September 8
El secreto de sus ojos (Secret in Their Eyes) 6:30 PM
Benjamin Esposito has spent his entire working life as a criminal court employee. Recently retired and with time on his hands, he decides to write a novel. He does not decide to make up a story. There is no need to. He can draw on his own past as a civil servant for a true, moving and tragic story in which he was once very directly involved. In 1974, his court was assigned an investigation into the rape and murder of a beautiful young woman.
At the scene of the crime, Esposito sees the result of the young woman's rape and murder first hand. He meets Ricardo Morales, who had married the girl a short time before and worshipped her body and soul. Moved by Ricardo's grief, Esposito tries to help him find the culprit despite having to contend with the apathy and ineptitude of the police and legal system. He knows that for help he can count on Sandoval, an underling at the office yet a close friend, who occasionally seeks release from the routine of his existence by drinking himself unconscious. He can also turn to Irene, his immediate superior and secretary of the court, with whom he is secretly deeply in love, although there is no hope that she will ever love him.
The search for the murderer is anything but simple. No clues remain at the scene of the crime and Esposito must rely on guesswork and his own instincts to make any progress. Furthermore, Argentina in 1974 is not a peaceful place. It is a perfect backdrop for the violence, hate, revenge and death that rule people's lives and fates.
To this ever more hostile and dark setting, Esposito's investigation takes him deep into a world of terrible violence. No longer an observer, he becomes an unwilling central character in a drama in which he is exposed to ever-greater danger.
But it is not only the young Esposito of 1974 who is swept along by the storm of events, for that storm also envelops the present-day Esposito, the ld would-be writer, and sets him adrift. By deciding to revive and relive his memories, he has set in motion the wheels of the terrible mechanism of memory. And those memories are neither innocent, neutral nor aseptic. Esposito writes, and as he does so, relives a past that rises up before his eyes and awakens all his demons: particularly those involving his past decisions, uncertainties and irreparable mistakes. Argetina and Spain, 2009, 129 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Directed by Juan José Campanella. Trailer.
September 15
Ricky
6:45 PM
From the imagination of Francois Ozon (UNDER THE SAND, SWIMMING POOL) comes RICKY, a magical and mysterious tale that blends magic-realism and an affecting tale of family. When Katie, an ordinary woman, meets Paco, an ordinary man, they fall in love. After starting a life together, something truly extraordinary is added to the mix: a baby called Ricky. This miraculous creature brings the young family challenges no parent could be prepared for France and Italy, 2008, 90 minutes. Directed by François Ozon . Trailer
September 22
From
the celebrated director of LOOK AT ME and THE TASTE OF
OTHERS, Agnes Jaoui, comes LET IT RAIN, an endlessly
charming and a sharp-witted battle of the sexes. An
audience favorite at the New York Film Festival, this
charismatic comedy is un-missable for fans of French
cinema everywhere.Agathe Villanova (Jaoui) is a self-centered, workaholic feminist politician who, upon reluctantly returning to her home in the south of France to sort out her mother’s affairs, runs for an local election. Upon her arrival, Agathe grudgingly agrees to take part in a documentary being made by the blundering duo of Karim (Jamel Debbouze, AMELIE) an aspiring filmmaker, and self-professed "reporter" Michel (Jaoui’s regular writing partner Jen-Pierre Bacri), on the subject of “successful women." As Agathe's life hilariously unravels, the camera is there to capture it all. France, 2008. 128 minutes. Directed by Agnès Jaoui. Trailer.
September 29
Ajami 6:45 PM
A powerful crime drama set on the streets of
Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood – a melting pot of cultures and conflicting
views
among Jews, Muslims and Christians – and told through the eyes of a
cross-section of the city’s inhabitants: a young Israeli (Shakir Kabaha)
fighting a criminal vendetta against his family, a Palestinian refugee
(Ibrahim Frege) working illegally to finance a life-saving surgery, a
Jewish police detective (Eran Naim) obsessed with finding his missing
brother, and an affluent Palestinian (Scandar Copti) dreaming of a
future with his Jewish girlfriend. As their stories intersect – and the
film’s narrative shifts back and forth in time – we witness a dramatic
collision of different worlds and the tragic consequences of enemies
living as neighbors. Israel, 2009. 120
minutes. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. Directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani. Trailer.
October 6
Los viajes del viento (The Wind Journeys) 6:45 PM
For
most of his life, Ignacio Carrillo travelled the villages of
northern Colombia, playing traditional songs on his accordion, a
legendary instrument said to have once belonged to the devil. He
eventually married and settled in a small town, leaving the nomadic
life behind. But after the traumatic death of his wife, he vows to
never play the accursed accordion again, and embarks on one last
journey to return the instrument to its rightful owner. On the way,
Ignacio is followed by Fermín, a spirited teenager determined to
become his apprentice. Tired of loneliness, Ignacio accepts the
young man as his pupil and together they traverse the vast Colombian
terrain, discovering the musical diversity of Caribbean culture.
Hardened by a life of solitude, Ignacio tries to discourage Fermín
from following in his footsteps, but destiny has different plans for
them. Columbia, Netherlands, Argentina, and
Germany,
2009, 120 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles, Directed by
Ciro Guerral.
Trailer.
Postponed until
October 20
Män som hator kvinnor (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) 6:30 PM
Forty
years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the
island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was
never found, yet her beloved uncle is convinced it was murder and that
the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family.
He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael
Nyqvist) and the tattooed and troubled but resourceful computer hacker
Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to investigate. When the pair link
Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost
forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family
history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and
Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to
protect themselves.
Sweden, 2009. 152 minutes. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
Trailer.
Un homme qui crie (A Screaming Man) 6:45 PM
Adam, a 60-something former
swimming champion, is a pool attendant at a hotel in Chad. When the
hotel gets taken over by
new Chinese owners, he is forced to give up his job to his son,
Abdel, leaving Adam humiliated and resentful. Meanwhile the country
is in the throes of civil war. Rebel forces attack the government
while the authorities demand the population to contribute to the
"war effort," with money or volunteers old enough to fight. The
District Chief constantly harasses Adam for his contribution. But
Adam is penniless; he only has his son. In a moment of weakness,
Adam makes a decision that he will forever regret.
Chad, France, Belgium,
2010, 92 minutes. In French and Arabic with English subtitles,
Directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.
Trailer.
November 3
Alamar(To the Sea) 6:45 PM
Jorge has only a few weeks with
his five-year-old son Natan before he leaves to live with his mother
in Rome. I
ntent
on teaching Natan about their Mayan heritage, Jorge takes him to the
pristine Chinchorro reef, and eases him into the rhythms of a
fisherman's life. As the bond between father and son grows stronger,
Natan learns to live in harmony with life above and below the
surface of the sea. Mexico, 2009, 73 minutes. In Spanish and
Italian with English subtitles, Directed by Pedro González-Rubio.
Trailer.
November 10
Le père de mes enfants (Father of My Children) 6:45 PM
Grégoire,
a Parisian film producer, has it all — a beautiful wife, three adorable
daughters, wealth and a buzzing career. On the surface he seems
invincible, maintaining humor and charm as he tirelessly juggles the
demands of his production company with his family's needs. But when
Grégoire's reserves — both financial and emotional — reach a dramatic
breaking point, his family's love and resilience is tested. Winner of
the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film
Festival and featured at the Toronto and London Film Festivals, THE
FATHER OF MY CHILDREN is an extraordinarily
perceptive new drama from emerging young talent Mia Hansen-Love, and a
deeply moving portrait of family in tumult. France 2009. 110 minutes.
Directed by Mia Hansen-Love.
Trailer.
Jara
is a shy and lonely 35-year-old security guard at a supermarket on the
outskirts of Montevideo. He works the night shift, monitoring the
surveillance cameras of the entire building. One night Jara discovers
Julia, a 25-year-old cleaning woman, through one of the cameras and is
immediately attracted to her. Night after night, he watches her on the
cameras while she works. Soon he starts following her after work: to the
cinema, the beach and even to a date with another man. Jara's life
becomes a series of routines and rituals around Julia, but eventually he
finds himself at a crossroad and must decide whether to give up his
obsession or confront it. Uruguay, Argentina, Germany, and
Spain 2009.In Spanish with English subtitles.
85 minutes. Directed by Adrián Biniez.
Trailer.