Films & Schedules - Wednesday, February 13, 2013

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Renato Zucchelli lives in the beautiful mountain farmlands just outside Milan. He is the last traveling shepherd in the region, the last man tending sheep in Lombardy, an area ever consumed by urbanization. Renato has a dream: to lead his flock into the heart of Milan to meet children who have never seen someone like him, showing them that dreams and freedom will always exist as long as there is still room to believe in a last shepherd. At once funny, touching, and serious, The Last Shepherd is ultimately a warm and endearing portrait of a man, his dog, his...

Renato Zucchelli lives in the beautiful mountain farmlands just outside Milan. He is the last traveling shepherd in the region, the last man tending sheep in Lombardy, an area ever consumed by urbanization. Renato has a dream: to lead his flock into the heart of Milan to meet children who have never seen someone like him, showing them that dreams and freedom will always exist as long as there is still room to believe in a last shepherd. At once funny, touching, and serious, The Last Shepherd is ultimately a warm and endearing portrait of a man, his dog, his family, and his sheep, who conquer a city with nothing more than the power of imagination. (76 mins.)

First Feature.

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

Interests: New Directors, Family Fare, Documentary.

Following the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the Soviet-appointed prime minister—a very paranoid János Kádár—orders that each and every national security office’s loyalty be tested according to new and rigorous directives. András supervises a network of civilians spying on their neighbors and coworkers. But little does he know that the government is now monitoring him as well. His superiors have chosen Christmas Eve to implement “the exam,” a procedure designed to challenge an agent’s loyalty without his or her knowledge. The problem with finding surprises is that you may find surprises. Bergendy’s sardonic thriller twists and turns through a world where...

Following the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the Soviet-appointed prime minister—a very paranoid János Kádár—orders that each and every national security office’s loyalty be tested according to new and rigorous directives. András supervises a network of civilians spying on their neighbors and coworkers. But little does he know that the government is now monitoring him as well. His superiors have chosen Christmas Eve to implement “the exam,” a procedure designed to challenge an agent’s loyalty without his or her knowledge. The problem with finding surprises is that you may find surprises. Bergendy’s sardonic thriller twists and turns through a world where nothing can be taken for granted and personal loyalty is subservient to survival. (89 mins.)

Filmography: Stop Mom Theresa! (04)

Winner of the New Directors Prize at the Chicago International Film Festival.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, History.

The Last Sentence is a biographical drama chronicling the career of celebrated Swedish journalist Torgny Segerstedt, who conducted his own crusading campaign against the Nazis while navigating a fraught personal life. Officially neutral, Sweden’s leaders did their best to silence Segerstedt, fearing German reprisal, especially as the journalist began inciting the ire of top Nazi officials. Troell adds an element of the supernatural as Segerstedt is visited by the ghosts of his lovers, something that, rather than haunting him, gives him bleak pleasure in a chaotic world. Reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, The Last Sentence tells a melancholic tale...

The Last Sentence is a biographical drama chronicling the career of celebrated Swedish journalist Torgny Segerstedt, who conducted his own crusading campaign against the Nazis while navigating a fraught personal life. Officially neutral, Sweden’s leaders did their best to silence Segerstedt, fearing German reprisal, especially as the journalist began inciting the ire of top Nazi officials. Troell adds an element of the supernatural as Segerstedt is visited by the ghosts of his lovers, something that, rather than haunting him, gives him bleak pleasure in a chaotic world. Reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, The Last Sentence tells a melancholic tale about aging, told through the story of a man of great importance to Swedish journalism and politics. (126 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Emigrants (71), Flight of the Eagle (82), Hamsun (96), As White as in Snow (01), Everlasting Moments (08)

Winner of the New Director Award at the Montreal Film Festival.

Sponsored by New Sweden and the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, History.

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.