Tag Archives: cinema village

PATAGONIA RISING

PATAGONIA RISING examines the fight against a major dam project in Chile

Patagonia Rising (Brian Lilla, 2011)
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
Opens Friday, June 8
212-924-3363
www.cinemavillage.com
patagoniarising.com

For generations, gauchos have been roaming through southern Chile, living off the land along the Baker and Pascua Rivers. But the lifestyle of these South American cowboys, as well as their surrounding environment, is being threatened by the potential construction of five dams along the two rivers. In Patagonia Rising, filmmaker Brian Lilla examines the hard-fought battle currently going on between the ranchers and farmers and hidroAysén, the global corporation behind the massive project. Lilla (Tale of Two Bondage Models, Ghetto Fabulous) speaks to such families as the Sanchezes, the Sandovals, and the Arratias, whose livelihoods and culture are being threatened; glaciologists who point out the environmental damage the dams can cause, especially given the climate change that is wreaking havoc in Patagonia; a hidroAysén general manager who explains that the project will bring much-needed energy resources to Chile while also being environmentally sound and sustainable; and other scientific experts and activists, as well as a few gauchos who are in favor of the dams. Patagonia Rising features beautiful shots of the region, but they are carefully situated to play on viewers’ sympathies in a mostly one-sided documentary earnestly narrated with a lack of authority by Carla Wilkins. The film comes off as a sounding board for the anti-dam movement, but it still raises important points about the future of the area and the possibility of developing alternative energy sources that would be more friendly to the land and its inhabitants.

NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU (POUPOUPIDOU)

Sophie Quinton channels the body and spirit of Marilyn Monroe in NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU (photo by Jean-Claude Lother)

NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU (POUPOUPIDOU) (Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, 2011)
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
Opens Friday, May 11
212-924-3363
firstrunfeatures.com
www.cinemavillage.com

After returning to his childhood vacation town of Mouthe, the coldest village in France, only to be told that his recently deceased uncle left him a stuffed dog instead of his eight-hectare vineyard, crime novelist David Rousseau (Jean-Paul Rouve), who is suffering from writer’s block, suddenly comes upon an idea for his next book. He decides to investigate the surprise suicide of Mouthe’s beloved favorite daughter, Candice Lecouer (Sophie Quinton), a beautiful young blonde who was the face of the town’s leading export, Belle de Jura cheese. Against the firm advice of Brigadier Bruno Leloup (Guillaume Gouix) and Commandant Colbert (Olivier Rabourdin) of the local police, Rousseau snoops into Candice’s past, which he quickly discovers is eerily reminiscent of the life and death of her hero, Norma Jean Baker / Marilyn Monroe. As he gets closer to the truth, however, he finds that playing detective is a lot more dangerous than he imagined. Writer-director Gérald Hustache-Mathieu (April in Love) has fashioned a thrilling modern noir with Nobody Else But You, a gorgeously shot tale of lust, pride, ambition, self-doubt, and obsession, with more than a hint of the surreal and liberal splashes of wry humor. Hustache-Mathieu brings the dead Candice back to life through flashbacks as well as voice-overs not only of her reading from her diaries but narrating from beyond the grave. The film sparkles whenever Quinton is onscreen, the actress casting an enchanting glow that rivals the almost blindingly white snowy landscapes of Mouthe, with expert cinematography courtesy of Pierre Cottereau that evokes the Coen brothers’ Fargo. The fourth collaboration between the radiant Quinton and Hustache-Mathieu, Nobody Else But You, which also boasts an eclectic soundtrack and compelling original score by Stéphane Lopez — and whose English and French (Poupoupidou) titles are both taken from the lyrics of Monroe’s famous song “I Wanna Be Loved by You” — is a rousing good mystery with an engaging balance of the lurid and the erotic.

THIS IS NOT A FILM

Even house arrest and potential imprisonment cannot stop Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi from telling cinematic stories

THIS IS NOT A FILM (IN FILM NIST) (Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, 2011)
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
Opens Friday, March 16
212-924-3363
www.thisisnotafilm.net
www.cinemavillage.com

“You call this a film?” Jafar Panahi asks rhetorically about halfway through the revealing documentary This Is Not a Film. After several arrests beginning in July 2009 for supporting the opposition party, the highly influential and respected Iranian filmmaker (Crimson Gold, Offside) was convicted in December 2010 for “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” Although facing a six-year prison sentence and twenty-year ban on making or writing any kind of movie, Panahi is a born storyteller, so he can’t stop himself, no matter the risks. Under house arrest, Panahi has his friend, fellow director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (Lady of the Roses), film him with a handheld DV camera over ten days as Panahi plans out his next movie, speaks with his lawyer, lets his pet iguana climb over him, and is asked to watch a neighbor’s dog, taking viewers “behind the scenes of Iranian filmmakers not making films.” Panahi even pulls out his iPhone to take additional video, photographing New Year’s fireworks that sound suspiciously like a military attack. Panahi is calm throughout, never panicking (although he clearly does not want to take care of the barking dog) and not complaining about his situation, which becomes especially poignant as he watches news reports on the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan. “But you can’t make a film now anyhow, can you?” Mirtahmasb — who will later be arrested and imprisoned as well — asks at one point. “So what I can’t make a film?” Panahi responds. “That means I ask you to take a film of me? Do you think it will turn into some major work of art?” This Is Not a Film, which was smuggled out of Iran in a USB drive hidden in a birthday cake so it could be shown at Cannes, is indeed a major work of art, an important document of government repression of free speech as well as a fascinating examination of one man’s intense dedication to his art and the creative process. (After playing for two weeks at Film Forum, This Is Not a Film has moved to Cinema Village, where it opens March 16.)

IN HEAVEN, UNDERGROUND

IN HEAVEN, UNDERGROUND goes inside remarkable Jewish cemetery in Berlin

IN HEAVEN, UNDERGROUND (Britta Wauer, 2011)
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
November 18-24
212-924-3363
www.7thart.com
www.cinemavillage.com

The main character in Britta Wauer’s charming documentary, In Heaven, Underground: The Weissensee Jewish Cemetery, is described by one man in the film as “a tropical forest with stones,” and it is quite a beautiful one at that. Opened in 1880, the Weissensee Jewish Cemetery in east Berlin is the longest and largest continuously in-operation Jewish burial ground in Europe, currently home to more than 115,000 graves spread across one hundred gorgeous acres of trees and greenery. Combining archival footage, photographs, and new interviews, Wauer (Gerda’s Silence, A Hero’s Death) goes inside the cemetery and the many fascinating characters associated with it, each with a unique story to tell, from octogenarian rabbi William Wolff, who conducts services at the cemetery, to bricklayer Harry Kindermann, who has worked there since he was a child and met his first love there. Art classes come there to make grave rubbings, family members arrive searching for long-deceased relatives (the cemetery has meticulous records identifying every single person buried there), aviary experts climb trees to track birds of prey, men and women wander the many paths seeking to reconnect with their Jewish past, and German military officers regularly provide cleanup help, determined to maintain the dignity of each grave. There are at least 115,000 stories in Weissensee, so although Wauer can’t of course tell them all, she does an excellent job of delving into some of the key tales, including how this remarkable place has survived and thrived, particularly during the Holocaust. Lovingly shot by Kaspar Köpke and featuring a playful score by Karim Sebastian Elias that evokes Hollywood romantic comedies, In Heaven, Underground is a delightfully upbeat look at death.

OTHER ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL

JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at West 76th St.
Cinema Village, 22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
November 10-17, free-$12
646-505-5708
www.otherisrael.org

The fifth annual Other Israel Film Festival, whose stated goal “is to promote awareness and appreciation of the diversity of the state of Israel, provide a dynamic and inclusive forum for exploration of, and dialogue about, populations in margins of Israeli society, and encourage cinematic expression and creativity dealing with these themes,” begins tonight with an opening-night gala screening of Dani Menkin and Yonatan Nir’s Dolphin Boy at the JCC in Manhattan, about an Arab boy being bullied in northern Israel. The festival continues at the JCC and Cinema Village with screenings of such films as Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Ester Gould’s Shout, Eitan Tzur’s Naomi (Hitpartzut X), Kikuo Kawasaki’s David & Kamal, and Ibtisam Mara’ana’s 77 Steps as well as the U.S. premiere of the Israeli version of The Office television series. In addition, there will be free storytelling by Deborah Da Costa, panel discussions, Q&As, the photography exhibit “Through Others’ Eyes,” and such special guests as Mohammad Bakri, Sigal Emanuel, Caryn James, Ronit Kertsner, Ilan Kutz, Dov Waxman, and Tamar Zandberg.

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK (Angelina Maccarone, 2011)
Cinema Village, 22 East 12th St., 212-924-3363
Lincoln Plaza Cinema, 1886 Broadway, 212-757-2280
Opens Friday, November 4
www.kinolorber.com

Born in Sussex in 1946, model and actress Charlotte Rampling has made more than eighty films in her highly distinguished five-decade career, carefully choosing intelligent, challenging projects, never resting on her many laurels. As gorgeous as ever in her mid-sixties and well known for appearing nude in numerous films, some as recent as just a few years ago, Rampling’s most striking feature is not necessarily her body, her high cheekbones, her bare feet, or her dark hair. Instead it is the Look, the strong, powerfully emotional gaze that can hit you from all sides — it can terrify you as well as melt you, making you fall in love with her over and over again. Angelina Maccarone’s unusual but fascinating documentary Charlotte Rampling: The Look begins by focusing on that look, as seen in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories and portraits taken by Peter Lindbergh. In a section titled “Exposure,” Lindbergh and Rampling talk about the photo sessions they had together, two old friends informally reminiscing about the good old days, never hesitating to make sly cracks about their current age. It’s a wonderfully intimate way to start this unique biography of Rampling, subtitled “a self portrait through others,” one that never delves into her personal life, her two marriages, her children, her ups and downs, her parents — instead, Maccarone divides the film into nine parts, each one concentrating on a specific film and most of them pairing Rampling with a friend, a member of her family, or someone she has worked with. For “Age,” Rampling goes for a ride on a tugboat with author Paul Auster, with clips from Luchino Visconti’s The Damned. In “Resonance,” Rampling sits in a boxing ring with her son, director Barnaby Southcombe, supplemented by scenes from Silvio Narizzano’s Georgy Girl. Things get rather risqué as Rampling is joined by photographer Juergen Teller to discuss “Taboo” and Liliana Cavani’s The Night Porter. The topic turns to “Death” as Rampling visits painter Anthony Palliser, along with clips from François Ozon’s moving Under the Sand. Maccarone slyly adds one last section, ending not with “Death” but with “Love,” and even then she avoids the obvious, teaming Rampling with Cynthia and Joy Fleury and showing scenes from Nagisa Oshima’s Max, My Love, in which Rampling falls for a chimpanzee. Through it all, Rampling is neither egotistical nor self-effacing, as she travels from London and Paris to Times Square and Coney Island, speaking poignantly and intelligently — and with a wry sense of humor — about her philosophy of life and the meaning of her career, never becoming didactic, pedantic, or vain. Charlotte Rampling: The Look is a lovely portrait of a beautiful, successful woman who isn’t afraid to look back at where she’s been — and look ahead to where she’s going. Charlotte Rampling: The Look opens today at Lincoln Plaza Cinema, where she will participate in Q&As following tonight’s 7:40 and Saturday’s 3:20 screenings, and at Cinema Village, where she’ll be on hand for the 7:00 and 9:20 shows.

DOC NYC — CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK (Angelina Maccarone, 2011)
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
Thursday, November 3, $20, 7:00
212-924-7771
www.ifccenter.com
www.kinolorber.com
www.docnyc.net

Born in Sussex in 1946, model and actress Charlotte Rampling has made more than eighty films in her highly distinguished five-decade career, carefully choosing intelligent, challenging projects, never resting on her many laurels. As gorgeous as ever in her mid-sixties and well known for appearing nude in numerous films, some as recent as just a few years ago, Rampling’s most striking feature is not necessarily her body, her high cheekbones, her bare feet, or her dark hair. Instead it is the Look, the strong, powerfully emotional gaze that can hit you from all sides — it can terrify you as well as melt you, making you fall in love with her over and over again. Angelina Maccarone’s unusual but fascinating documentary Charlotte Rampling: The Look begins by focusing on that look, as seen in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories and portraits taken by Peter Lindbergh. In a section titled “Exposure,” Lindbergh and Rampling talk about the photo sessions they had together, two old friends informally reminiscing about the good old days, never hesitating to make sly cracks about their current age. It’s a wonderfully intimate way to start this unique biography of Rampling, subtitled “a self portrait through others,” one that never delves into her personal life, her two marriages, her children, her ups and downs, her parents — instead, Maccarone divides the film into nine parts, each one concentrating on a specific film and most of them pairing Rampling with a friend, a member of her family, or someone she has worked with. For “Age,” Rampling goes for a ride on a tugboat with author Paul Auster, with clips from Luchino Visconti’s The Damned. In “Resonance,” Rampling sits in a boxing ring with her son, director Barnaby Southcombe, supplemented by scenes from Silvio Narizzano’s Georgy Girl. Things get rather risqué as Rampling is joined by photographer Juergen Teller to discuss “Taboo” and Liliana Cavani’s The Night Porter. The topic turns to “Death” as Rampling visits painter Anthony Palliser, along with clips from François Ozon’s moving Under the Sand. Maccarone slyly adds one last section, ending not with “Death” but with “Love,” and even then she avoids the obvious, teaming Rampling with Cynthia and Joy Fleury and showing scenes from Nagisa Oshima’s Max, My Love, in which Rampling falls for a chimpanzee. Through it all, Rampling is neither egotistical nor self-effacing, as she travels from London and Paris to Times Square and Coney Island, speaking poignantly and intelligently — and with a wry sense of humor — about her philosophy of life and the meaning of her career, never becoming didactic, pedantic, or vain. Charlotte Rampling: The Look is a lovely portrait of a beautiful, successful woman who isn’t afraid to look back at where she’s been — and look ahead to where she’s going. Charlotte Rampling: The Look is screening November 3 at 7:00 as part of the Special Events section of the Doc NYC festival, which continues at the IFC Center through November 10; director Maccarone and star/subject Rampling are expected to attend. The film opens theatrically on Friday at Cinema Village and Lincoln Plaza Cinema.