Sandrine Bonnaire is one of the most famous and popular French actresses of her generation. Since her debut in Maurice Pialat’s A NOS AMOURS (1983), she has worked with numerous auteurs and demonstrated her astounding versatility. With the generous support of the Institut français, Arsenal has been showing a comprehensive retrospective of her films since January.

Films are collective achievements. In this month's Magical History Tour we are showing films that highlight this collective work. This includes films made by groups that are only loosely connected to each other, as well as by collectives that reject the idea of individual authorship. These film collectives, which mostly emerged from political and social movements, wanted to create an anti-discourse with their work. They wanted to breach hierarchies and authorities and use film as a means of education and agitation, open to as many people as possible, especially those without power. The plurality of voices also plays an aesthetic role and is reflected in the enjoyment taken from experimentation and disparate forms. An incomplete insight into collective filmmaking is provided by films which date from the 1920s (the Factory of the Eccentric Actor) to today.

The neugerriemschneider gallery is inaugurating James Benning's Two Cabins project and presenting his new publication (FC) Two Cabins by JB (edited by Julie Ault) shortly before the Berlinale begins on February 7. Two Cabins is about two prominent Americans - the writer Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) and Ted Kaczynski, the "Unabomber" of the 20th century. Benning himself will present his new film NIGHTFALL (USA 2011) at Arsenal. In one take only, it shows a wood as day becomes night.