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The 8th Annual Petaluma International Film Festival kicks off Friday, October 28th, and offers a weekend of exciting cinema
With 40 independent films from 18 countries, the 8th Annual Petaluma International Film Festival (PIFF8) offers line-up of new independent films from the remote corners of the globe to homey Petaluma. This year's festival is Friday through Sunday at Petaluma's Boulevard 14 Cinemas and offers 15 full-length films and 25 shorts and the popular Sonoma Filmmakers Showcase with several filmmakers in attendance. There's also Running Wild, Alex Ranarivelo's new horse drama that was co-produced by Petaluma's Ali Afshar and was shot in 2015 all around Sonoma County.
Organized by Saeed Shafa who founded the popular annual Tiburon International Film Festival in 2002, PIFF was created to support new indie filmmakers, great storytelling and international points of view. Since most filmmakers start our their careers by making a short film, Shafa has purposely paired all the feature films with at least one short film to demonstrate to the audience that short stories can be highly effective and so can new filmmakers.
Friday's Opening film:
The festival kicks off Friday at noon with Hilary Linder's compelling documentary, Indivisible (2016), which showcases real people at the heart of our country's immigration debate and the Dreamer movement for immigrant rights. In a year in which election theatrics have supplanted substantive debate on the pressing issue of immigration reform, Linder gives us a a very relevant story that tracks three children who were been separated from their parents by deportation and became stuck in redtape which prohibited them from visiting their parents and their parents form visiting them. Against all odds, these kids remain hopeful and are working to promote reform. Screens with shorts "The Silence" and "Between the Lines."
Saturday and Sunday evenings—Sonoma Filmmakers Showcase:
Now in its fourth year, the festival's popular Sonoma Filmmakers Showcase has expanded to both Saturday and Sunday evenings. The program reflects Shafa's commitment to our community's talented independent filmmakers. The evenings allow the community to gather to meet these filmmakers and to see a number of short films all at once. This year, the program starts on Saturday with Alex Ranarivelo's new feature length drama, Running Wild (2016), starring Oscar-nominated Sharon Stone. The film was co-produced by Petaluma's Ali Afshar and was shot in 2015 in Petaluma, Tomales, Santa Rosa and Glen Ellen. The story revolves around the plight of wild horses during the drought. Recently widowed Stella Davis (Dorian Brown, FX's "Wilfred") faces foreclosure of her Double Diamond Ranch and works with convicts to rehabilitate a herd of wild horses that has wandered onto her ranch. The film screens Saturday at 6:15 PM with director Alex Ranarivelo and actress Dorian Brown in attendance.
Sunday Afternoon: Focus on Dance and Music
Randy Valdes was born in Cuba in 1986 and then relocated to Miami at age eight. His documentary A Todo Color (2015) tells the story of how, in the 1990's, young Cubans turned to music as a source of inspiration and how Cuban musicians managed to disseminate their art and truths beyond Cuba. Through intimate interviews and fabulous concert scenes, the film explores the artists' personal and creative journeys, how their influence defines the artistic language of the Cuban cultural Diaspora, and how each incorporates the influences of their newly adopted cultural environments into the ever-evolving phenomenon of World Cuban Music. Screens Sunday, 2PM with shorts Body & Sound (4 min) and State of Grace (5 min)
Bardroy Barretto's musical feature Let's Dance to the Rhythm (2015) brings some 20 legendary songs from the 60's and 70's to life in a spectacular tribute to Goan music that unfolds as a love story between a composer-musician, Lawtry (Vijay Maurya), and his protégé, Dona (Palomi Ghosh). Set against the backdrop of the jazz clubs of Bombay and Goa's vibrant 60's generation of musicians, the film is loosely based on a true story. Goan musicians contributed greatly to Bollywood's melodious songs and compositions and this film gives these unsung heroes their due. Screens Sunday at 4 PM. (In Konkani with subtitles)
PIFF Details:
The 7th Petaluma International Film Festival is Friday, October 28, through Sunday, October 30, 2016 at Petaluma's Boulevard Cinemas, 200 C Street, Petaluma. Tickets: All screenings $12; buy tickets during the festival at Petaluma's Boulevard Cinemas or online (click here) with a handling fee. Passes: All inclusive festival pass is $180 and a day pass is $60. (click here to purchase)
For full schedule and more information, click here.
The 39th Mill Valley Film Festival is October 6-16 and it's a very good year
With the onset of fall, Bay Area moviegoing options start to multiply like crazy. The Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF), October 6-16 2016, is hard to beat. The 39th edition offers a line-up of 200 films—winners from Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto as well as an eclectic mix of features, documentaries, shorts, world cinema and films with a Bay Area stamp—all selected for our discriminating Bay Area audience by programmer Zoe Elton and her seasoned team. The legendary festival kicks off on Thursday evening, October 6, with two of Hollywood's hottest fall films—La La Land, Damien Chazelle's (Whiplash MVFF 2014) love letter to dreamers, artists, and Hollywood with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and Denis Vileneuve's (Sicario) riveting and thoughtful drama, Arrival, starring five time Oscar-nominee Amy Adams as a linguistics professor who communicates with aliens in a bid to save the planet. Actually, in a move to satisfy everyone's tastes, there are four films screening on Thursday evening, so add Mick Jackson's Denial starring Rachael Weiss and Rob Nilsson's Love Twice to the mix but they are not being billed as opening nighters. Special Tributes will honor Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman in a program that includes a screening of her new film with Dev Patel, Lion, and acclaimed filmmaker and author Julie Dash, who will appear in conversation following a screening of her recently restored Daughters of the Dust (1991). The festival closes with Jeff Nichols' Loving, which tells the real life story of the struggle, imprisonment and 1960's Supreme Court battle Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) Loving experienced in one of America's early interracial marriages.
The festival unfolds in San Rafael, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Mill Valley. For North Bay residents, getting there and parking is considerably more time efficient and cheaper than it is in San Francisco. If you want to go, pre-purchase your tickets now as this popular festival tends to sell out before it starts. There is ample choice right now but not for long. I recommend seeing films where the filmmaker or actors will be in attendance. Also, check the new program guide for Smith Rafael Film Center. Several of the festival films are screening there within the next two months and it doesn't make sense to pay a premium to see them at the festival and wait in long lines unless there are special guests attending that make it worthwhile.
ARThound's top picks:
Neruda/Spotlight Gael Garcia Bernal—Mon, Oct 10
The foreign film line-up is especially strong this year. Chilean Director Pablo Larrain's Neruda, Chile's foreign language Oscar nominee, takes center stage in a special Spotlight presentation honoring Mexican actor-director-producer Gael Garcia Bernal. The drama is set in 1948 and Bernal plays a police inspector who is charged with finding the fugitive Communist politician and poet, Pablo Neruda, when he goes underground. In Larrain's capable hands, the film morphs into a soulful exploration of Chile's historical dance with heroes and villains and Bernal as the inspector becomes a key figure, obsessed with finding Neruda who has managed to make him his pawn. Bernal will appear in an onstage conversation covering his extensive career.
The Salesman—Fri, Oct 7 and Wed, Oct 12
I can't remember when the festival last hosted an Iranian filmmaker but, over the year's, we've reveled in their creativity, courage and unparalleled story-telling. This year, acclaimed Academy Award and Golden Globe winning writer-director Ashgar Farhadi (A Separation) will appear in person to answer questions after the two screenings of his new Tehran-set drama The Salesman. The film picked up Best Screenplay and Best Actor awards at Cannes and was selected as the Iranian nominee for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. The Salesman is the suspenceful story of a young Persian couple who are part-time actors in Tehran in the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman. Their relationship is strained after they move into a new flat and the wife is attacked while she is taking a shower. The flat's previous occupant, a woman who was allegedly involved in prostitution, is never seen but her presence grows as the film progresses. At Cannes, Shahab Hosseini, the husband, won the award for Best Actor.
Lamb—Sat, Oct 8 and Tues, Oct 11
A rarity for MVFF is an Ethiopian film, in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. Writer-director Yared Zeleke's first feature, Lamb, was the first Ethiopian film ever named an official Cannes selection. The 37 year-old director made Variety magazine's "10 Screenwriters to Watch" list for 2015. The story revolves around an Ethiopian boy who loses his mother and moves in with relatives and becomes attached to a pet lamb, Chuni, as a way of dealing with loss and grief. He also takes up cooking which is unacceptable to his uncle who considers it girl's work. The story hits close to home for the director. When he was just 10, Zeleke's own father was imprisoned by the Derg regme (the ruling military Communist regime that was in power in Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987) and his mother remarried and he went to live with his grandmother. Ultimately, Zeleke was reunited with his father and they lived together in the US but the happy days he had with both loving parents together were long gone. Filmmaker in attendance for both screenings.
Frantz—Fri, Oct 7 and Fri, Oct 14
French director François Ozon (Swimming Pool, 8 Women, Under the Sand) always stirs me with subtle demonstrations of his artistry and deep understanding of human nature. His latest film, Frantz, a romantic drama set in the aftermath of WWI in the small German town of Quedlingburg, is a layered portrait of grief. The story evolves from a strange graveside encounter between a young German woman (Paula Beer) grieving her fiancé and a Frenchman, Adrian (Pierre Niney), who also visits the fiancé's grave to leave flowers. He claims to have been friends with her fiancé and, slowly, she begins to develop feelings for him. Shot in black and white, with brief interludes of color, the film is a loose adaptation of Ernst Lubitsch's 1932 drama Broken Lullaby which itself was based on a play by French playwright Maurice Rostand. Niney, whose elegant face would have inspired Michelangelo, won a Cesar award for his outstanding performance in Jalil Lespert's Yves Saint Laurent (2014).
Mom and Other Loonies in the Family—Sat, Oct 15 and Sun, Oct 16
Hungarian director Ibolya Fekete's Mom and Other Loonies in the Family revolves around a 94 year-old grandmother with dementia who relates her life story to her daughter. It's a heartwarming recounting, told through flashbacks over four generations of crazies. She was a mother on the run who moved twenty-seven times—and the film spans all of the 20th century, meandering through epic moments in Hungarian and world history. Her "present" is a time that is infused with struggles, declining health and the confusing intervention of past events. Her past was committed to keeping the family together at any cost. The story is based on the filmmaker's own family and stories related to her by relatives. Characters appear in archival footage and in well-known Hungarian films as if they were actually in those films. Eszter Ónodi shines as the reliable yet somewhat whimsical woman who moved too many times and just wants to stand on her own two feet. Her ninety four-year old demented self is played by Danuta Szaflarska who credibly plays the role by reverting to childlike responses.
Green is Gold—Sat, Oct 8 and Sun, Oct 9
I have a weakness for films that are set in Northern, California, where I grew up. Sonoma State University graduate Ryan Baxter's first feature, Green is Gold, is set in rural Sonoma County and is a family bonds over pot business story that picked up the Audience Best Fiction Film award at the Los Angeles Film Festival for its poetic filmmaking and emotional truth. Ryan Baxter, the writer, director, editor and star, plays the older brother, Cameron, a black market potrepneur ( a real word I picked up at the Heirloom Festival) who is forced to take care of his younger brother, Jimmy (his real life brother, Jimmy Baxter) when their dad is imprisoned. Cameron tries to put some distance between the kid and the cannabis business, which involves considerable risk but high payoffs, but, soon Jimmy is knee deep in buds and the two find themselves embarking on a dangerous pot delivery journey that will either leave them rolling in dough or six feet under. Ryan Baxter, actor Jimmy Baxtor, and rest of cast and crew in attendance at both screenings.)
Unleashed—Wed, Oct 12 and Thurs, Oct 13
What if your pets turned into full-grown men? I couldn't resist the whacky premise behind Finn Taylor's Unleashed, which has a thirty-something software app designer Emma (Kate Micucci) settling into her life in San Francisco when her cat, Ajax, and her dog, Summit, disappear only to reappear in her life as full-grown men (Steve Howet and Justin Chatwin). All their four-legged memories are fully intact and they vie for her affection in their very specific cat and dog styles.
Details MVFF 39:
The 39th Mill Valley Film Festival opens on Thursday, October 6 and runs through Sunday, October 16, 2016. Buy tickets online now at http://www.mvff.com/. Most tickets for films are $14 and special programs starts at $25.
Interview: Zita Morriña, Programming director, Cuba's International Festival of New Latin American Cinema
As I travelled to sunny Havana, Cuba last December for my first visit to the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, I had a myriad of questions about what goes on behind the scenes to bring over 650 films from 49 countries to Havana. Virtually unknown to most Americans, this 10 day festival, which is always held in the first two weeks of December, keeps getting bigger and better each year and is one of Havana's and Latin America's most anticipated annual events. I spoke with festival Programming Director, Zita Morriña, who has handled programming for the past 37 years.
The 37th edition of the festival received roughly 1500 films that were submitted from the region for consideration, the biggest year ever. The festival also seeks out prizewinners from Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto. Morriña and her team of four energetic programmers turn all of this into a 10-day program that runs in 14 historic theaters all across Havana. They also organize the festival's awards program which involves juried competitions in eight areas and numerous awards, including best unrealized screenplay and even one for the best artistic design of the festival's poster. I meet with Morriña mid-way through last December's festival in a large house in the Havana suburbs, owned by the festival; it was raining cats and dogs and the place was absolutely chaotic, with a stream of very wet people coming and going. Confident at the helm, Morriña gave me the lay of the land.
What is the philosophy of programming? How many submissions do you get and what are your standards for what you accept?
Zita Morriña: This year, we had over 1500 submissions. Every year, we usually get over 1000 but after the digital system of film became more popular, we started getting many more submissions from all over the world. Our philosophy is to emphasize Latin films so the areas of competition are only open to Latin American films. Some are submitted and some are by invitation. We always open our submissions in January or February. Including me, We have five programmers here and we have a budget for travel that's not very big, but allows us to go to the big festivals—Berlin, Cannes, San Sebastian, Rotterdam—and some that are not so big but which are important for Latin film. We go to the principal countries—Argentina, Chile Brazil Venezuela and sometimes Colombia—and then we will go to a festival in Lima, Peru, and two to three festivals in Brazil. We've also attended Bogota Audiovisual Market (BAM) where they screen films. We invite the films that win the awards and get recognition. It's always a combination of films we want and films they send us. This year, the majority is by submission not invitation.
How has the festival grown over the years in terms of participants?
Zita Morriña: In the beginning, the festival was more Latin American than international. In Latin America, almost all the countries have participated and that has just solidified and broadened. In the beginning, everything was in the contest. That worked for awhile but then it grew so much that the jurors couldn't watch 40 or 50 films, so we decided to have separate contests and limit the number of films. We started with the fiction film category for the contest and, within that, created a prize for the first fiction film and the best short film. As we grew, and first films became more important, we created the contest for first films. This year, we have over 21 films full-length feature films, 21documentaries, 21 shorts, 21 first films, 21 animation and over 40 long and short features in fiction. We also have a script contest and we receive more than 100 every year.
Are you free to accept films of any subject matter?
Zita Morriña: Not for the contest. We decided that it would only for Latin American films or films with Latin American subjects. Outside the contest, we accept everything.
How is the jury selected?
Zita Morriña: It varies but it's always a different jury each year. Sometimes, we select filmmakers who have received the award in the past. We try to make each jury a composition of many countries so there is balance.
What are you most proud of about this festival?
Zita Morriña: Our programming. We show the very best films produced in Latin America. This year in our "Gala" section we have a few films produced by Latin American directors that do not have a Latin American theme or subject per se, but we feel they are so relevant that they have to be shown. Our "First Film" category keeps better each year. These films are as good as or better than the other films we are showing. Over the years, we have had 500,000 people attending this festival and that's very gratifying, very good.
This year, there are a lot of films addressing sexual and gender orientation. Is this intentional, to use film as a vehicle to explore these topics in Cuban society?
Zita Morriña: For the past five years, these themes have been very present in all the films throughout the world but, in Latin American films, we've have about 10 to 15 films that deal with homosexuality, trans, so forth. This is not a theme we are seeking; it comes to us. Our criteria has always been if the film is good we take it, never mind the topic. But, in our large panorama of subjects/categories, we do have one for diversity. There, we show films that address all sorts of topics beyond sexual and gender orientation like albinism.
I've seen an uncanny number of psychologically intense and dark films at this festival. Is this a characteristic of current Latin cinema?
Zita Morriña: Right now, yes it is. I think it's a reflection of the social and political situation in Latin America right now that has given rise to this type of story. They are moving from the militant films that we saw up until the 1990's to films that are more socially engaged and delve into heavy psychological issues that are often the result of the environment in these countries or of events in history.
Has new film technology presented any special problems here in Cuba? I attended about five screenings here where the audio did not work correctly or where they had to switch the film and show another that wasn't scheduled due to technical issues. How are you tackling these issues so that the people are not disappointed?
Zita Morriña: Technology is one of our greatest challenges that will be solved only by time and money. Until about two years ago, cinemas in Cuba only screened 35mm and Blu-ray because we didn't have any digital projectors. Last year, 2014, we introduced this technology in two theaters—Charles Chaplin and Yara. This year, we have fve theaters but, on the human side, we need to train our projectionists and technicians. Also, we need to improve film transport for receiving the films. There's no Fed Ex here in Cuba; the films still have to come by DHL, which can take 10 to 15 days. Right now, a week into this festival, we are missing a film from the Dominican Republic, which is just 200 miles away but I still don't have the film. And on the new technology side, there are problems everywhere but, here in Cuba, it's triple. We have a film from Mexico, Gabriel Ripstein's 600 Miles, a very good film about the Mexican cartels, which we can't get to open and play, so we can't screen it. Naturally, we always ask that films be sent ahead of time so we can work these things out but sometimes they tell us that the only copy they have is at another festival and they end up carrying the film with them when come. Also, we don't pay any fees for films and charging a fee is very common nowadays so we have to deal with that money factor which gives us a lower priority.
What are the awards─are they money or recognition?
Zita Morriña: Just recognition. One of our awards, however, a script award, has financial support from Spanish institutions so that we can give money to the writer so to develop their idea. There's also a post production award we give that supports films that are already done but need to be finished, so we do give some money for that.
The Cuban cinema here has been fantastic. Does the festival, extend financial support through the Cuban Institute for Cinema, to commission any films?
Zita Morriña: No.
How does the festival survive financially?
Zita Morriña: (Outburst of laughter) We have this house, which is ours and a small full-time staff which is here year round. We have about 20 people including four programmers, the director and we have economic and administrative staff and maintain a video-library with copies of all the films that have been in the festival.
I met the American experimental filmmaker, Dominic Angerame from San Francisco and he told me that he's been bringing films here for the past 10 years. How has it been collaborating with American's over the years?
Zita Morriña: It's been very easy. You know in our 7th festival, some 30 years ago, we had Jack Lemmon here and we opened our festival with Costa Gavras' Missing (1982) about Allende and the missing or disappeared people. We awarded Jack Lemmon the Coral of Honor, so we have always been there collaborating and communicating. So now, let's say, it is legal. The Academy (Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences) has been sending delegations here for years. Annette Bening came in 2010 with The Kids Are All Right. We've had Gregory Peck, Robert DeNiro, Chris Walken, Milos Forman and Spike Lee. Harry Belafonte came many times. The former president of the Academy, Sid Ganis, was here and was very supportive.
Are you ready for the onslaught of Americans that will want to attend this festival?
Zita Morriña: We are more or less ready but I'm not so sure about the country.
To read ARThound's previous coverage of the 37th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema (Dec 3-13, 2015), click here.
Details: The 38th Festival of New Latin American Cinema is December 8-18, 2016 in Havana. Click here for information. Plan on securing plane and hotel reservations at least 2 to 3 months in advance of the festival. Once in Havana, festival passes can be purchased at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, where the festival is headquartered, or, individual tickets can be purchased at various screening venues. Due to the immense popularity of the festival, purchasing a festival pass is advised.
Interview: Israeli director Gilad Baram talks about "Koudelka Shooting Holy Land," his debut doc on Magnum photographer Josef Koudelka, screening at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival this week
Czech-born French Magnum photographer Josef Koudelka's images from Gypsies (1975) and Exiles (1988) documented the Roma and displaced populations across Europe in a way that grabbed people and pulled them right into the images. Koudelka shed light on previously unknown worlds of mysticism, delight, sadness and ways of being which pierced our souls and upon which we too could pin our own dreams. Koudelka's commitment to his subjects was hard earned; he lived and traveled with his subjects for decades, and the trust they gave in return is evident in these intimate images. His arresting images from the streets of his native Prague during the Soviet-led invasion of 1968 are what catapulted him initially into the elite Magnum circle.
Recently, Koudleka, now 79, has focused on panoramic landscapes and turned his lens on the Holy Land to explore how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has left its mark on the landscape itself. Accompanying Koudelka on this assignment was young Israeli photographer Gilad Baram, a student at Jerusalem's Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, who gradually turned his own lens on Koudelka to produce a fascinating documentary portrait of a man whose images are world famous but about whom very little is known. Baram worked as Koudelka's assistant for four years, accompanying him on seven separate visits throughout Palestine and Israel. His duties were to provide Koudelka's travel arrangements, logistical support and translation. Every day, they would worked from about 7 am until the light faded, an experience that changed Baram's life. His film, Koudleka Shooting Holy Land (German/Czech Republic 2015) screens twice at 36th annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF 36), which kicked off Thursday at the Castro Theater and runs through August 7 in venues throughout the Bay Area, including San Rafael.
I spoke with Baram on Wednesday and he opened up about all aspects of his remarkable experience with Koudelka. One of the challenges that any filmmaker faces in making a film about an artist of this caliber is to find a way to channel that individual's gift without pandering to the iconization of the artist or his work. Baram pulls this off through a series of artistic choices, producing a riveting portrait that reveals Koudelka's way of working, his soft-spoken personality and his accumulated wisdom as well as the stunning images that result. For those of us who are photography buffs, the chance to see the divided landscape up close, with Koudelka maneuvering, crawling, waiting and offering the rare comment as well as the goods─those precious contact sheets and the resulting prints─is a revelation.
Koudelka Shooting Holy Land screens Monday July 25th at 4 pm at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco, and at the Roda Theatre, Berkeley, on Sunday, July 31, at 1:55 pm. Filmmaker Gilad Baram in attendance at both screenings for post-screening Q&A.
What brought Koudelka to the Holy Land and how did you come to be his assistant?
Gilad Baram: It began in 2008, when Frédéric Brenner, a French Jewish photographer, who was famous for documenting Jewish communities world-wide, was gathering this group of 12 big names in the world of photography to come to Israel to explore different aspects of the country. They would be given this extended and very generous period of time and resources to create their own body of work that was, afterwards, intended to become a group exhibition, a kind of huge fragmented portrait, and a book, that would travel around the world. It came to be "This Place," which premiered in Prague, continued to Tel Aviv and was recently exhibited in Brooklyn.
In the beginning, Koudelka declined Brenner's offer to participate in this group project but was ultimately persuaded to come on this exploratory visit to Israel. He accidentally bumped into the Wall in East Jerusalem and something quite profound happened in him. Once he realized that this arouses this deep personal experience in him, he came to the conclusion that there was something he could do there.
I do know that this was his first time in Israel and Palestine and that, like he is usually, he was very suspicious of any project that was fully funded and this large in scope. Frédéric had made a deal with my photography department to choose students who would assist these photographers. I was the first student picked out and Josef was the first to arrive and we were put together completely by chance. It was in February 2009. We shook hands and had a short conversation and agreed to meet at 7 a.m. the next morning. I had no idea what I was getting into.
Do you recall your first encounter with Koudelka's work and your impressions?
Gilad Baram: Yes, clearly. It was 2005, in the library of my art school. It was my first year there and, by accident, I opened the book Gypsies (1975) and was blown away. I immediately connected with his photographs and his way of photographing, which I later learned is inseparable from his way of living. Back then, I was fascinated with this and thought I too will become this nomad photographer who goes around and discovers the world, and who tends more towards the underdog. Four years later, suddenly I'm in the lobby of a hotel in Jerusalem shaking hands with the guy who made these great photos and we set off on this incredible adventure, which neither of us anticipated. I never imagined this would become a film.
How did your first day of work go?
Gilad Baram: I discovered that Josef Koudleka does not need an assistant but what he does need is someone to drive him around who can communicate in the local language and a little company now and then. He was very reserved at the beginning. He is and has always been a lone wolf and a very wise one. In the past 30 years or so, as his way of photographing has evolved, he uses these locals in the various places he visits to enable him with maneuvering the terrain. In each place he goes now days, Magnum has arranged someone for this purpose who meets him. It became quite apparent to me that we would not become friends. He was on a mission and that was his priority. He was, most definitely, not interested in talking too much.
How did the idea for the film come about?
Gilad Baram: As I said, I had no intention to make a film. At the very beginning of our journey, on the second day, when we were traveling up the West Bank, we stopped the car and he went out. I too got out and took my camera with me. He started photographing and then turned to me and said 'you're not going to hang around with this camera while I'm photographing, so please leave it in the car'. I obeyed but I was upset. I didn't understand how a photographer could say that to another photographer, let alone a student. When we arrived at the second place, I took my camera out of the car and just did it again. This time, he turned me to and didn't say anything but just walked away. That's when it started. It was this combo of me realizing that Josef Koudelka doesn't need an assistant and if I wished to survive this adventure, I'd have to do something for myself and by myself. As he was walking away, I interpreted it as 'you have a certain permission'.
Later, in the car, he made a kind of agreement with me–I would be allowed to photograph but I would not be allowed to show them to anyone, not even my colleagues at school and, if I wanted to do anything with these photos, I needed to have his permission. He also mentioned that he should have full access to my material in case he was interested in it. I had no option but to say OK. It happened that my camera was the Canon 5D Mark II, which had full video mode, and, very soon, I began using that. I'm not sure he even noticed because I wasn't directing the camera to him at first. But it soon became very clear that he was the most interesting thing around. I think he thought that I would not be quiet in the car, so he'd 'let the children play' so he could get on with his work and I would have something to do. That was the dynamic in the beginning. Clearly, it changed throughout time.
How did this video you were taking on the sly evolve into a film?
Gilad Baram: The dynamics changed. Between each of his visits, there was more or less half a year that passed. Between his first and second trip, I started to look at the material and after the third and fourth trips, I realized that this massive accumulation might be of interest to other people too. That's when I began thinking to myself that perhaps there's a statue that is hidden in this huge chunk of marble and I need to start carving it out. It was a very frustrating process. In the beginning, when filming, I was restless and was running around like crazy with my camera. I couldn't really position myself because he was moving constantly. Watching that footage, I knew immediately it was bullshit and that, if I'd like to attempt depicting him and his work, I would need to change my approach. It hit me that I should try adopting the way that he looks at the world. I started slowing down and developing a visual language that was more connected to still photography and less to the moving image, establishing my camera on a tripod and allowing Koudelka to move in the compositions, which was key. I was bridging the moving image with the still image in a way. Once I started down that path, it was a long process of trials and errors, watching him and learning. This film is a result of this process.
He's a visual storyteller who has always stood on his own and I'm curious about how he reacted to you embellishing this with a film which he probably perceived of as unnecessary.
Gilad Baram: The first thing I showed Josef was this timeline I had made with a mass of material. He was not impressed. Yet, he said I should go on. I don't think he realized how serious I was; that only came at a later stage. Our initial verbal contract was still binding but things evolved from him letting me distract myself by filming to keep out from under his legs, to him becoming a part of it. We reached an extreme when, during his last visit, he actually asked me when he should be entering the frame. That went too far and I knew something was starting to go wrong. I realized that when he was not taking me that seriously, he was actually genuine. Also, there was something quite crucial about me filming with the 5D Mark II that was in fact a still camera but also had a full frame video mode. Josef didn't feel there was an estranged object around him, which enabled him to feel more at ease as the apparatus was familiar to him. Koudelka does not give interviews, he does not attend openings frequently and doesn't want any distraction from his work; he is all about the photography. He probably perceived of this film as a major disturbance while I was following him in Israel and Palestine. His way of dealing was to put it off and to say 'just show me the result in the end.' It became very evident that I was going through with this film during his last visit and that was when he changed his behavior in the way I described and, subsequently, those segments do not appear in the film.
I poured over some 140 hours, with Elisa Purfürst, the dedicated editor and co-writer of the film, and there was a point when I came to Paris with a short edited version to show to him and to those close to him and that was a crucial moment. He realized that I was going through with this. The reaction of those around him was crucial as well. They expressed their appreciation of what they had watched and said they never imagined that he and his work could come across so honestly. That was a very moving and important moment. Josef just asked me one question─ what I had learned throughout our time together and in making this film. The first thing that came to mind was that I learned how to look, I mean on many different levels. In the photography sense, there was looking at composition, light, locations, and so forth but also how to look at something I was taught not to turn my gaze on. This time with Josef opened a window for me and allowed me to really take time to look and for what I saw to resonate. That was my answer to him. After that, it was carte blanche. He later on was very generous and gave me access to his contact sheets and I basically went through all of them, from his early days until now. That was incredible.
You made a number of shrewd choices regarding how to weave this all together. It was very satisfying to wait with him for all the elements to fall into place, to suffer through the various distractions, to experience him maneuvering in for the shot. Also, hearing his voice and how and what he communicated gave me the feeling that I knew him a bit. You also honored the time it takes to really look at a photo. After taking us along on a shoot, you gave us a further sense of his artistry by showing his contact sheets and the images he ultimately selected. He has this keen internal radar for the line of sight which becomes so evident when we can see the various stills that resulted from his shifting his lens just a few fractions of an inch.
Gilad Baram: The challenge of sculpting this mass of material was to have someone wise and observant dig into it with me, Elisa Purfürst. Our mission was to depict his work and way of working without falling into the traps that come with the territory and to really give the photos the space and life that they need. Also to manage with the few words that he did say to convey his way of thinking, something that you cannot decipher from just watching him. We also wanted to reveal parts of his biography where it was extremely important to understand why he does what he does and why he reacts to things in the way he does. We went through many versions of the film and it was never right until it was right.
In the film, we see him returning to places he's already photographed and he brings his old photos with him. What is he striving for?
Gilad Baram: This was a complete surprise and a certain revelation, something that when looking at his photos, before I knew him, I never thought that was part of his process. He studies deeply his own photographs and when doing so, he also studies changes in the landscape. He takes what he feels are his best images with him back to a location and tries to perfect them. When he reaches the point, where he feels he can't do it any better, or things have physically changed to prevent that, he calls it quits and goes on to the next. The kind of sensitivity you need for that, for knowing when to draw the line requires complete commitment and intuition.
Over the course of his life and career, his photos have also evolved. The photos that he made when he was younger are, of course, different than those he makes today. Those projects up to and including the 80's have to do mainly with people or depicting people, while his work since has to do with landscape. However people are still present as these landscapes he photographs are affected by man. In a way, this is even more of a profound statement as it is a very subtle way to learn about human beings. I think this shift has two aspects. One is the need in an artist's life for change, not to repeat oneself. This, I believe, played quite a major role in his picking up this panoramic format after years of photographing in 35mm and in turning his gaze towards landscape rather than the human figure. The other is what happens to all of us, which is aging. Josef described the work created in the first part of his career as endlessly chasing a moment, spending all his time running after something which is all the time disappearing and will not exist anymore. What happened in the second part, and is still happening, is waiting; he is now waiting for the moment. These are is two sides of the same coin you know. That's a lovely thing to realize about him and about photography in general.
Having studied his images from this series so intently, is there one single image that speaks to you, or even haunts you?
Gilad Baram: Josef came as foreigner, as so many photographers before him and many have fallen into the traps that are present in this extremely complex and crazy place. Somehow he managed not to. I admired his wisdom to manage to look so widely at this place and I try to adopt this way of looking. There is no one single image but the entire body of his work made in Israel and Palestine that I find incredible. I believe it will have importance in the history of photography of the Holy Land because it shows this extremely well-known theme in a completely different light and from a completely different angle. When people see his work, they respond to it because it is different.
Koudelka's brief quips in the film about the Wall as a cage and prison are profound. Do you too share these deep feelings?
Gilad Baram: I could identify with what he was saying and found that he expressed himself simply but wisely. Yet, there's a big difference between us, I mean beyond the age gap. There's this historical personal background that Josef carries with him from growing up behind the Iron Curtain. When someone carries something like that with him for 70 years, they carry a scar and there's also a lot of anger and frustration and that definitely manifested itself.
It was an extremely intensive time. Each of his visits was about a month long. Every day we worked all day and we'd finish knackered physically and emotionally. It was rather depressing walking these areas for an entire month. Through traveling with him, I learned that I too did grow up with a wall about me. While it's not intended for me, it's there and, even if people choose not to see it, it is still present in their minds. Being Israeli, I also felt a certain sense of responsibility and I got extremely upset. I often had this incredible urge to defend as well as to give explanations and counter arguments but, as we met more and more people and saw more, these counter arguments of mine became weaker and weaker.
I understand you saw more of the Wall than most Israeli's see. Had you visited before? What did it mean for you?
Gilad Baram: Previously, I had been to some protest demonstrations in the village of Bil'in, a few kilometers east of the Green Line, which was the first time I had really entered the West Bank. I was participating as well as photographing but very soon realized that I don't connect too much with this form of protest. These demonstrations didn't seem the best way of expressing oneself. That was my basic knowledge of the West Bank. It was during the long journey with Josef that I really discovered what the West Bank is, not mediated by TV or any other media. This was something that not too many Israelis get the opportunity, or chose, to do. It changed my life and changed my perception of what Israel is and what it is doing and what the other side looks like and is doing and how this huge monstrous wall, which is invisible to many, affects peoples' lives on a daily basis. We had this incredible opportunity to explore this wall-fence-de-facto border which now stretches over 800 kilometers and we really did explore all of it.
He was shooting with a film camera; did he ever ask you about your camera, or if he could try it.
Gilad Baram: No, not at all. Josef finds it very hard to relate to anything but his own creation. It's not ego; it's that his world is so full of his photography and his concentration on his own work that there is just no space for much else. This applies to me, my camera and also to the work of others and it seems to have always been this way. There is this story that Josef tells about Henri Cartier-Bresson and the very early stages of their friendship, soon after Josef arrived to Paris. Bresson helped him a lot, took him under his wings. Bresson asked him for his help going through contact sheets and helping him select some photos. Josef said he did it once but then went to Bresson and declined to do it again. He said that he realized that it did not interest him so much and that, mainly, he did not want to be influenced in any way, so he just had to say no. Back then, of course, you would not imagine anyone saying no to Henri Cartier-Bresson. This is something I believe made Bresson appreciate Koudelka all the more.
What I experienced is that Koudelka knows very well what fits him and what doesn't and when to draw the line. He is not super interested in what others do either. With regard to equipment, he is curious but he has the sense of what he should pick up. He shoots in black and white and will not change that. This is the way in which he sees the world through the view-finder. He is trying out the formats that interest him but he doesn't yet feel that he has completely gotten down to the very bone of the panoramic format and he is probably the foremost photographer in the world who has studied this format so deeply. He feels he has some things yet to explore. The minute he doesn't feel this, he will stop and move on. I think his biggest concern is to feel that he repeats himself.
I have to ask about his energy level…for a man approaching 80, he seems so engaged, alert and vital.
Gilad Baram: When a person has a mission in life, a passion, and a kind of clear destiny, it seems to come with a motor. Josef's motor is to get up in the morning and to go photograph. We started when he was 72. Now he's 79 and still he's the most restless and alive person I know. He does not stay in one place for more than a month. This is in him and how he is. We talk on the phone every few weeks and he's this waterfall of activity. On the other hand, he stands in sun or rain for hours, waiting for a photograph. This is one of the beautiful contradictions that make this man who he is. He's restless yet so committed and dedicated. It's all about the next image and what it takes to get it.
What is next for you?
Gilad Baram: Film just grabbed me and I'm working on two films right now while continuing with my photographic practice, which is very different from Koudelka's. My photography started out as purely documentary. It evolved into an exploration of digital environments with and through photography in an attempt to comprehend the impact of the Internet and big data on the photographic image.
As for the films, both relate somehow to my life at present. The first continues to explore the theme of the creative process. This time, together with the artist Adam Kaplan, I'm looking at the failure of this process through the fascinating and dramatic story of a feature-length fiction film made by the Israeli army in the late 90's and censored just a few weeks before its release. The second project deals with my current place of residence, Germany, and with German teenagers and youth. It is an attempt to look into the profound change of perception among the upcoming German generation in relation to the sense of guilt and remorse which dominated and shaped German society for decades after WWII. Two very different projects yet both are very relevant for me at this point in my life.
Koudelka Shooting Holy Land screens Monday July 25th at 4 pm at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco, and at the Roda Theatre, Berkeley, on Sunday, July 31, at 1:55 pm. Filmmaker Gilad Baram in attendance at both screenings for post-screening Q&A. General Admission tickets $13; click here to purchase. Advance purchase is recommended.
Several other films about the arts are part of the 36th annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF 36), which kicked off Thursday evening at the Castro Theater and runs through August 7 in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Oakland and San Rafael. This year's festival offers 67 films from 15 countries and 52 premieres. Six films come to the festival fresh from Sundance and six films have won awards at other film festivals.
For those North of the Golden Gate, the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center will offer 14 screenings beginning on Friday, August 5 through Sunday, August 7. Click here for information and to purchase tickets for the San Rafael segment. Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended.
At San Francisco's 21st Silent Film Festival, Something for Everyone─through Sunday
With the proliferation of film festivals in the Bay Area, each offering an overwhelming selection, it's hard to feel that any one of them is really that special. Here's one that truly is. The San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF), now in its 21st year, which kicked off Thursday at San Francisco's historic Castro Theatre and runs through Sunday. This long weekend of silents is the country's top silent festival and people come from all over the world to experience its magic. This is silent film as it was meant to be seen─on the big screen with live musical accompaniment and informative introductions by experts and with an enthusiastic audience. This year's festival offers a treasure trove of discoveries, rediscoveries and restorations─18 full-length feature films from all over the world. And on Sunday, there's a dazzling Fantasia of Color in Early Cinema program, curated by EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, that will present exquisite clips of hand painting, dyeing and stencil coloring from another 15 early short color films.
This year, there is an emphasis on film restoration. "We've gradually been dipping our toe into film restoration," said festival director Anita Monga. "Now, we're actually participating in restoration efforts. Our board president, Rob Byrne graduated from the EYE Film Institute's preservation program and now he's an itinerant restoration guy. This year, we have five films that we have been directly involved in restoring─René Clair's (The Italian Straw Hat (Un Chapeau de paille d'Italie)(1928) and his Les Deux Timides (1928) both in partnership with the Cinémathèque Française; Irvin Willat's Behind the Door (1919) in collaboration with the Library of Congress and Gosfilmofond of Russia; the hilarious 1926 Richard Wallace short film, What's the World Coming To? in collaboration with Carleton University and New York University. This film is part of our Sunday program on early cross-dressing Girls Will be Boys. Finally, there's Willis Robards' 1917 suffrage film, Mothers of Men, in collaboration with the Library of Congress, the British Film Institute, and film archivist James Mockoski."
The Festival's wonderful historical footage of foreign lands, old customs and great storytelling keeps me coming back year after year. When you see these films, you actually forget they're silent and become engrossed in the wonderful stories. And the enthusiastic and well informed audience is an added bonus. Do plan ahead: battling the traffic to get into the City and then to find parking is a huge a factor in the decision to attend an event or not. I recommend choosing one day on the weekend and coming in for two or three films. On Sunday, you can park on most streets in the Castro in one spot for the entire day without having to reload your meter or move your car. On Saturday, you're off the clock after 6PM.
Highlights of this year's festival include:
Saturday, June 4, 12:00 PM The Strongest (Den starkaste)
Saturday, June 4, 5:15 PM Within Our Gates
Sunday, June 5, 10:00 AM Fantasia of Color in Early Cinema
Full 2016 Festival Schedule
Details: The San Francisco Silent Film Festival runs Thursday, June 2, 2016 through Sunday, June 5, 2016 at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street (between Market and 18th Streets), San Francisco. Tickets: $16 to $20; click here to purchase tickets. Festival Pass $190 for Silent Film Festival members and $225 general. Click here to purchase passes. Information: (415) 777-4908 or www.silentfilm.org
Parking Alert: If you plan on coming by car, street parking is the only parking available near the Castro Theatre. Plan to arrive 45 minutes early to leave sufficient time for parking and walking to/from the theatre.
The 59th San Francisco International Film Festival is off and running─here are the best films for armchair travel
Armchair Traveler? The 59th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF 59) (April 23- May 5, 2016) is known for its wonderfully-curated and inspiring world cinema and for championing the work of young, talented directors. The festival's been on since last Thursday but most films screen three times over 15 days, so there's ample opportunity to find a fit for your schedule. With 173 films and live events from 46 countries, the choice can be overwhelming. In a way that ordinary tourism rarely allows, here are seven films, with contemporary stories and characters, that will transport you right into the heart of a remote culture─Bolivia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, the Faro Islands, rural India, Iran, North Korea. Each film below delivers exquisitely filmed authentic sights and is joyful, sad or complex on its own special terms.
One of the joys of attending is getting to see these films the way they were meant to be seen—on a big screen with digital projection—and participating in stimulating Q&A's with their directors and actors. This year, a director or team member from four of these films will be present for post-screening Q&A's which always shed light on the grueling work and special observational radar it takes to conceive of and pull off a feature-length film.
For full schedule, info, and tickets visit http://www.sffs.org/sfiff59 .
To read ARThound's previous SFIFF59 coverage, click here.
Click on the titles of the films below to be directed to the festival webpage for that film and to purchase tickets.
(Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, (Germany/Switzerland/Iran, 2015, 91 min) Robksareh Ghaem Maghami's documentary (Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for world cinema documentary at Sundance) takes us to a homeless shelter in Tehran as it tracks Sonita, a teen-aged Afghan refugee who fled the violence in her homeland to Iran. Sonita loves hip-hop, idolizes Rihanna and has a real knack for rap─ her sassy lyrics pack a defiant punch. In Iran, she is geographically removed from the tradition of child brides, but her Afghan family's patriarchal practices are still in place. Her older brother wants to sell her so that he can buy his own bride and Sonita's mother is in full agreement. Sonita won't go down without a fight and believes that her dream of becoming a rapper can set her free, despite the fact that in Iran it is illegal for women to perform in public without a permit or to record in a studio. She raps straight to the camera about her fears of being a child bride and the insanity of marrying her off. What's different about this doc is that the filmmaker, Maghami, gets directly involved in Sonita's plight and it's all captured on film. In the vein of Mustang, the film eloquently captures a young woman standing up for the innate human right to navigate the course of one's own life. An important film that features immersive shots of Tehran and Kabul. (Farsi w/subtitles) Director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami in attendance/Q&A. Wed, April 27, 6:15 p.m., Alamo; Fri, April 29, 8:45 p.m., BAMPFA
Home Care
(Slávek Horák, Czech Republic/Slovakia, 2015, 92 min) Up for Golden Gate Awards New Directors Prize Over-dedicated to the point of being nearly co-dependent, home-care nurse, Vlasta (Alena Mihulová) schleps around the bucolic south Moravian countryside on bus and foot tending to patients too sick or elderly to travel to a clinic. Back at home, she cooks and cleans for her growly, self-absorbed husband whose concern for her well-being extends mainly to pouring her shots of brandy and then taking pot shots at her drinking and suggesting ways to finagle gas money from her state-run employer. When she herself is diagnosed with a serious illness, she rejects morphine and finds support from a group of women healers who embrace alternative therapies and self-love which shakes up her relationship at home. Showcasing the amazing Alena Mihulová, who won the Crystal Globe for best actress at Karlovy Vary, this film of self-awakening also showcases life in a small Czech town, taking a dip into spoon-bending, dance, and saving rare frogs in the countryside. The Czech Republic's Foreign Language Film Oscar submission. (Czech w/subtitles) Director Slávek Horák in attendance/Q&A. Wed, April 27, 6:45 p.m., Alamo; Thurs, April 28, 8:50 p.m., BAM/PFA; Mon, May 2, 3 p.m., Roxie
(Mike Plunkett, USA/Bolivia, 2015, 76 min) West Coast Premiere Moises Chambri Yucra, a Quechean Indian in his thirties, is one of Bolivia's last saleros─men who harvest salt from the vast Salar de Uyuni plateau. Underneath this expanse lies the gargantuan lithium deposits that some speculate will turn Bolivia into a kind of Saudi Arabia based on the sale of this scarce mineral that is vital for batteries and other industrial uses. Moises lives with his wife and two young sons in the tiny Bolivian village of Colchani. His livelihood is dependent on demand for the home-grown table salt he peddles to vendors in Uyuni, a small city that has become the hub of the burgeoning lithium mining industry. Daily, he rises at dawn and labors to gather salt from the flats and load it onto his truck and drive it to be ground. Demand for table salt has been falling steadily and he can barely support his family. The shots of the Bolivian salt flats are other worldly. Director Mike Plunkett and producer Anna Rose Holmer will both be in attendance/Q&A. Sat, April 30, 3:15 p.m., Alamo; Sun, May 1, 1 p.m., BAMPFA; Tues, May 3, 3:30 p.m., Roxie 159
(Raam Reddy, India/USA, 2016, 123 min) Up for Golden Gate Awards New Directors Prize Twenty-five year old Director Raam Reddy's debut feature, Thithi, set in rural India, is a realistic comedy exploring how three generations of sons in a family, each with different perspectives on life, react to the death of the family patriarch, the grandfather, 101-year-old Century Gowda. As village elders plan his funeral with the final celebration on the 11th day (the "thithi"), the motivations of the two younger generations (his grown grandson and his young adult great grandson) emerge. The greedy grandson wants a piece of land for himself that should pass directly to his father from Century Gowda. The hapless great grandson is driven so crazy by frustration and desire for a girl that he slacks off on responsibilities just when he is most needed. Century Gowda's son, elderly Gadappa, on the other hand, roams the fields and is so free of the material world and its trappings that he joins the group of nomadic shepherds. Driving the plot forward is the growing chain of graft and ill-conceived machinations involving snatching the plot of land and pulling off the grand thithi feast for the entire community. Set in a small village in Karnataka India's rural Mandya district, a place where time seems to have stood still, this is no ordinary film set─Reddy used non-professional actors; the whole community essentially became the cast and the entire village the set. The viewer is thrust into the thrall of 2,000 year old customs in this slow moving portrait of the human condition. (Kannada language w/ subtitles) Sat, April 30, 2016, Roxie, 3:30 p.m.; Sun, May 1, 3:15 p.m., BAMPFA; Wed, May 4, 2016, Alamo, 9 p.m.
Under the Sun
(Vitaly Mansky, Russia/Latvia/Germany/Czech Republic/North Korea, 2015, 106 min)Never underestimate a motivated Russian. The standard M.O. for docs providing windows into repressive regimes is that the filmmaker somehow gets deep inside, beyond the reach of government censors, and through meticulous reporting, shows us how ordinary people live their lives and respond to authoritarian rule. Russian documentary maker Vitaly Mansky (Bliss, SFIFF 1997) pulls off a real coup in Under the Sun, his documentary about life inside North Korea because it was shot with the full permission and supervision of Pyongyang authorities—a collaboration they would come to regret. Mansky was provided with preapproved locations in Pyongyang and suitable subjects: young Lee Zin-mi, a student at the city's best school, and her parents, workers at two exemplary factories (or so officials claimed). This state managed propaganda effort morphs into a deep-cover documentary about life inside Pyongyang. When the joint project breaks down midway through, Mansky captures all the off-script machinations of the handlers on film and turns out a highly revealing portrait of life inside Kim Jong-Un's totalitarian world. (Korean w/subtitles) Sat, April 30, 6 p.m., Alamo; Wed, Mat 4, 3:15 p.m., Alamo; Thurs, May 5, 6:30 p.m., BAMPFA
(Svetla Tsotsorkova, Bulgaria, 2015, 90 min) Up for Golden Gate Awards New Directors Prize When drought threatens her ability to wash, a laundress, who lives on a parched hilltop in southwest Bulgaria with her teenage son and husband, invites a dowser onto their property to search for hidden springs. The father drills the wells, guided by his spirited daughter's eerie ability to locate water beneath the ground. Told with minimal dialogue, this story is masterfully attentive in capturing the growing attraction between two very different teens that hesitantly get together. Director Tsotsorkova immediately establishes a bewitching sense of place that immerses the viewer in the hothouse of high Bulgarian summer—a dusty road, row upon row of bed sheets pinned on a line and caught in a hot breeze, the wonderfully functional huge mangle that wrings and flattens those sheets, a sudden torrential rainstorm, and a piercing drill. (Bulgarian w/subtitles) Sun, May 1, 3:45 p.m. and Thurs, May, 5, 3 p.m.─both at Roxie.
The Island and the Whales
(Mike Day, Scotland/Denmark, 2015, 81 min) Both seabirds and whales are still hunted for food and eaten in the Faro Islands, an island country situated roughly halfway between Norway and Iceland that consists of an archipelago of eighteen small volcanic islands spanning some 541 square miles. Connected by a network of tunnels, bridges and ferry routes, the small and remote archipelago is very rugged, windy, wet, cloudy, and cool year round. Director Mike May spent four years documenting the controversial fishing culture of the Faro Islands and its unique way of life, telling the story of the hunters' daily lives and the opposition they face from outside animal rights groups. And just like the seas that surround them, this community is also suffering from increasing levels of mercury poisoning. A local toxicologist, wielding 30 years' worth of data on the neurological effects—particularly on children—of ingesting a traditional diet of pilot whale and seabirds, struggles to deliver the bad news to his neighbors, among them a young father of three who's reluctant to abandon the customs he's inherited and his livelihood. Day presents an unprecedented window into a community reliant on tradition and folk practices colliding with urgent contemporary concerns. Amidst a landscape of monumental beauty, scenes of local men herding pilot whales into the shallows for the kill or rappelling down a cliff to raid a gannet nesting area are graphic and arresting. (In Faroese, Danish and English) Director Mike Day in attendance/Q&A. Wed, May 4, 8:45 p.m., Victoria; Thurs, May 5, 12:15 p.m., Alamo
When: SFIFF 59 runs 14 days─ Thursday, April 21 – Thursday, May 5, 2016
Where: Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, 2550 Mission Street (Between 21st and 22nd Streets, San Francisco (main venue)
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street., San Francisco (mostly big events, weekends)
Gray Area, 2665 Mission Street., San Francisco
Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street., San Francisco
Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, San Francisco
BAMPFA (Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive), 2155 Center Street, Berkeley
Tickets: $15 most films, more for Special Events and Parties which generally start at $20 or $35. Passes—the popular CINEVOUCHER 10-pack ($140 general public and $120 for Film Society members) and the exclusive CINEVISA early admittance to every screening, party, and program (with exception of Film Society Awards Night). ($1350 Film Society members and $1700 general public). How to buy tickets—purchase online at www.festival.sffs.org or in person during the festival. Alamo Drafthouse is open daily from 11:30 a.m. onwards; all other venues are open for SFIFF purchases one hour before the first screening of the day.
Advance ticket purchases absolutely recommended as many screenings go to Rush. Click here to see which films are currently at rush (the list is updated frequently).
Arrive Early! Ticket and pass holders must arrive 15 minutes prior to show time to guarantee admission.
Day-of Noon Release Tickets: Each day of the Festival, tickets may be released for that day's rush screenings. Pending availability, tickets may be purchased online or in person at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission starting at noon. Not all shows will have tickets released, and purchasing is first-come, first-served.
Rush tickets: Last-minute or rush tickets may be available on a first served basis to those waiting in line for cash only about 10 minutes before show time. If you want rush tickets, plan to line up at least 45 minutes prior to screening time. No rush tickets for screenings at BAMPFA
More info: For full schedule and tickets, visit http://www.sffs.org/sfiff59
The 59th San Francisco International Film Festival, the first and largest Bay Area film festival, starts Thursday and runs for the next two weeks
The San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) turns 59 this year and kicks off this Thursday (April 21) at the historic Castro Theatre and runs for the next 14 days. This mammoth festival just keeps getting better and better. With 173 films and live events from 46 countries in 39 languages, and 200 filmmakers and industry guests attending, there is something for everyone. This year's opener is Whit Stillman's new romantic comedy, Love and Friendship, an adaptation of a Jane Austen novella, featuring actress Kate Beckinsale. Both Stillman [Metropolitan (1990), Barcelona (1994), The Last Days of Disco (1998), Damsels in Distress (2011)] and Beckinsale will be in attendance and conversation.
The big news is that, after nearly 30 years at Japantown's Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the festival is now headquartered at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Theatre, on Mission Street, between 21st and 22nd Streets, in San Francisco, and the energy of the neighborhood and the venue itself feels great. This wonderfully rejuvenated movie palace features state-of-the-art media delivery systems and a hopping standalone bar with superb cocktails, 27 beers on tap, gourmet snacks and will deliver both food and drink to you in your screening room. The theatres are all outfitted with luxurious seats and snack tables. On the down side, parking is hell, so plan accordingly. The festival takes place at several other local historic venues as well–the Roxie Theater, the Victoria and the Castro.
And, for those who have not yet visited Berkeley's new BAMPFA, by all means go! Everything's under one stunning brushed stainless steel Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed roof. The state-of-the-art Barbo Osher Theater has new technology enabling top-level clarity and sound for screening of a variety of film formats. Your film ticket will also get you into the museum where director Larry Rinder's engaging inaugural exhibition, Architecture of Life, through May 29, 2016, explores the various ways that architecture illuminates our life experience. Babette Cafe, situated inside the museum and on the second floor, is open until 9 p.m. and offers a range of coffees, teas, delicious meals and pastries, all crafted from fresh local ingredients. AT BAMPAFA, there's no food or drink allowed inside any of the galleries or the theater, so you'll have to enjoy everything at Babette.
Following Thursday's opening film is an always rocking Opening Night Party, with live entertainment, dancing, food and drink at Public Works on Erie Street.
One of the joys of attending is getting to see these films the way they were meant to be seen—on a big screen with digital projection—and participating in stimulating Q&A's with their directors and actors. With even more new onstage events and awards ceremonies that feature film luminaries in more lengthy moderated discussions, SFIFF delivers one of the highest ratios of face time with creative talent.
This Saturday (April 23), at the Victoria Theatre, Ellen Burstyn will receive the Peter J. Owens Award and spend the afternoon discussing her career and present Requiem for a Dream (2000). On Sunday (April 24), at the Castro, Mira Nair receives the Irving M. Levin Directing Award and spends an afternoon discussing her life and work, followed by a screening of Monsoon Wedding (2001). On Thursday (April 26), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight (2015)) receives the Kanbar Storytelling Award and is in conversation at BAMPFA, followed by a screening of his directorial debut film, The Station Agent (2003). On Saturday (April 30), at the Castro, Blood Simple directorial duo, Joel And Ethan Cohen, will be present for an afternoon screening of this wonderful 1984 debut feature while Peter Becker and Jonathan Turell of Janus Films and the Criterion Collection are awarded the Mel Novikoff Award.
Stay-tuned, shortly ARThound will overview the festival's top films for armchair travelers, films that take us to remote villages in far flung places where age-old traditions are still practiced and the landscapes and cinematography will take your breath away.
SFIFF 59 details:
When: SFIFF 59 runs 14 days─ Thursday, April 21 – Thursday, May 5, 2016
Where: Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, 2550 Mission Street (Between 21st and 22nd Streets, San Francisco (main venue)
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street., San Francisco (mostly big events, weekends)
Gray Area, 2665 Mission Street., San Francisco
Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street., San Francisco
Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, San Francisco
BAMPFA (Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive), 2155 Center Street, Berkeley
Tickets: $15 most films, more for Special Events and Parties which generally start at $20 or $35. Passes—the popular CINEVOUCHER 10-pack ($140 general public and $120 for Film Society members) and the exclusive CINEVISA early admittance to every screening, party, and program (with exception of Film Society Awards Night). ($1350 Film Society members and $1700 general public). How to buy tickets—purchase online at www.festival.sffs.org or in person during the festival. Alamo Drafthouse is open daily from 11:30 a.m. onwards; all other venues are open for SFIFF purchases one hour before the first screening of the day.
Advance ticket purchases absolutely recommended as many screenings go to Rush. Click here to see which films are currently at rush (the list is updated frequently).
Arrive Early! Ticket and pass holders must arrive 15 minutes prior to show time to guarantee admission.
Day-of Noon Release Tickets: Each day of the Festival, tickets may be released for that day's rush screenings. Pending availability, tickets may be purchased online or in person at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission starting at noon. Not all shows will have tickets released, and purchasing is first-come, first-served.
Rush tickets: Last-minute or rush tickets may be available on a first served basis to those waiting in line for cash only about 10 minutes before show time. If you want rush tickets, plan to line up at least 45 minutes prior to screening time. No rush tickets for screenings at BAMPFA
More info: For full schedule and tickets, visit http://www.sffs.org/sfiff59
The 19th Sonoma International Film Festival─a feel-great extravaganza of film, food, wine and sprits─starts Wednesday in wonderful Sonoma
The 19th Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) kicks off tonight at the historic Sebastiani Theatre with Norwegian director Joachim Tier's family drama, Louder Than Bombs (2015) and a live "vertical dance performance" with members of the dynamic Bandaloop dance group performing choreographed moves from ropes on the Sebastiani's roof. Over the next 5 nights and 4 days, the festival will present over 100 films from two dozen countries and over 200 filmmakers from around the globe will attend. Among this year's treasures are three exciting films shot in Cuba whose stories are bound to inspire a trip to this delightful island before the big Western chain hotels devour the beach space and those beloved'57 Chevys are replaced with Toyotas. One of these is the late journalist Denne Bart Petitclerc's remarkable Papa Hemingway in Cuba, the first American production shot in Cuba since the 1960 trade embargo. This is the story of Hemingway and his experiences in Cuba, where he lived with his fourth wife, Mary, as told through the eyes Petitclerc when he was a young reporter at the Miami Herald. And food! Complementing its diverse and truly international program of independent cinema, SIFF offers a unique blend of world-class cuisine from local artisans and exceptional wine from Sonoma vintners, making for an epicurean experience few film festivals in the world can match. This year, SIFF is offering a complementary tasting and pairing along with its two screenings of Cooking Up a Tribute which takes us on globe-trotting road trip with the fabled Catalonian eatery El Celler de Can Roca. Browse the program and then pounce─a limited number of $15 tickets are available for pre-purchase online for all films.
ARThound's top picks for films and events─
You'd never guess that Viva, a touching portrayal of a young gay Cuban man's struggle to find himself, was the work of Irish director Paddy Breathnach. Directed and shot in Havana, with some very heavy-lifting from Cuban actors Héctor Medina and Jorge Perugorría, this beautiful story captures the yearning of Jesus (Medina), a young gay hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub for drag queens, to step out on stage and perform as a female. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), Jesus finally gets his opportunity to perform and it awakens sometime vital within. But when his estranged father Angel (Jorge Perugorría) abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. As father and son tussle over their opposing expectations of each other, Viva morphs into a love story with the two men struggling to understand each other and to reconcile as a family. The drama, Ireland's Oscar submission for Best foreign Language Film this year, also paints a rich portrait of street life in Havana and the divide between those Cubans who are embracing the coming changes and those who are battling to survive. (Screens: Thursday, March 31, 9:15 PM and Saturday, April 2, 2:15 PM, both at Sebastiani Theatre)
Papa Hemingway in Havana
Bob Yari's vital film tells the fabled story of Hemingway in Cuba through the eyes of the late journalist Denne Bart Petitclerc (Giovanni Ribisi), a former San Francisco Chronicle reporter and Sonoma resident. Papa's backstory was long and difficult because the film was created during the embargo. It took Yari two years to convince the US State Department and US Treasury to make an exception and he had to agree to a $100,000 spending limit for the cast and crew –unheard of for a Hollywood production. On the Cuban side, Yari was required to submit the script to the government in Havana. In addition to a fiery story that profiles two gifted writers who bond over fishing, the film features a stand-out performance by Joely Richardson who plays Hemingway's fourth wife, Mary Welsh Hemingway. The drama was shot in Hemingway's home Finca Vigia and locations throughout Cuba including La Floridita and Ambos Mundos Hotel. (Screens: Thursday, 3/31 6:30 PM, Sebastiani Theatre and Saturday, April 2, 2:30 PM at Veterans Hall I)
Cooking Up a Tribute / A Taste of Film:
The documentary Cooking Up a Tribute follows the famed Catalonian eatery El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain) as it boldly closes up shop and embarks on a five week global road tour─from Texas to Mexico to Colombia and Peru. The idea is to improvise with local ingredients to create unique tasting menus for each locale. Opened in 1986 by the Roca brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi, El Celler de Can Roca holds three Michelin stars. In 2013 and 2015, it was named the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine. Perhaps the best footage in this ambitious doc is shot tagging along with renowned sommelier/maitre d' Josep Roca on a fascinating pre-exploratory journey where he nails down the places his team will visit. Here's your chance to watch agave being smoked to produce mescal in Oaxaca and to explore the seemingly infinite number of gorgeous Peruvian potatoes with names like "Bull's Blood" and "Yellow Egg Yolk." Free Food, Wine: The festival's Premiere Sponsor, Celebrity Cruises, will activate their onboard "A Taste of Film" multisensory experience at both film screenings and filmgoers will receive a glass of JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset's French sparkling No. 69 Crémant de Bourgogne with a carefully curated food tasting, which will bring the aromas and flavors of the food documentary to life. (83 min, 2015) (Screens Fri, April 1, 2:30 PM at Vintage House and Sunday, April 3, 3 PM at Vintage House with complimentary drink and tastings at the film.)
Gordon Getty: There will be Music
At 82, billionaire American composer Gordon Getty, industrialist J. Paul Getty's son from his fifth marriage, remains a dedicated music creator, economic theorist, vintner, venture capitalist, philanthropist and longtime supporter of our beloved San Francisco Symphony. When your name is Getty, is it a help or hindrance being accepted as a serious composer? Seasoned director Peter Rosen, who has produced and directed over 100 full-length films and television programs on the luminaries of the art world, captures Getty, the musician, at work and in candid conversation with fellow composer and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas about his creative process and vision. He even captures a few of Getty's endearing expletives─"Jeepers creepers!" and "Holy flying mackerel." Schooled at San Francisco's Conservatory for Music in the early 1960's, Getty studied music theory with Sol Joseph. His business career and responsibilities as head of the Getty Foundation impinged on his time for composition and it wasn't until the 1980s when Getty published his first work, The White Election, a song cycle on Emily Dickinson poems. He's actually spent decades of his life carefully working and honing his music and his oeuvre includes "Joan and the Bells," "Plump Jack," "Usher House," "Poor Peter," "Four Dickinson Songs," "The White Election" and more─pieces that have been performed all over the world. (2015, 68 min) Screens Friday, April 1, 5:30 PM, Vintage House (Getty will be present) and Saturday, April 2, Andrews Hall, 2:30 PM
The Messenger:
The Messenger: Making a documentary is a labor of love that often takes years to realize. To understand what was happening with global populations of songbirds, Canadian director Su Rynard and her team followed songbirds on three different continents through several seasons. The message of her riveting documentary is urgent─songbirds are disappearing and many species are in serious decline. Changes in our world have brought utter catastrophe to theirs and soon they will be gone. Each year, twice a year, songbirds embark on a dangerous and difficult migratory journey. Every species has its own story to tell but the resounding commonality is that songbirds are in danger. Whose song will we hear when they are gone? The film is full of gorgeous shots of birds and clips of bird songs. (2015, 90 min) (Screens: Friday, April 1, 2:30 PM at Andrews Hall and Sunday, April 3, 9:30 AM at Vintage House)
ARThound's previous festival coverage:
The 19th Sonoma International Film Festival, March 30-April 3, 2016, will honor Meg Ryan who will screen her new film "Ithaca"
Details: The 19th Sonoma International Film Festival starts Wednesday, March 30 and runs through Sunday, April 2, 2016. To enjoy guaranteed access to all films, themed nightly parties in SIFF Village's Backlot Tent, after parties, receptions, and industry events and panels, buy all inclusive passes online at sonomafilmfest.org. A limited number of $15 tickets are available for each film screening too and these will sell out rapidly, so purchase these in advance online at sonomafilmfest.org.
CAAMFest 2016─Asian American film, food, music─starts today; here are the must see films
CAAMFest 2016, an 11 day celebration of Asian-American and Asian film, food, music kicks off this evening at the Castro Theatre with the Bay Area premiere of Pamela Tom's award-winning documentary, Tyrus and a rocking after-party at the Asian Art Museum. The festival's program includes 10 world premieres, 23 narrative features, 16 feature documentaries and dozens of other films, along with thoughtfully-curated panels that explore the Asian America experience. CAAMFest spends its first 8 days at various locales in San Francisco and then moves on to Oakland for a long final weekend. Programming starts between 5 and 6:30 p.m. on most weekdays and weekends are fully packed weekends. Learn more about Tyrus and CAAMFest 2016 at www.caamfest.com/2016.
Here are ARThound's top picks:
Please Remember Me: Growing old gracefully─with dignitiy and health─ is a global challenge that has had a particularly severe impact on China. In 2013, there were more than 200 million Chinese over the age of 60. Many of the adult children of elderly Chinese parents have settled abroad or live in urban areas and their parents face the struggle of aging with little daily support for the practicalities. Chinese director Zhao Qing's documentary turns the spotlight on her elderly octogenarian grandparents─Shaghai couple Feng and Lou─inseparable for the past 40 years. He calls her his "baby girl" and she calls him her "Mr. Silly." Lou is 88 and has suffered Alzheimer's for the past decade. She has deteriorated to the point that that only person she recognizes is her loving husband, who stills takes her to her beloved Chinese opera, despite her lack of comprehension. When he is diagnosed with a pancreatic mass, their world is rocked as they must contemplate life in a care facility. Tenderly told and beautifully executed, with rich bows to recent events in Chinese history, this story is one that all of us with aging parents will take to heart. (78 min, in Shanghai dialect with English subtitles) (Screens: Sat, March 12, 1 p.m., Alamo; Sun, March 20, 4:40 p.m., New Parkway)
Centerpiece Presentation: Daze of Justice, World Premiere: Bay Area filmmaker Michael Siv, who himself was a participant in Spencer Nakasako's vital 2003 documentary Refugee, returns to Cambodia once again. There, Pol Pot's heinous regime murdered roughly 1.7.million people between 1975 and 1979 and was responsible for running work camps that enslaved Cambodians into collectivized labor to build dams and infrastructure and to oversea the mass murder of their fellow countrymen. It's no wonder that this lush cradle of civilization, home to the fabled Angkhor, is still reeling. This time, Siv accompanies Khmer Rouge survivors from the U.S. to their homeland where they seek justice, catharsis and healing in a court for genocide. (Screens: Sat, March 12, 3 p.m., Alamo)
No Land's Song: For Iranian composer, Sara Najafi, the act of communication is a nuanced, multifaceted and exhausting endeavor when it comes to getting permission to sing in public in Tehran. Iran's 1979 Revolution of banned female singers from appearing in public in Iran and they are not allowed to perform solo except for an exclusively female audience. In the documentary, "No Land's Song," Persian filmmaker Ayat Najafi follows his sister, Sara Najafi whose dream is to mount a concert in her hometown, Tehran, featuring female singers performing Persian songs written and once performed by Iranian female singers of the 1920's, 1940's and 1960's. Sara realizes that, unless she acts, the female vocal voice in Iran may well be lost. Were it not captured on film, no would could imagine the convoluted logic, objections and snafu's that the Iranian Ministry of Culture uses to dissuade her as well as the long-winded metaphor that she receives from an Islamic scholar on why a group of women singing together is not a dangerous as a solo female singer is. As Sara moves forward with her plans, inviting artists from France and Tunisia, who incite all sorts of visa concerns, we are brought into the complex and depressing world of an artist just trying to survive in contemporary Iran. The entrancing music, much of it addressing suffering and transcendence, includes nods to such pre-revolutionary greats as Ghamar Ol Molouk Vaziri, who, in 1924, became the first woman in Iran to perform without a hijab in front of men, and Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi whose song "Kelmti Horra" inspired protestors during the Arab Spring. With footage of street-life in Tehran and visits to several dilapidated but once grand concert venues, this is also a must-see portrait of Tehran. And there are plenty of shots of women tying, arranging and primping in their headscarfs. (Screens: Wed, March 16, 8:40 PM, Alamo)
The Royal Tailor: South Korean director Lee Won-suk weaves a fine tapestry of court intrigue and high fashion in this period drama, set in the broad Joseon dynasty (1392-1897), which pits two very different tailors against each other in a design competition for the new king's favor. At first, it seems that Dol-Sak (Han Suk-kyu), the previous king's tailor, is a shoe-in with his penchant for exquisite embroidery and fine detail. When a young commoner, Lee Kong-jin (Koo Soo), gets a shot at recreating one the king's robes that was damaged accidentally and does a wonderful job tailoring it so that it fits even better than before, the new king gives him a job creating new hunting attire. When this young tailor then turns out a stunning 15 layer gown for the queen, with real artisanship and creativity, his access and place in royal society seem secure. His masterpiece however upstages the dress worn by the royal concubine, a dress designed by rival Dol-Sak and she swears revenge. Park Shin-hye, known for her roles in the dramas You're Beautiful and The Heirs is the young queen. The costumes are stunning. In Korean with English subtitles. (Screens: Tues, March 15, 9 p.m., Alamo and Sat, March 19, 2:20 p.m., New Parkway)
France is Our Mother Country (La France est notre patrie) Rithy Panh came to our attention with his spellbinding documentary, The Missing Picture (2013), winner of Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2013 and an Oscar nominee, which used hand-sculpted clay figures and elaborately crafted dioramas to recreate the brutal suffering of his family and friends at the hands of the Pol Pot regime in the late 1970's in Cambodia. His latest exploration of the Cambodian Diaspora, France is our Mother Country (2014), lacks the power of his earlier masterpiece but uses meticulously edited black and white archival footage and antiqued cards to recapture the romance and promise of French Indochine in its heyday, playing with our perceptions of what it was, might it have been and what it evolved into. What unfolds is a glorious reflection on the clashing of two cultures, one dominating the other and repressing its very imagination and essence, evoking reflection on Western civilization's Colonial quest, which has always ended tragically. 75 min, in French with English subtitles. (Screens: Thu, March 17, 9 p.m., Alamo)
CAAMFest Details:
When/Where: CAAMfest 2016 runs March 10-20, 2014 at 8 screening venues in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland and as well as The Asian Art Museum, the Oakland Museum of California, Slate Bar and SOMAR Bar.
Tickets: This popular festival sells outs, so advance ticket purchase is highly recommended for most films and events. Regular screenings and panel discussions are $14 with $1 to $2 discounts for students, seniors, disabled and current CAAM members. Special screenings, programs and social events are more. Festival 6-pack passes are also available for $75 (6 screenings for price of 5). All access passes are $450 for CAAM members and $500 for general. Click on individual films at CAAMfest website for ticket purchases online. Tickets may also be purchased in person and at various venue box offices open one hour before the first festival screening of the day. Rush Tickets: If a screening or event has sold all of its available tickets, there is still a chance to get in by waiting in the Rush line. The Rush line will form outside of the venue roughly one hour before the screening is set to begin. Approximately ten minutes prior to screening, empty seats are counted and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis to those in line. Cash only and one rush ticket per person and there are no guarantees.
Unpacking the festival: Click here to see full schedule in day by day calendar format with hyperlinks for film and event descriptions and for ticket purchase. The official website— CAAMFest 2016
The 19th Sonoma International Film Festival, March 30-April 3, 2016, will honor Meg Ryan who will screen her new film "Ithaca"
The Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF 19), March 30-April 3, 2016, a Wine Country favorite among film and wine lovers, hasn't released its full schedule yet but it has just announced that Meg Ryan, the beloved Golden Globe nominated actor and director will be honored with the festival's Sonoma Salute Award on Thursday, March 31 at the historic Sebastiani Theatre on the plaza. The presentation will follow a special screening of Ryan's new film Ithaca and an on stage conversation moderated by filmmaker Elliot Koteck who also publishes the Association of Film Commissioners' twice annual Beyond Cinema magazine.
Ithaca is Ryan's directorial film debut and the drama is an adaptation of William Saroyan's 1943 novel, The Human Comedy. After taking a break from acting for the past six years, the film reunites Ryan with Tom Hanks for the fourth time, after cherished performances in You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and Joe Versus the Volcano co-star. In this drama, Ryan plays a widowed mother, while Hanks plays a very small role. First filmed in 1943 under the name of The Human Comedy, Ryan's Ithaca is a "World War II coming-of-age drama about Homer, a young telegram messenger in a small town and looks after his widowed mother while his brother is away at war . The film was shot along historical back road sites in Virginia and, along with Ryan and Hanks, it features Alex Neustaedter, Sam Shepard, Hamish Linklater, and Ryan's son, Jack Quaid, who plays Marcus the older brother serving in the war. The music is by John Mellencamp.
Norwegian director Joachim Tier's family drama, Louder Than Bombs (2015), opens the festival on Wednesday, March 30 at the Sebastiani. A smash at last year's Cannes Film Festival will, the drama stars Isabelle Hupert, Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and David Strathairn and explores how a widower and his two adult sons cope with the recent death of the wife and mother (Hupert), a war photographer. The opening night festivities will also feature a live "vertical dance performance" with members of the dynamic Bandaloop dance group gracefully performing choreographed moves from ropes on the Sebastiani's roof.
Details: The 19th Sonoma International Film Festival starts March 30 and runs through April 2, 2016. Buy passes online now at sonomafilmfest.org.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
I find the quality of the hoses make a difference of the amount of water it
drops and
if the water makes it to the end. And then there are the really cheap ones
that just have huge holes in them and split...now that is too cheap. I won't
go there again.
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Har du läst boken? Bli först att betygsätta och recensera boken .
- Inbunden (Hardback)
- Språk: Engelska
- Antal sidor: 224
- Utg.datum: 2009-11-02
- Förlag: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Dimensioner: 240 x 160 x 10 mm
- Vikt: 575 g
Fler böcker av Margaret Atwood
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'One of the most important novels of the twentieth century utterly remarkable' New York Times 'Utterly absorbing and satisfying' Sunday Times 'A stunning and satisfying book' Time Out 'A deep understanding of human behaviour' Marilyn French
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Margaret Atwood is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. In addition to the classic The Handmaid's Tale, her novels include Cat's Eye, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and the Premio Mondello in Italy, The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize, and Oryx and Crake, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2003. Her latest novel, The Year of the Flood, is published by Bloomsbury in September 2009. She was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature in 2008. Margaret Atwood lives in Toronto, Canada.