''It is a Middle European attitude, a combination of cynicism and romanticism. The cynicism is sort of disappointed romanticism at heart - someone once described it as whipped cream that's gotten slightly curdled.” - I.A.L. Diamond (Billy Wilder’s writing partner on 12 films)

An Austrian journalist and screenwriter who had nearly a dozen films under his belt before he was forced to flee the Nazis in 1933, Billy Wilder arrived in the U.S. speaking a mere 300 words in English (he claims), and went on to become one of the most accomplished writer-directors in Hollywood. Known for his skill in working with actors (often casting them successfully against type), and his biting satires of American life, Wilder’s prolific career spanned nearly five decades. This winter we offer an incomplete but not insubstantial taste of Billy Wilder, with nine films he co-wrote or co-wrote and directed, showcasing his ability to flit between genres with ease, from film noir (Double Indemnity, co-written with Raymond Chandler), comedy (Some Like it Hot), melodrama (Sunset Boulevard), political and social satire (Ninotchka, Ace in the Hole) and more!