Theory of film : the redemption of physical reality (1960)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, I wish to express my profound gratitude to the Foundations which assisted me in preparing my book. Without the generous support of Bollingen Foundation I would not have been able to get immersed in this project to which I had given thought for years. Then Mr. John Marshall of the Rockefeller Foundation, to whom I am forever indebted for his sustained and active interest in my work, brought the project to the attention of Chapelbrook Foundation which continued to sponsor it with the same magnanimity as Bollingen. At a still later stage a grant I was awarded by the American Philosophical Society afforded me the coveted opportunity to complete my research in Europe. I also should like to acknowledge my indebtedness to several institutions. Mr. Richard Griffith, Curator of the Museum of Modern Art Film Library, put the facilities of his Department at my disposal whenever I asked for help; and Mr. Bernard Karpel, the Museum's Librarian, never tired of supplying me with information and material difficult to trace. I need hardly add that the staff members of these Museum Departments were no less responsive to my frequent requests. At the British Film Institute in London I was received with heartwarming friendliness; indeed, the days I spent there abounded with film screenings and stimulating conversations. Mr. Henri Langlois and his associates at the Cinematheque Francaise, old friends from my years in Paris, did everything they could to anticipate my wishes; I felt, somehow, like the prodigal son in their midst. Dr. Luigi F. Ammannati, Director of the Venice Film Festival, kindly invited me to be guest of the Mostra in 1958; it was a wonderful occasion for me to listen and talk, see and learn. Furthermore, I wish to extend my most sincere thanks to all those whose good counsel contributed to the growth of this book. Professor Erwin Panofsky's comment on an early outline of my basic ideas proved very xiii