Show Dates
and Film Titles
February
27Vodka Lemon
(Armenia
2003) 88 minutes
A whimsical portrait of village life in the poverty-stricken snowy badlands of post-Soviet Armenia . “[Director Hiner Saleem] displays the visual confidence and subtle screwball rhythms of a master… the movie makes comic eloquence look easy.” (Michael Atkinson, Village Voice)
March 6 The Mother
(UK 2004)
112 minutes
A fearless, realistic portrayal of an older woman's sexual blossoming. "A drama that's unafraid of pain, complexity and ambiguity." (Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News)
March 13 My Architect
(USA
2004) 116 minutes
A documentary by the illegitimate son of renowned architect Louis Kahn as he undertakes a five year, worldwide exploration from Philadelphia to Bangladesh to understand his long-dead father. "A quiet, inspiring study of the vagaries of genius, the blindness of commerce, the pain of family conflicts and the almost sublime power of great architecture or great art." (Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune)
March 20 Bus 174
(Brazil 2003) 122 minutes
A documentary portrayal of the 2000 bus hijacking in Brazil where a lone gunman held his victims captive as authorities -- and television cameras -- surrounded the parked vehicle. “A deceptively straightforward film that has the force of tragedy and the depth of first-rate investigative journalism.” (A. O. Scott, New York Times)
March 27 No film showing.
April 3 The Motorcycle Diaries
(Argentina 2004) 126 minutes
This film, based on the journals of Che Guevara, recounts adventures he and best friend had while crossing South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s. "Eloquently and remarkably captures the budding ethical, emotional, and political sensibilities of a legendary man of history." (Gabriel Shanks, Mixed Reviews)
April 10 A Very Long Engagement
(France 2004) 134 minutes
A story of one woman's relentless search for her fiance, a soldier who has disappeared into the trenches of war, from the star and director of the hit film Amelie . "Told with a blend of visual mastery and emotional intimacy, this ambitious venture sustains a special melding of romance and pragmatism that should engage discerning audiences." ( Lisa Nesselson , Variety)
April 17 Moolaade
(Senegal 2004) 132 minutes
The latest offering from director Ousmene Sembene (considered by many the grandfather of African cinema) tells the story of four young girls facing ritual circumcision who flee to a strong-willed woman who invokes the time-honored custom of moolaade (sanctuary) to protect them. "The film is alive with a spirit of righteous resistance, leavening its social realism with humor, music and a fervent belief in its own goodness and truth."
(E! Online)
April 24 Infernal Affairs
(Hong Kong
2004) 101 minutes
This stylized and subdued thriller builds on emotional and psychological tension and stars superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung as an undercover cop who desperately wants a normal life and a corrupt cop who secretly reports to a ruthless crime boss. “ [A] rare testosterone movie that is also mature and thoughtful." (Andrew Sun, Hollywood Reporter)
May 1 Bride and Prejudice
(UK 2004) 111 minutes
This Bollywood-meets-Hollywood ‘reinvention' of the classic Austen novel transports the comic tale of a witty young woman trying to find a suitable husband to a cross-cultural setting that spans 21st century India , London and America . “Triumphs with its devil-may-care, good-humored fun." (Derek Elley, Variety)
Spring 2005 International Film
Series