© 2005 by Michael Budai
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Prior Festivals
Three Rivers Film Festival
Nov. 3 – 17, 2005
Film Descriptions PDF (12 Mb) reviews at MRQE
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Set in New Orleans, At Last was to premiere there in early September, but for hurricane Katrina. It’s a love
story about two people who dated in high school, grew apart, and met 20 years later. Sometimes coincidences
in movies are unbelievable, but this romantic story is based on the real relationship of director Anton and
his co-writer Sandi Russell. Kelly Lynch plays Sara, a woman with a failing marriage and a rebellious teenage daughter. Mark (Martin Donovan) is also
in a troubled marriage. One day when going through old boxes he discovers love letters he wrote
to Sara and she to him, that neither received. All this against the backdrop of the colorful Crescent City we remember. Director Tom Anton is
scheduled to appear. (Directed by Tom Anton; USA; 2005; 110 min.) Regent Square Theater: Tue Nov 15 @ 9:15; Wed Nov 16 @ 8:00 |
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Fame, glamour, ego, politics, money, war, love...and
dance! Revolutionary dance troupe Ballets Russes began
as a group of Russian refugees, who never danced in
Russia. Ballets Russes maps the company’s rise in turnof-
the-century Paris - when Nijinsky, Balanchine, Picasso,
Miro, Matisse and Stravinsky united in an unparalleled
collaboration. When the company toured America in the
halcyon days of the 1930s and ’40s, audiences schooled in vaudeville were simply astounded. By
the ’60s, rising costs, rocketing egos, outside competition and internal mismanagement ultimately
brought the revered Ballets Russes to its knees. Infused with juicy anecdotal interviews from many
of the company’s glamorous stars, this dazzling film treats modern audiences to a rare glimpse
at the company that transformed the face of dance forever. (Directed by Danya Goldfine and Dan
Geller; USA; 2005; 118 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Sun Nov 13 @ 5:00; Mon Nov 14 @ 7:00 preceded by local film The Happiest Day by Suzie Silver & Hilary Harp |
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Opening night! For 75 years nothing survived of Beyond the Rocks
except a one-minute fragment, until hundreds of rusty
film cans showed up in the estate of a Dutch film
collector. After careful restoration we now have the
entire film, and it is a rare gift for many reasons. This
is one of the first half-dozen screenings of Beyond
The Rocks in the world. The appearance of two great
stars in one film was very unusual in the silent era.
Rudolph Valentino was the first male Hollywood sex
symbol, and Gloria Swanson was the greatest film star of the ’20s. That alone makes the discovery
noteworthy, but under the direction of Sam Wood, it is a testament to the extraordinary artistry
of silent cinema. A tale of impossible love, the melodrama revolves around Theodora Fitzgerald
(Swanson) who marries a much older millionaire for the sake of her father, but is really in love with
Lord Bracondale (Valentino). (Directed by Sam Wood; USA; 1922; 95 min.) Live score by Dr. Philip
Carli, who has created accompaniments to over 50 films and performed at venues such as MoMA
and the Berlin Int’l Film Festival. Tickets $10. Byham Theater: Thu Nov 3 @ 7:30 |
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Closing night! Pittsburgh can’t get enough of the Alloy Orchestra
- a three-man band from Boston who’ve made
a career of writing and performing live music to
classic silent films. This time they accompany a
rarely-seen Hitchcock classic, which holds the
unique distinction of being both Hitchcock’s finest
silent film and the first British talkie. This version
of Blackmail - an exquisite, restored print from the
British Film Institute - is Hitchcock’s last silent film,
which he later re-shot with sound. It’s the gripping
tale of a young woman who kills a man in self-defense. When a
witness tries to blackmail her and her boyfriend, a Scotland Yard
detective, their story starts to spiral out of control. Blackmail is
Hitchcock at his best, and with the help of Alloy Orchestra, it’s a
powerful evening of entertainment. Roger Ebert calls Alloy “the
best in the world at accompanying silent films.” (Directed by Alfred
Hitchcock; UK; 1929; 86 min.) Live score by Alloy Orchestra.
Tickets $10. Regent Square Theater: Thu Nov 17 @ 8:00 |
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In a tour-de-force performance, Cillian Murphy plays
young Patrick “Kitten” Braden, a beleaguered Irish
transvestite who becomes involved in the IRA while
searching for his birth mother. Set in the ’70s, the
orphaned boy is shunted from one bizarre situation to
another. Kitten, however, remains gloriously immune to
the vicissitudes of life. Director Jordan (The Crying Game,
Butcher Boy) proves his singular talent once again. He
fashions a cinema like a James Joyce novel, turning this episodic story into a visual and surreal
delight. And its cheeky humor bring to life the beatings, break-ups, and bombings that punctuate
the drama. Co-starring Liam Nesson and Stephen Rea, it is also blessed with a soundtrack of pop
melodies, such as “Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” and “How Much is That Doggy.” (Directed by
Neil Jordan; UK; 2005; 135 min.) Harris Theater: Fri Nov 4 @ 8:00; Sun Nov 6 @ 5:15 |
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As French as a platter of fruits de mer, this lighthearted
romp of love’s pain, pangs and joys on the sun-soaked
Riviera is a delicious treat. On summer vacation, Marc
and Béatrix take their two teenagers to the seaside
house of his youth. The Mediterranean wind blows, the
sea churns, and the heat of summer stokes everyone’s
sexual desires. When their son Charley stays in the
shower too long and roams the beach with his gay
best friend, his parents question Charley’s orientation. But things really get complicated when the
couples’ current lovers and old flames show up. Closets are opened, secrets are revealed, and the
family vacation collapses into hilarious song. With subtitles. (Directed by Olivier Ducastel; France;
2005; 90 min.) Harris Theater: Wed Nov 9 @ 9:15; Thu Nov 10 @ 9:15 |
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“An extraordinary work of visual journalism, a richly
illustrated report on a distant catastrophe that is also
one of the central stories of our time.” - A.O. Scott, New
York Times. The arrival and departure of an enormous
Soviet-made cargo plane outside Tanzania frame this
stunning film. It takes off carrying 55 tons of processed
fish -- the Nile perch of Lake Victoria -- to be sold in
European supermarkets. It leaves behind a scene of misery and devastation. This important story
presents the agonized human face of globalization. While the flesh of millions of Nile perch is stripped,
cleaned and flash-frozen for export to wealthy countries, millions of people in the Tanzanian interior live
on the brink of famine. (Directed by Hubert Sauper; 2004; Austria/Belgium/France; 107 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Sun Nov 6 @ 7:30; Mon Nov 7 @ 7:15 preceded by local film Flight and Fight by T.Foley |
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Filmmaker Ben Meade (Vakvagany, Bazaar Bizarre) is a
festival favorite and he’s back with another experimental
documentary. This thought-provoking romp confronts
everyone’s attitude about public transportation. Shot
in Kansas City, it investigates “bus culture” as modern
urban myth and features drivers, passengers, and
people with bus phobia. It also features an eclectic
soundtrack including the music of Iris Dement, Tech N9NE, Nace Brothers, Bill Gladden, Binary
System, and The Bon Ton Soul Accordian Band. The film is comprised of interviews and reenactments
of actual occurrences claimed to have happened by drivers and passengers alike. The
cameras capture serendipitous action which results in a highly provocative and captivating film.
(USA; 2004; 94 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Sat Nov 5 @ 4:00; Sun Nov 6 @ 3:00 preceded by local film Kundalini Rising by John Allen Gibel |
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Dogme 95 co-founders Lars Von Trier (Dancer
in the Dark, Dogville) and Thomas Vinterberg
(Celebration) team up on this quirky drama
set in small town America. Jamie Bell (Billy
Elliot) stars as Dick, a teenager whose father
is disappointed that his son has chosen not
to work with him in the mines. Following his father’s death, Dick develops a fascination with
guns, and he soon forms a club with a like-minded group of outcasts. The teens meet regularly
in an abandoned section of the mine to play with their guns. When Sheriff Krugsby (Bill Pullman)
asks Dick to help take care of a troubled teen, things don’t go quite as planned. This compelling
film, written by Von Trier and directed by Vinterberg, features cool songs by the 1960s group the
Zombies. (Directed by Thomas Vinterberg; Denmark/ UK/ Germany; 2005; 105 min.) Regent Square Theater: Wed Nov 9 @ 9:15; Thu Nov 10 @ 7:15 |
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Wild Man Fischer wandered the streets of late ’60s LA singing his unique songs for
10¢ a pop. After Frank Zappa put him on record, Fischer became an underground sensation, the “godfather of outsider music.”
He’s gone from appearing on national television and the Top 50 music charts, even singing a duet with Rosemary Clooney, to
sleeping under bridges. Extensive archival footage, including Fischer’s wild TV and club performances, mixed with interviews
with his family, his doctor and industry professionals (including Frank and Gail Zappa, Al Yankovic,
Mark Mothersbaugh, Solomon Burke, Dr. Demento, Billy Mumy and the founder of Rhino Records)
trace his life from neglected child to tortured genius to wandering wreck. It’s an intense trip through
the unruly life of this strange and wonderful artist. (Directed by Josh Rubin; USA; 2005; 86 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Sat Nov 12 @ 4:30; Sun Nov 13 @ 2:30 preceded by local film Meditation in Motion by Rebbyro |
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This remarkable, local production is a well-shot, modern noir in which two twenty-something friends in Pittsburgh
find themselves as co-workers — hustling for a local bookie and strip-bar owner. Someone is skimming from
the gambling profits. The boss is getting paranoid and strippers are getting fired. Our hero becomes romantically
involved with one of the working girls. Can he go ‘legit’ before the boss brings the hammer down? Director, cast
and crew scheduled to appear. (Directed by Joe Varhola; USA; 2005; 75 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Fri Nov 11 @ 9:00; Sun Nov 13 @ 7:30 |
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Winner of the Audience Favorite at the Cinequest Film
Festival, and the Best First Feature at the LA Outfest, firsttime
director Tennyson Bardwell serves up a witty, knowing
entry in the coming out/ coming-of-age genre. It is the
poignant and funny tale of a young man and his judgmental
parents, siblings, and classmates. Dorian Lagatos (Michael
McMillian) has managed - almost - to finish high school. His
plan is to escape to New York, until something pushes him to
make himself known to the world. Then NYU where our hero
encounters a new world of sophisticates and handsome men,
but this life proves just as frustrating and treacherous as back
home. From the hysterical dinner table political discussions
to the serious family moments and less-than-homo-heaven
life in college, the writing and acting is directly from the heart and rings true. (Directed by Tennyson
Bardwell; 2005; USA; 88 min.) Harris Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 9:00; Mon Nov 7 @ 9:15 |
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The second film penned by poet Jim Ray Daniels,
English professor at Carnegie-Mellon University, who
has focused on issues of class throughout his career.
Shot in five days and featuring local favorites David
Conrad (Ghost Whisperer) and Jeff Carpenter. It tells
the story of what happens when Jim, a janitor on the
campus of an elite university, discovers Francis, a
wealthy frat boy, hiding in a mobile garbage bin. Jim
wrestles with adult responsibilities at home with his
girlfriend and her child, while Francis struggles to overcome his roommate’s suicide, getting
‘dumped’ by his girlfriend, and outgrowing the fraternity scene. Their late-night meetings at the
Dumpster allow them to shed their labels and uniforms and find out how the other half lives, while
discovering some good stuff in the dumpster. Director, cast and crew scheduled to appear. Reception at 8pm. (Directed by John Rice; USA;
2005; 64 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Sat Nov 5 @ 6:30 & 9:00 |
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Similar to the “actualities” made by the Lumiere brothers,
these films were commissioned from the Mitchell &
Kenyon company between 1900 and 1913 by touring
showmen in the days before purpose-built cinemas.
Shot mostly in the North of England, Wales, Scotland
and Ireland, they were advertised as “local films for
local people” and screened at town halls, village fetes
and local fairs. Providing an unparalleled visual record
of Edwardian Britain, the films are a moving testament
to the lives of ordinary people at work and play. Culled
from 28 hours of footage discovered in metal churns in the basement of a photographer’s shop
in Blackburn, England. (Directed by Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon; UK; approx. 80 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Thu Nov 10 @ 7:15; Fri Nov 11 @ 7:15 preceded by local film Two If By Sea by George Davis & Brian Dean Richmond |
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The monthly regional showcase presents the work of Jerry
King Musser, a Harrisburg-area artist whose artful, often
surreal short videos have been screened internationally.
Featured “Musserisms” include: Artiquette, a sardonic look
at art openings; Piano Sfera, a striking composition for piano
strings, marble and video camera; Svankmajer, an homage
to the great Czech animator; and Taza Rota, a consideration of teacups smashed and imperiled.
Also screening is The Specials, a short spoofing menu one-upsmanship at chi-chi restaurants,
directed by Christopher Reed and Pittsburgh’s Randy Kovitz. Musser and Kovitz are scheduled to appear.
Reception at 7pm. Tickets $4. Melwood Screening Room: Tue Nov 8 @ 8:00 reception preceding Film Kitchen will feature Do You Field Lonely? by Joseph Wilk |
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A mockumentary in the classic Christopher Guest style, this is one ripe subject for parody: film school.
In a wonderfully funny send-up, we follow several film school students from their first day at “UNY”
(whose graduates work “here to Kentucky”) until one is chosen the winner of the school’s “Filmic
Achievement Award.” We meet Delvo Christian, who desperately wishes he were French and has 400,000
feet of undeveloped film “gestating” in grocery bags, along with other eager young artists inspired
by Quentin Tarrantino, Beany Babies, and everything in between. The characters and script are
hilarious and frighteningly real. Director, Kevin Kerwin, a former Pittsburgher, is scheduled to
appear. (USA; 2005; 80 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Thu Nov 10 @ 9:00, Sat Nov 12 @ 7:00 preceded by local film 1000 Bridges by Cassandra C. Jones |
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One of greatest documentaries ever made, Harlan County, USA is a taut, timeless story
of union strife in a Kentucky coal-mining town. Full of dramatic confrontations, labor songs and
bluegrass music, violence, surprise, and a hardwon wisdom born of struggle, this magnificent,
vastly influential film was named to the National Film Registry by Congress. Acclaimed filmmaker
Barbara Kopple became known for her brilliant documentaries on tough subjects, exploring the
human cost of economic policies. She won her first Oscar in 1977 for Harlan County, USA, and
became the only female documentary filmmaker ever to win twice when a second came in 1991 for
American Dream. (Directed by Barbara Kopple; 1976; USA; 103 min.) Harris Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 7:00; Mon Nov 7 @ 7:15 |
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A madcap action spoof full of outrageous characters and hysterically choreographed martial arts
battles. The Canadian crusader’s mission (and he chooses to take it) is to retrieve a missing
pearl necklace and fight his way through a ruthless string of evil-doers, including a bionic Bigfoot,
gorgeous assassins, virtual-reality vixens, deadly nuns, and a mystery man that holds
a shocking secret from Harry’s past. Armed with a lethal arsenal of kung-fu moves, a
hair-trigger temper, a fistful of moxie and a seemingly endless supply of potassium-rich
bananas, Harry’s ready to knuckle up against any and all comers. (Directed by Lee
Demarbre; Canada; 2004; 116 min.) Harris Theater: Tue Nov 15 @ 9:15; Wed Nov 16 @ 8:00 |
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Packed with offbeat characters and immensely entertaining
scenes; Iranian cinema at its most playful, ironic and
sophisticated. Follows the adventures of a group of
homeless men, women and children, abandoned by society,
who inhabit a sinking oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. They
live their daily lives under the cold, watchful eye of Captain
Nemat (a close counterpart, it seems, to Jules Verne’s
Captain Nemo), who rules the decaying ship with an iron fist. Only his assistant Ahmad dares defy his
authority, prepared to risk all for the love of his nameless beloved below deck. Don’t miss this brisklypaced
and blackly comic film. Subtitled. (Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof; Iran; 2005; 90 min.) Harris Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 4:45; Wed Nov 9 @ 7:15 |
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Recalling the locally-made The Bread My Sweet, this romantic
comedy features a stellar cast: Olympia Dukakis, Charles Durning,
Tess Harper, Dan Lauria, Jason Gedrick, and Jennifer Esposito.
In this sweet “culture clash” story, the youngest son of a closeknit
Italian-American family falls for a fundamentalist Protestant
girl. He starts questioning his faith; she starts questioning hers.
All the while her father puts the “fun” in fundamental. The couple
eventually learns the course of true love (with each other and God) never runs smooth. (Directed by
James Quattrochi; 2004; USA; 104 min.) Regent Sq Theater: Sun Nov 6 @ 3:00; Tue Nov 8 @ 7:15 |
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A man ranges the Manhattan Bus Terminal, looking for his lost
daughter. He has a newspaper clipping he shows to people, who
hurry on, sensing madness. The girl has been missing for weeks
or months. It’s not clear. This search has been part of the daily life
of the man, named William Keane, who then retreats into a rough
street life: a bottle of beer at one gulp, vodka, cocaine, prostitutes,
reckless sex. Keane, like the subject of Kerrigan’s Clean, Shaven, is a schizophrenic on a quest for
his daughter. Would Keane (or his daughter) be better off if he found her? Does she exist? (Directed
by Lodge Kerrigan; 2005; USA; 100 min.) Harris Theater: Mon Nov 14 @ 9:00; Tue Nov 15 @ 7:15 |
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Laura’s intelligent, young, and reads Torah and European philosophy
with equal fervor. She and her family live in an impersonal concrete
housing block in Paris’s “Little Jerusalem” neighborhood. When not
attending university classes, Laura works with a cleaning crew at a
Hebrew school. Djamel, an exiled Algerian Muslim, works the same
shift. Laura’s reading and reflection have led her to conclude that
romantic love is an illusion that can only lead to a loss of personal
freedom. But the way Djamel looks at her throws her beliefs for a loop.
First time director Albou shows us, in this wonderfully-acted film, that the
demands of a tightly knit religious community can be both stifling and
liberating. Subtitled. (Directed by Karin Albou; France/Israel; 2005; 97
min.) Regent Square Theater: Sat Nov 12 @ 1:30; Sun Nov 13 @ 2:15 |
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This is the story of “Il Palio,” the historic horse race which
takes place each year in Tuscany. Not unlike football fever
in many a small American town, the rivalries here are just
as obsessive. As we are introduced to young and old in this
gorgeous location, and listen to their all-encompassing desire
to win the race, we see how the dream unites and divides
the community over the course of one year. Subtitled. (Directed by John Appel; Italy; 2004; 88
min.) Harris Theater: Thu Nov 10 @ 7:15; Sat Nov 12 @ 4:30 |
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Local films screening with feature-length films during the festival: 1000 Bridges by Cassandra C. Jones is a snap-motion reanimation of a sailboat, composed from found photos. Screening with Filmic Achievement. Do You Field Lonely? by Joseph Wilk is a photo-postcard from Bloomfield, accompanied by Wilk live on horns. Screening during reception preceding Film Kitchen. Downtown Towndown by Tony Balko & Nick Falwell was edited entirely in-camera and emphasizes vertical lines by compositing some of the city’s best-known structures. Screening with Symbio...Take 1. Fifty States by Jared Larson is composed of photos taken by the director’s father during a 3- year trip covering all 50 states in the late ’70s. Screening with Wm Eggleston in the Real World. Flight and Fight by T. Foley relates her experience on a plane on 9/11, and her attendance at a cockfight shortly thereafter. Screening with Darwin’s Nightmare. The Happiest Day by Hilary Harp & Suzie Silver. A Victorian fairy tale told in the patois of an adventure video game. Screening with Ballets Russes. Kundalini Rising by John Allen Gibel is animated collage with documentation of a performance highlighting the cosmological similarities of Tantric Shaivite Yoga and Gnostic Christianity. Screening with Das Bus. Meditation in Motion by Rebbyro is layered and transitional. Imagery and sound together create a soothing sense of peacefulness. Screening with Derailroaded. Ruthless by Michael Maraden is a reflexive narrative, exposing the filming process while following the subject’s attempts at self-destruction. Screening with Mutual Appreciation. Still Life w/ Fruit by Eric Fleischauer addresses relationships between artist and subject found in static vs. time-based media. Screening with Manderlay. Two If By Sea by George Davis & Brian Dean Richmond combines 16m films & dissolving slide projections to create an animated boat adrift at sea. Screening with Electric Edwardians. |
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“Touching and funny.” - A.O. Scott, NYTimes. This 2004 entry for Best
Foreign Film Oscar conjures up an ensemble of engaging characters
who pursue their dreams with gentle humor, and an infectious
generosity of spirit. Ariel is a recent college dropout hoping to escape
a career behind the counter of his mother’s lingerie store in Buenos
Aires. The job does come with perqs, such as helping beautiful
women slip into lingerie, but the tales of the shopkeepers have
grown stale; and his pregnant ex-girlfriend no longer needs him. With
passport in hand, Ariel seeks a life of greater aspirations. Mostly, though, he is haunted by the absence
of his father, who left him as a baby to go fight in Israel in the 1973 war. Subtitled. (Directed by Daniel
Burman; 2004; Argentina; 100 min.) Regent Square Theater: Sun Nov 13 @ 4:30; Tue Nov 15 @ 7:15 |
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Stars Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Lauren Bacall. The second
in von Trier’s trilogy, Manderlay continues the story immediately
after Grace and her father leave Dogville. Wandering through
Alabama, they enter a gated community and into a plantation
where the inhabitants are living as if slavery hadn’t been
abolished 70 years earlier. Grace finds it her duty to liberate
Manderlay and stay through their first harvest. At the center
of this satire is a disturbing and perversely comic parable about recent history and the problems
of nation building, an enterprise driven by good intentions. (Directed by Lars von Trier; 2005;
Denmark; 139 min.) Regent Square Theater: Fri Nov 11 @ 9:15; Sat Nov 12 @ 3:45 preceded by local film Still Life w/ Fruit by Eric Fleischauer |
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This beautiful film was written and directed by a Pittsburgh Filmmakers
alumna. It’s the story of a strong-willed woman’s search for her connection
to two cultures. The journey begins in 1851. Grace arrives in India, newly
married to the local Raja. She soon discovers the unorthodox choices she’s
made in life are difficult for both British and Indians to accept. To them, she
is just a memsahib - in a sinful marriage. 150 years later, Asha arrives at
the same palace and begins to uncover its unique history. Recently divorced, Asha unknowingly
embarks on a journey of self-discovery and healing, finding some connections cannot be broken,
and that to know who we are, we must delve deep into our past. The director is scheduled to appear.
(Directed by Kruti Majmudar; US/India; 2005; 101 min.) Regent Sq Theater: Sat Nov 12 @ 8:30; Mon Nov 14 @ 8:00 |
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“The only thing you want when it’s all over is more” - Film Threat. From the director of
Funny Ha Ha, comes this independent project about a young musician who heads to New
York City to form a new band. He tries to stay focused, fending off all the many distractions,
including the attraction of his good friend’s girlfriend. At the same time he’s dealing with
awkward relationships and unemployment. Partially scripted and largely improvised, the cast of
Mutual Appreciation brings a witty authenticity to these characters. Recalling the
offbeat-ness of a Wes Anderson film, it sparks with a natural comic rhythm. (Directed by Andrew Bujalski; USA; 2005; 110 min) Melwood Screening Room: Sun Nov 6 @ 5:00; Mon Nov 7 @ 9:30 preceded by local film Ruthless by Michael Maraden |
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This just might be the Akira Korean animators have been working towards, bringing interest to an industry which is
under-appreciated and tremendously talented. My Beautiful Girl Mari has a style all its own - not Disney, not Pixar, and
not Japanese anime. The sweet story begins when Namwoo, a sad boy who lives by the sea and daydreams of a fantastic place
where a girl named Mari connects with him. His father has died, his grandmother is ill, his best friend is leaving soon
to study in Seoul. His fantasy life helps him cope with the loss. Now an adult, Nam-woo reflects on what kind of impact Mari and her world had on
his growth as a human being. The animation techniques here employ a nice balance of realism and expressionist fantasy, with
a nostalgic tone. Ironically, while the film represents a way of life which may be lost, it was created with computer software
like 3D Studio Max, Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. Top prize-winner at Annecy Animation Festival. (Directed by Lee Sung-kang;
Korea; 2002; 80 min) Harris Theater: Sat Nov 12 @ 9:00; Mon Nov 14 @ 7:15 |
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While most accounts put the “invention” of the motion picture around
1890, it was the proliferation of specialized motion picture theaters - the
nickelodeon - that brought movies to the masses. And the world’s first
nickelodeon opened in Pittsburgh in 1905. Relive the experience for
just one nickel! The delightful piano music of Philip Carli will accompany
an assortment of short films from the early 1900s - a mix of comedies,
westerns, action-adventures, melodramas, and documentaries. Dr. Carli
has created piano accompaniments to over fifty films and has toured
throughout North America and Europe, performing at such venues as
Lincoln Center, Museum of Modern Art, the National Film Theater in
London, and the Berlin International Film Festival. Harris Theater; Sat Nov 5 @ 2:30 |
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“Powerful, concise, fully sustained.” - David Denby,
The New Yorker. From Volker Schlondorff director of
the Oscar-winning The Tin Drum, comes the heartbreaking
story of a Catholic priest forced to choose
between his ideals and his fellow clergymen held at
Auschwitz. Abbé Kremer is released from a living
hell in the concentration camp and sent home to
Luxembourg. Upon his arrival, he soon learns that
this is not a reprieve or a pardon of his crime - voicing opposition to the Nazis’ racial laws - but
that he has nine days to convince the bishop of Luxembourg to work with the Nazi occupiers. A
former Catholic seminarian uses theological arguments to bring the Abbé around, but when they
don’t work he resorts to more draconian measures. (Directed by Volker Schlondorff; Germany;
2005; 98 min) Regent Square Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 2:30; Sun Nov 6 @ 5:00 |
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Part thriller, part comedy, Last Bang is based on the
1979 assassination of South Korea’s former president
Park Chung Hee. The man behind the barrel was
the president’s own chief of secret service. This
rambunctious version of the story has amounted to
perhaps the most controversial film in recent Korean
memory. In addition to facing considerable opposition
from conservatives within the country, the filmmakers
were forced by the Seoul Central Court to remove footage from the film. The main concern was
over the movie’s slippery mixture of fact and fiction in telling this highly contentious story of political
intrigue and scandal. Part of Directors’ Fortnight in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Subtitled.
(Directed by Im Sang-Soo; South Korea; 2004; 102 min) Regent Square Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 7:00; Mon Nov 7 @ 9:30 |
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Austen’s classic saga of ill-timed desire and heart-breaking miscommunication. This ravishing new
adaptation stars Keira Knightley as Lizzie Bennet, one of five daughters her struggling family hopes
to marry off. Opportunity seems to knock when a rich upstanding gentleman and his colleague rent
a nearby estate. Ensuing plot twists and crossed wires are deliciously played out. The supporting
cast are themselves worth the price of admission: Dame Judi Dench invents new levels of pique as
the haughty Lady Catherine, and Donald
Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn are a
mismatch made in heaven as Mr. and Mrs.
Bennet. With cinematography reminiscent
of the best Merchant-Ivory films, this is a
thoroughly absorbing visit to a time when
social niceties and narrow-mindedness
could have ruinous consequences.
(Directed by Joe Wright; UK; 2005; 135 min) Regent Square Theater: Fri Nov 4 @ 8:00 |
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In the tradition of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, this gritty drama is
set in London’s East-End. Young Harry Eden gives a remarkable
performance as Paul, a 10-year-old who becomes the caretaker of his
family after his father’s death. The story follows his innocent attempts
to be surrogate parent to his little brother and drug-addicted mother.
Roger Ebert calls Eden’s performance “sure, strong, touching.” You
will root for him to find the power to help save his family. Co-stars
Molly Parker and Keira Knightley. Director MacKinnon (Hideous Kinky) shows he not only has a rare
way with child actors, but a poetic eye. (Directed by Gillies MacKinnon; UK; 2005; 96 min) Regent Square Theater: Tue Nov 8 @ 9:30; Wed Nov 9 @ 7:15 |
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New Yorker John Pierson talks his wife and two
teenagers into moving to Fiji for a year to open a
movie theater. What better family adventure could
there be? They aren’t trying to bring art cinema;
they’re just trying to bring the movies, period. And
their theater, called the “180 Meridian,” shows them
for free. The theater becomes the focal point of
entertainment on the island with frequent packed
houses. For their last days in Fiji, John programs a movie marathon featuring films like Matrix
Reloaded and The Hot Chick. The audience favorite is Jackass, prompting the local authorities to
ban it. Filmed by Steve James (Hoop Dreams) during the last month of the family’s stay, we see the
effect movies have had on the locals, but even more so, the effect this experience has had on the
Piersons. When John shows Buster Keaton’s classic, Steamboat Bill Jr., the audience howls with
laughter confirming what great comedy can bring to hard lives. John says, “You almost feel like it’s
a cure for all that ails you. All will be right with the world.” (Directed by Steve James; USA; 2005;
110min) Regent Square Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 4:30; Mon Nov 7 @ 7:15 |
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The following short films are the finalists in this annual
competition, sponsored by Kodak and FinalDraft. Not all
finalists will be shown at each screening. The prize winners
will be announced at the Nov 11 screening. Alegria - Carolina Loyola-Garcia Exhibit 42 - Glenn Komsky Flag Day - Kristy Higby Handshake - Patrick Smith Holiday - Marcel Sawicki In the Morning - Danielle Lurie Irene Williams, Queen of Lincoln Road - Eric Smith Joe: Body Electric - Jack Beck Juxtaposer - Joanna Davidovich La Vie d’un Chien (The Life of a Dog) - John Harden Ladies in Waiting - Hope Dickson Leach Nativity - Mahyar Abousaeedi Night Movie - Sarah Soquel Morhaim The Sexorist: Revirginize - Diane Nerwen The Sky is Falling - Adam J. Kreps Superfan - Paul Germain What I’m Looking For - Shelly Silver Winter Sea - Erika Tasini Harris Theater: Fri Nov 11 @ 7:30; Sun Nov 13 @ 3:30 Melwood Screening Room: Tue Nov 15 @ 9:15 |
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Both laugh-out loud funny and wrenchingly
dramatic, the film is told largely from the point of
view of Walt Berkman (Jesse Eisenberg, the avid
nephew in Roger Dodger), a 16-year-old enduring
the breakup of his parents’ marriage in mid-1980s
Brooklyn. Using the literary elite as a backdrop,
The Squid and the Whale surveys the members
of a flawed, collapsing family with sympathy but
without mercy. In detailing bohemian-bourgeois
life in brownstone Brooklyn, Baumbach is spot on.
Everyone proceeds from good intentions and acts rather badly, in spite or because of their manifest
intelligence. Fulfilling the best traditions of the American independent film, this quirky, wisely written
feature explores the gulf between sexes, generations, art and commerce. Soon to be the breakout
hit for director Baumbach (Kicking and Screaming), the film is anchored by uncompromising
performances by Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and Anna Paquin. (Directed by Noah Baumbach;
USA; 2005; 88 min) Regent Square Theater: Sun Nov 6 @ 7:30 |
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Broadway meets Pittsburgh in this real-life
Waiting for Guffman. Captured on 16mm film
and peopled with quirky, lovable characters,
SQUONKumentary tells the story of an unlikely
Broadway transplant. In January of 2000, having
completed a successful, three month run at New
York’s P.S. 122, a funky troupe of Pittsburgh
musicians suddenly find themselves preparing their
offbeat show for Broadway. But the Squonkers’ uplifting musical score and lush, bizarre imagery
quickly collides, often humorously, with realities of the show’s survival. Edited and shot with dashes
of the show’s playful surrealism, the film offers its own take on the Squonk aesthetic and attempts
to answer the most ticklish question of all: what the heck is “squonk”? The Friday sneak preview will
precede a live performance by Pittsburgh’s own Squonk Opera. (Directed by Peggy Sutton;
USA, 2005, 70 min) Melwood Screening Room: Fri Nov 4 @ 8:30; Sat Nov 5 @ 2:30 |
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For anyone amused by language, this film is a homonymphonemiac’s
romp on a thrill ride of expanded text use worthy of
an Ecstatic Kabbalist w/ a direct link to the flaming letters of
creation. Or so says the Ballooning One, member of the revised
17th century German language society, whose rendezvous
with the Forked One in the Comenius Garden in Berlin
triggers a verborrhea of nebulous Adamiticness! Will Oliver
Marchart be defeated? Tune in to NEOIST?! TV & enter the
GREAT CONFUSION in search for a Universal Language! The filmmaker is scheduled to appear.
(Directed by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE; USA; 2005; 86 min) Melwood Screening Room: Sat Nov 12 @ 9:15; Mon Nov 14 @ 9:15 |
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In the summer of 1968, African-American filmmaker William Greaves shot the footage which would become one of the most
groundbreaking experiments in American cinema. Originally intended as a series of five films, the project was planned to feature
actors ‘screen-testing’ by improvising on the basic scenario of the bitter break-up of a married couple. In fact, Take One was the
only one made - Greaves was unable to find funding to finish the others. The film more or less disappeared until 1991, when a print
surfaced and it was re-discovered (There is now a sequel, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2-1/2.) Almost 40 years on, it still fascinates as a multilayered
hybrid of documentary and fiction, calling attention to the process and artifice of cinema. Even if present day audiences are more familiar with selfreferential
filmmaking, we rarely see the boundaries pushed to the extent that Greaves managed. Each time the drama of the film-within-the-film is played
out, we are reminded of its construction: equipment fails, performers get frustrated and tired, ‘real’ people wander into the scene.
Watching it now, it’s clear, Symbio…Take One was way ahead of its time. Perhaps we’ve finally caught up. (Directed by William
Greaves; USA; 1968; 70 min.) Harris Theater: Sun Nov 6 @ 8:00; Tue Nov 8 @ 7:15 preceded by local film Downtown Towndown by Tony Balko & Nick Falwell |
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A stylish, erotically charged thriller, À Tout de Suite is the highly anticipated new film
from acclaimed French director Benoit Jacquot (Sade, A Single Girl). Based on
actual events, it tells the story of sexy, free-spirited Lili, a Parisian art student
who falls for a charismatic bank robber and joins him on the run, a dizzying crosscontinent
escape through Spain, Morocco and Greece, when a sudden betrayal leaves her stranded in the middle of
nowhere. Visually stunning, À Tout de Suite is a mesmerizing account of one woman’s breathtaking
journey of self-discovery. (Directed by Benoit Jacquot; France; 2005; 96 min.) Regent Square Theater: Thu Nov 10 @ 9:15; Sat Nov 12 @ 6:30 |
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A collection of video-curiosities created by artists and
scientists. Behind lab doors are some of the most astonishing
“outsider” art projects around. Autopoetic bacteria, tethered
flies, ebullient nanogears - these data gems create wonder,
beauty - not to mention knowledge. Artists have been mining
science for years, experimenting with icky substances,
authority figures, and ever-elusive Reason. This unique program includes digital movies by biologists
alongside contemporary video art. Brigid Reagan from Chicago’s Video Data Bank is scheduled to
appear. (various directors; 100 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Wed Nov 9 @ 8:00 |
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A cogent examination of the US military’s domination of governments and economies, this controversial documentary
fresh from the Toronto Film Festival, is a sobering wake-up call. Framing his argument with Eisenhower’s warnings
about the military-industrial complex in his farewell address in 1961, and the early-morning countdown to the
first strike on Baghdad in 2003, Eugene Jarecki (The Trials of Henry Kissinger) meticulously shows how
the unchallenged expansion of the defense industry after World War II, eventually created an economic and political
need for a state of constant war -- the choice of enemy is almost beside the point. What makes Why We Fight
so devastating is that it stands as a plea for reason in an age that expresses little use for it. (Directed by Eugene Jarecki; USA; 2005;
98 min.) Regent Square Theater: Fri Nov 11 @ 7:15; Sun Nov 13 @ 7:00 |
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“An after-hours view of the artist feels raw and disturbingly intimate. It’s a glimpse of a profound
unease that may explain, a little, the nagging strangeness of his art: its restlessness, its
eerie stillness…” NY Times. In 1976, William Eggleston’s hallucinatory images were featured
in the MoMA’s first one-man exhibition of color photographs. He has been called “the beginning
of modern color photography.” It is rare for an artist of such stature to allow himself to be shown
as unguardedly as Eggleston does in this intimate portrait. The filmmaker tracks the photographer
on trips to Kentucky, L A and New York, giving particular attention to downtime in Memphis,
Eggleston’s home base. The film shows a deep connection between Eggleston’s personality and
his ground-breaking work, and reveals his parallel commitments as a musician, draftsman and
videographer. A sphinx-like renegade, Eggleston is, at age 65, an inspiration to artists worldwide.
(Directed by Michael Almereyda; USA; 2005; 86 min.) Melwood Screening Room: Tue Nov 15 @ 7:15; Wed Nov 16 @ 8:00 preceded by local film Fifty States by Jared Larson |
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A bizarre cross-cultural pollination of Las Vegas and Disney World, the Chinese theme park, called “World
Park,” puts on lavish shows performed amid scaled-down replicas of the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, St.
Mark’s Square, the Pyramids and even the Twin Towers. This quirky fiction film centers on a group
of young people who flock there for work. From the sensational opening tracking shot of a young dancer’s
backstage quest for a Band-Aid to poetic flourishes of
animation and clever use of text-messaging, the film pushes past the kitsch potential of this surreal
setting - a real-life tourist destination. The Village Voice called Jia Zhangke “the world’s greatest
filmmaker under forty.” An innovative technical director, he also has a compassionate eye for the
desperate dreams of of the twenty-somethings from China’s remote provinces. Subtitled. (Directed
by Jia Zhangke; China; 2004; 139 min.) Harris Theater: Sun Nov 6 @ 2:30; Tue Nov 8 @ 9:00 |
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Based on a true story, The World’s Fastest Indian features the great Anthony Hopkins as irrepressible Burt Munro, a New Zealand motorcycle “tinkerer” who
never let his youthful passion for speed fade. After a lifetime of working on his 1920 Indian motorcycle, he sets off from the bottom of the world, eventually
breaking the land-speed record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967. With all odds against him, his record remains unbroken to this day and established
his legendary reputation among motorcyclists. (Directed by Roger Donaldson; New Zealand/ US; 2005; 127 min.) Harris Theater: Sat Nov 12 @ 6:30; Sun Nov 13 @ 1:00 |
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An evening of terrifying sights and sounds! Cult director Roger Corman’s brilliant nightmare about
a scientist whose hubris leads to a frightening extra-human transformation becomes a canvas for
the legendary underground band Pere Ubu, for which the Cleveland-based band has created an
underscore. Lead singer David Thomas is a dark god of the avant-rock world and he conducts the proceedings with
menacing intensity. The plot revolves around Dr. Xavier’s (Ray Milland) search for a serum to improve eyesight, but instead discovers the formula for x-ray vision! Thwarted by his more short-sighted colleagues, the doctor tests the potion on himself only to find that his ability to see through walls, clothes and flesh soon turns him into a pariah. Still, he is overcome by an insatiable desire to look further and further until, finally, he dares to peer into the place Where Man Is Not Meant To Go. Great fun! Tickets: $15. (Directed by Roger Corman; US: 1963; 79 min.) Regent Square Theater: Sat Nov 5 @ 11:00pm |
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