Films & Schedules - Sunday, February 10, 2013

An aging fisherman develops an intimate relationship with a lobster as he struggles to find closure with his lost wife. (14 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

An aging fisherman develops an intimate relationship with a lobster as he struggles to find closure with his lost wife. (14 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

Edmond is diligent, hard working, and effective at his lowly job—loved by his boss but maligned by his colleagues. But when co-workers play a juvenile prank, Edmond’s life begins to change. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Edmond is diligent, hard working, and effective at his lowly job—loved by his boss but maligned by his colleagues. But when co-workers play a juvenile prank, Edmond’s life begins to change. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of the Somalis. (17 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of the Somalis. (17 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

Take a wonderfully inventive tour inside a grandmother’s apartment in Buenos Aires. A seamless blend of animation and real-life testimonials creates an unforgettable tale of history, memory loss, and new beginnings. (9 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Take a wonderfully inventive tour inside a grandmother’s apartment in Buenos Aires. A seamless blend of animation and real-life testimonials creates an unforgettable tale of history, memory loss, and new beginnings. (9 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

From anime master Hiroyuki Okiura comes this touching, fantastical tale of a young girl’s grief and the three mischievous spirits sent to look after her. After the death of her father, 13-year-old Momo and her mother move from Tokyo to the remote island of Shio. Here, Momo is haunted by the discovery of an unfinished letter her father was writing to her—and plagued by the presence of three heaven-sent goblins whose bumbling efforts to protect her tend to cause more chaos than good. “As gorgeous as Momo is to behold, the film’s sensitive portrayal of a teenager dealing with grief...

From anime master Hiroyuki Okiura comes this touching, fantastical tale of a young girl’s grief and the three mischievous spirits sent to look after her. After the death of her father, 13-year-old Momo and her mother move from Tokyo to the remote island of Shio. Here, Momo is haunted by the discovery of an unfinished letter her father was writing to her—and plagued by the presence of three heaven-sent goblins whose bumbling efforts to protect her tend to cause more chaos than good. “As gorgeous as Momo is to behold, the film’s sensitive portrayal of a teenager dealing with grief proves its most compelling element. ... With its complex characterizations and multiple storylines, [Momo] rivals mature live-action drama.”—Variety (120 mins.)

Selected Filmography: key animator on Roujin Z (91), Ghost in the Shell (95), Jin-Roh, The Wolf Brigade (99), Paprika (06)

Winner of the Grand Prize at the New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Sponsored by the Consular Office of Japan in Portland and Chipotle.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Animation, Family Fare, Asian.

A strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life. (6 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

A strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life. (6 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

After Tisha, a streetwise teenager from the Bronx, discovers she’s pregnant, she must face a difficult decision. With nowhere to turn, she confronts the grim realities of her situation alone. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

After Tisha, a streetwise teenager from the Bronx, discovers she’s pregnant, she must face a difficult decision. With nowhere to turn, she confronts the grim realities of her situation alone. (15 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

Sponsored by Red Giant.

89 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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EDMOND WAS A DONKEY

DIRECTOR: Franck Dion - (Canada/France)

Edmond is diligent, hard working, and effective at his lowly job—loved by his boss but maligned by his colleagues. But when co-workers play a juvenile prank, Edmond’s life begins to change. (15 mins.)

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FISHING WITHOUT NETS

DIRECTOR: Cutter Hodierne - (United States/Kenya)

A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of the Somalis. (17 mins.)

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THE MAKER

DIRECTOR: Christopher Kezelos - (Australia)

A strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life. (6 mins.)

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GRANDMOTHERS

DIRECTOR: Afarin Eghbal - (Great Britain)

Take a wonderfully inventive tour inside a grandmother’s apartment in Buenos Aires. A seamless blend of animation and real-life testimonials creates an unforgettable tale of history, memory loss, and new beginnings. (9 mins.)

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CATERWAUL

DIRECTOR: Ian Samuels - (United States)

An aging fisherman develops an intimate relationship with a lobster as he struggles to find closure with his lost wife. (14 mins.)

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TUMULT

DIRECTOR: Johnny Barrington - (Great Britain)

A tribe of Norse warriors retreats after a bloody battle. With their chief near death, they come upon an army they could never have expected. The comedic be-all and end-all of culture clashes! (13 mins.)

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PREMATURE

DIRECTOR: Rashaad Ernesto Green - (United States)

After Tisha, a streetwise teenager from the Bronx, discovers she’s pregnant, she must face a difficult decision. With nowhere to turn, she confronts the grim realities of her situation alone. (15 mins.)

A tribe of Norse warriors retreats after a bloody battle. With their chief near death, they come upon an army they could never have expected. The comedic be-all and end-all of culture clashes! (13 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

A tribe of Norse warriors retreats after a bloody battle. With their chief near death, they come upon an army they could never have expected. The comedic be-all and end-all of culture clashes! (13 mins.)

See SHORT CUTS II: INTERNATIONAL TIES to purchase tickets.

Interests: Short Cuts.

A deadbeat Israeli inventor and his estranged teenage daughter try to reconcile their differences in this delicate blend of poignant coming-of-age drama and offbeat comedy. After years living in California with her mother and stepfather, sharp-witted but introverted 13-year-old Libi returns to Israel to spend time with her unemployed and homeless father Shaul. With the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, Shaul devises a scheme to put a roof over their heads by posing as war refugees until they are taken in by a well-off family in Jerusalem. As the masquerade wears thin, the bemusing circumstances give way to a...

A deadbeat Israeli inventor and his estranged teenage daughter try to reconcile their differences in this delicate blend of poignant coming-of-age drama and offbeat comedy. After years living in California with her mother and stepfather, sharp-witted but introverted 13-year-old Libi returns to Israel to spend time with her unemployed and homeless father Shaul. With the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, Shaul devises a scheme to put a roof over their heads by posing as war refugees until they are taken in by a well-off family in Jerusalem. As the masquerade wears thin, the bemusing circumstances give way to a bourgeoning father-daughter bond forged by a shared talent for telling “off-white lies.” (86 mins.)

First Feature.

Winner of the Best Actor Award and nominated for six other Israeli Ophirs including Best Film, Director, and Screenplay.

Sponsored by the Consulate of Israel and San Francisco.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Middle Eastern, Comedy.

3 Million is a documentary for soccer lovers, but also for anyone who likes to root for the underdog. Like many countries, Uruguay’s heart stops and starts with the fate of its beloved soccer team. In this joyous documentary about the passion of soccer, the iconic Uruguayan musician Jaime Roos and his (Dutch) photographer son Yamandu follow the national team’s 2010 World Cup run to the electric semi-finals in South Africa. From Kimberley to Johannesburg to Cape Town to Pretoria, Jaime and Yamandu uncover truths about the players and the excitement of memorable games with the world’s top teams, as...

3 Million is a documentary for soccer lovers, but also for anyone who likes to root for the underdog. Like many countries, Uruguay’s heart stops and starts with the fate of its beloved soccer team. In this joyous documentary about the passion of soccer, the iconic Uruguayan musician Jaime Roos and his (Dutch) photographer son Yamandu follow the national team’s 2010 World Cup run to the electric semi-finals in South Africa. From Kimberley to Johannesburg to Cape Town to Pretoria, Jaime and Yamandu uncover truths about the players and the excitement of memorable games with the world’s top teams, as well as reveal their own relationship, which has its own suspense and surprise. A music-infused, father-son road trip in celebration of the powerful uniting force of sport. (135 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by OPB and SP Newsprint.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Family Fare, Spanish Language.

Leyla and Kaveh are a mysterious pair from Tehran, traveling the mountainous countryside in their Lexus coupe to push big bags of money on the locals. This turns out to be not so easy but fascinating to watch as the cagey couple invent increasingly brazen stratagems to place cash in the hands of the wary, proud, or indifferent. Will they push things too far? Are they losing sight of their mission? What exactly is their mission? This bold, perversely fascinating comedy-drama unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power, privilege, and corruption. “Setting the scene is a brilliantly shot...

Leyla and Kaveh are a mysterious pair from Tehran, traveling the mountainous countryside in their Lexus coupe to push big bags of money on the locals. This turns out to be not so easy but fascinating to watch as the cagey couple invent increasingly brazen stratagems to place cash in the hands of the wary, proud, or indifferent. Will they push things too far? Are they losing sight of their mission? What exactly is their mission? This bold, perversely fascinating comedy-drama unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power, privilege, and corruption. “Setting the scene is a brilliantly shot comic opener that starts the game over-the-top, in a tone which only gets shriller and wilder as the story goes on. By far the director’s most daring work.”—Hollywood Reporter (100 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Abadan (04), Men at Work (06), Canaan (08)

Modest Reception is co-presented by the Global Film Initiative and is part of the Global Lens 2013 film series.

Sponsored by Javanan Magazine, Portland.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Middle Eastern, Comedy.

Staunch loner Roberto, owner of a small hardware store in Buenos Aires, is shaken out of his solitary daily routine of collecting absurd newspaper clippings and visiting his parents’ grave when Chinese immigrant Jun literally falls into his life out of the back of a cab. Through a series of events that go against Roberto’s better judgment, the out-of-work Jun moves in with him, which proves a nightmare for Roberto as he makes increasingly desperate (and also touching and hilarious) attempts to get rid of his new roommate. Borensztein’s warm, endearing film offers a heartfelt reminder that friendship can crop...

Staunch loner Roberto, owner of a small hardware store in Buenos Aires, is shaken out of his solitary daily routine of collecting absurd newspaper clippings and visiting his parents’ grave when Chinese immigrant Jun literally falls into his life out of the back of a cab. Through a series of events that go against Roberto’s better judgment, the out-of-work Jun moves in with him, which proves a nightmare for Roberto as he makes increasingly desperate (and also touching and hilarious) attempts to get rid of his new roommate. Borensztein’s warm, endearing film offers a heartfelt reminder that friendship can crop up between the strangest, most mismatched, and plain old grumpiest of odd couples. (98 mins.)

Filmography: Sin Memoria (10)

Winner of the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Film Awards at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina.

In Spanish and Mandarin.

Sponsored by Hotel Modera.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, Comedy.

With perfectly judged performances from Andy Lau and Deanie Ip (winner of the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival), Ann Hui’s moving film looks at the decades-long relationship between a man and his devoted family servant. Ip plays Ah Tao, who has worked for the Leung family for 60 years. For the past decade, the only member of the family left in Hong Kong is Roger (Lau), who works in the film industry. Having cared for Roger from childhood, Ah Tao suffers a stroke and asks to be admitted to a nursing home. There, she becomes part of...

With perfectly judged performances from Andy Lau and Deanie Ip (winner of the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival), Ann Hui’s moving film looks at the decades-long relationship between a man and his devoted family servant. Ip plays Ah Tao, who has worked for the Leung family for 60 years. For the past decade, the only member of the family left in Hong Kong is Roger (Lau), who works in the film industry. Having cared for Roger from childhood, Ah Tao suffers a stroke and asks to be admitted to a nursing home. There, she becomes part of a new family made up of colorful characters. All the while, as roles are reversed, Roger tenderly cares for her as she enters the final phase of her life. Based on a true story, A Simple Life delicately traces a decades-long bond with pathos and humor. (118 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Boat People (82), Song of the Exile (90), Ordinary Heroes (99), All About Love (10)

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

Sponsored by Perkins Coie.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Asian.

“A neighborhood’s lives and loves intertwine in this almost novelistic film, seen mostly through the eyes of 17-year-old Xiao Yang. Together’s various storylines cycle through several families who live on the same street in contemporary Taipei. Xiao Yang is a patient observer but not a neutral one: most of the love letters that charmingly still circulate in this working-class Taipei community pass through his hands, and he’s the catalyst of several of the story’s love affairs. The community includes a costume vendor, a Japanese-Taiwanese newlywed couple, and Xiao Yang’s sometimes violent, sometimes romantically inclined classmates. Everyone seems to be in...

“A neighborhood’s lives and loves intertwine in this almost novelistic film, seen mostly through the eyes of 17-year-old Xiao Yang. Together’s various storylines cycle through several families who live on the same street in contemporary Taipei. Xiao Yang is a patient observer but not a neutral one: most of the love letters that charmingly still circulate in this working-class Taipei community pass through his hands, and he’s the catalyst of several of the story’s love affairs. The community includes a costume vendor, a Japanese-Taiwanese newlywed couple, and Xiao Yang’s sometimes violent, sometimes romantically inclined classmates. Everyone seems to be in the process of breaking up or finding a new lover. We are gently induced to interpret, to be active participants in framing the story. The result is a fully achieved first film of tangible power and abundant humanity.”—Vancouver International Film Festival (114 mins.)

First Feature.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Asian.

“Cross Ocean’s Eleven with The Usual Suspects, move the setting to a northern English city, and you have the basis of this remarkable debut. Harvey had dreams of becoming a lawyer before being convicted of drug possession. We meet him in a police interview room. Bloodied, bruised, and recently paroled from prison, he’s about to be interrogated about the violent robbery of a workingmen’s club. What follows is a series of flashbacks as Harvey reveals his version of how he ended up back in the hands of the law. Wasteland has all the elements of a classic heist thriller: a...

“Cross Ocean’s Eleven with The Usual Suspects, move the setting to a northern English city, and you have the basis of this remarkable debut. Harvey had dreams of becoming a lawyer before being convicted of drug possession. We meet him in a police interview room. Bloodied, bruised, and recently paroled from prison, he’s about to be interrogated about the violent robbery of a workingmen’s club. What follows is a series of flashbacks as Harvey reveals his version of how he ended up back in the hands of the law. Wasteland has all the elements of a classic heist thriller: a likeable group of guys, a beautiful and reluctantly involved ex-girlfriend, revenge, and the sense that all can be forgiven if justice—even of the street variety—is served. A gritty, exhilarating ride.”—Toronto International Film Festival (106 mins.)

First Feature.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature.

The South of France, 1915: 74-year-old Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Michel Bouquet) still paints every day, despite the pains of old age and the loss of his dear wife. The arrival of a new 15-year-old model, Andrée (Christa Theret), brings an incandescent energy into the household, inspiring not only Renoir le père’s painting but also stirring the passions of les filses Jean (Vincent Rottiers) and Claude (Thomas Doret). Against the backdrop of World War I, the film locates a fascinating moment of change, one century’s way of thinking giving way to the next, and the passing of the torch from a great...

The South of France, 1915: 74-year-old Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Michel Bouquet) still paints every day, despite the pains of old age and the loss of his dear wife. The arrival of a new 15-year-old model, Andrée (Christa Theret), brings an incandescent energy into the household, inspiring not only Renoir le père’s painting but also stirring the passions of les filses Jean (Vincent Rottiers) and Claude (Thomas Doret). Against the backdrop of World War I, the film locates a fascinating moment of change, one century’s way of thinking giving way to the next, and the passing of the torch from a great painter to the great filmmaker of such classics as Grand Illusion and Rules of the Game. (111 mins.)

Selected Filmography: A Sight For Sore Eyes (03), Afterwards (08)

Featured as the Closing Night Film of the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.

Sponsored by Your Own French Home, the Alliance Française de Portland, and TV5Monde.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, French Language, Art, History.

In 1968, in a remote Australian town where white racism rules, an Aboriginal country-western singing group struggles to make it in the music business. Their fortunes change when they meet garrulous Irish pianist/drinker Dave (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), who recognizes their talent and adds soul music to their repertoire. Soon, the precocious singer Julie (Australian music star Jessica Mauboy), boy-crazy Cynthia, tough and tart-tongued leader Gail, and cousin Kay who wishes she were white, score an unexpected gig: entertaining American troops in Vietnam. A rousing, heartfelt tale based on screenwriter Tony Briggs’s true-life family, the mix of charming romance, fine performances,...

In 1968, in a remote Australian town where white racism rules, an Aboriginal country-western singing group struggles to make it in the music business. Their fortunes change when they meet garrulous Irish pianist/drinker Dave (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), who recognizes their talent and adds soul music to their repertoire. Soon, the precocious singer Julie (Australian music star Jessica Mauboy), boy-crazy Cynthia, tough and tart-tongued leader Gail, and cousin Kay who wishes she were white, score an unexpected gig: entertaining American troops in Vietnam. A rousing, heartfelt tale based on screenwriter Tony Briggs’s true-life family, the mix of charming romance, fine performances, and Motown classics sprinkled with Aboriginal folk songs adds up to a sparkling musical adventure set against the chaos of war and the civil rights politics of the era. (99 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by French American International School and KINK.fm.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Music.

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.

“A winning, life-affirming fable about a young coal miner’s pursuit of her dream to become an acrobat, this is the first Western-financed fiction feature made entirely in North Korea. But this charming film wears its heavy historical mantle with grace, weaving a lovely, light-hearted tale whose themes—overcoming adversity and realizing the dream of a lifetime—upend our assumptions of a largely cloistered culture. Kim Yong-mi works as a coal miner in a small village. She dreams of one day joining the national circus and performing on the trapeze—despite the fact that she is deathly afraid of heights. When she is promoted...

“A winning, life-affirming fable about a young coal miner’s pursuit of her dream to become an acrobat, this is the first Western-financed fiction feature made entirely in North Korea. But this charming film wears its heavy historical mantle with grace, weaving a lovely, light-hearted tale whose themes—overcoming adversity and realizing the dream of a lifetime—upend our assumptions of a largely cloistered culture. Kim Yong-mi works as a coal miner in a small village. She dreams of one day joining the national circus and performing on the trapeze—despite the fact that she is deathly afraid of heights. When she is promoted and sent to the capital, Pyongyang, she seizes the opportunity. This gorgeously filmed romantic comedy transports us to a fantastic world seemingly out of time, with astonishing, candy-colored images of the seldom-seen North Korea.”—Toronto International Film Festival (83 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Kim Gwang Hun—My Wish (01), Unforgettable Man (02), Watch Us (08), Great Bear (09)

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Asian.

Based on the children’s book by Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao, the gentle Starry Starry Night follows the intersecting lives of inward 13-year-old Mei, who’s coping with the death of her grandfather and her parents’ crumbling marriage, and shy Jay, who endures a rootless existence caused by his abusive father. When Mei falls in love with Jay, a recent transfer student at her school, she finds solace from her troubles and begins a journey to find the missing parts of her troubled life. Venturing into the starry night, Mei and Jay set off on a romantic, perilous trip into the mountainous...

Based on the children’s book by Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao, the gentle Starry Starry Night follows the intersecting lives of inward 13-year-old Mei, who’s coping with the death of her grandfather and her parents’ crumbling marriage, and shy Jay, who endures a rootless existence caused by his abusive father. When Mei falls in love with Jay, a recent transfer student at her school, she finds solace from her troubles and begins a journey to find the missing parts of her troubled life. Venturing into the starry night, Mei and Jay set off on a romantic, perilous trip into the mountainous wilderness to find her grandparents’ cottage, a place of comforting memories, and destinations further. “A charming bit of whimsy that speaks to anyone who experienced a sense of emotional injustice during their formative years.”—Slant (99 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Winds of September (08)

Sponsored by Steven Smith Teamaker.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Asian, Literature.

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.

Ávila’s partly autobiographical account of his upbringing is a moving portrait of adolescent life in politically tumultuous 1970s Argentina. After years of exile, 12-year-old Juan and his family cautiously return to Buenos Aires with fake identities. Juan’s parents are members of the Montoneros organization, fighting against the ruling military junta. His friends at school know him as Ernesto, and as he tries to make friends and lead a normal life, he knows his life depends on him not forgetting who he really is. Ávila’s powerful portrait of childhood innocence at odds with life-or-death political ideals won the Casa de America...

Ávila’s partly autobiographical account of his upbringing is a moving portrait of adolescent life in politically tumultuous 1970s Argentina. After years of exile, 12-year-old Juan and his family cautiously return to Buenos Aires with fake identities. Juan’s parents are members of the Montoneros organization, fighting against the ruling military junta. His friends at school know him as Ernesto, and as he tries to make friends and lead a normal life, he knows his life depends on him not forgetting who he really is. Ávila’s powerful portrait of childhood innocence at odds with life-or-death political ideals won the Casa de America Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and is this year’s Argentine submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (112 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by OPB.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, History.

With moving intimacy, Vega depicts the challenges and obstacles that face Colombia’s indigenous population—not just the struggle to sustain cultural traditions and values but simply to stay alive in the strife that has long beset the country. Fleeing the fighting in her hometown that has taken her family, 19-year-old Alicia arrives at her aunt and uncle’s ramshackle inn, La Sirga, on the isolated shores of a lake high in the Andes. By day, Alicia assists the couple in fixing up the inn, hoping the area’s tourists will return next season, but at night, perhaps due to the trauma she has...

With moving intimacy, Vega depicts the challenges and obstacles that face Colombia’s indigenous population—not just the struggle to sustain cultural traditions and values but simply to stay alive in the strife that has long beset the country. Fleeing the fighting in her hometown that has taken her family, 19-year-old Alicia arrives at her aunt and uncle’s ramshackle inn, La Sirga, on the isolated shores of a lake high in the Andes. By day, Alicia assists the couple in fixing up the inn, hoping the area’s tourists will return next season, but at night, perhaps due to the trauma she has witnessed, Alicia sleepwalks. Against this setting of evocative natural beauty, a quiet drama of identity and healing plays out in enthralling fashion. (88 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by OPB.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

Lore explores the tribulations faced by the young in the aftermath of World War II. When their Nazi SS parents are arrested by the Allies, five siblings are suddenly left to fend for themselves. Teenaged Lore, the oldest, takes charge, and the children set out on foot to join their grandmother in Hamburg, 500 miles away. Along the arduous journey, they encounter a populace suffering from postwar denial and deprivation and for the first time are exposed to the reality and consequences of their parents’ actions. The children meet Thomas, a young Jewish survivor who helps them negotiate their way...

Lore explores the tribulations faced by the young in the aftermath of World War II. When their Nazi SS parents are arrested by the Allies, five siblings are suddenly left to fend for themselves. Teenaged Lore, the oldest, takes charge, and the children set out on foot to join their grandmother in Hamburg, 500 miles away. Along the arduous journey, they encounter a populace suffering from postwar denial and deprivation and for the first time are exposed to the reality and consequences of their parents’ actions. The children meet Thomas, a young Jewish survivor who helps them negotiate their way but who by their teaching is the enemy, despite his help and allure. A moving film about guilt, for-giveness, and survival, Lore is this year’s Australian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (109 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Somersault (04)

In German with English subtitles.

Sponsored by Lamar Transit Advertising.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, German Language, History.

Garrone takes a critical swipe at contemporary Italian society and the powerful role of television and the media in instilling obsessive envy and lust for fame. After seeing a former reality star make an electrifying surprise appearance at his cousin’s wedding (one of several paid appearances for the enterprising self-promoter), common man Luciano decides to try out for the Italian version of “Big Brother.” Sure he will soon get the call, Luciano begins to conduct his life as if he’s already being watched. Playing Luciano’s delusions not only for laughs but for thoughtful, ethical examination, Garrone blends a Fellini-esque love...

Garrone takes a critical swipe at contemporary Italian society and the powerful role of television and the media in instilling obsessive envy and lust for fame. After seeing a former reality star make an electrifying surprise appearance at his cousin’s wedding (one of several paid appearances for the enterprising self-promoter), common man Luciano decides to try out for the Italian version of “Big Brother.” Sure he will soon get the call, Luciano begins to conduct his life as if he’s already being watched. Playing Luciano’s delusions not only for laughs but for thoughtful, ethical examination, Garrone blends a Fellini-esque love for grotesquerie and fairy-tale surrealism with gritty Neapolitan social realism. (116 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Land in the Middle (96), Roman Summer (00), The Embalmer (02), First Love (04), Gomorrah (08)

Winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

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

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Comedy.

“The ghosts of F.W. Murnau, Luis Buñuel, Joseph Cornell, and Jack Smith hover above this exquisite, absurdist entry in the canon of surrealist cinema. Shot in ephemeral black-and-white celluloid, Tabu is movie-as-dream—an evocation of irrational desires, extravagant coincidences, and cheesy nostalgia that nevertheless is grounded in serious feeling and beliefs, even anti-colonialist politics. There is a story, which is delightful to follow and in which the cart comes before the horse: the first half is set in contemporary Lisbon, the second, involving two of the same characters, in colonial Mozambique in the early 1960s. Phil Spector’s ‘Be My Baby’ belted...

“The ghosts of F.W. Murnau, Luis Buñuel, Joseph Cornell, and Jack Smith hover above this exquisite, absurdist entry in the canon of surrealist cinema. Shot in ephemeral black-and-white celluloid, Tabu is movie-as-dream—an evocation of irrational desires, extravagant coincidences, and cheesy nostalgia that nevertheless is grounded in serious feeling and beliefs, even anti-colonialist politics. There is a story, which is delightful to follow and in which the cart comes before the horse: the first half is set in contemporary Lisbon, the second, involving two of the same characters, in colonial Mozambique in the early 1960s. Phil Spector’s ‘Be My Baby’ belted in Portuguese, a wandering crocodile, and a passionate, ill-advised coupling seen through gently moving mosquito netting make for addled movie magic.”—New York Film Festival (118 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Face You Deserve (04), Our Beloved Month of August (08)

Winner of the FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) Award at the Berlin Film Festival.

Sponsored by Nel Centro.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature.