Jazzfilm at Cinemateket
Jazz at the cinema
June 18th, 2026:
Oslo Jazz Festival and Cinemateket are collaborating to present high-quality films with jazz at their core. Together, we’ve selected a powerful trio of films, with the jazz city Paris as a theme. During the festival, you can watch Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, Round Midnight and A Cat in Paris.
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
Paris 1957. Louis Malle's classic The Elevator to the Scaffold is one of the most stylish French films ever made and helped launch the nouvelle vague. A thrilling and intense film noir, driven by the fantastic and improvised notes of Miles Davis, who would have turned 100 this year.
Jeanne Moreau shines in the lead role as Florence Carala, who trawls the streets of Paris while waiting for her lover, Tavernier, played by Maurice Ronet. They have a cunning plan to escape together after Tavernier has killed Carala's husband. What could go wrong?
Round Midnight
Saxophonist legend Dexter Gordon delivers a sparkling performance as Dale Turner, a character based on musicians Lester Young and Bud Powell. In the film, we follow Turner and his turbulent musician life in 1950s New York, before he sets course for Europe and Paris in search of a new and better life.
Round Midnight is a strong and credible portrayal of life as a musician on the edge, largely thanks to Gordon's gripping acting, for which he was nominated for an Oscar. In the film, we also meet other jazz heroes such as Herbie Hancock (who is responsible for the film's music, for which he received an Oscar), Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin and Palle Mikkelborg. A monument of a jazz film, which, like Oslojazz, turns 40 this year.
A Cat in Paris
During the day, Dino is the sweet kitty of Zoe, the daughter of the female police chief in Paris. At night, he hangs out with burglar Nico. In a cat-like manner, Nico flings himself from roof to roof and into apartments to steal valuables. But dangerous gangsters are lurking in the background. Zoe has been mute since her father was murdered by gangster Victor Costa. And soon she too is involved in the drama.
A Cat in Paris has hand-drawn animation with beautiful film-noir inspired images from the back streets of Paris and atmospheric jazz tones. The film is best suited for slightly older children, because some of the scenes can be a little scary. Some of the plot can also be a little difficult to understand for the very youngest.