Films & Schedules - Monday, February 11, 2013

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.

80 Million is set in the autumn of 1981, 10 days before the proclamation of martial law in Poland. Three members of the anti-Communist union movement in Wroclaw miraculously manage to withdraw 80 million zlotys (circa $2 million US then) from the organization’s bank account, just before it is blocked by the authorities. With Security Service agents on their trail, a tense cat-and-mouse game that involves wily clergy, black market money changes, and committed Solidarity activists unfolds with inspirational drama and surprising twists and turns. Less a political film than a heist-thriller and dark comedy, this entertaining film is this...

80 Million is set in the autumn of 1981, 10 days before the proclamation of martial law in Poland. Three members of the anti-Communist union movement in Wroclaw miraculously manage to withdraw 80 million zlotys (circa $2 million US then) from the organization’s bank account, just before it is blocked by the authorities. With Security Service agents on their trail, a tense cat-and-mouse game that involves wily clergy, black market money changes, and committed Solidarity activists unfolds with inspirational drama and surprising twists and turns. Less a political film than a heist-thriller and dark comedy, this entertaining film is this year’s Polish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (102 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Suspended (87), Dismissed From Life (92), The Little Moscow (08)

Sponsored by the Polish Library Association and the Polish Festival Nonprofit Organization, Portland.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Comedy.

Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and this year’s Italian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Caesar Must Die deftly melds narrative and documentary in a powerful drama-within-a-drama. In Rome’s Rebibbia prison, the prisoners prepare to stage Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and in exploring the text find a tale of fraternity, power, and betrayal that parallels their own lives and stories. Seamlessly moving in and out of the text as they wrestle with notions of necessity and the boundaries of order, drama comes alive on multiple, and timeless, levels. “This latest masterpiece from Italy’s famed...

Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and this year’s Italian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Caesar Must Die deftly melds narrative and documentary in a powerful drama-within-a-drama. In Rome’s Rebibbia prison, the prisoners prepare to stage Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and in exploring the text find a tale of fraternity, power, and betrayal that parallels their own lives and stories. Seamlessly moving in and out of the text as they wrestle with notions of necessity and the boundaries of order, drama comes alive on multiple, and timeless, levels. “This latest masterpiece from Italy’s famed Taviani brothers not only serves as a deeply human document but a caustic portrait of our own imprisoned societies, reminding us that a life without art truly is a prison.”—AFI Fest (76 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Allonsanfan (74), Padre Padrone (77), The Night of Shooting Stars (82), Fiorile (93)

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

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Documentary.

Despite his family’s pleas, 19-year-old Mwas leaves his small village for the promise of life in the capital and the dream of becoming an actor. Naïve and filled with hope, he quickly learns why the city is nicknamed “Nairobbery.” A few rookie mistakes land him in jail, which eventually leads him to fall in with a gang and survival on the streets via theft and violence. But underneath it all beats the heart of a dream. Working under the mentorship of German director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), first-time director Gitonga has fashioned Kenya’s second-ever Best Foreign Language Film Oscar...

Despite his family’s pleas, 19-year-old Mwas leaves his small village for the promise of life in the capital and the dream of becoming an actor. Naïve and filled with hope, he quickly learns why the city is nicknamed “Nairobbery.” A few rookie mistakes land him in jail, which eventually leads him to fall in with a gang and survival on the streets via theft and violence. But underneath it all beats the heart of a dream. Working under the mentorship of German director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), first-time director Gitonga has fashioned Kenya’s second-ever Best Foreign Language Film Oscar submission. “Fundamentally honest and vividly realistic.”—Hollywood Reporter (97 mins.)

First Feature.

In Swahili and Kikuyu with English subtitles.

Sponsored by OregonLive.com.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature.

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.

During King Gwang-hae’s reign in 17th century Korea, conspiracies abound. Driven by paranoia, Gwang-hae (Lee Byung-hun) orders his councilor to find him a body double. Soon after finding the perfect lookalike in the form of Ha-sun, a simple jester and mimic, the king is poisoned and Ha-sun is forced to take the stage. The ensuing events form the dramatic, and often comedic, heart of Masquerade, a riff on the classic Prince and the Pauper story. Instead of Gwang-hae’s rigid policies and demeanor, the new king has charisma and rules on far more personal and humanitarian grounds, thus risking discovery—not to...

During King Gwang-hae’s reign in 17th century Korea, conspiracies abound. Driven by paranoia, Gwang-hae (Lee Byung-hun) orders his councilor to find him a body double. Soon after finding the perfect lookalike in the form of Ha-sun, a simple jester and mimic, the king is poisoned and Ha-sun is forced to take the stage. The ensuing events form the dramatic, and often comedic, heart of Masquerade, a riff on the classic Prince and the Pauper story. Instead of Gwang-hae’s rigid policies and demeanor, the new king has charisma and rules on far more personal and humanitarian grounds, thus risking discovery—not to mention social and military upheaval. It’s clear that goodness does not automatically serve the country’s stability. Though spiced with humor, Masquerade provides a thoughtful meditation on the compromises faced by those who, willingly or not, take the fate of a nation into their hands. (131 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Mapado: Island of Fortunes (05), Late Blossom (11)

Sponsored by the Oregon Korea Foundation.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Asian, Comedy.

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.

On a hot summer day in a vacant Madrid during a period of social and political transition in Spain, Miguel, a feared and respected journalist, sets up a meeting in a café with Ángela, a young journalism student. He takes her to a friend’s studio. His intentions are clearly sexual; hers are less clear. Chance events force them together for more time than they would have chosen, and the pair, who represent polarized generations, are pitted in a witty, sensual, but unevenly matched duel involving age, intellect, ambition, and experience. The political and social context of the period provides the...

On a hot summer day in a vacant Madrid during a period of social and political transition in Spain, Miguel, a feared and respected journalist, sets up a meeting in a café with Ángela, a young journalism student. He takes her to a friend’s studio. His intentions are clearly sexual; hers are less clear. Chance events force them together for more time than they would have chosen, and the pair, who represent polarized generations, are pitted in a witty, sensual, but unevenly matched duel involving age, intellect, ambition, and experience. The political and social context of the period provides the background to the power shifts that continually take place between them over 24 hours. (104 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Good Life (96), Soldiers of Salamina (03), Welcome Home (06)

Co-sponsored and organized by PRAGDA with support from the Embassy of Spain, Washington; American Airlines; and the Secretary of State for Culture-Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, History.

Ferreira’s elegant triptych of coming-of-age tales follows three teenage friends and their individual struggles to define themselves amidst hard family conditions and a seemingly indifferent society: Graffiti artist Alex, ignored by his parents and faced with the mounting living expenses for an art grant he wins; kickboxer Gabi, who lives in fear of his domineering gym-owner father; and wealthy Oky, who lives comfortably but without affection from her parents. “The sins of parents and teachers are visited on their progeny and students in this largely subtle, compassionate, and perceptive take on bad education affecting a trio of Catalan teens. ......

Ferreira’s elegant triptych of coming-of-age tales follows three teenage friends and their individual struggles to define themselves amidst hard family conditions and a seemingly indifferent society: Graffiti artist Alex, ignored by his parents and faced with the mounting living expenses for an art grant he wins; kickboxer Gabi, who lives in fear of his domineering gym-owner father; and wealthy Oky, who lives comfortably but without affection from her parents. “The sins of parents and teachers are visited on their progeny and students in this largely subtle, compassionate, and perceptive take on bad education affecting a trio of Catalan teens. ... An engrossing drama as well as an urgent cry for social change.”—Variety (100 mins.)

Selected Filmography: I Know Who You Are (00), The Impatient Alchemist (02), Broken Hearts (05)

Winner of the Best Film and Best Screenplay Prizes at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival and of the Grand Prize at the Montreal Film Festival.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

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.