September 2003


Next Cinema Lounge

The Cinema Lounge meets Monday, September 8 at 7:00pm for "Summer Review/Fall Preview." Join us for our annual look back a the films of the summer and a look ahead to the films of the fall and holiday season.

Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, takes place the second Monday of every month at 7:00pm at Borders Books, 600 14th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop).



The Sundance Film Series 2003


Announced by Robert Redford at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Film Series has been developed as another extension of the overall Sundance mission to support the work of independent artists and offer opportunities for audiences to discover that work. It brings full circle the cycle of support that Sundance can offer filmmakers ranging from the programs of the Sundance Institute, including the Filmmaker Labs and the Film Festival, to Sundance Channel and its home entertainment line. Any proceeds from the program will go to the filmmakers and to support the programs of the not-for-profit Sundance Institute.

The Sundance Film Series is similar to The Shooting Gallery’s series of a few years back that included the releases of Croupier, A Time for Drunken Horses, Orphans, Southpaw and Judy Berlin. For the 2003 Sundance Film Series, the films that will be released in ten cities (and shown locally and exclusively at Loews Georgetown) include: The Other Side of the Bed (opening August 29), In This World (opening September 19), Dopamine (opening October 10) and Die Mommie Die! (opening October 31).

The DC Film Society will participate in preview screenings of these films two weeks before each is released and will conduct discussions after each film moderated by coordinating committee members Brian Niemiec (host of Film Society’s monthly Cinema Lounge) and Jim Shippey.

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel brings television viewers daring and engaging feature films, shorts, documentaries, world cinema and animation, shown uncut and with no commercials. Through its original programs, Sundance Channel connects viewers with filmmakers, the creative process, and the world of independent film. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture between Robert Redford, Showtime Networks Inc., and Universal Studios. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of supporting independent artists and providing them with wider opportunities to present their work to audiences. Visit the Sundance Channel's website.

The Sundance Film Series will be presented by Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Coca-Cola, Entertainment Weekly, Kenneth Cole Productions and Volkswagen with each sponsor providing funding as well as in-kind marketing support and various promotional opportunities. Each film will be released theatrically in ten markets (New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.) exclusively in Loews Theater locations.



Charlotte Sometimes--An Interview with the Director

By Linda Posell

If you missed this interview which was posted late in August, you can read it here.



Looking for Filmmaking Talent: Are You the Next Kiarostami?

By Jim McCaskill

BERLIN, Germany. The Berlin International Film Festival is looking for young people who are serious about a career in filmmaking. Last year they launched the Berlinale Talent Campus to assist young talent and seek young talent who are as serious about film as they are. The Talent Campus is held in conjunction with the 2004 film festival, February 7-12.

Young screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, directors, actors and, new in 2004, film composers, sound designers and film editors. Successful applicants who are not German citizens nd who do not live in Germany will receive free accommodation and a contribution towards their travel expenses.

The six day program explores the five stages of creating film: philosophy, preproduction, production, post production and publicity. Through lectures, case studies and workshops the various areas of the filmmakers craft (sound, vision, action, turning point and climax) is studied. The program concentrates on the practical aspects of filmmaking.

More information and application forms may be found at their website. Application deadline is October 10th and selected candidates will be notified no later than December 27, 2003. A one minute film must be submitted with your application.


Report from the 57th Edinburgh International Film Festival

By Jim McCaskill

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND. They have rolled up and stored the red carpet away. The 57th Edinburgh International Film Festival has come to an end and all those films that had their premieres here have moved on to other festivals and, with great luck, to a general release. The EIFF richly deserves its place as the UK's number one film festival and Shane Danielsen in his sophomore year as Artistic Director has selected films that engage the mind as well as the eye. In the Rosebud section he has given 36 new directors an opportunity to display their talent while attracting veterans like Mike Hodges, Peter Greenaway, Oliver Stone to the Scottish capital.

There was a trend this year toward reality based films that blur the line between feature films and documentaries. Iran's And Along Came a Spider is a chilling portrait of a serial killer on a mission from God. Capturing the Friedmans was chilling in the way it presented a family destroyed by father and son's pedophilia. My Architect and Traces of a Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family both look at families torn by secrets. Others included Comandante, Screaming Men, and Comedian. Song for a Raggy Boy was based on real experiences; 16 Years of Alcohol had elements from the director's life.

There were nine films that I thought were outstanding and can strongly recommend: 16 Years of Alcohol (Richard Jobson/Scotland/2003), I'll Sleep when I am Dead (Mike Hodges/UK/2003), Song for a Raggy Boy (Aisling Walsh/Ireland/2003), Young Adam (David Mackenzie/Scotland, UK/2003) are at the top of the heap and closely followed by: Belleville Rendez-Vous (Les Triplettes de Belleville Sylvain Chomet/France, Canada & Belgium/2003, The Bookstore (El Kotbia Nafwel Saheb-Ettaba/Tunisia/2002), Eroica (Simon Cellan Jones/UK/2003), Sophiatown (reviewed in the August Storyboard) (Pascale Lamche/France and UK/2003) and Wilbur (Who Wants to Kill Himself) (Lone Scherfig/Denmark, Scotland, UK, Sweden & France/2002).

Another eight that were very good and should be seen: Blind Shaft (Mang Jing) Li Yang/Hong Kong & Germany/2003, Christmas Gregory King/New Zealand/2003, In America Jim Sheridan/Ireland and UK/2002, Intermission John Crowley/Ireland/2003, My Architect Nathaniel Kahn/USA/2003, The Other Final John Kramer/The Netherlands/2003, The Rage in Placid Lake Tony McNamara/Australia/2003, Solid Air Mary Miles Thomas/Scotland, UK/2002, and A Thousand Months Faouzi Bensaid/Morocco/2003.

Films I considered good but not at the top of the heap are: Blind Spot (Slepa Pega) Hanna A W Slak/Slovenia/2002, Crimson Gold (Talaye Sorgh) Jafar Panahi/Iran/2003, Deserted Station (Istgah-e Matrouk) Alireza Raisan/2002, Ned Kelly Gregor Jordan/Australia and UK/2003, One for the Road Chris Cooke/UK/2003, Potestad Luis Cesar D'Angiolillo/Argentina/2002, Screaming Men Mika Ronkainen/Finland & Denmark/2003, Spare Parts (Rezervni Deli Damjan Kozole/Slovenia/2002.

Not Recommended: Feathers in My Head Thomas de Thier/Belgium/2003, The Hours of the Day (Las Horas Del Dia) Jaime Rosales/Sprain/2003, The Sky. The Plane. The Girl (Nebo. Samoljot. Devushka) Vera Storozheva/Russia/2003.

There is a saying that the poorest films have the longest titles and that was true this year. One film I really disliked due to exceedingly poor acting, awkward cutting and little direction was A Thousand Clouds of Peace Fence the Sky, Love, Your Love Will Never End (Mil nubes de paz cercan el cielo, amor, jamas, acabaras de ser amor) Julian Hernandez/Mexico/2003.

Each festival there are one or two films stand out as hidden jewels. This year, when violence and nihilism seem to fascinate filmmakers, two films stand out as beacons of hope. John Kramer's The Other Final and Sylvain Chomet's Belleville Rendez-vous. Both sports centered but you need know absolutely nothing about international football or marathon bike riding to appreciate the determination of the human spirit. Kramer documents the game between the world's two worst soccer teams, Montserrat and Bhutan. They may not have had the financial backing of the Tokyo World's Cup final but they lacked nothing in drive and determination. Montserrat was saddled with horrendous volcanic eruptions and a stroppy coach who quits at the last minute. But it did have a great theme song (Arrow's Hot, Hot, Hot). Bhutan may be nestled high in the Himalayas but it did have home field advantage and a dog that keeps chasing the ball. Funn y, inspiring and a delight for everyone.

With Chomets whacky drawings and running gags, Belleville Rendez-vous hits all the right keys. Don't worry about having to read sub-titles. Their aren't any and they are not missed as this whacky cartoon is almost dialogue free. Take one doting grandmother and a grand son who dreams of competing in the Tour de France then add one dog who attacks every train in sight and you have a fun filled film.

There were films that others loved but that I did not get a chance to see. These included And Along Came a Spider (Mazair Bahari/Iran/2002), American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini/USA/2002, Echelon: The Secret Power (Echelon: Le Pouvoir Secret David Korn-Bzoza/France/2003), Fear X (Nicolas Winding Refn/Denmark & UK/2002), Four Eyes (Duncan Finnigan/Scotland, UK/2003), Interstella 5555: the 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Leiji Matsumoto/Japan and France/2003).

Synopsis of Favorite Films
16 Years of Alcohol. A love song to Old Town Edinburgh. An affectionate elegy for wasted youth. Richard Jobson told me that "I wanted it to be fragmented. Almost like a dream. And I wanted Edinburgh to be a character in the film. You normally see Edinburgh in contemporary film as quite a grim place. It is a beautiful, romantic place. I really see the film as a musical with violence. When the narration stops the music takes over. When 'Pale Blue Eyes' is heard Kevin (McKidd) is looking in the mirror at his pale, blue eyes." My interview with Jobson, McKidd and Susan Lynch will appear in a future Storyboard.

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. "I can't think of anyone living in a certain moment of human history that can not understand revenge. We happen to be living in a period of time when we are witnessing a considerable amount of revenge," director Mike Hodges said in the press conference I covered. "In truth the film is not actually a revenge film. It eventually emerges that revenge is taken but right up to the very end of the film it is not even contemplated. There is a moment when Will (played by Clive Owen) changes his mind but right up to that moment his revenge is going to be slow and sweet." This film is scheduled for US release in early 2004 and comments make by Hodges, Owens and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are scheduled for the January 2004 Storyboard. Meyers next film is Alexander the Great. He told me he was "on his way to boot camp to learn to be a manly man. A manly man not a pretty, manly man."

Song for a Raggy Boy. A companion film to last year's Magdalene Sisters. Based on Patrick Galvin's autobiographical account of life in a Catholic reform school. Set in 1939, tensions arise between a reform minded teacher, played by Aidan Quinn and stern disciplinarian, played by Iain Glen, result in terrible cruelty. The shattered ideals of the Spanish Civil War veteran and a priest who believes that without a threat of violence these boys will run amuck. Glen's mouth frothing scene is destined to be a screen classic. There is no USA release date for this film but my interviews with the cast and director will appear in Storyboard later this year.

Young Adam. Alexander Trocci's cult novel is finally coming to the screen. Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan and Emily Mortimer give superb performances in this study of a nihilistic life of barge life on a Glasgow canal. From the opening scene of a young woman's body floating in the canal to the closing court room scenes David Mackenzie's captures the moments in this dark film.

Awards
Saltire Society Grierson Award for Short Documentary: She Toon: City of Bingo directed and written by Craig Collinson produced by Russell Leven and Nick Wright ­ Award accepted by Craig Collinson, Russell Leven and Nick Wright.

The Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature supported by the UK Film Council: Young Adam directed by David McKenzie. Award accepted by Tilda Swinton. Special commendation to 16 Years of Alcohol directed by Richard Jobson. Award accepted Richard Jobson and Susan Lynch.

The Guardian New Director's Award: American Splendor directed Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Award accepted by Harvey Pekar and Paul Giamatti.

Special Commendation: Dagur Kari (Noi Albinoi) and Li Yang (Blind Shaft).

The Standard Life Audience Award: Afterlife directed by Alison Peebles and produced by Catherine Aitken and Ros Borland. Afterlife is a New Found film, funded by SMG and Scottish Screen. Award accepted by Alison Peebles, Catherine Aitken, Ros Borland and Paula Sage.

The Kodak and Dazzle Award for Best British Short Film: Love Me Or Leave Me Alone directed by Duane Hopkins produced by Samm Haille. Award accepted by Samm Haille.

The European Short Film Award: Prix UIP: Small Avalanches (Sma Skred) directed by Birgitte Staermose Special commendation to Alnoor Dewshi for Spiritual Rampage.

The McLaren Animation Award for New British Animation: Pullin' the Devil by the Tail directed by Stephen McCollum, produced by Pearce Moore.

Conclusion
A film festival can not end without an financial analysis. In the case of the 57th Edinburgh International Film Festival they seem to be deservedly self-congratulatory. Even though this year's festival was 3 days shorter than last, EIFF 2003 was the most successful to date, so say the numbers released by the organizers.

EIFF 2003 closed with a 16% increase in box office takings over 2002 and attendance figures showed an 11% increase, 54,000 ticket buyers. All this in a year not consider an especially strong one for film.

Ginnie Atkinson, Managing Director, said, "We are all delighted with the results of the film festival this year--the program was stronger and more diverse than ever--we had films from 48 countries, over 400 filmmakers attended in addition to the 450 members of the press and nearly 750 industry delegates. Evidently audiences were even more enthusiastic than ever about the films on offer."

A host of stars and talents attended the Film Festival this year, highlighting the unique chance that EIFF gives to audiences to meet filmmakers and discuss their work. Guests in Edinburgh this year included EIFF patron Sir Sean Connery and screen luminaries such as Aidan Quinn, Geraldine and Michael Chaplin, Iain Glen, Samantha Morton, Terence Davies, Tilda Swinton, Mike Hodges, Peter Greenaway, Jim Sheridan, Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Richard LaGravensese, Peter Mullan, Kevin McKidd, Emily Mortimer, David Mackenzie, Paul Giamatti and the visionary Oliver Stone, whilst introducing new talents such as Jamie Sives (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself), Alison Peebles (Afterlife), Cillian Murphy (Intermission), Richard Jobson (16 Years of Alcohol), Paula Sage (Afterlife), Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor).

The 58th Edinburgh International Film Festival will take place from Wednesday 11 August to Sunday 22 August 2004.

For me it is now on to Toronto.



A Brief Conversation with Alexander McCall Smith

By Jim McCaskill

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND. I ran into Alexander McCall Smith at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and could not resist asking the acclaimed author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency when we might expect to see 'traditionally built' Precious Ramotswe, "Botswana's only -- and finest -- female detective" upon the silver screen. Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack's company, Mirage, had optioned the five-book series for television and it was rumored for film as well.

"Film is a veil of tears," he replied. "I have lost control to Hollywood and can only hope they are culturally sensitive." Part of the book's charm is an appreciation of the Botswana people honed by a lifetime of contact, being born and raised in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was his glimpse, twenty years ago, of a woman in a red dress chasing a chicken with such gusto and hoots of delight that he knew he must write about her. In time she became Ramotswe.

"One American company called me and asked if they could transfer it from Botswana to America. I did not think that was helpful.... Certainly Hollywood will want a car chase. Precious Ramotswe has a small white van. Maybe they can have a van chase instead."


Report from the 30th Telluride Film Festival

By Nance Granese

There are no awards. The outline of the weekend's schedule is announced only 24 hours before the first film is shown. Final schedules for each day are rarely available before 1 am. 2003 marks the first time an honoree was announced in advance. There are no naked starlets, evening gowns or trashy jewels. And it takes place in a town with an airstrip so small that almost no one is brave enough to fly there.

It's the Telluride Film Festival and it's terrific. The weather is perfect, the mountains are gorgeous, the movies are great, and the popcorn is always stale (go for the brownies and the Mesa Quesadillas instead). It is 9,000 feet above sea level, and the altitude isn't the only thing that takes your breath away: the mountains are spectacular.

TTF takes place from the Friday before Labor Day through Labor Day. It's not quite a movie marathon, but its close. Films start at 5 pm Friday, then as early as 8:30 on the other 3 days, and you can see films until 1 am each day.

The largest theater is in the local high school's gym; the smallest, in the high school's cafeteria. It's not as horrible as it sounds. All the venues enjoy state of the art projection and sound facilities. Except for the lack of stadium seating, they're better than most commercial houses. The least expensive pass (Acme) is $300 - it entitles you to all the shows at one of the largest theatres, and two films of your choice at the smaller theaters. There's a $600 Festival pass which lets you into any theatre, and then Patron ($3,500, of which $1,500 is tax deductible) and Sponsor ("major contribution") passes. The last two categories get freebies and mingling privileges, I guess.

You don't need a TFF pass to see films. You can stand in line, hoping to get in after all passholders are seated, at $20 per film. And there are several free screenings, including an outdoor screening each night. I've always opted for the $300 pass, but am sorely tempted to upgrade. Next year's passes may well cost more; check the website as you make plans. Or, you can stick around after the festival ends and go to the 'After the Festival' festival and see six of the films for a $50 pass ($35 for local residents) or $15 each.

Getting to Telluride is tough. The Telluride airport is good for small private planes, Hummers, and not much else. The closest "real" airport is at Montrose, about 90 minutes away, and it's not much. Denver is a 7-hour drive. Once you get to Telluride, you can park your car and walk. Accommodations vary from expensive to outrageously expensive, but if you start planning early enough, you may be able to luck into something affordable. Food is abundant and cheap or abundant and expensive; I usually opt for the former. Check the website for travel and accommodations information.

There are several themes common to each TFF: Filmmakers of Tomorrow - Student Prints (sponsored by the otherwise much-maligned Tom Cruise), Calling Cards (short films from four non-American directors), Great Expectations (filmmakers to watch). Honorees - this year, actress Toni Collette, Krzysztof Zanussi (a leader in 80's Polish film), writer Budd Schulberg, and Ted Turner (for film preservation, not colorization). And a Guest Director this year - Stephen Sondheim.

The most important common theme: movies, lots of them, some shown several times, depending on audience reaction. A partial schedule is available the day before TFF opens, and an official program appears at noon on opening day. However, only the first day's screenings are fixed in advance; most of the remaining screenings are To Be Announced. At the end of each day, the festival's organizers decide what films to show at each of the seven venues (ranging in size from 135 to 700 seats) the following day. Filmgoers scramble to the venues each chill morning, coffee in hand, peering at the bulletin boards, filling in their programs with the day's "TBAs."

Every film is "presented" by a prominent film figure, usually someone associated with the film (if alive): directors and actors predominate. In addition to Collette, Turner, Schulberg, and Sondheim, this year's luminaries included Gus Van Sant, Chloe Sevigny, Sofia Coppola, Peter Sellars, Leonard Maltin (like Ken Burns, a regular), Peter Bogdanovich, Errol Morris, and at least a dozen directors from all over the world, talking about their films. In addition, panel discussions and Q&A sessions are scheduled throughout the festival.

I saw 13 movies in 4 days. That's actually a wimpy standard, because I could have seen 4 or 5 more plus student films. If I weren't one of those people who insists on staying until the absolute end of the credits, the number could climb higher.

The films I saw, in alphabetical order, were.

ALEXANDRA'S PROJECT. It's Steve's birthday and after an early-morning family celebration, Alexandra sends Steve off to work with the promise of a birthday surprise that evening. And what an elaborate surprise she has in store. Alexandra has plotted a savage revenge on Steve, one that works quite effectively on him and on the audience. I've always thought of Australia as a kick-ass place, and couldn't believe that any woman would put up with a guy she hated for 14 years, but that seems to be the case with Alex. Truth be told, Steve doesn't seem like such a bad guy; a little bit of jerk, but no more so than normal. I hated this movie, and so did most of the other people I spoke with. Men were terribly defensive about it, and most women went out of their way to assure them that Alex was (1) overreacting, and (2) unnecessarily sadistic. Still, it was impossible not to watch, but I was so glad it was only 103 minutes long. Excruciating.

THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS. A sort of Canadian Big Chill, this is the story of a group of fifty-ish friends who converge at the bedside of a dying friend. The film is not only about reminiscing, but also about what it takes to die well, which seems to include, among other things, unfettered access to heroin. This film revisits characters from an earlier film (DECLINE OF AMERICAN EMPIRE, 1986) which needs to come out on DVD and maybe INVASIONS will make that happen. Marie-Josee Crose won the Cannes best actress award for her performance in this film, though she could just as easily have won the most beautiful young woman on the planet award, too. A funny, warm, touching film, certain to be successful in the U.S., even though it's in French. This was one of the films that was universally liked, and that everyone was trying to see.

ELEPHANT. One of the two movies at the festival eliciting the most widely divergent reactions. People either loved it or hated it, with a clear generation gap - kids liked it. This is Gus Van Sant's latest, a re-enactment of Columbine, filtered through Van Sant's peculiar lens regarding young boys. I found it trite (the three cool girls each eat one lettuce leaf for lunch and then go to the ladies' room to throw up) and exploitive (the killers share a kiss in a shower), but two very articulate teenagers convinced me that the film had merit for them. In a post-screening discussion, Van Sant said that he spent a lot of time playing video games with kids in an effort to understand what happened that day at Columbine High School; the problem with the film is that he doesn't provide any insight into what he may have learned. It was one of the kids at the festival who pointed out that the film showed no adults, other than one teacher, who engaged with the kids, "and no matter what kids say, they want their parents to take an interest in what they do." What is obvious is that all those video games colored Van Sant's film-making so that much of the film is filled with tracking shots following individual scenes' protagonists. The technique was ultimately boring, but apparently excruciating boredom is what Van Sant is trying to convey. The film was made without a script - Van Sant gave the kids an outline and had them improvise their dialogue - and Van Sant himself said that the tracking shots were "a substitute for a story." Last year, Cannes gave the top awards to THE PIANIST and Roman Polanski; this year, ELEPHANT and Van Sant. Go figure.

FOG OF WAR. Robert McNamara, the Defense Secretary most closely identified with the American buildup in Vietnam, talks to Errol Morris, documentarian extraordinaire, about what he's learned. Subtitled Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert McNamara, the film is a reflection on the life and times of McNamara, and is in the same class as Morris' other brilliant work, THE THIN BLUE LINE. This film elicited strong reactions, regardless of age or political philosophy. All agreed it was up to Morris' usual standards, but some were incensed by it, believing that it was too easy on McNamara. I thought it was the best film at the festival. Another note: the film's introducer read a quote from Roger Ebert, likening Morris to Fellini and Hitchcock, among others. FOW demonstrates that Ebert is exactly right. It'll dominate Washington dinner parties for months, and is likely to be the full-length documentary to beat at the Oscars.

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING. For those of you who've been under a mushroom, or who just can't read, Tracy Chevalier's speculative novel of the great 17th century painter Johannes Vermeer (remember the show at the National Gallery the year of the Gingrich-Clinton government shutdown/showdown?) and his most famous painting is now, as they say, a major motion picture. The film stars Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson, both perfectly cast, but it is probably too slow to please anyone who (1) hasn't read the book, or (2) doesn't love Vermeer's paintings. I didn't read the book, but loving Vermeer's work, felt the film was so visually successful, that I didn't care that, as one woman said, "it doesn't have much of a story." Lovers of the book were disappointed because much is omitted. First-time director Peter Webber announced that "Tracy has seen it and likes it" even as he apologized for his changes. Due out theatrically in December, this film may have one of the biggest openings of the year, if all the book's and the painter's fans show up on opening day; the four festival showings of the film were all packed to the rafters. It may be this year's ENGLISH PATIENT - I don't think Elaine would stay awake, but I did.

INTERMISSION. A few feckless buddies decide to commit a crime for wildly different reasons. Each character has a different storyline, all of which thankfully come together at the end as neatly as a Dickens novel. Directed by John Crowley, an award-winning Irish stage director, and starring several recognizable Irish film actors - Colin Farrell, Kelly MacDonald, Colm Meany, Cillian Murphy - and several not so recognizable but still wonderful, this was one of those surprises that make film festivals worthwhile. Funny, profane (they're Irish, after all) and violent (Farrell doing what clearly comes naturally), this is a movie that is sure to make it to an art theatre near you. Don't miss it.

THE MORE THE MERRIER. I only saw this because I stayed around for Gus Van Sant's Q&A after ELEPHANT, and didn't have time to run to another theatre to catch LOST IN TRANSLATION (absolutely no seating once the film begins), but what luck! This film was the personal pick of Stephen Sondheim, this year's Guest Director. Directed by George Stevens, TMTM was nominated for Best Picture in 1943 and lost to Casablanca. I still won't quibble with the choice, but what a choice! Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn (who DID get an Oscar) may not be enough to get you to see this movie, but "Capra described [McCrae and Arthur's] heavy-petting porch scene as the funniest and sexiest in Hollywood history" so maybe that will help. Or what about this: 500+ people laughing out loud simultaneously at a 60-year-old comedy which seemed absolutely contemporary. It's only available on VHS, but maybe Telluride will convince someone to upgrade the print, re-issue the flick, and bring it out on DVD soon. Oh yeah, it's about the housing shortage in wartime Washington - Coburn plays Cupid for two youngsters who desperately need the help. Find it and see it. It's terrific.

NOI ALBINOI. Noi is a teen-aged boy in a small town in Iceland, who'd probably be diagnosed as ADD and given drugs in the US, drifts from one boring event to another. He lives with his shotgun-toting grandmother because his father is an unreliable alcoholic cab driver. Noi doesn't get along too well at school because he shows up late, sleeps through classes, and doesn't take any of it seriously. But he's clever enough to get spending money by hot-wiring the one-armed bandit at the gas station. Suddenly a pretty girl appears in town, giving Noi a purpose in his life. Watching him figure out how to catch her attention and convince her to change her life is charming. The movie is either slow moving or leisurely paced, depending on whether you liked it. I did.

OSAMA. Made in post-Taliban Afghanistan, this is a scathing depiction of life under the Taliban - more precisely, the life of women. A widowed doctor is not allowed to work, yet forced to provide for an aged mother and a pubescent daughter. She decides to dress her daughter as a son and to send her to work. The consequences when the girl is dragooned into a Taliban training school for boys are devastating. It's not a perfect film, but it's so engrossing and moving that its narrative flaws don't matter. Apparently the State Department wouldn't approve a visa for its director, Siddiq Barmak, to come to Telluride. Big mistake, because the Bush Administration need only show this film; it might unearth a great deal more support for his foreign policy.

LES TRIPLETTS DE BELLEVILLE. Only the crabbiest of curmudgeons could dislike this fabulous animated film. It's funny, sly, tense, touching and charming. A joint project of Belgian, Canadian and French animators, Triplets was one of the best films at the festival. I don't recall hearing a negative comment about it. Champion lives in a tiny house with the world's most perfect grandmother. She devotes her life to finding things to engage her grandson's interest, and finally, she figures out that his primary interest is cycling. Years pass, and little Champion has grown into a Tour de France participant, with Grandmama's help, of course (every athlete should have such an inventive and devoted trainer). Champion is so talented that he is kidnapped in the midst of the race. Grandmama comes to the rescue, but only after a series of adventures of her own, during which she never loses her cool or her focus. Backed by a wonderful score, infused with subtle anti-Americanism (we're all fat and some of us are completely evil scoundrels), but never offensive, TRIPLETTS was one of the highlights of the weekend.

SHATTERED GLASS. The story of Stephen Glass, the enfant terrible of The New Republic who made up stories, quotes, characters, and excuses. This is Hayden Christensen's bid to be taken seriously, and he certainly should be. He got the role because he told someone who told someone else that he was interested in playing Glass even before there was a script. Billy Ray, who was writing the screenplay, was ultimately asked to direct, and he picked Christensen after several meetings. The crucial performance in the film is that of Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Glass' boss, Chuck Lane. He's understated, controlled, not showy, and pitch perfect. I liked the film a great deal, finding it filled with tension, even knowing the story and the outcome. Some thought it was a "movie of the week" treatment that revealed nothing new. In the post-screening panel, the real Chuck Lane (now at The Washington Post) fielded the most questions, rather than Ray or Sarsgaard, because people just can't resist the opportunity to ask Washingtonians why we're all corrupt jerks.

STRUGGLE. An Austrian film is a rare phenomenon; apparently Austrians only see 1.5 films per year. If this is the typical Austrian film, one can see why. The film has two stories (and several loose ends). The first half focuses on a Polish immigrant, working illegally, who is trying to make a life for herself and her daughter. The second half follows a lonely man seeking intimacy in all the wrong places (among them, a seedy sex club). The first half was interesting, the second uncomfortable, to watch. I'd be surprised if this makes it into theatres. Most people were interested in the beginning and then either left or slept.

TOUCHING THE VOID. Two young (21 and 25) Brits decide to climb a Peruvian mountain that hasn't been climbed before (or since). They get happily to the top, but have the mother of all disastrous descents. One climber leaves the other for dead. The dead climber isn't dead at all, he just has a savagely broken leg, and he's in a crevasse. Joe Simpson, the climber, introduced the film, so I'm sure he's alive, but it made no difference to the degree of tension: it was unbearable. This brilliant documentary-cum-re-enactment will have you on the edge of your seat, hanging on, lest you fall. Afraid of heights? Hate the cold? See it anyway. This is one of the Cinderella stories of the festival: it was shown at the free Abel Gance outdoor theater on the first night of the festival, and a distributor picked it up. Lucky you.

Other films at the festival which I didn't see, but which had some kind of buzz:

DISTANT. A Turkish film about two men dealing with personal issues. One man told me, "Maybe it would have made sense to me if I were Turkish."

DOGVILLE. Lars Von Trier's latest, with Nicole Kidman, among many others. The festival screened what will be the director's (3-hour) cut; it's being edited for theatrical release. Cutting may be a good thing, as there were many complaints that nothing happened in the first hour of the film. Most people didn't like it at all ("don't waste three hours of your life like I did"), but it had a few champions.

THE GENERAL. A Buster Keaton silent that everyone loved, shown in honor of Ted Turner. Maybe it will have a new release - certainly Turner will show it on TCM. Everyone who saw it raved about it.

I'M NOT SCARED. A young, impoverished Italian boy is confronted by shattering evil. Universally liked, this film was directed by Gabriele Salvatores, who won the 1991 Oscar for MEDITERRANEO.

LOST IN TRANSLATION. Very well received, though some criticized the ending. It will have opened in DC by the time you read this report, so you may already have made up your own mind.

RECONSTRUCTION. A bored husband creates a fantasy that his wife is unfaithful, and then she sort of is, isn't she? Reports were mostly confused and unenthusiastic.

YOUNG ADAM. A new Ewan McGregor movie in which McGregor falls in love with someone else's wife, they have a lot of sex and a lot of people get hurt. No one said anything nice about this film, though some people said it was laughable. That wasn't a compliment.

That's my report. Looking forward to next year and to seeing FOG OF WAR, TRIPPLETS, and TOUCHING THE VOID in a theater near me.



Calendar of Events

FILMS

American Film Institute Silver Theater
In September the AFI concludes its Akira Kurosawa films, the Alain Delon series and the tribute to Gregory Peck. The 3rd Annual DC Labor Filmfest will be held at the AFI from September 4-7. Beginning September 18 is the annual Latin American Film Festival. Special shows include Baraka (Ron Fricke, 1992) in 70mm, The Animation Show (Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt) and The Same River Twice (Robb Moss, 2003).

Freer Gallery of Art
Films from Central Asia is the theme for September. On September 7 at 2:00pm is Tenderness (Elyer Ishmukhamedov, 1967); on September 12 at 7:00pm is The Daughter-in-Law (Khodjakuli Narliev, 1972); on September 14 at 2:00pm is Kairat (Darezhan Omirbaev, 1988) shown with July (Darezhan Omirbaev, 1991); on September 26 at 7:00pm is The Fierce One (Tolomush Okeev, 1973) and on September 28 at 2:00pm is Takhir and Zukhra (Nabi Ganiev, 1945). See below for more Central Asian films at the National Gallery of Art.

National Gallery of Art
Films from Central Asia include Without Fear (Ali Khamraev, 1972) on September 6 at 2:00pm; Orator (Yusup Razikov, 1998) on September 6 at 4:00pm; Jylama (Amir Karakulov, 2003) on September 7 at 4:30pm; My Brother, Silk Road (Marat Surulu, 2001) shown with The Fly-Up (Marat Surulu, 2002) on September 13 at 3:00pm; Boys in the Sky (Zoulfikar Musakov, 2002) on September 20 at 4:00pm; The Swing (Aktan Abdikalikov, 1993) shown with Assan-Ussen (Aktan Abdikalikov, 1997) and The Dog Was Walking By (Aktan Abdikalikov, 1989) on September 27 at 2:30pm.

Jean-Luc Godard's latest film, Eloge de l'Amour (2001) is on September 20 at 2:00pm and September 28 at 4:00pm. On September 21 at 4:30pm is Go West, Young Man (Peter Delpeut and Mart Dominicus, 2003).

National Museum of African Art
On September 11 at 7:00pm is a program of four short films by Ethiopian filmmakers examining the turmoil of Ethiopia's recent history, issues of police brutality and interpersonal relationships. Several of the filmmakers will attend to moderate a discussion. On September 18 at 7:00pm is Door to the Sky (1989) about a Moroccan emigree, who returns home for her father's funeral and turns his palace into a shelter for women. On September 25 at 7:00pm is Cuban Roots/Bronx Stories (2000), about the Cuban American experience.

Museum of American History
The stories of Asian Americans in contemporary America: the son of Chinese immigrants, Washington State Governor Gary Locke talks about the benefits and burdens of being "the first"; Filipino immigrant doctors in Oklahoma talk about rural life; actress Lela Lee. A discussion will follow with the filmmakers and some of the featured individuals. September 10 at 6:30pm.

DC Jewish Community Center
On September 9 at 9:00pm is My Terrorist (Yulie Cohen Gerstel, 2002), a video about a member of the El Al flight crew who was attacked by a terrorist and her attempt to find out what made him do it. A discussion will follow the show with Laura Blumenfield, author of Revenge: A Story of Hope and Rabbi David Blumenfeld, a victim of a terrorist shooting in Jerusalem. on September 23 at 7:00pm is Back to Gombin (Minna Packer, 2002) a video documentary about a group of 50 children survivors of the Shoah who return to their parents' village in Poland.

Pickford Theater
The Pickford Theater continues its series of "Rivers, Edens and Empires" films with Westward Ho The Wagons (1957) on September 16 at 6:30pm, Man in the Wilderness (1971) on September 18 at 7:00pm; and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) on September 19 at 6:30pm. A new series about flight begins with The Dawn Patrol (1938) on September 23 at 7:00pm and Only Angels Have Wings (1939) on September 26 at 7:00pm. Check the website for others.

Goethe Institute
Two programs of films by Lotte Reiniger are on September 8 and 16 at 6:30pm. The first program of shorts includes Carmen (1933), Papageno (1935), Sleeping Beauty (1954), Caliph Stork (1954), The Grasshopper and the Ant (1954) and Dr. Doolittle and His Animals (1928). A longer film and a documentary are on September 16 at 6:30pm, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), and The Art of Lotte Reiniger (1971). For those unfamiliar with Lotte Reiniger, her pioneering silhouette films are quite unique, animated from cut paper images, with 300,000 individual shots required for one film.

A series of films by Turkish directors working in Germany begins in September with Sevda Means Love (Sinan Akkus, 2000) shown with Foreign Tour (Ayse Polat, 1998) on September 22 at 6:30pm. The series continues through October and November.




FILM SEMINARS

Smithsonian Associates
On September 14 at 2:00pm is a half-day seminar "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break: The Life and Art of W.C. Fields" presented by James Curtis, author of a new biography about W.C. Fields. Call 202-357-3030 for more information.



FILM TALKS

Smithsonian Associates
On September 18 at 7:00pm is "An Evening with Barry Levinson" presented by Murray Horwitz, director of the AFI Silver Theater who will interview Mr. Levinson and screen clips from his films. Mr. Levinson's first novel Sixty-Six will be available for signing. Call 202-357-3030 for more information.



FILM FESTIVALS

The Georgetown Indy Film Festival
The Georgetown Film Festival starts September 18 and runs through the 22nd. See the website for more information.



This on-line version of the newsletter was last updated on September 4. Please check periodically for additions and corrections.


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