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International Films

at Highland Park Public Library

THANK YOU to The Friends of The Library for sponsoring FREE International Film events!

Angels With Dirty Faces
Film and Discussion
Tuesday, September 14, 700 PM

Dr. Knoll, (popular HPHS retired teacher) will screen and lead a discussion about the 1930's film, Angels with Dirty Faces. This is part of the series, Treasures of Hollywood's Golden Age, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Angels With Dirty Faces is the story of two boys who grew up in Irish immigrant New York. The gangster is played by James Cagney and the Priest is Pat O'Brien and the film is a classic Hollywood Depression Escapist Gangster film.

Teen Film Club Meeting
Make a Film
Monday, September 20, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Teens - Meet once a month and discuss, plan and create films for the Teen Film Festival, which will take place in February 2011.

Fury
Film and Discussion
Tuesday, October 12, 7:00 PM

Dr. Robert Knoll presents Fury, this classic Hollywood film about an innocent man facing the fury of a lynch mob for a crime he did not commit. This is part of the Treasures of Hollywood's Golden Age series, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

This film, starring Spencer Tracy, fits under the classic film genre, known as Social Problems.

42nd Street
Film and Discussion
Monday, November 8, 7:00 PM

Dr. Robert Knoll (popular retired HPHS teacher) is screening and leading a discussion of one of the most popular Hollywood musicals from the 1930s. The screening of 42nd Street is part of the Treasures of Hollywood's Golden Age, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

The musical highlights how desparate millions of people were for work during the Depression and centers on theater folk trying to pull a show together.

Teen Film Club
Make a Film
Monday, November 29, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Teens - Meet once a month and discuss, plan and create films for the Teen Film Festival, which will take place in February 2011.

Teen Film Club
Make a Film
Monday, December 13, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Teens - Meet once a month and discuss, plan and create films for the Teen Film Festival, which will take place in February 2011.

Bringing Up Baby
Film and Discussion
Tuesday, December 14, 7:00 PM

Dr. Robert Knoll, (popular retired HPHS English and Film teacher), will screen "the best example of a screww ball comedy" from the 1930's and then lead a discussion. This is part of the Treasures of Hollywood's Golden Age Series, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Bringing Up Baby stars Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in a "mad caped" romp with an heiress pursuing a scientist. Dr. Knoll will talk about the public's need for escapism during the 1930s Depression and how this period parallels our own era.

Recent Films Screened at the Library:

International Film Festival
Departures
Tuesday, August 17, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, this japanese film with English subtitles follows musician Daigo Kobayashi after his orchestra disbans and he moves back to his hometown and takes a job preparing corpses for burial. Too embarrassed to admit his new career to his family, Daigo keeps his profession a secret, until he's faced with the death of someone close to him.

International Film Festival
White Ribbon
Tuesday, August 10, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, this Michael Heneke's film, German with English subtitles, takes place before World War I in a village in Northern Germany, where a series of strange occurrences take place over several months. Nothing is completely spelled out in this 2009 film, but the events are sinister and cruel and often involve the children of the village-not merely as victims but also as perpetrators. Rated R. 144 minutes.

International Film Festival
Broken Embraces
Tuesday, August 3, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by The Friends of the Library, Broken Embraces (2009) is from Academy award-winning filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar. This Spanish film stars Penelope Cruz as an actress who sacrifices everything for her true love. It is a tale of sex, secrets and the cinema. 127 minutes. Rated R.

Film Club Meeting
Make a collaborative film
Wednesday, July 28, 3 - 5 pm

Come out and help us make a collaborative film. Subject, "If Pets Could Talk". We will supply the footage, you supply the lines and the voice over. Promise it will be fun!

International Film Festival
Shall We Kiss?
Tuesday, July 27, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Shall We Kiss? (2007) is a French film with English subtitles. While traveling to Nantes for one evening, Emilie meets Gabriel. Equally seduced by one another, but both otherwised committed. 102 minutes. Not Rated.

International Film Festival
The Maid
Tuesday, July 20, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by The Friends of the Library, The Maid (2009) is a Spanish film with English subtitles. After 23 years working as a devoted maid in an upper class Chilean household, Raquel (Catalina Saavedra) can no longer care for the family. The matriach of the family played by Claudia Celedon tries to help out by hiring another maid which drives Raquel into a jealous frenzy. 94 minutes.Not Rated.

International Film Festival
Easy Virtue
Tuesday, July 13, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Easy Virtue (2008) is an English film with Jessica Biel, Colin Firth and Kristin Scott in a Noel Coward witty comedy of manners adaptation from director Stephan Elliott. 94 minutes. Rated PG-13.

Summer Reading Game
And Movie Night
Monday, July 12, 7:00 PM

Enjoy games and movies with friends and refreshments.

International Film Series
Sunflower
Tuesday, May 11, 7:00PM

This 2005 Korean film about a father and son follows the Zhang family from Beijing. Three decades explore the tensions and misunderstandings between a controling father and a rebellious son. 129 minutes. Not rated. English subtitles.

Documentary Films
with Stephen Beeston
Monday, May 3, 7 pm

Learn how to make a documentary film. Stephen Beeston, a Rutgers film student will teach us the best practices when making a documentary. The Film Club will be making a documentary of the Highland Park School Gardens Project. All are welcome.

International Film Series
The Valet
Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 PM

This 85 minute French Film from 2006, rated PG-13, tells the story of a Parisian valet, a bookshop owner who rejects him, a billionaire, his wealthy wife and his beautiful mistress. To draw the paparazzi and his wife off the trail of adultery and to give his lawyer time to arrange a divorce, the billionaire pays the supermodel and the valet to pretend to be a couple. Jealousy, love and a change of status make for hilarious results. English subtitles.

Film Club Meeting
It's Comedy Tonight
Monday, April 19, 7 pm

Dr Knoll will be here to show some clips of Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers, "Some Like It Hot","Ghostbusters" and "The Producers". Q and A to follow. Don't miss, he's one of our favorite speakers!

International Film Series
The Counterfeiters
Tuesday, March 30, 7:00 PM

The Friends of the Library International Film Series is proud to present this 99 minute film in German and French that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language in 2008. It tells the true story of Salomon Sorowitsch who was called Berlin's King of the Counterfeiters.

When he is placed in a Nazi concentration camp he trades a life of women and easy money for a sobering deal with his captors; in exchange for his life and a comfortable bed, he funds the nazi war effort with counterfeit bank notes. What he does with these choices makes for an engaging battle of the soul. English subtitles. Rated R.

Revolution '67
Screening and Meet Director
Saturday, March 27, 2:00 PM

Watch a screening of Revolution '67, which has been broadcast on PBS's award winning series P.O.V., and reconstructs the events that sparked the Newark riots during six days in July 1967. After the screening, Directors Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno will talk about the era and creating the film from interviews and news footage. The Library in partnership with the New Jersey Council for the Humanities is sponsoring the event.

Teen Film Festival
Screen the Amazing Films
Sunday, February 7, 2:00 PM

Meet the directors, writers, casts and crew that have produced films in our community. The Teen Film Club and Teen librarian Michelle Reasso has been working on the films for months and want to share them with you. This is an event for the whole family to enjoy. Popcorn too.

Tulpan
International Film Festival
Tuesday, December 15, 7:00 PM

Director Sergey Dvortsevoy,known for his stunning documentaries, is making his first narrative feature with this dynamically filmed 2008 comedy about a recently returned Russian Naval Serviceman. Arriving to live with his sister's family on a desolate Hunger Steppe, he tries to prove himself a worthy husband to the only available female in the area as he learns to be an animal herder.
In French and Russian with English subtitles. Not Rated - 100 minutes. The International Film Festival is sponsored by The Friends of the Library

Teen Film Club
Monday, December 14, 7:00 PM

Workshops include guest speakers about film making and working on film in preparation for The Teen Film estival. scheduled for Sunday, February 14. Teens are encouraged to submit films until December 31.

1000 Years of Good Prayers
International Film Festival
Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 PM

A 2007 film in Cantonese with English subtitles by Director Wayne Wang (Joy Luck Club) about a Chinese father, a former Cold War rocket scientist, who visits the US to help his American daughter's love life after her divorce. Instead he falls in love with an Iranian woman and learns new American ways. Not Rated - 83 minutes. The International film Festival is sponored by the Friends of The Library.

Teen Film Club
Film Making Workshop
Monday, November 9, 7:00 PM

Workshops include guest speakers about film making and working on film in preparation for The Teen Film Festival scheduled for Sunday, February 7. Teens are encouraged to submit films until December 31.

Jellyfish
International Film Festival
Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 PM

Winner of the Camera d 'Or award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, this Israeli film by husband and wife team Shira Geffen and Etgar Keret features three women who are having strange and sometimes surrealistic experiences simultaneously in the city of Tel Aviv. The women's lives as well as the real and magical are woven together in this English, German and Hebrew language film. English Subtitles - 78 minutes - Not Rated. The International Film Festival is sponsored by The Friends of The Library.

Teen Film Club
Film Making Workshop
Tuesday, October 13, 7:00 PM

Workshops include guest speakers about film making and working on film in preparation for The Teen Film Festival scheduled for Sunday, February 7. Teens are encouraged to submit films until December 31.

Teen Film Club
Filmmaking Workshop
Monday, September 14, 7:00 PM

Workshops include guest speakers about film making and working on film in preparation for The Teen Film Festival scheduled for Sunday, February 7. Teen are encouraged to submit films until December 31.

Slumdog Millionaire
International Film Festival
Tuesday, August 11, 7:00 PM

This 2008 film in English and Hindi, won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Danny Boyle. It follows young Jamal, who is just one question away from winning a fortune on India's version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" But how has this uneducated young man from the slums succeeded in providing correct responses to questions that have stumped countless scholars before him? Will he ultimately win it all or lose everything, including his true love? Rated R and 120 minutes. The International Film Festival is sponsored by The Friends of The Library.

Teen Film Editing Workshop
Filmmaker Alex Prister
Wednesday, August 5, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM

Now that you have begun your film, learn how to finish it. A local filmmaker will show you how to edit and storyboard. To register for the workshop go to the front desk or contact Teen Librarian Michelle Reasso at mreasso@hpplnj.org or call 732-572-2750 or visit the front desk.

The Year My Parents Went
International Film Festival
Tuesday, August 4, 7:00 PM

Director Cao Hamburger sets his 2007 Portuguese coming of age film about 12-year-old Mauro, who is left to fend for himself when his parents go"on Vacation" during the military regime in 1970s Brazil. Mauro's cuturally diverse community of Sao Paulo unites to watch Pele lead his country in winning the World Cup of soccer. Raged PG, this 120 minute film is a family favorite. The International Film Festival is sponsored by the Friends of The Library.

Teen Film Editing Workshop
Filmmaker Alex Prister
Tuesday, August 4, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM

Now that you have begun making your film learn how to complete it with a local filmmaker. Film editing and storyboarding with Alex Prister. To register contact Michelle Reasso at mreasso@hpplnj.org or call 732-572-2750 or visit the front desk.

Teen Film Editing Workshop
Filmmaker Alex Prister
Monday, August 3, 1:00-3:00 PM

Now that you have begun making your film learn how to finish it during this three day workshop with a local filmmaker. Signu at the front desk or contac Teen Librarian Michelle Reasso at mreasso@hpplnj.org or call 732-572-2750.

Tell No One
International Film Festival
Tuesday, July 28, 7:00 PM

This 2008 French film directed by Guillame Canat tells the story of pediatrician Alexandre Beck who still grieves the murder of his beloved wife, Margot, eight years earlier. When two bodies are uncovered near where Margot's was found, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes a suspect again. The mystery deepens when Alex receives an anoymous e-mail with a link to a video clip that suggests Margot is still alive and a message Tell No One. The film is not rated, and is 125 minutes. The International Film Series is sponsored by The Friends Of The Library.

Under The Same Moon
International Film Festival
Tuesday, July 21, 7:00 PM

In this 2007 Spanish film, the bond between a mother and a son can never be broken, even across thousands of miles. Director Patricia Riggen tells the story of Carlitos, a scrappy nine-year-old boy whose mother, Rosario, has gone to America to build a better life for both of them. Carlitos, due to circumstances beyond his control, embarks on a journey to find her. Audiences have praised this tale of a love that knows no borders. PG-13 - 106 minutes. Sponsored by The Friends of The Library.

Teen Film Workshop
Make a Two Minute Film
Monday, July 20, 7:00 PM

Alex Prister, local Rutgers University student and filmmaker will tell us how he got started. He will take us through the steps we need to make our own films and then send us out to write and shoot. Come back and we'll edit Aguust 3, August 4 and August 5 and get our films ready for the Teen Film Festival.

Tuya's Marriage
International Film Festival
Tuesday, July 14, 7:00 PM

(Winner of the Golden Bear at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival)
2006 Chinese film, not rated, 96 minutes. Set on a cold steppe of Inner Mongolia, where water is scarce, the film follows Tuya,(Yu Nan), the wife of a disabled nomadic herder. She must divorce him and find a well off suiter to marry so that she can support her children and former husband. Sponsored by the Friends of The Library.

Priceless
International Film Festival
Tuesday, July 7, 7:00 PM

This French romantic comedy is a re-imaging of the classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany's. Against the wildly atmospheric backdrop of the South of France, Jean (Gad Elmaleh), a shy bartender is mistaken for a millionaire by a beautiful seductress named Irene (Audrey Tautou). When Irene discovers his true identity, she tries to drop him. It is too late, Jean has already fallen in love. This 2006 film is rated R and is 111 minutes long. The International Film Series is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Film Club Meeting
Summer Planning
Monday, June 22, 7:00 PM

Help plan a sensational summer with workshops and projects.

The Golden Door
International Film Festival
Tuesday, May 19, 7:00 PM

This 2006 award winning film, (Silver Lion, 2006 Venice Film Festival, Official Selection of the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival),has been described as epic, intimate and quirky. It follows Sicilian peasant Salvatore, (Vincent Amato), from his native land to a dangerous steamship crossing and a shipboard romance with Englishwoman Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Their American Dream is imperiled at Ellis Island where families are interrogated and split apart. Rated PG-13, in Italian with English subtitles, and a running time of 118 minutes. Director Emanuele Crialese's third film. Sponsored by The Friends.

Autumn Spring
International Film Festival
Tuesday, April 21, 7:00 PM

A funny 2002 sleeper by Czech Director Vladimir Michalek that asks the question: How far is a practical joker, (Vlastimil Brodsky), allowed to go before his wife, (Stella Zazvorkova), of 44 years threatens to divorce him? Not only does he challenge her, he seems to look death straight in the face with a good chuckle. Rated PG-13, 95 minutes long with English subtitles, and a cast with impeccable timing. Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Diving Bell and Butterfly
International Film Festival
Tuesday, March 17, 7:00 PM

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, an insightful, 2007 film by American director Julian Schnabel, follows a memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of the French Elle Magazine, who was paralyzed by a stroke at age 43. The only movement he is left to communicate with is blinking his left eye. He escapes the confines of his "diving bell" of a body on the wings of the butterfly of his memory and imagination. Based on his memoir by the same name, it tells how he communicates and frees the story of his life. An outstanding cast and dazzling filming make this an uplifting experience, rated PG-13 and 112 minutes long. The film is in French with English substitles and is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Teen Film Club Celebration
Celebrate your success!
Sunday, March 15, 3 pm - 4:30 pm

Film Club members are invited to celebrate and plan future film club workshops and events.

International Film Festival
Film: The Lives of Others
Tuesday, December 16, 7:00 PM

Germany - 2006 - 138 minutes - Rated R - Thriller
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
English subtitles.
The International Film Festival is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Captain Gerd Weisler, an agent of the East German secret police, is assigned to spy on a celebrated playwright and his girlfriend. During his surveillance, he is drawn to the couple and their anti-establishment activities. Should he turn them in or save their lives? Ulrich Muhe, a former theater actor and dissident, gives a masterful performance in the lead role. winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007, this chilling look at the last days of the Cold War still resonates today.

International Film Festival
Film: 2 Days in Paris
Tuesday, November 18, 7:00 PM

France - 2007 - 96 minutes - Rated R - Comedy
English Subtitles
Directed by Julie Delpy
The International Film Series is sponsored by The Friends of the Library

French photographer Marion and her American boyfriend stop off in Paris for a family visit on the way home from a European vacation. Eccentric parents, racist cabbies, rude waiters and a string of men from Marion's past test this new relationship. Can they survive two days in Paris? Julie Delpy wrote, directed, scored and stars in this smart, cross-cultural comedy. Adam Goldberg, best known for his TV roles on Friends, Joey, and Entourage, joins her.

International Film Festival
Film: This is England
Tuesday, October 21, 7:00 PM

United Kindgdom-2006-98 minutes-Rated R-Drama
Directed by Shane Meadows
The International Film Festival is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

After the death of his father, 12-year-old Shaun joins a gang of skinheads. When the former leader of the gang is released from prison and returns to the gang, Shaun is faced with a moral dilemma. Should he stick with his old friends or follow the new leader? Based on incidents in the director's life,this edgy coming-of-age tale balances humor and terror as it chronciles the lives of disadvantaged teens in 1980s England. It was awarded Best British Film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Film: Band's Visit
International Film Series
Tuesday, August 19, 7:00 PM

Band's visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret). Israeli; 2007; 89 min. Directed by Eran Kolirin.
An Egyptian police band is looking to play at a new Arab Cultural Center when they get on the wrong bus and go to Betah Tikva, an isolated little town. A comedy and tragedy about the things that separate people.
FREE! Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Film: Riding Alone for
Thousands of Miles
Tuesday, August 12, 7:00 PM

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Chinese/Japanese; 2006; 108 min. Directed by Zhang Yimou.
From three time Academy Award nominated director Yimou, a moving story about a Japanese father's journey to a remote region of China seeking reconciliation with his estranged son. Starring the great Japanese actor Ken Takakura.
FREE! Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Film: Offside
International Film Series
Tuesday, August 5, 7:00 PM

Offside. Iranian; 2007; 93 min. Directed by Jafar Panahi.
Part sports film, part feminist comedy. It is also a plea for women's rights in Iranian society.
FREE! Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Film: After the Wedding
International Film Series
Tuesday, July 29, 7:00 PM

After the Wedding. Danish/Swedish/Hindi/English. 2006. 120 min. Directed by Suzanne Bier.
The Academy award nominated emotional drama concerns the secrets and lies that come to light when a desperate Indian orphanage manager travels to Denmark to secure funds from a mysterious, wealthy man.
FREE! Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Film: My Best Friend
International Film Series
Tuesday, July 22, 7:00 PM

My Best Friend. French; 2007; 94 min. Directed by Patrice Leconte.
An arrogant self-centered antique dealer with a fabulous life bets on a valuable Greek vase. He gets to keep it for free if he can prove that he has at least one true friend.
FREE! Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Film: The Italian
International Film Series
Tuesday, July 15, 7:00 PM

The Italian. Russian; 2007; 97 min. Director Andrei Kravchuk.
Based on a true story of a small Russian boy abandoned in a rundown orphanage who is adopted by an Italian family and eventually goes in search of his birth mother.

International Film Night
Water
Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 PM

Indian film, 2006, director Deepa Mehta, 117 min.
Set in the days of the British Raj, this film explores the plight of widows forced to live in poverty at a temple in a holy city.
Free! Sponsored by the Friends of the Highland Park Public Library. Films are shown in the Library meeting room.

International Film Night
Crimson Gold
Tuesday, April 15, 7:00 PM

Iranian film, 2003, director Jafar Panahi, 95 min.
An ordinary pizza deliveryman embarks on a journey navigating the dark injustices on the streets of Teheran.
Free! Sponsored by the Friends of the Highland Park Public Library. Films are shown in the Library meeting room.

International Film Night
L'Enfant
Tuesday, March 11, 7:00 PM

French film, 2005, director Jean-Pierre Dardenne, 100 min.
A young woman on welfare is shocked to learn that her petty criminal boyfriend has sold their infant on the black market.
Free! Sponsored by the Friends of the Highland Park Public Library. Films are shown in the Library meeting room.

Elling
Norwegian film
Tuesday, December 11, 7:00 PM

FREE! Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
All films are shown with English subtitles.

Directed by Petter Naess, 89 min. 2001.
Two middle-aged men are released from a state institution and have to learn to cope on their own in the world, with comic consequences.

Free Zone
Israeli film
Tuesday, November 13, 7:00 PM

FREE! Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
All films are shown with English subtitles.
Directed by Amos Gitai, 90 min., 2005.
On a dangerous road trip, three women - American, Israeli and Palestinian - develop emotional bonds which will forever change them. Starring Natalie Portman.

Together
Chinese film
Tuesday, October 16, 7:00 PM

FREE! Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
All films are shown with English subtitles.

Directed by Kaige Chen, 116 min., 2003.
A violin prodigy and his father travel to Beijing for a prestigious audition with the father seeking the means to his son's success while the son struggles to accept the path laid before him.

Volver
Spanish film (2006)
Wednesday, August 15, 7:00 PM

Directed by Pedro Almodovar. Comedy-Drama. Spanish. 2006. 121 minutes. Rated R.
Penelope Cruz, nominated for an Oscar for this role, stars as a young widow in a working class Madrid neighborhood who becomes obsessed with the ghost of her dead mother.
This film was Oscar and Golden Globe nominated, and won prizes at Cannes, the Empire Award, European Film Award, Goya Award, Hollywood Film Festival and the Satellite Award.

Noi
Icelandic film (2004)
Wednesday, August 8, 7:00 PM

Directed by Dagur Kari. Comedy-Drama. Icelandic. 2003. 93 minutes. Rated PG-13.
This internationally acclaimed film tells the story of an outcast albino teenager who finds love and tries to escape his dreary life on a remote fjord with terrifying consequences.
This film earned numerous prizes from various global film societies, including Best European Film at the Denver International Film Festival.

I'm Not Scared
Italian film (2004)
Wednesday, August 1, 7:00 PM

Directed by Gabriele Salvatores. Thriller. Italian. 2003. 108 minutes. Rated R.
A Sicilian farm boy discovers a child peering out from the bottom of a deep hole and learns that the villagers, including his parents, may be involved in a nefarious crime. "Who can you trust when everyone's a suspect?" Part thriller, part coming-of-age tale, the film won two Donatello Awards.

Fear and Trembling
French/Japanese film (2003)
Wednesday, July 25, 7:00 PM

Directed by Alain Corneau. Comedy. Japanese and French. 2003. 102 minutes. Unrated.
This French comedy stars Sylvie Testud as a dreamy young Belgian woman whose work as a translator for a Japanese company is fraught with cultural missteps. Based on an autobiographical novel by Amelie Nothomb.

Tsotsi
South African film (2005)
Wednesday, July 18

Based on Athol Fugard's novel. Directed by Gavin Hood. Drama. Zulu-Afrikaans-English. 2005. 94 min. Rated R.
This film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2005. It tells the story of a teenager forced into a life of crime and violence, who is transformed when he begins to care for a baby.

Heading South
French film (2006)
Wednesday, July 11, 7:00 PM

Directed by Laurent Cantet; starring Charlotte Rampling. Drama. French and English. 2005. 108 min., unrated.
Three middle-aged women on holiday in Haiti in the 1970's soak up the sun and compete for the handsome young men on the beach. The beautifully photographed film won two awards at the Venice Film Festival.

Film: Intimate Stories
Spanish film; 2002; 94 min.
Tuesday, May 8, 7:00 PM

Directed by Carlos Sorin. Spanish. 2002. 94 minutes. Unrated.

As in Motorcycle Diaries, the road and its surrounding landscape become a character in this unhurried portrait of three ordinary people making their way towards the city of San Julian in Southern Patagonia, Argentina. Each is traveling for a different reason. A crusty old man with a guilty conscience searches for his missing dog, Badface. A traveling salesman, unlucky in love, wants to find the perfect gift to impress the object of his affection. Finally, young single mother Maria is giddy upon learning she will be a contestant on a TV game show and might win a food processor. As they pass through the desolate plains, the road seems to stretch into infinity. Will they ever reach their goals? The director’s use of nonprofessional actors in the main roles gives the film a comfortable, natural feel and essential humanity. It won top awards for acting, screenplay, director, music, and cinematography and was named Best Film at the 2003 Argentinean Film Critics Association.

Saraband
Swedish film; 2003; 107 min
Tuesday, April 10, 7:00 PM

Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Swedish with English subtitles. 2003. 107 minutes. Rated R.

The estranged, volatile husband and wife who eventually divorced in 1973’s Scenes from a Marriage return in the director’s final effort, an intensely dramatic look at family relationships that conveys the legendary filmmaker’s passion for exploring psychological intricacies. On a whim, Marianne (Liv Ullmann) visits her well-to-do former husband Johan, who delights in humiliating his son from a previous marriage, 61-year-old son Henrik, with whom he lives. Henrik, in turn, is overly possessive of his 19-year-old daughter. In Bergman’s world grudges never disappear, and aged parents and grown children try their hardest to inflict as much emotional damage on each other as possible. The pathology of selfish, bitter relationships is portrayed with striking rawness, drawing on the director’s adroit use of close-ups. Bergman won awards from the Argentinean Film Critics Association and the Sant Jordi Festival.

Memory of a Killer
Belgian film 2003; 120 min.
Tuesday, March 13, 7:00 PM

Directed by Erik Van Looy. English subtitles. 2003. 120 minutes. Rated R.

Although this taut, energetic film may seem at first like a standard police procedural, it unrolls as something far more psychologically complex and intelligent. Veteran hitman Angelo Ledda, with a list of contract killings under his belt longer than his world-weary face, wants to retire, but his boss will not hear of it. Ledda is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease and knows it. Ordered to Belgium for a job, he secretly writes important details on his arms so he will not forget. When he discovers his task—eliminating an 11-year-old girl working as a child prostitute—he balks. That moral stance means the hunter has also become the hunted. In the meantime his path crosses that of two detectives working on related cases. The trio embark on a dizzying game of cat and mouse, even as Ledda, pursued on double fronts, can feel his “head emptying.” The thriller won the Critics Award at the Cognac Festival du Film Policier and the Audience Award at the Flanders International Film Festival.