Films & Schedules - Saturday, February 9, 2013

The Japanese tsunami and earthquake from the perspective of a 66-year-old cicada. (8 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

The Japanese tsunami and earthquake from the perspective of a 66-year-old cicada. (8 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

Eating chicken takes on new meaning for four-year-old Zoe as she observes her first slaughter. (4 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Eating chicken takes on new meaning for four-year-old Zoe as she observes her first slaughter. (4 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

An absurdist journey through time in which the worlds of three hapless heroes living in different centuries collide unexpectedly in present-day Amsterdam. (9 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

An absurdist journey through time in which the worlds of three hapless heroes living in different centuries collide unexpectedly in present-day Amsterdam. (9 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame or keeping the moral high ground. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame or keeping the moral high ground. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

A mother and her imprisoned son carefully prepare for her crucial visit to the penitentiary in honor of a very special occasion. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

A mother and her imprisoned son carefully prepare for her crucial visit to the penitentiary in honor of a very special occasion. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

The European Film Academy’s Best European Youth Film and the Dutch submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Kauwboy tells the story of 10-year-old Jojo who lives alone with his security guard father, a sometimes volatile man of few words. Missing his absent mother, a country singer said to be away touring, worried Jojo finds solace in an unexpected friendship with a baby jackdaw that has fallen from its nest. A tender portrait of a young boy trying to come to terms with a family that’s not what it once was and struggling to find a balance between reality...

The European Film Academy’s Best European Youth Film and the Dutch submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Kauwboy tells the story of 10-year-old Jojo who lives alone with his security guard father, a sometimes volatile man of few words. Missing his absent mother, a country singer said to be away touring, worried Jojo finds solace in an unexpected friendship with a baby jackdaw that has fallen from its nest. A tender portrait of a young boy trying to come to terms with a family that’s not what it once was and struggling to find a balance between reality and desire, this cinematic, emotionally astute film sensitively explores issues of loss and sorrow while painting a joyfully upbeat picture of acceptance and love. (81 mins.)

First Feature.

In Dutch with English subtitles. Appropriate for ages 10+.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Family Fare.

A young Israeli boy, the last to be picked for soccer teams but the one who owns the ball, finds an unusual friendship with someone on the Palestinian side of the West Bank separation wall. But can a wordless, gaze-free relationship survive with only a ball between them? (22 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

A young Israeli boy, the last to be picked for soccer teams but the one who owns the ball, finds an unusual friendship with someone on the Palestinian side of the West Bank separation wall. But can a wordless, gaze-free relationship survive with only a ball between them? (22 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

Sponsored by Red Giant.

86 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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THE FACTORY

DIRECTOR: Aly Muritiba - (Brazil)

A mother and her imprisoned son carefully prepare for her crucial visit to the penitentiary in honor of a very special occasion. (15 mins.)

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THE OTHER SIDE

DIRECTOR: Khen Shalem - (Israel)

A young Israeli boy, the last to be picked for soccer teams but the one who owns the ball, finds an unusual friendship with someone on the Palestinian side of the West Bank separation wall. But can a wordless, gaze-free relationship survive with only a ball between them? (22 mins.)

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CHICKEN AND ZOE

DIRECTOR: Yael Bridge - (United States)

Eating chicken takes on new meaning for four-year-old Zoe as she observes her first slaughter. (4 mins.)

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DIRECTOR: Isamu Hirabayashi - (Japan)

The Japanese tsunami and earthquake from the perspective of a 66-year-old cicada. (8 mins.)

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A CURIOUS CONJUNCTION OF COINCIDENCES

DIRECTOR: Joost Reijmers - (Netherlands)

An absurdist journey through time in which the worlds of three hapless heroes living in different centuries collide unexpectedly in present-day Amsterdam. (9 mins.)

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THE DEVIL’S BALLROOM

DIRECTOR: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken - (Norway/Greenland)

After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame or keeping the moral high ground. (15 mins.)

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WILD

DIRECTOR: Edward Bishop - (Great Britain)

The unsettling effects of rumor on a teenage girl. (13 mins.)

Skateboarding becomes a metaphor for freedom in this love letter to the subversive power of youth. In East Germany in the 1980s, for three teens—Nico, Dirk, and Dennis—life in the GDR was dominated by skateboarding. But in a nation where “the streets were not for playing around,” skating was as much a revolutionary act of defiance as it was a spectacular sport. Using a clutch of priceless Super-8 films, animations, reenactments, and archival footage, all set against a delirious punk soundtrack, This Ain’t California follows the three through adolescence and into adulthood on the eve of reunification. Through the lenses...

Skateboarding becomes a metaphor for freedom in this love letter to the subversive power of youth. In East Germany in the 1980s, for three teens—Nico, Dirk, and Dennis—life in the GDR was dominated by skateboarding. But in a nation where “the streets were not for playing around,” skating was as much a revolutionary act of defiance as it was a spectacular sport. Using a clutch of priceless Super-8 films, animations, reenactments, and archival footage, all set against a delirious punk soundtrack, This Ain’t California follows the three through adolescence and into adulthood on the eve of reunification. Through the lenses of the skater kids amongst the Stasi comes a rare, stylishly witty glimpse into East Berlin counterculture. (90 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by Zeitgeist Northwest.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, German Language, History, Documentary.

The unsettling effects of rumor on a teenage girl. (13 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

The unsettling effects of rumor on a teenage girl. (13 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS I: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

In this timeless, enchanting fable, rising Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor gives a winning performance as a deaf-mute man whose life is a series of comic and tragic misadventures. Dedicated to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the nearly wordless Barfi! follows the resourceful title character as he falls in and out of love with the beautiful Shruti, whose parents pressure her into a respectable arranged marriage. Later, he finds love again with the autistic Jhilmil—whose father plots to defraud her of a sizable trust fund—only for Shruti to unexpectedly reenter his life. In between, Barfi finds himself caught up in a...

In this timeless, enchanting fable, rising Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor gives a winning performance as a deaf-mute man whose life is a series of comic and tragic misadventures. Dedicated to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the nearly wordless Barfi! follows the resourceful title character as he falls in and out of love with the beautiful Shruti, whose parents pressure her into a respectable arranged marriage. Later, he finds love again with the autistic Jhilmil—whose father plots to defraud her of a sizable trust fund—only for Shruti to unexpectedly reenter his life. In between, Barfi finds himself caught up in a bank robbery, two botched kidnappings, and all other manner of slapstick mayhem. This broadly entertaining treat for film lovers of all ages is this year’s Indian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (151 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Saaya (03), Gangster (06), Life in a Metro (07), Kites (10)

Sponsored by Vindalho.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Family Fare, Asian, Comedy.

“Time is nature’s way of preventing everything from happening at once,” Einstein once said. But how do we really get our heads wrapped around it? Swiss/Canadian filmmaker Peter Mettler takes the challenge with a probing, playful meditation on the elusive nature of time. From the 27-mile-long particle accelerator in Switzerland where scientists seek to probe regions of time we cannot see to frozen-in-time lava flows in Hawaii, from the time-stands-still disintegration of downtown Detroit to a Hindu funeral rite near the place of Buddha’s enlightenment, Mettler explores our perceptions, dreams the future, and celebrates the wonder of the everyday in...

“Time is nature’s way of preventing everything from happening at once,” Einstein once said. But how do we really get our heads wrapped around it? Swiss/Canadian filmmaker Peter Mettler takes the challenge with a probing, playful meditation on the elusive nature of time. From the 27-mile-long particle accelerator in Switzerland where scientists seek to probe regions of time we cannot see to frozen-in-time lava flows in Hawaii, from the time-stands-still disintegration of downtown Detroit to a Hindu funeral rite near the place of Buddha’s enlightenment, Mettler explores our perceptions, dreams the future, and celebrates the wonder of the everyday in visually spectacular fashion. (109 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Picture of Light (94), Gambling, Gods, and LSD (02), Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands (09)

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Documentary.

Set in the North Atlantic, Leviathan is an amazing film about men at sea and fish on boats. Creatively (to use an understatement) deploying numerous small digital cameras, the filmmakers capture the sensory experience of the labor, ecology, sound, light, and motion of one of man’s oldest activities. “The filmmakers have made the ne plus ultra of immersive documentaries. In this stunning and unparalleled masterpiece, they have discovered new forms of cinema. ... See, hear, and feel it for yourself. It’s a monster.”—Vancouver International Film Festival “The result is a hallucinatory sensory experience quite unlike any other. To paraphrase Francis...

Set in the North Atlantic, Leviathan is an amazing film about men at sea and fish on boats. Creatively (to use an understatement) deploying numerous small digital cameras, the filmmakers capture the sensory experience of the labor, ecology, sound, light, and motion of one of man’s oldest activities. “The filmmakers have made the ne plus ultra of immersive documentaries. In this stunning and unparalleled masterpiece, they have discovered new forms of cinema. ... See, hear, and feel it for yourself. It’s a monster.”—Vancouver International Film Festival “The result is a hallucinatory sensory experience quite unlike any other. To paraphrase Francis Ford Coppola describing his Apocalypse Now, Leviathan isn’t a movie about commercial fishing; it is commercial fishing.”—New York Film Festival (87 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Taylor—Sweetgrass (09); Paravel—Foreign Parts (10)

Sponsored by Chipotle.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Documentary.

Based on the graphic novel trilogy by Jaroslav Rudiš and Jaromír Svejdík, this superbly atmospheric rotoscope animation employs noirish black-and-white images and an evocative soundtrack to portray the fractured psychology of a man and his country. In summer 1989, Alois Nebel works as a stationmaster in a small village in the Jeseník Mountains, close to the Polish border. Preferring old timetables to people, Nebel lives through his memories, haunted by the violent postwar expulsion of the Germans and getting lost in the mists of time. Encounters with a mysterious mute man and the kind Květa help him to connect the...

Based on the graphic novel trilogy by Jaroslav Rudiš and Jaromír Svejdík, this superbly atmospheric rotoscope animation employs noirish black-and-white images and an evocative soundtrack to portray the fractured psychology of a man and his country. In summer 1989, Alois Nebel works as a stationmaster in a small village in the Jeseník Mountains, close to the Polish border. Preferring old timetables to people, Nebel lives through his memories, haunted by the violent postwar expulsion of the Germans and getting lost in the mists of time. Encounters with a mysterious mute man and the kind Květa help him to connect the past with the present and to find middle-aged love. Winner of the European Film Award for Best Animated Film, Lunák’s auspicious debut is “destined to become a classic of the form.”—Piers Handling, Toronto International Film Festival (84 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by LAIKA.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Animation.

Rosa meets Bruno. Two people who consider themselves to be over the hill and irrelevant in today’s world suddenly learn what it means to pursue once-in-a-lifetime happiness, to find one’s soulmate. The only problem: Rosa has only six months to live. The two decide to go for it anyway. Bruno breaks out of his marriage and a family life where everything’s been routine for some time, and Rosa runs away from the retirement home where her niece hoped she would quietly disappear. They set up house together and are then forced to face the question of whether happiness has an...

Rosa meets Bruno. Two people who consider themselves to be over the hill and irrelevant in today’s world suddenly learn what it means to pursue once-in-a-lifetime happiness, to find one’s soulmate. The only problem: Rosa has only six months to live. The two decide to go for it anyway. Bruno breaks out of his marriage and a family life where everything’s been routine for some time, and Rosa runs away from the retirement home where her niece hoped she would quietly disappear. They set up house together and are then forced to face the question of whether happiness has an expiration date or if memories of special moments with the kind of person you meet only once are much more important. (90 mins.)

Filmography: Nogo (02)

Winner of the Audience Prize at the Montreal Film Festival.

With the support of the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature.

Estonia, 1994. Soviet occupation has ended, but not the grip of Stalinist memories or the new hold of the Russian Mafia. Aliide, who has lived through a generation where a sentence to Siberian prison camps was all too regular, encounters Zara, a young girl who has exhaustedly escaped the clutches of sex slavery. Though from different eras, both women are haunted by their own tragic pasts and a dark history that binds them. Based on the award-winning novel of the same title by Sofi Oksanen, this unflinching family drama, a story of sex trafficking, violent abuse, betrayal, and loss, is...

Estonia, 1994. Soviet occupation has ended, but not the grip of Stalinist memories or the new hold of the Russian Mafia. Aliide, who has lived through a generation where a sentence to Siberian prison camps was all too regular, encounters Zara, a young girl who has exhaustedly escaped the clutches of sex slavery. Though from different eras, both women are haunted by their own tragic pasts and a dark history that binds them. Based on the award-winning novel of the same title by Sofi Oksanen, this unflinching family drama, a story of sex trafficking, violent abuse, betrayal, and loss, is this year’s Finnish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (125 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Resident (11)

Sponsored by the Finlandia Foundation and the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature.

In his bittersweet caper-comedy, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes, Loach turns his gaze on Robbie, a new father in trouble with the law. When he holds his newborn son for the first time, Robbie is determined that the boy will have a better life, one with opportunities. But Robbie must first sort out his life as a prison sentence looms. Given one more chance and sentenced to community service, he meets Rhino, Albert, and Mo, former criminals who also can’t find work. But, ironically, turning to drink changes their lives. Robbie, it turns out, has a rare gift—a...

In his bittersweet caper-comedy, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes, Loach turns his gaze on Robbie, a new father in trouble with the law. When he holds his newborn son for the first time, Robbie is determined that the boy will have a better life, one with opportunities. But Robbie must first sort out his life as a prison sentence looms. Given one more chance and sentenced to community service, he meets Rhino, Albert, and Mo, former criminals who also can’t find work. But, ironically, turning to drink changes their lives. Robbie, it turns out, has a rare gift—a great palate and a delicate nose for fine malt whisky. This newly discovered talent leads to an inspiration that might turn things around for him—but first, he faces a true test on a trip with the gang to the Scottish Highlands. (101 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Black Jack (79), Riff-Raff (91), Sweet Sixteen (02), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (06), It’s a Free World… (07), Looking for Eric (09)

Sponsored by Southpark Seafood Grill.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Comedy.

London, 1962. While tied to the hip—“forever”—of her best friend Rosa (Alice Englert), Ginger (Elle Fanning) is beset by two crises: the collapse of her parents’ marriage and the growing worldwide anxiety concerning nuclear Armageddon. If that’s not enough, the joys and terrors of dawning sexual identity and creative ambition are equally consuming. As her family implodes and the Cold War meets the sexual revolution, lifelong friendship will be shattered by ideology and personal betrayals. Looking back on the idealism and roots of a feminist generation, Potter’s exploration of the price of coming of age features a striking performance by...

London, 1962. While tied to the hip—“forever”—of her best friend Rosa (Alice Englert), Ginger (Elle Fanning) is beset by two crises: the collapse of her parents’ marriage and the growing worldwide anxiety concerning nuclear Armageddon. If that’s not enough, the joys and terrors of dawning sexual identity and creative ambition are equally consuming. As her family implodes and the Cold War meets the sexual revolution, lifelong friendship will be shattered by ideology and personal betrayals. Looking back on the idealism and roots of a feminist generation, Potter’s exploration of the price of coming of age features a striking performance by Elle Fanning and a supporting cast that includes Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, Annette Bening, Christina Hendricks, and Alessandro Nivola. (90 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Gold Diggers (83), Orlando (92), The Tango Lesson (97), Yes (04), Rage (09)

Sponsored by Higgins.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature.

Every day, dozens of decommissioned school buses leave the United States and migrate through Mexico to Guatemala where they are repaired, repainted, and reborn as the brightly colored camionetas that bring most Guatemalans to work. Kendall’s lyrical film follows the migration of one Pennsylvania bus as well as the personal stories of five individuals whose lives become intertwined with its transformation. Like the bus that unites their stories, the choice between obsolescence and innovation defines their decisions, propelling them toward an increasingly uncertain future in a country where civil institutions and authorities are powerless to protect citizens from organized crime....

Every day, dozens of decommissioned school buses leave the United States and migrate through Mexico to Guatemala where they are repaired, repainted, and reborn as the brightly colored camionetas that bring most Guatemalans to work. Kendall’s lyrical film follows the migration of one Pennsylvania bus as well as the personal stories of five individuals whose lives become intertwined with its transformation. Like the bus that unites their stories, the choice between obsolescence and innovation defines their decisions, propelling them toward an increasingly uncertain future in a country where civil institutions and authorities are powerless to protect citizens from organized crime. What slowly emerges is a vivid and rich meditation on the universal quest for mobility—and survival. (71 mins.)

First Feature.

In Spanish with English subtitles.

Sponsored by KBOO.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Documentary.

Lee Kang-do works as a brutal, merciless loan shark who threatens and cripples those who can’t make their payments. One day, a woman appears on his doorstep claiming to be the mother who abandoned him as a baby. At first he rejects her but eventually quits his job to spend his days recapturing the time lost with her. When she is kidnapped, he must track down the culprit, revisiting all those whom he has hurt in the past, only to discover that his mother is harboring a dark secret of her own. Taking his inspiration from Michelangelo’s Pietà, Kim’s searing,...

Lee Kang-do works as a brutal, merciless loan shark who threatens and cripples those who can’t make their payments. One day, a woman appears on his doorstep claiming to be the mother who abandoned him as a baby. At first he rejects her but eventually quits his job to spend his days recapturing the time lost with her. When she is kidnapped, he must track down the culprit, revisiting all those whom he has hurt in the past, only to discover that his mother is harboring a dark secret of her own. Taking his inspiration from Michelangelo’s Pietà, Kim’s searing, violent meditation probes the depths of human suffering as it explores the themes of guilt and revenge with gripping beauty. (104 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Isle (00), Address Unknown (01), Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring (03), 3-Iron (04), Arirang (11)

This year’s South Korean submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and winner of the Best Film Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Sponsored by the Oregon Korea Foundation.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Asian.

In 1950s Prague, police detective Hakl is investigating a jewelry store heist, until East German State police specialist Zenke arrives and takes over. Zenke believes that members of the Jewish community are responsible and that an underground ring may be smuggling funds to Zionist terrorists in Israel. Unconvinced, Hakl continues his own investigation. But which version of the truth do the Communist authorities prefer to find? Ondříĉek spins a suspenseful noir tale of standing up to the mistrust and fear in Stalinist, postwar Czechoslovakia. (106 mins.)

In 1950s Prague, police detective Hakl is investigating a jewelry store heist, until East German State police specialist Zenke arrives and takes over. Zenke believes that members of the Jewish community are responsible and that an underground ring may be smuggling funds to Zionist terrorists in Israel. Unconvinced, Hakl continues his own investigation. But which version of the truth do the Communist authorities prefer to find? Ondříĉek spins a suspenseful noir tale of standing up to the mistrust and fear in Stalinist, postwar Czechoslovakia. (106 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Loners (00), One Hand Can’t Clap (03), Grandhotel (06)

This year’s Czech submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

In Czech and German with English subtitles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, German Language.

Based on a real-life case of supposed demonic possession, Mungiu’s gripping existential drama takes place at a remote Orthodox monastery in Moldavia where devout young women give up all. Alina (Cristina Flutur) arrives to visit her meek friend Voichita (Cosmina Stratan), a nun in training, and desperately tries to convince her to return to Germany with her. But Voichita is unsure, and so the tougher but untethered Alina hangs around in hopes of prevailing. But as the days pass, the oppressive environment takes a further toll on Alina and her sense of identity. Soon, the conflict between personal empowerment and...

Based on a real-life case of supposed demonic possession, Mungiu’s gripping existential drama takes place at a remote Orthodox monastery in Moldavia where devout young women give up all. Alina (Cristina Flutur) arrives to visit her meek friend Voichita (Cosmina Stratan), a nun in training, and desperately tries to convince her to return to Germany with her. But Voichita is unsure, and so the tougher but untethered Alina hangs around in hopes of prevailing. But as the days pass, the oppressive environment takes a further toll on Alina and her sense of identity. Soon, the conflict between personal empowerment and religious dogma leads to a harrowing prescription. For their remarkable lead performances, Flutur and Stratan shared the Best Actress Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. (150 mins.)

Selected Filmography: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (07), Tales from the Golden Age (09)

This year’s Romanian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Sponsored by the Romanian American Society.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature.

With an acute eye for the push and pull of modern life, Neighboring Sounds delves into the lives of a group of prosperous middle-class families residing on a quiet street in Recife, close to a low-income neighborhood. The private security firm hired to police the street becomes the catalyst for an exploration of the neighbors’ discontents and anxieties, their feelings exacerbated by the palpable unease of a society that remains unreconciled to its troubled past and present inequities. Meticulously constructed, with unexpected compositions and arresting editing, you’re never quite sure where things are headed as it builds imperceptibly toward its...

With an acute eye for the push and pull of modern life, Neighboring Sounds delves into the lives of a group of prosperous middle-class families residing on a quiet street in Recife, close to a low-income neighborhood. The private security firm hired to police the street becomes the catalyst for an exploration of the neighbors’ discontents and anxieties, their feelings exacerbated by the palpable unease of a society that remains unreconciled to its troubled past and present inequities. Meticulously constructed, with unexpected compositions and arresting editing, you’re never quite sure where things are headed as it builds imperceptibly toward its stunning payoff. “Sensational.”—Artforum “Thrilling.”—Film Comment (131 mins.)

Filmography: Critico (08)

Winner of the FIPRESCI Critics’ Prize at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Sponsored by Hotel deLuxe.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature.

Inside the magical world of a painting, figures divide themselves into three castes: the realistically rendered, highly polished Alldunns, who hold court in a castle; the Halfies, who for want of a brushstroke are denied the privileges of the Alldunns; and the Sketchies, rough and ragged outlines treated as untouchables by the others. A forbidden romance between the Halfie Claire and the Alldunn Ramo leads the two, along with Claire’s friend Lola, to run away—all the way to the edge of their painting, where they hop out of the frame and into the studio of the man who created them....

Inside the magical world of a painting, figures divide themselves into three castes: the realistically rendered, highly polished Alldunns, who hold court in a castle; the Halfies, who for want of a brushstroke are denied the privileges of the Alldunns; and the Sketchies, rough and ragged outlines treated as untouchables by the others. A forbidden romance between the Halfie Claire and the Alldunn Ramo leads the two, along with Claire’s friend Lola, to run away—all the way to the edge of their painting, where they hop out of the frame and into the studio of the man who created them. An inventive, animated fable about art and life, appearance and perception. “Enchanting! ... This consistently enjoyable, inventive, and beautifully crafted tale is a color riot suitable for all ages. ... A constant feast for the eyes.”—Variety (76 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Gwen, The Book of Sand (85), A Monkey’s Tale (99), Black Mor’s Island (04)

Sponsored by French American International School, TV5Monde, LAIKA, and Chipotle.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Animation, Family Fare, French Language, Art.

Winner of the Best First Feature Prize at the London Film Festival, this tender story begins with Shun Li working in a textile factory near Rome. She’s slowly paying off the broker who brought her from China to Italy, while trying to save money to bring her young son over. Transferred to work as a bartender in Chioggia, a small island town in the Venetian lagoon, she meets Bepi, a handsome old Slav immigrant nicknamed “The Poet.” A soulful friendship grows between them, but soon prejudice threatens their innocent relationship. Both a tender portrait of survival in an immigrant world...

Winner of the Best First Feature Prize at the London Film Festival, this tender story begins with Shun Li working in a textile factory near Rome. She’s slowly paying off the broker who brought her from China to Italy, while trying to save money to bring her young son over. Transferred to work as a bartender in Chioggia, a small island town in the Venetian lagoon, she meets Bepi, a handsome old Slav immigrant nicknamed “The Poet.” A soulful friendship grows between them, but soon prejudice threatens their innocent relationship. Both a tender portrait of survival in an immigrant world and an exploration of Venetian life far from the Grand Canal, Segre’s delicate, bittersweet film showcases a memorable performance by Tao Zhao, who earned the David di Donatello (Italian Academy) Best Actress Award. (100 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute, San Francisco and the Italian Film Commission, Los Angeles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature.