 2-4 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.

Why we chose the film: North Face is one of our favorite historical dramas for its captivating mix of action and suspense. Blending historical details—the movie takes place on the eve of World War II—with gripping camera-work and action scenes, the film depicts a competition in 1936 to conquer the north face of a mountain in the Swiss Alps.

Lovely, Still (2010)

Saturday, December 16, 2017, 2-4 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.

Why we chose the film: While holiday romance movies often feature younger actors, Lovely, Still flips the script by sharing the story of an older man falling in love. As Robert Malone weathers the cold—figurative and literal—of late December, he seems unable to catch a break. But when a woman appears in his home, it’s the start of a beautiful friendship—and beyond.

Christmas, Again (2015)

Saturday, December 23, 2017, 2-4 PM. Doors open at 1:30 PM.

Why we chose the film: It has been said that, for some, Christmas is the loneliest time of the year. Such is true for Noel, a down-on-his-luck Christmas tree salesman whiling the holiday season away in a cold trailer. That is, until he meets a strange woman in the park… This beautifully shot film captures Christmas in New York in all its glory and imperfections.

Recommended Reads

If you enjoyed these films, try one of these dramatic reads!

Fiction

• Rhys Bowen, Tell Me, Pretty Maiden
• Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
• Chuck Klosterman, Downtown Owl
• John LeCarre, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
• George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
• Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago
• Rosamunde Pilcher, Winter Solstice
• John Sandford, Winter Prey

Nonfiction

• Tom Babin, Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling
• Richard Branson and Sam Branson, Arctic Diary: Surviving on Thin Ice
• Paul Clifford, Icy Pleasures: Minnesota Celebrates Winter
• Charlie English, The Snow Tourist
• Pierre Berton, Winter