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MAC (USA, 1992, 117 min.) directed by John Turturro
Film Program #23: 11/18/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Winner of the “Camera d’Or” at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Mr. Turturro’s compelling film takes us into the rugged life of Niccolo (Mac) Vitelli, eldest of three brothers, who must lead the family after their beloved father dies. Their father was a builder and his sons continue in this family trade. They set set up their own company and together, Vitelli Brothers builds houses with pride and care. However, Mac turns out to be an overbearing workaholic. His intensity and ambition drives away his two happy-go-lucky brothers from his nascent construction empire.
ILLUMINATA (USA, 1998, 119 min.) directed by John Turturro
Film Program #14: 11/16/06 at 9:45 pm (Lang Hall)
In this wry, intelligent story set at the start of the 20th century, Tuccio (played by Mr. Turturro), resident playwright of a theatre repertory company, offers up his new play, "Illuminata". The powers that be reject the work, saying it's not finished, and intrigue bubbles up and washes over the influential critic Bevalaqua (Christopher Walken), the theatre star Celimene (Susan Sarandon), and other colorful denizens of the theatre
ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES (USA, 2005, 115 min.) directed by John Turturro
Film Program #36: 11/19/06 at 7:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
FIVE EASY PIECES (USA, 1970, 96 min.) directed by Bob Rafelson
Film Program #1: 11/15/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Film Program #19: 11/17/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
Mr. Rafelson’s seminal 70s masterpiece established Jack Nicholson as one of the best actors of his generation, playing the intense, understated Bobby Duprea, a self-hating misogynist ill at ease with himself and the world. Dupea has given up his promising career as a concert pianist and is working in oil fields, living with Rayette, who's a waitress in a diner. When Robert hears from his sister that his father isn't well, he drives up to Washington to see him, taking Rayette with him. There he gets confronted with his rich, cultured family that he’d left behind. The film features excellent writing, gorgeous cinematography from Laszlo Kovaks; and a soundtrack that skillfully offsets Tammy Wynette and Chopin.
MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON (USA, 1990, 136 min.) directed by Bob Rafelson
Film Program #32: 11/19/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
This marvelously intelligent movie is about the little-known, but true story of Captain Richard Francis Burton's and Lt. John Hanning Speke's expedition to find the source of the Nile river in the name of Queen Victoria's British Empire. The film follows these two very different explorers as their friendship emerges amidst hardship, and then dissolves into jealousy, betrayal and enmity. Mr. Rafelson creates an epic adventure movie about the real value of friendship.
CAR BABES (USA, 2006, 90 min.) directed by Nick Fumia & Chris Wolf (NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #3: 11/15/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Auditorium)
Film Program #22: 11/17/06 at 9:45 pm (Lang Auditorium)
In Mr. Fumia and Mr. Wolf’s sweet coming-of-age film, Ford Davis is fresh out of college and out of a job. After damaging a rental car from his father's car dealership, Ford is forced into working on the lot as a salesmen until he can pay off his debt. Ford befriends the other car salesmen, who refer to each other as "car babes," and quickly finds out that selling cars is neither easy nor uninteresting. By digging deep into himself, Ford will find friendship, wisdom, respect on the car lot.
BLACK IRISH (USA, 2006, 92 min.) directed by Brad Gann (NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #6: 11/15/06 at 9:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Film Program #26: 11/18/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Hall)
Cole McKay, 15, is an obedient son growing up in an Irish family in Boston, yearning for the attentions of his emotionally remote father. Cole is at the emotional center of the dysfunctional McKays, by turns, nurtured and abandoned by his distant sister, Kathleen, by his delinquent brother Jack, and by his inflexible mother, Margaret. As the film unfolds, each family member undergoes a crisis of his/her own, with their individual arcs interweaving toward a heart-wrenching climax. Brad Gann’s debut feature is a gripping work of powerful emotions and unspoken needs.
JAILCITY (USA, 2006, 99 min.) directed by Daniel Eberle (NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #12: 11/16/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Film Program #15: 11/17/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Mr. Eberle’s first feature focuses on a young man, paroled under house arrest, and forced to reconnect with his estranged father and checkered past. In the film’s parallel story, an injured Iraq war veteran embarks on a blind journey of vengeance against those he deems responsible for his brother’s death. As the plots intertwine, and then collide, these two men struggle to reconcile their past, present, and ultimately, the meaning of their lives. Through a powerful visual narrative, a diverse musical score, and strong performances by the ensemble New York cast, “JailCity” sweeps us up into its universal themes of tragedy, redemption, revenge and love.
THE BIG BAD SWIM (USA, 2005, 93 min.) directed by Ishai Setton
Film Program #5: 11/15/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Film Program #8: 11/16/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Mr. Setton’s debut feature is an engaging, truthful and wry look at an adult education swim class whose troubled pupils and handsome, but troubled instructor form an endearing bond. Interweaving character development and plots, the film show us how something as banal as swimming lessons can allow for a refreshing story that both charms, entertains and, ultimately, illuminates. Low-key, stellar performances abound in this gifted ensemble work.
THE CALL OF CTHULHU (USA, 2005, 47 min.) directed by Andrew Leman (NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #20: 11/17/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Film Program #31: 11/19/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
A dying professor’s bequest drives his nephew on a globe-spanning investigation to unravel a twisted knot of fear, madness, nameless cults and horrors best left unknown. Adapted from H.P. Lovecraft's celebrated story, “The Call of Cthulhu” is a tour-de-force tribute to the glories of the golden age of silent films, produced in wonderful “Mythoscope.” The film follows the tale's three-part narrative construction, moving from the 1920s to the turn of the century to the 1870s and back again. Notably, Leman stays true to Lovecraft's nihilistic world view, his cosmic perspective, and his sense that mankind is doomed by its own insignificance.
THE LIMBO ROOM (USA, 2006, 80 min.) directed by Debra Eisenstadt (NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #9: 11/16/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
Film Program #28: 11/18/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
In this behind-stage, thought-provoking drama, Ann (Andrea Powell) is an Off-Broadway veteran, not quite good enough to land a lead role, but reliable enough to hold onto understudy assignments. “The Limbo Room” refers to the back stage cubbyhole where Ann and fellow understudies stay prepped, ready to go on if called upon. The film’s title skews Ann's existence, from her neither-on-nor-offstage life to an endless engagement to fellow actor Guy (Jonathan Marc Sherman). The flamboyant star of the production, KC (Melissa Leo) casts a long shadow over Ann until a staged rape scene goes wrong. Ann may be called on to step into the role.
A SUMMER DAY (Un jour de’été, France, 2006, 91 min.) directed by Franck Guerin (NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #16: 11/17/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
Film Program #27: 11/18/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
Franck Guerin impressive directorial debut focuses firmly on 17-year-old Sebastien (Baptiste Bertin) who lives and works with his garage-mechanic father, a widower. He's long been best friends with the cockily self-assured Mickael (Theo Frilet), who comes from a well-to-do family. The pair are intermittently pally with Francis (Brice Hillairet), keen-to-please son of the harrassed local mayor Maurice (Jean-Francois Stevenin). All three are clearly still in the transition between youth and adulthood, dealing with issues of identity and sexuality as they consider their futures. But when one of them dies in what initially seems like a freak accident, the repercussions extend beyond the bereaved family, and into the community.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD (Pour l’amour de Dieu, France, 2006, 90 min.)
directed by Zakia Tahri & Ahmed Bouchaala
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #18: 11/17/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Hall)
Film Program #30: 11/18/06 at 9:45 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Ms. Tahri and Mr. Bouchaala’s 2nd feature (their first film, “Made in France,” won the Grand Prize at the 2001 Avignon/New York Film Festival) is an intimate examination into the disaccord among the Muslim communities in contemporary France. Kevin, an intense teenager brought up in a moderate Arabic home, is drawn to the veiled Leila, and through her, discovers the beauty and wonder of Muslimism. While Leila goes to visit her family in North Africa, Kevin gets mixed up with Muslim fundamentalists, causing severed schisms in his family, and tragedy. “For the Love of God” takes us relentlessly into the very human choices about faith, love and family.
NOUVELLE CHANCE (Oh La La!, France, 2006, 90 min.) directed by Anne Fontaine
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #13: 11/16/06 at 9:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Danielle Darrieux, who is celebrating her 75th year in showbiz -- and is so wry and spry in her delivery, she could probably go on for another 75 -- is just one excellent reason to see "Nouvelle Chance," a modest but perfectly dosed quirky comedy. Intrepid oddball Augustin Dos Santos returns for a third adventure, this time centered on romantic folly, epistolary wisdom from the 18th century and the strange alchemy by which a play takes shape. … Ms. Fontaine began her career as an actress, then switched to directing for good with “Love Affairs Usually End Badly” (1993). “Nouvelle Chance” is her 9th feature, and the third in her “Augustin Dos Santos” triptych, featuring her brother, the Woody Allenesque Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc. (Lisa Nesselson, Variety)
SHEITAN (France, 2006, 94 min.) directed by Kim Chaperon
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #10: 11/16/06 at 3:45pm (Lang Hall)
Film Program #21: 11/17/06 at 9:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
A foxy young temptress, a trio of horny guys, a creepy rural farm and a slightly demonic caretaker are the classic building blocks that get reassembled French-style in the wild and wooly "Sheitan." Humor-laced creepfest, co-produced by and co-starring Vincent Cassel, the first film from the energetic Kim Chaperon got the ultra-rare “16-and-Over” rating in France, although its quotient of sex and gore isn't excessive for the genre. A must for fans of the ever-suprising Cassel (“Ocean’s Twelve,” “Read My Lips,” “Irreversible,” “Shrek,” “Brotherhood of Wolves”), this mostly handheld horror flick is not only very well made but also boasts a multcultural spin that puts it squarely in the 21st century.
BALLETS RUSSES (USA, 2005, 120 min.) directed by Dayna Goldfine & Dan Geller
Film Program #2: 11/15/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
Film Program #17: 11/17/06 at 3:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
This magnificent documentary, already released theatrically and on DVD, winner of festival prizes around the world, deserves to be savored again. It retraces the history of the Ballets Russes dance company from the debut of the 20th Century in Paris with artists like Nijinsky, Balanchine, Picasso, Matisse and Stravinsky, coming together for an unprecedented collaboration, up to the 40s and 50s when Ballets Russes companies went on tour across America. A film not to be missed on a big screen!
BLUES BY THE BEACH (USA/Israel, 2005, 80 min.) directed by Joshua Faudem
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #35: 11/19/06 at 4:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Fate brought American filmmaker Jack Baxter together with his Israeli film crew in April 2003 to make a documentary about modern Israel. They chose to film in Mike’s Place, a vibrant beachfront blues bar in Tel Aviv with live music and flowing beer. People from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds hung out in Mike’s Place, and their film would show how Israel is much more than the seemingly endless violence. Then harsh reality hits Mike’s Place. A suicide bomber strikes, abruptly changing the course of their film and their lives.
DARK WATER RISING: The Truth About Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescues
(NYC PREMIER)
(USA, 2006, 80 min.) directed by Mike Shiley
Film Program #4: 11/15/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
Over 50,000 dogs and cats were left behind in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The pets, mostly dogs, that survived the flood were locked in houses and chained to fences without food and water for up to six weeks. Mr. Shiley takes his camera along with a small group of brave rescuers from around the world who risk their lives to sledgehammer down doors, braving toxic floodwaters and dodging corrupt cops in a race against time to rescue trapped and starving animals. “Dark Water Rising” is stark yet uplifting, showing us frontline footage of pets reunited with their owners as well as lucky pets finding new homes.
HOLES IN MY SHOES (USA, 2006, 90 min.) directed by David Wachs
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #33: 11/19/06 at 1:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Jack Beers, an extraordinary 94-year-old New Yorker, has broken the age barrier full force. Jack was raised in poverty in Manhattan, and went on to have a very full life. He was a strongman, helped build Radio City Music Hall, invented something that shortened WW2, and worked on the Empire State Building spire. We recognize him as a familiar character actor in over 200 films. “Holes in my Shoes” allows Jack to tell his story and re-visit his old haunts. We see him beat terminal illnesses, and continue exercising like a young man full of hope for tomorrow. Like Jack Beers, “Holes in My Shoes” is energetic, funny, and inspiring.
LUMIERES NOIRES (Black Illuminations, France, 52 min., 2006) directed by Bob Swaim
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #29: 11/18/06 at 9:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
TELL ME CUBA (USA, 2006, 89 min.) directed by Megan Williams
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #7: 11/15/06 at 9:45 pm (Lang Hall)
Film Program #25: 11/18/06 at 3:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
PRIX DE BEAUTÉ (Miss Europe, France, 1930, 88 min.) directed by Augusto Genina
Film Program #34: 11/19/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Hall)
"Prix de Beauté" is the radiant Louise Brooks' last starring role, and her only film made in France, a melodrama elevated to the sublime by her remarkable performance. It tells the deceptively simple story of Lucienne, a high-spirited Parisian typist who leads a mundane life with her fiancé, André, and their friends. While André indeed loves Lucienne, he has conventional expectations for their life together. When the Miss Europe beauty contest comes to town, he warns her to "not even dream" of entering it. Lucienne ignores his advice, and from there, we follow Lucienne as she struggles for independence and happiness. André’s jealous rage.leads to an unexpected and dramatic resolution. Special thanks to Kino International.
CINEMATOGRAPHER STYLE (USA, 2006, 86 min.) directed by Jon Fauer
(NYC PREMIER)
Film Program #24: 11/18/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
A must for filmmakers of any age, and a primer for all film buffs on visual storytelling, this exceptional documentary is about the workers of light and shadow. One hundred and ten of the world's top cinematographers discuss their profession, and how and why the films they shoot look the way they do. We find out how everything from life experiences to technology influences and shapes a cinematographer’s visual style. Because of the powerful impact that the visual style of a movie can convey, this inspiring documentary offers valuable insights into a group of exceptional men and women.
US Short Films
A Cigar at the Beach (15 min.) directed by Stephen Keep Mills
A man filters the demands of domestic life through fantasy and stumbles upon renewal.
• 11/16/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/18/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
Bicycle Messengers (7 min.) directed by Joshua Frankel
A paean to the army of fleet workers who are on the front lines of business and commerce.
• 11/17/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/19/06 at 1:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Divine Light (26 min.) directed by Dore Hamond
Master Teacher Frank Mason goes from his studio above Cafe Roma on Mott Street to Venice to revisit his greatest artistic achievement.
• 11/18/06 at 9:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
5G (15 min.) directed by Alessandro Tanaka
A couple of teens trying to score some drugs sets off a comic chain of events. Disparate lives will intersect in unexpected ways.
• 11/15/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/18/06 at 9:45 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana (15 min.) directed by Ken Kimmelman
An odyssey throughout the universe based on Eli Siegel’s 1924 prize-winning poem, recorded by the poet himself.
• 11/17/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Indiscreet (15 min.) directed by Stephanie Carwin
Two women share a table at an airport bar, and their polite conversation veers into personal places.
• 11/18/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/18/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
Intelligence (15 min.) directed by Michael Gaylin
Deep in an Abbu Ghraib-like prison, with war raging outside, three detainees wait to be questioned. Who is the dangerous terrorist?
• 11/15/06 at 9:45 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/19/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Last Minute (3 min.) directed by Pedro Suárez
A fast-paced chronicle about the demise of a couple.
• 11/16/06 at 9:45 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/17/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Rounding Third (14 min.) directed by Brandon Kusher
An emergency room doctor confronts the guilt of losing his father.
• 11/16/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
• 11/18/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
Still(e) (26 min.) directed by Susan Schwarzwald
On the 11th birthday of her own child, Lily, daughter of a refugee from Hitler, reminisces about an unforgettable childhood trip.
• 11/19/06 at 4:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
The Other Woman (19 min.) directed by Mikael Södersten
The Wine Bar (11 min.) directed by Christian Remde
Trace (22 min.) directed by Andrew Lund
Walls (15 min.) directed by Jack Roberts
French/European Short Films
Bonbon au Poivre (Pepper Candy, 34 min.) directed by Marc Fitoussi
A crack saleswoman at a candy company comes head to head with an insufferable trainee.
• 11/16/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/18/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Coffee or Not Coffee (4 min.) directed by Nicolas Goetschel
It’s just another normal day at this LA diner and our waitress must deal with the same old tiresome customers.
• 11/15/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
• 11/19/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
Comment J’ai Arrêté (Smoked Away, 18 min.) directed by Charles Senard
A young man refuses to stop smoking. Then he wakes up.
• 11/16/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
• 11/19/06 at 7:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Intimità (12 min.) by Matteo Minetto
A man and woman come home after a normal workday and discover their own erotic visions.
• 11/15/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/17/06 at 3:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Le Dîner (The Dinner, 13 min.) directed by Cécile Vernant
A big dinner date turns out completely different than he and she expected.
• 11/15/06 at 7:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
• 11/17/06 at 9:45 pm (Lang Hall)
Peter Pan a Grandi (Peter Pan Has Grown Up, 11 min.) directed by Alexandre Charlet
Yes, our famous character is older now, but he still has some magic left.
• 11/15/06 at 3:45 pm (Lang Hall)
• 11/17/06 at 10:30 am (Lang Hall)
Qui Sommes-Nous? (Who Are We?, 11 min.) directed by Béatrice Pollet
A woman misses her train in a small station in the middle of nowhere and she finds herself in an unknown world.
• 11/15/06 at 9:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
• 11/19/06 at 1:30 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Sama (15 min.) directed by Ludivine Allegue
A sama is a transcendental dance created in the thirteenth century by the Persian poet Rumi and performed by dervishes.
• 11/15/06 at 1:00 pm (Lang Hall)
The Last Days (35 min.) directed by Oliver Frohnauer
WWII is coming to a close when two American GIs must hole up with an enemy soldier and make uneasy peace.
• 11/18/06 at 3:00 pm (Kaye Playhouse)
Hunter Student Film and Video Showcase
Thirteen films from students in the Hunter College Film and Media Department's program (LISTED IN ORDER OF SCREENING)
• 11/16/06 at 6:30 pm (Lang Hall)
Monochrome Blue
Carlos del Rosario
A Drop in Oicata
Diana Logreira Campos
Tom's Place
Alex Patsos
Middle Child
Rebecca Saunders
TrashIn’ the Big Apple
Alison Byrne, Anne Catherine Hundhausen, and Allison Steinberg
The Fish Miracle Sky
George Racz
God’s Reflex
Erik Piil
Nothing Nowhere
Rania Attieh
Black Smoke Show
Cliff Dantes
Recordando el Mamoncillo (Remembering the Mamoncillo)
Pam Sporn
Just Another Breakfast
Teresa Soneborg
Black and White
Gokcen Ergene and Vuk Mitevski
Snails
Pablo DiZeo
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