Schultze Gets the Blues: An Interview with Director Michael Schorr
By Caroline Cooper, DC Film Society Member
If you’ve ever traveled to Germany and the Cajun region of Louisiana and developed an appreciation for polka music and zydeco, then Schultze Gets the Blues is the movie for you. But if you haven’t, it’s still a great film.
The movie, which opens in the DC area on March 4, follows the slow transformation of a miner recently forced into retirement as he finds a new lust for life through zydeco. In his debut feature film, German filmmaker Michael Schorr skillfully captures Schultze’s visible transformation from downtrodden polka accordionist to zydeco aficionado by contrasting Schultze’s dull life in Germany and reawakening in the Louisiana Bayou through wonderful 35mm film shots and subtle dialogue between both professional and nonprofessional actors.
One Friday morning in early February, I had a chance to meet the award-winning Michael Schorr for coffee and discuss what inspired him to make this film and how the experience would influence his future work.
Caroline Cooper: What inspired you to make this film?
Michael Schorr: From the start, I would say the music. Before I started writing the film (ten years ago) I went to the States and traveled around as a tourist and ended up in New Orleans. I had an experience with the zydeco clubs--the music, the people dancing, and the energy. When I got back to Germany, I lived in a town where the mines closed down, the steel mills reduced their workforce, and the people were quite depressed. So, it was quite the opposite from Louisiana. These things came together, and I thought what if some older German men suddenly discovered this energy and the music. That was the basis for the film--those two experiences.
Caroline Cooper: Does it take you a long time to write a film script?
Michael Schorr: With me, I take a lot of time to get started writing--to think and make notes--but when I actually start writing, things go well.
Caroline Cooper: You said it took you ten years to write the script for Schultze. Did you go through several drafts before you found the right direction for your movie?
Michael Schorr: I wrote the (first) script, and then put it on the shelf because I started film school and realized the film was too big for a student production, even if it was low budget. Later, I wrote new drafts, but because I was writing the script it was a blue print for the film. I knew that things might change during the shooting.
Caroline Cooper: Some of our Film Society members are interested in making a film, but have not gone to film school. Did you find that going to film school helped you to craft the film in a much different way than when you first wrote it?
Michael Schorr: Yes, sure. I would say that it was during film school that I really found the style for Schultze. If I had made the film ten years ago, it would have been very different. At first, things in film school were different because I was looking for what is interesting for me in filmmaking, and that changed quite a lot after the first two years. It was necessary for me to go through that process to make sure that I made Schultze the way it was made.
Caroline Cooper: How much time did it take you to shoot the film and for pre-production work?
Michael Schorr: The pre-production process took quite a long time--we spent several months in the States for research and to select locations and people. In Germany, I lived in the town where we shot for two months to get to know the people and make additions to the script. Shooting the film took 45 days.
Caroline Cooper: Is that typical for making a movie in Germany?
Michael Schorr: The pre-production process is not generally that long, and the shooting time was normal. We shot in chronological order in Germany, which took a bit long. The shooting process in the United States also took a long time.
Caroline Cooper: What type of film stock did you use? Is digital film-making popular in Germany?
Michael Schorr: We shot in 35mm and edited on a 3mm editing machine because I thought it would be appropriate for this type of film. It was clear that we needed to use 35 mm because the film lives with the landscape and the light, structure and details are important, and it would be shown on the big screen. It cost a lot, but it was the right decision. I like using 35mm, but I am sure it will disappear in a couple of years. For the next film, I think I will use 35mm because in Germany digital film is not competitive and costs so much. [Michael Schorr noted that digital film use is becoming popular among German filmmakers as a means to make the documentary-type of film].
Caroline Cooper: Did the weather present any problems for you in terms of shooting in the Bayou? What about the alligators?
Michael Schorr: Fortunately, since we shot at the end of October and beginning of November, it was already cold and the gators were in water in the mud to keep warm. With the weather, we were very lucky. I liked that it is overcast in the Bayou. The situation was perfect.
Caroline Cooper: In shooting the landscape in Germany and when Schultze is alone and thinking while traveling in the Bayou, you really capture the mood of the film. How important was that for you? How would you compare your experiences shooting the film in Germany and in the United States?
Michael Schorr: The surrounding tells much of the story; that is why we used total shots and still images. The good thing about the weather in the Bayou is that it resembles the weather and mood in Germany. We were happy with that to focus attention on changes in Schultze. We coped with different things in Louisiana because of shooting on water with boats and it was more difficult to organize than in Germany because of those locations. On the other hand, it was very easy because people were very open. We didn’t have any problems in going to a place and shooting there-even without permission. The amazing thing about Louisiana is that you do not need a permit to shoot in a public place. Since we shot on relocations in Louisiana, people were very helpful. In the scene where Schultze dances with an old lady, that was a real club with a real dance. We asked if we could shoot there and were told yes. The lady Schultze dances with in the film is the owner of the club. We had a lot of locals involved in the movie.
[Michael Schoor explained that in Germany films are financed through state/regional funding and television stations. For Schultze, he obtained funding from regional film funds and the same television chain that produced the first Jim Jarmusch movies. In Germany, he said, the process is very bureaucratic, and that private investment is very rare.]
Caroline Cooper: Did you do a local casting call in Louisiana? What about in Germany, did you have someone in mind for the part of Schultze?
Michael Schorr: No, in Louisiana, we just asked around for people interested in the movie. For Schultze, I saw Horst Krause in a movie where he was one of three leading roles and I knew he was my character. I was writing the script and thinking of him. And I was really glad, when ten years later, I proposed the script to him and he said yes because I was so focused on him playing the character.
Caroline Cooper: Does Horst Krause play the accordion? Or did he have to learn to play?
Michael Schorr: He used to play the accordion earlier in his career because he was a clown in a circus. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to learn the songs for the film, so we used an accordion player on the set standing beside the camera to capture the original sound and Schultze was mirroring what he was doing.
Caroline Cooper: Was the polka festival in Texas a real event? Did you time your shooting in line with that festival?
Michael Schorr: It’s a real festival. I think it’s the biggest festival for German culture in the United States. It’s called “The Ten-day Salute to Sausage.” From our research, we discovered the festival and knew when it was happening before we began shooting, so we timed the shooting around it.
Caroline Cooper: Was Anne V. Angelle, the woman who plays Aretha, a character Schultze meets as he travels along the Bayou of Louisiana a “local” or an actress?
Michael Schorr: She is both. She is from Lafayette, and she used to act in a theatre there until it closed down. Now, she is a teacher and does theatre work with children.
Caroline Cooper: How much rehearsal time did you give your actors?
Michael Schorr: Not much. We did not have time to rehearse before shooting began--sometimes we would rehearse in between takes, but that was really tough. Sometimes, we shot without rehearsing, which kept things fresh and spontaneous.
Caroline Cooper: I want to ask you a question about a specific part of the film. I really enjoyed Schultze’s boat journey from Texas to Louisiana. Did you have that in mind in your original script--that Schultze would discover Louisiana by boat?
Michael Schorr: Yes, that was in the very first draft of the script. But there was another storyline that he would go by car to New Orleans. I liked the idea of the boat because in a way it expressed freedom--there were no roads, just the plain surface of the water. Seemingly, he could go everywhere. I liked the way the boat floated on water; it expressed a certain liberty for him.
Caroline Cooper: His character evolved a lot during that time, he was free.
Michael Schorr: The trip on the water was an expression of that.
Caroline Cooper: Was the editing process difficult because this was your first feature film, especially if you had a lot of material and were unsure of what to cut?
Michael Schorr: The editing process was very pleasant because the editor I worked with I knew from film school; I did all of my previous projects with her and we have a good working relationship. The process went very well because I don’t stick with my material if I feel it is not necessary.
Caroline Cooper: Are there any writers or directors that inspire you or who have helped you to find your own niche in filmmaking?
To this question, Michael Schorr responded that there are several film directors who have inspired his work. But two people stood out: Italian director, Michelangelo Antonioni, whose movies he watched in film school, and the writer/director of Coffee and Cigarettes, American Jim Jarmusch.
Caroline Cooper: What are some experiences from Schultze Gets the Blues that you would do differently or do the same in other films?
Michael Schorr: The most interesting experience for me was mixing fiction with documentary film. That is something I will explore more in the next movie, as well as to work with professional and nonprofessional actors. The documentary style of this movie kept things fresh and alive. Unexpected things happened which enriched the movie. On the other hand, I would try to avoid being too stylistic. The next film, which will be an ensemble film, will have a slightly different style and not only convey static images.
Caroline Cooper: So, how was your overall experience in making your first feature film--the best part and most challenging part?
Michael Schorr: I learned a lot. It was really difficult sometimes because we did not have a lot of money, we underestimated the amount of time needed to organize a feature, and we were a small team because we wanted to shoot in a documentary style and travel to real places. It was also an interesting experience because during the shooting process you learn how to keep things moving forward and you learn a lot about teamwork. In the editing process, you learn what you don’t need. It was a new experience every day. That was the most pleasant part of making this movie. The most challenging part of making this film was to get going when things got difficult--to push yourself and the team to keep going.
Caroline Cooper: How did you debut your film? How do you promote a film in Germany?
Michael Schorr: Usually, a film will be shown first at festivals. We were lucky that the film was so well received at the Venice Film Festival. From there, distributors came to us, including Paramount Classics. Venice was surreal in a way; it was a great experience because before that the film was rejected by German film distributors and festivals for not having any commercial value.
Caroline Cooper: How have people received your film here in the United States?
Michael Schorr: It has been interesting. The reception has been good because people got the humor of the film very quickly, even more so than in Germany. That was a good experience for me…because the film is so anti-Hollywood and unusual.
Caroline Cooper: Are you already working on a new film? Will you make your film in Germany?
Michael Schorr: Yes, I am in the writing process. If I am lucky, I might begin shooting at the end of the year, but that is very optimistic. We will make the film in Germany because it is low budget and we have good relations with one film fund.
Caroline Cooper: So, what advice would you give budding film directors and writers?
To summarize, Michael Schorr said don’t compromise your dream, be stubborn and make the film the way you want to.
See below for the DC Film Society's audience Q&A with Michael Schorr.
Environmental Film Festival Celebrates 13 Years in D.C.
Coral reefs, global warming, the Chesapeake and organic food will be among the broad mix of topics explored in106 documentary, feature, animated, archival and children’s films presented by the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital from March 10 to 20 at venues throughout Washington, D.C. Fifty-five D.C., U.S. and world premieres will highlight the 2005 Festival and 24 filmmakers will screen and discuss their films.
Nationally acclaimed independent filmmaker Les Blank will present mini-retrospectives of his work focusing on American regional cooking and the environment on March 11 and 12 at the AFI Silver Theatre. Maryann De Leo will show her Oscar-winning documentary, Chernobyl Heart about the effects of Chernobyl on the children of Belarus, while John de Graaf will present the world premiere of his film, Silent Killer: The Unfinished Campaign Against Hunger. Wildlife filmmaker Tristan Bayer will receive the 2005 Earthwatch Film Award for his film, Earthling, co-directed by his father, Wolfgang Bayer.
Former Washingtonian David Petersen will present two of his films dealing with Washington, D.C. subjects on March 12 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Fine Food, Fine Pastries: Open 6 to 9, which was nominated for an Academy Award in short documentary, explores the culture and history of a long-time Capitol Hill landmark, Sherrill’s Restaurant, which served as a neighborhood gathering place from the Depression until 2000. Let the Church Say Amen demonstrates the work of the World Missions for Christ Church in the black inner-city neighborhood of Shaw.
Two additional films dealing with urban themes are People of Rome, Ettore Scola’s ode the eternal city and the people of every age and social class who inhabit it and The Venetian Dilemma, first-time filmmakers Carole and Richard Rifkind’s effort to show how the industry of tourism is destroying the character and civility of Venice.
Two noted Native American filmmakers will present their films at the National Museum of the American Indian. On March 11, Paul M. Rickard (Cree) will screen Okimah, examining the impact of environmental and cultural changes in northern Ontario on an okimah, or traditional Cree leader of the hunt who also happens to be his father. On March 12, Victor Masayesva, Jr. (Hopi) will show, Paatuwaqatsi: Water, Land and Life about the destructive plans of the coal industry to deplete the water resources of the Hopi and Navajo people of Black Mesa, Arizona.
Festival premiere highlights include two giant-screen films: Roar: Lions of the Kalahari, documenting the dynastic struggle within a lion pride, and Coral Reef Adventure, about the world’s endangered coral reefs, both at the Johnson IMAX Theatre. Thomas Riedelsheimer’s latest film, Touch the Sound, investigating the power of audio versus visual perceptions of our surroundings, will be shown at the National Gallery of Art, where the French film, Trees, a celebration of the exotic and unusual trees of the world, will also be viewed.
Major themes of the 13th annual Festival include the vital connections between healthy food, clean water and the environment; tributes to the world’s spectacular and elusive wildlife, from the lynx of Canada’s boreal forest to the Blue Morpho butterfly; and the economic effects of globalization on the world’s indigenous peoples. Film topics encompass the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson, the promise and pitfalls of aquaculture, the centennial of the U.S. Forest Service, the environmental sculpture of Richard Serra, biotech food, trekking solo across Australia, water privatization, war in Iraq and climate change in our own Chesapeake region.
The Environment Film Festival regularly brings selections from national and international film festivals to the nation’s capital. The 13th annual Festival will present films from 22 countries, including six international festivals. Winners from the first Green Film Festival in Seoul, Germany’s Okomedia International Environmental Film Festival, Wildscreen in England, Russia’s Green Vision Film Festival, the United Nations Association Film Festival and Mountainfilm in Telluride are among this year’s highlights.
Screenings take place at a wide range of venues throughout the city, including museums, embassies, libraries, universities, international organizations and local theaters. Most screenings are free to the public. Some require reservations or tickets. For a complete film schedule, visit the Festival website or call 202-342-2564 for a film brochure.
Step-by-step through the Berlinale
The 55th Berlin Film Festival: A Cub's Eye View
By Leslie Weisman, DC Film Society Member
The Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, is Germany's largest and most important film festival which took place this year February 10-20. More than 400,000 cinema and lecture seats were filled by the public and press. Known around the world for the awards it bestows in the form of gold and silver bears, the Berlinale is also something of an industry that puts its stamp on the city, and a fest that DC Film Society members may want to consider putting on their calendars in 2006.
Berlinale for Beginners
This was my first time at the festival, which I attended as a member of the public. My last-minute decision to attend regrettably didn't leave time to obtain press accreditation. In hindsight I decided that was actually a blessing in disguise, allowing me to see the events from the perspective of a first-time attendee, and to collect and pass along observations that may be helpful to DC Film Society members who may have contemplated attending the Berlinale, but were held back by unfamiliarity with the language or the details.
But I don't speak German
The good thing, for non-German speakers, is that (to quote one of the presenters at this year's fest), "English is the language of this festival." While that may be a slight exaggeration, English is certainly the second language. Many of the official handouts are in English, and all are at least bilingual. Even the snack-bar menu at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt's "Talent Campus," scene of superb one-on-one (and -two, -three, and -four) discussions with film professionals, is in English only. (Of course, that may also be a testament to the international currency of the American snack-food industry.)
As with any richly polyglot community, you will find yourself immersed in a sea of languages, not just on the street, but on the screen. The last film I saw neatly encapsulated this experience: The Sun, a Russian-Italian co-production filmed in Japanese and English--with German subtitles! In general, whatever your native tongue, you're likely to find accommodation for it.
Information, please
If you've ever been to a film festival where information was largely confined to one or two official publications whose supply was soon exhausted, you will, shall we say, find this not to be a major problem in Berlin. In addition to the official 38-page program, 114-page journal, 147-page German film catalog, and 359-page comprehensive catalog (there may be more, but these are the ones that found their way home in my luggage), there is a continual rush of instant summaries, analyses, and interviews in all the major news media fleshing out the official announcements and schedules of each day's events.
Up-to-the-minute articles appear daily, not just in newspapers, but in special editions of major international film publications such as Screen and Variety, as well as in magazines with a particular focus or clientele (one of the most detailed, accurate and compact publications offered at the offices on Potsdamer Strasse was the Gay/Lesbian Journal), freshly printed and stacked each day at various locations. That's not to say they are all equally valuable--you'll have to scope them out, and decide which match your own needs and preferences--but the information is out there.
Buying tickets
After getting the preliminaries out of the way (I'll leave the getting-there/staying-where to you), the first things you'll want to do are: (a) get hold of a catalog--either onsite or from the Web site; more on this below, and (b) buy tickets. For the novice, it can seem a fairly intricate process. Here are some tips that may come in handy.
Advance purchase. You can purchase tickets to most events--prices range from 3 euros for the "Children's Filmfest" films, to 11 euros for the "Competition" films, with a special reduced price of 6 euros for repetitions shown on the last day ("Berlinale Cinema Day")--up to three days in advance of the event (four days for second and subsequent showings of the Competition films; for Berlinale Cinema Day screenings, you can purchase tickets at any time from the start of ticket sales), using American Express, Mastercard, or Visa. (Generally, tickets for the Berlinale Cinema Day screenings were surprisingly easy to come by, even the day before, while the same films' previous screenings sold out rapidly.)
A "limited allotment" of tickets is available for online purchase at the Berlinale website, at an additional charge of 2 euros per ticket, beginning two days before the festival. Unfortunately (at least this year), the catalog wasn't posted online until... two days before the festival. Taking into consideration the flight time from Washington to Berlin, you could well be on your way to the airport when the catalog appears online. You could get around this by (a) forgoing the traditional day of adjustment to the new time zone, or (b) tacking on a couple of days at the front end of your visit, and make your selections and purchases onsite. The latter option is highly recommended, not only for the convenience, but for the opportunities the extra days will offer to see more of the city. There is a wealth of supplemental programs and exhibits around the area offered in conjunction with, or incidental to, the festival.
Buying onsite. Another option is to download the catalog, thrust it into your carry-on bag, and make your selections on the plane. Then when you arrive, you can visit one of the three "advance purchase" locations: Arkaden at Potsdamer Platz (the most centrally located of the three, as Potsdamer Platz is the home of 30 of the festival's 40 screens); Haus der Berliner Festspiele, at Schaperstrasse 24; and International, at Karl-Marx-Allee 33/Ecke Schillingstrasse, and purchase tickets to the films you want to see over the next three (or four) days.
Note: There are often very long lines at ticket counters, and not always enough ticket windows open. So try to get there early. (The ticket booths open at 10:00am and close at 8:00pm; when I arrived at the Arkaden one morning at ten to ten, each line was already a dozen people deep.) There's always a contingent of tickets held at the box office, though, so even if you can't get one in advance, there's usually a good chance--depending, of course, on the popularity of the film, which can never be predicted--you'll be able to buy it at the theater. Which is the only place you'll be able to buy it the day of screening.
This is Germany; show up on time! For those who are used to sliding into their cinema seats after the previews and promotional chatter, or at festivals, after a fairly elaborate short containing the sponsor's welcome, be advised: the intro is (or at least was, this year) about 15 seconds long--consisting, in part, of the usual copyright warning, and the films begin on time. If you arrive late, you're out of luck. They're very sympathetic, but, as a matter of both policy and practice, the ushers will not let in latecomers.
The Program
The films are screened in 13 cinemas with a total of 55 screens (40 are used for the festival), and fall into eight main program areas (plus special programs). Many directors and stars introduce their films and take part in press conferences. At premieres, glitter and gala touches are everywhere: red carpets, lights, cameras, silks and tuxedos.
• The Wettbewerb (Competition) films, defined as "major international films [that are] made for the big screen and have what it takes to attract a broad audience," are screened in four cinemas. The resplendent Berlinale Palast (Palace), a gorgeous confection of deep rose and gleaming gold and silver (the cinema seats, if my notes are to be believed, a luscious orange) with a seating capacity of 1,600--famed for the red carpet that welcomes stars and visitors alike (not to mention the fabled basement disco "Adagio," where "all the wildest Berlinale parties take place"), and the huge video screen out front that allows cinephiles and passers-by to watch live press conferences--is the site of these films' premiere showing. Security is very tight at the Palast; my bag was checked at three separate stages of entry, the last guard (all were very polite and professional) asking if I had a camera. When I showed her my Fujifilm FinePix digital--obviously not the kind of "camera" to cause concern--she smiled and waved me in.
Repeat screenings for Competition films are shown at the CinemaxX 7, part of the state-of-the-art CinemaxX 19-screen multiplex; the Urania, a combination lecture hall, cultural center and theatre, rich with historical significance for the German cinema; and the International, described by the festival Website (I didn't get there this time around) as a "classical movie theatre with a grand foyer, twin staircases, comfortable seating, exquisite paneling and a sequined curtain in front of the screen," and considered by some to be the most beautiful of Berlin's cinemas. (Needless to say, I will definitely get there next year!)
This year there were 26 Competition films, ranging from the horrifically factual (Hotel Rwanda, Sophie Scholl: The Last Days to the fictional historical (The Last Mitterrand, Man to Man) to the fictional comical (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Hitch) to the lushly, topically musical (U-Carmen eKhayelitsha).
• The Panorama section focuses on independent and art-house films that "are made in a personal style and attract a demanding, passionate audience." Panorama films are shown at five cinemas (Zoo Palast Kino 1, CinemaxX, CineStar, Colosseum, and International) on six screens.
The Panorama line-up encompassed 16 Panorama Special films, 18 Panorama films, 17 Panorama Documentaries and 26 Panorama Short Films that included everything from films looking toward a biographical past (Beyond the Sea, Horst Buchholtz... My Papa, Two or Three Things I Know About Him) to those with a more graphic cast Cycles of Porn--Sex/Life in L.A, Gender X, Inside Deep Throat).
• Forum films lean toward the avant-garde and experimental, offering audiences the opportunity to discover "highly original, often provocative and disturbing cinema." The Forum films are screened at six cinemas: Delphi Filmpalast, CinemaxX, Colosseum, CineStar, Arsenal, and Filmkunsthaus Babylon.
The Forum series, reflecting perhaps their rebel rep, resisted counting; suffice it to say that their number included the notorious Heaven’s Gate (the short version--at 225 minutes--along with the Making and Unmaking of... documentary ); The Irrational Remains, an East-West story about how politics makes even stranger bedfellows when the Wall it creates between them is made of brick and mortar; and a wealth of Asian films, by directors such as Uchida Tomu, Nakagawa Yosuke, Lee Yoon-ki, and Ning Hao.
• The Perspektive Deutsches Kino (Perspective on German Film) "looks at thematic and stylistic trends in German cinema and introduces audiences to the latest developments in the German film industry." These films are shown on three screens at two cinemas: CinemaxX and Colosseum.
The comparatively small number of films in the Perspective Deutsches Kino section included coming-of-age tales of contrasting kinds, as teens in turn test--and are tested by--themselves, and the world around them, in situations in which the stakes could not be more starkly different, in Smile of the Monsterfish and Edelweiss Pirates.
• A rich tapestry of classic and nearly forgotten films is found in the Retrospective, which, in addition to offering a new life to these works before appreciative new audiences, "puts the festival's contemporary films into a historical context." The Retrospective films are shown on four screens at three cinemas: CinemaxX, Zeughauskino, and Urania.
The Retrospective section films had, almost by definition, the fewest surprises; but that did not stop them from drawing sellout crowds, who relished the ability to see Gone with the Wind, Alien, Vertigo, and Dr. Strangelove in a 300-seat Dolby Digital, DTS-Digital-equipped theater.
• Kids are not neglected by any means: Adolescents have a special section in the 14plus films, while the Kinderfilmfest (Children's Filmfest) is aimed at younger audiences. These films are screened at four cinemas (Zoo Palast, CinemaxX, Colosseum, and Filmtheater am Friedrichshain) on five screens.
Even adults (without children) found themselves drawn films such as Summer Story, The Thousand Year Fire, Bluebird, and Turtles Can Fly (the animals in the titles of the latter two, needless to say, were metaphorical).
• Some 60 Short Films that structurally, stylistically, or thematically fit into one of the other sections, and in previous years, would have served as appetizers for the longer films, were grouped this year to form their own section. The Short Films are shown on two screens at CinemaxX.
• This year's Special Program was entitled "Selling Democracy" and marked the second year of the Berlin Film Festival's presentation of films produced following the Second World War by the United States and Great Britain under the Marshall Plan. The screenings were all free to the public and included workshops and panel discussions.
Getting Around
Well, now you're there, and you have your tickets: How do you get to the theaters?
The Berlinale Bus Shuttle, a big red tour bus emblazoned with a yellow bear, will take you to the various cinemas and event locales, but you'd be well advised to check it out ahead of time. According to the program, the shuttle runs from 3:00pm till 11:30pm (15.00 to 23.30 on the continental, 24-hour clock), with the schedule posted at shuttle bus stops. Unfortunately, the "schedule" posted at the stops I found replicated the one in the catalog: that is, no times, just locations. You can, however, send an SMS with the shuttle stop number to a number posted at the stop for specific information. And while one of the not-to-be-missed venues--the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, which houses the Berlinale Talent Campus, scene of onstage conversations with filmmakers and other film professionals, as noted above--is apparently on the bus route (I saw a bus there on more than one occasion), it is not listed as such in the program, or on the shuttle stops.
If worse comes to worst, you can always get around, as I often did, using the subway system (S-Bahn and U-Bahn) and taxis. While it may put a small dent in your wallet, it can also save you the frustration of late arrivals. And given the time of year the festival is held--this year I frequently found myself either huddling against below-freezing wind and rain or more contentedly, catching snowflakes on my tongue--establishing alternate means of transportation "just in case" is essential.
Well, there you have it! A bear cub's-eye view of the Berlinale. I hope it's given you a taste for what you might expect, and that you'll seriously consider putting it on your filmfest calendars next year. For a complete list of the films shown and winners, see the English version of the official website
The Rotterdam Film Festival
By James McCaskill, Storyboard European Correspondent
"Discover the film makers before they are famous." (Sandra den Hamer, festival director)
Coming as it does between the glitz and glamour of Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival the International Film Rotterdam has carved out its niche by focusing on up and coming film makers, with special emphasis on films from emerging nations, as well as tried and true directors. In a cascade of almost 800 films audiences were entertained, enraged, thrilled and mesmerized.
Den Hamer was quoted as saying, "We have become known as a showcase that reflects the world around us. At a time when extremism and narrow mindedness are on the increase, we need to respond." Film Making in a Age of Turbulence, the title of the annual film parliament, was "reflected in the programming through the selection of films with personal voices, different opinions, foreign cultures.
The assassination last November of Dutch director Theo van Gogh cast its shadow over this festival. Den Hamer said, "The assassination provided a lot of anger and sadness all over the world, as well as discussions about freedom of speech and the responsibility of filmmakers. It became a theme on our agenda. Van Gogh's last film was scheduled to be a festival highlight but at the last minute the showing was cancelled due to audience safety concerns.
The U.S. was well represented by 154 films, most of them shorts and documentaries. Several films, Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2004), Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004) and Tarnation (Jonathan Caouette, 2004) were feature films that received rave reviews.
10e Chambre was the Opening Night Film with Sideways shown immediately afterwards. The Closing Night Film was Howl's Moving Castle (Miyazaki Hayao, Japan, 2004) Den Hamer said, "These films offer an outstanding reflection of what the IFFR wants to celebrate: open mindedness, a humane attitude towards mankind and the creative force of fantasy. Depardon presents a remarkable observation on how a contemporary society maintains its laws. Miyazaki shows his diligence in bringing his sensitive fantasies to live through an animated masterpiece."
As might be expected there were some films that I saw at other festivals that are recommended if they gain distribution or are shown in film festivals: Czech Dreams (Filip Remunda, Czech Republic, 2004), Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows, UK, 2004), Duck Season (Fernando Eimlocke, Mexico, 2003), The Holy Girl (Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/Spain/Italy, 2004), and Turtles Can Fly (Bahman Ghobadi, Iraq/Iran, 2004).
Must See Films
10e Chambers (The 10th District Court, Raymond Depardon), 4 (Ilya Khrzhanousky, Russia, 2004), Beautiful Boxer (Ekachai Uekrongtham, Thailand, 2003) Edukators (Hans Weingartner, Germany/Austria, 2004), The Sky Turns (Mercedes Alvarez, Spain, 2004), Midwinter Night's Dream (Goran Paskaljevic, Serbia and Montenegro/Spain, 2004).
Strongly Recommended
Brothers (Susanne Bier, Denmark, 2004), Hawaii, Oslo (Erik Poppe, Norway, 2004), Sanctuary (Ho Yu-hang, Malaysia, 2004), Spying Cam (Whang Cheal-Mean, South Korea, 2004).
Very Good
Alias Kurban Said (Jos de Putter, The Netherlands, 2004); Bride of Silence (Doan Mihn Phuong and Doan Thanh Nghia, Vietnam/Germany, 2005, Brothers (Susanne Bier, Denmark, 2004, Kept and Dangerous (Vera Fogwill and Martin Desalvo, Argentina, 2005, Nobody Knows (Kore-eda Hirokaw, Japan, 2004), and Waves (Francesco Fei, Italy, 2005).
Good
The Soup One Morning (Takahsi Izumi, Japan, 2004), Dunor My Friend (Jose Eduardo Alcazar, Brazil/Paraguay, 20005).
Two films that I did not appreciate and felt were poorly made are: Bipedalism (Yeugeni Yufil, Russia, 2005) and Goddess (Renata Litvinava, Russia, 2004).
An interview and information on the film Beautiful Boxer was in the February Storyboard. An interview with the director of The Sky Turns will be a future issue.
Synopsis of top films
10e Chambre. This superb documentary is my top pick from this year's IFFR. Director Raymond Depardon has given us a rare glimpse into the everyday working of a busy French courtroom. Over three months in 2003 twenty-five miscreants come eye-to-eye with French justice. When that eye belongs to Madam Justice Michele Bernard-Requin you have the ingredients for a first rate film. From a grandmother who only drinks "goof wine" so she should not be charged with drunk driving to a pickpocket to drug dealing all are captured by the humane documentaries. Look for this film.
4. Revolting. Controversial. Provocative. All these names and more have been said about Russian novelist Vladimir Sorokin. Late one night four individuals meet in a bar and exchanged personal information. In interlocking spirals these individuals lives are laid bare in surreal images.
The Sky Turns. Like small villages all over Europe young people are decamping for the big city leaving dying villages.At the time this documentary was made, Aldealsenor in Castilla region of Spain, is down to 14 elderly. They are the final inhabitants in this village that has existed for a thousand years. It won't be long before it will come to a quiet end. The director, Mercedes Alvarez, was the last child born in this pleasant place. Rarely is a documentary made with such loving care and exquisite photography.
The Edukators. "I hope The Edukators opens people's minds to what the big corporations are doing. They are building an economic system in which human beings mean nothing, and money is everything," said director Hans Weingartner. When he was in his early 20s he lived in a Berlin squat. "One day, hundreds of policemen showed up for a raid. They tossed my belongings out the window. They treated us like criminals. They destroyed the whole building." This is a film about the need for political change. The director feels that the 60s rebel generation has become today's conservatives and as their goals change they have become prisoners of their own possessions. Using humor to make his point, today's rebels break into people's homes and rearrange the furniture. "I want people to come out of The Edukators and tap into their revolutionary soul. Don't just hang out! Rebel! It can be fun. "Wake up people! The world could be a Garden of Eden, but for most people its a shithole." The DC area already got a look at this film in January's "New Films from Germany" series.
Midwinter Nights Dreams. War devastated lives and land in the Balkans. A man returns to a village to claim his late mother's property only to find that in his long absence total strangers, Bosnian Serb refugees, have been allowed to stay there because "it was empty." He allows them to stay and the three grew close. Haunting performances from the three leads (Jovana Mitic, Lazar Ristouskid, Jasna Zalica) as well as a captivating reenactment of Midsummer Night's Dream by autistic students raise this film to the top level. One final note is the birthday celebration with music provided by the five piece women's accordion band.
Awards
During the IFFR 2005 Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 4, 2005 in Concert and Congress Centre 'de Doelen' in Rotterdam, the winning films of the 34th International Film Festival Rotterdam were announced. The three VPRO Tiger Awards were granted to Changing Destiny by Daniele Gaglianone from Italy, The Sky Turns by Mercedes Alvarez from Spain and the Hubert Bals Fund supported 4 by Ilya Khrzhanovsky from Russia. The first TV5 Tiger Cub Awards for short films were presented to Veere by David Lammers and Interlude by Joost van Veen from The Netherlands and to Nuuk by Thomas Köner from Germany.
The Tiscali Audience Award
The most important audience award went to Turtles Can Fly (Bahman Ghobadi, Iraq/Iran, 2004). A close runner up was Brothers.
VPRO Tiger Awards
Fourteen films by first or second filmmakers competed in the VPRO Tiger Awards Competition 2004. The Jury consisted of Lia van Leer, director of the Jerusalem Film Festival and chair, photographer Nan Goldin (USA), producer Jan Chapman (Australia), Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi, and Argentian filmmaker Lisandro Alonso. The jury statements on the VPRO Tiger Award winning films:
Changing Destiny by Daniele Gaglianone (Italy, 2004). "The Tiger Jury felt strongest about the Italian film Changing Destiny. We were particularly touched by how Daniele Gaglianone handled the relationships between the young rebellious boys and their highly disturbed families. The film gave us characters that resonated emotionally for us and we could care deeply about. This is a film that showed the eye of a director in control of every element of his film."
The Sky Turns by Mercedes Alvarez (Spain, 2004). "The Sky Turns is a richly subjective diary of a film. Mercedes Alvarez provides us access to the last inhabitants of a village with their humorous and profound commentary on the passing of time and on life and death through her simple and sincere directing. Her sense of timing and sensitivity to the light and quality of landscape was a poetic meditation, a welcome in these times of contemporary culture."
4 by Ilya Khrzhanovsky (Russia, 2004), supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. "We found 4 a devastating nightmare that forces us into the ambiguous state between lies and truth. Ilya Khrzhanovsky shows great courage in his choice of subject and how he portrays the total disintegration of a society that devours itself. His use of a disturbing sound and a disjunctive narrative shows a distinctively original vision. We especially like his radical treatment of women in his portrayal of the young prostitutes and the old traditional babushkas."
Bride of Silence by Doan Minh Phuong and Doan Thanh Nhgia (Vietnam/Germany, 2005) and Sanctuary by Ho Yu-hang (Malaysia, 2004) received special mentions from the VPRO Tiger Awards Jury.
TV5 Tiger Cub Awards
For the first edition of the TV5 Tiger Cub Awards Competition thirty films were selected of no more than thirty minutes in length, and the majority will have their world, international or European premiere during IFFR 2005. The new competition is supported by French language public satellite television channel TV5. The Jury consisted of Kathleen Forde (USA), Mariska Graveland (The Netherlands) and Kerry Laitala (USA). The jury statements on the TV5 Tiger Cub Award winning films:
Interlude by Joost van Veen (The Netherlands) was chosen for its inventive use of light sensitive properties of the cinematic medium to bring viewers through the underwater terrain of sensual silver laden alchemy.
Nuuk by Thomas Köner (Germany) was chosen because it provoked us to become more
aware of our process of perception. Nuuk challenges us to look and listen more actively--not only to the film itself, but to the landscape of our own lives.
Veere by David Lammers (The Netherlands) was chosen because it intensifies your view of moving objects that you normally overlook, completed with a very delicate use of sound and music.
There was a special mention for Being Good at Mikles by Christian Angeli (Italy).
NETPAC Award
The NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Jury consisting of Peter van Bueren (Netherlands), Anderson Le (Hawaii), Latika Padgaonkar (India) awarded Sanctuary by Ho Yuhang (Malaysia) "for its beautiful depiction of the human condition in a restrained and daring style that avoids conventions and is never distanced from the substance of the film".
FIPRESCI Award
The jury of the international association of film critics FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique), consisting of chairman Hassouna Mansouri, La Presse (Tunesia), Diego Lerer, Clarin (Argentina), Susanna Harutyunyan, Armenia, Kong Rithdee, Bangkok Post (Thailand) and Fritz de Jong, Dagblad van het Noorden/GPD (Geassocieerde Pers Diensten, The Netherlands) has awarded its FIPRESCI Award to Spying Cam by Whang Cheol-Mean (South Korea) "for its original exploration of a political theme by giving it a deep human dimension".
KNF Award
The jury of the KNF, the Association of Dutch film critics, consists of jury chairman André Waardenburg, Jann Ruyters, and Bregtje Schudel. The KNF Jury Award went to Illumination by Pascale Breton (France): "We have chosen a film that gives a subtle and balanced portrait of an unbalanced young man who is looking for ways to free himself from family, fish and Brittany itself"
MovieZone Award
The MovieZone jury (young people's jury) of this year, consisting of Marthe Amesz, Sam de Zeeuw, Ryanne van Dorst, Kasper Kerkhoffs and Marcel Verhagen, nominated three films from the festival program. Casshern by Kiriya Kazuaki (Japan), Hawaii, Oslo by Erik Poppe (Norway) and Mysterious Skin by Gregg Araki (USA). The jury chose Mysterious Skin by Gregg Araki (USA). MovieZone is a project of the Dutch Institute of Film education (NIF).
Arte France Cinéma Awards
The two Arte France Cinéma Awards for the best CineMart 2005 Projects were given: Five Worlds, a five part film project by filmmakers Sobhi al-Zobaidi (Palestine), U-Wei bin Hajisaari (Malaysia), Kamal Tabrizi (Iran), Homayoun Paiz (Afghanistan), Garin Nugroho (Indonesia) and producer leBrocquy Fraser Productions Ltd and to Dry Season Mahamat Saleh Haroun (France) and producer Chinguitty Films. The Arte France Cinema Awards Jury consisting of Michel Reilhac (Arte France Cinéma, France), Simon Field (Illuminations Films, UK) and Christa Saredi (Switzerland) made the following statements on their decision:
"Dry Season has been chosen because it is a great project from Tchad by a film maker which has proven through his two previous films that he is a world class artist. African cultures have a growing difficulty in being part of the world representation in cinema. Dry Season is a universal story set in a city and country barely seen by cinema audiences."
"Five Worlds is a timely enterprise to bring five different voices from five different Muslim cultures reacting to a fast changing context for challenges faced by Islam today. Being Muslim tends to lead to prejudiced and oversimplified reactions in the western world today. This project is unique in a sense that it shows the width, variety and complexity of islamic cultures in a film also designed to foster debate among these same cultures themselves."
Prince Claus Fund Film Grant
The fifth Prince Claus Fund Film Grant was awarded to the CineMart 2005 Project Hamaca Paraguaya by Paz Encina (Paraguay). The jury consisting of Karim Traïdia (film-maker, member of the Board of the Prince Claus Fund and member of the Hubert Bals Selection Committee, The Netherlands), producer Marie-Michelle Cattelain (France), producer Imruh Bakari (Tanzania), Dutch film critic Ronald Ockhuysen, producer Dora Bouchoucha Fourati (Tunisia) and Brazilian artist and filmmaker Kiko Goifman. "The Jury has opted for what was clearly one of the strongest ideas amongst the 2005 CineMart selection. We believe that this project embodies a fresh cinematographic voice. It uniquely connects with the reality and character of the country in question while simultaneously engaging with universal issues. Time and silence are anchored, dramatized and taken beyond boundaries" The Prince Claus Fund Film Grant aims at supporting the first creative phase of the development of a film production.
Amnesty International--DOEN Award
Story Undone by Hassan Yektapanah (Iran) is the winner of the third Amnesty International-DOEN Award of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Eleven films from the IFFR-program were nominated for the Amnesty International-DOEN Award. These films were judged by Ron Holloway (USA), Wilf Mbanga (Zimbabwe), filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski (UK), Lulu Ratna (Indonesia) and Dutch actress Renee Soutendijk.
Paul Defeu contributed to this story.
A Press Conference with the Director, Screenwriter and Actors of Dear Frankie
By James McCaskill, Storyboard European Correspondent
The Dear Frankie press conference took place at the 2004 Edinburgh International Film Festival. Present were the film's director and director of photography Shona Auerbach, screenwriter Andre Gregg, actor (The Stranger) Gerard Butler, actor (Marie) Sharon Small.
"Dear Da, Do you know something? We are moving again." "Dear Da, We are living on the edge of the sea. On the edge of the world." Nine-year-old Frankie Morrison's (Jack McElhone) writes letters to his father for he, his mother (Emily Mortimer) and grandmother Nell (Mary Riggans) have for several years moved from one Scottish town to another. Lizzie, his mother, feels she must move to protect her deaf son from his abusive father. Frankie has been told that his father is in the merchant navy, travelling the world on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks his mother fakes letters to him telling of Da's adventures in exotic locations.
Their latest move is to village just outside Glasgow and to a wee flat above a fish and chip shop. A friendship forms between the shopkeeper, Marie, and Lizzie is soon employed in the chippy.
Frankie learns that the Accra is soon to dock in their seaport village. He is desperate to meet his father. Lizzie asks her new friend Marie to help find a man who can be hired to act as Frankie's father for one day. The Stranger agrees, for a price. The one day meeting expands to a second and now includes the mother. The plot's twists and turns coupled with a surprise ending keeps this film from descending into cloying mush.
At the press conference, Shana Auerbach was asked about combining the roles of film director and director of photography she said, "For me it is something I have always done. I did commercials for six years and have always lit and directed. I'm sure that's a help and a hindrance. But I would say more than anything it helps because that's what I've always done. I'm from a stills background where the still photography is essentially the director and the DOP. I've never known anything else."
Butler was asked about the mood on the set. "We had two weeks rehearsal, two weeks of solid talking about our characters. We tied down a lot then."
Screenwriter Andrea Gibb said, "It was fantastic to have the stuff you write made into a film. I am very lucky. This brought my work forward. You get other offers. I had done a lot of medical films so they look at you and see a certain kind of writer." "People," she continued, "can offer you what you want. You always have a choice.You make things interesting for yourself. I keep myself interested and challenged."
Sharon Small was asked about playing the best friend and said, "My role was to serve and enable the love story. It was freeing to do that kind of part, second female lead. You have these different kinds of forces in your own life. My job was to be a real person," she continued, "and to be that place where Emily is moving to." Small is well known in the UK for her television roles. Her previous film work was a Hugh Grant's sister Christine in the international hit About a Boy.
"I've had a lot of experience working with children," Auerbach responded when asked about the young actor, Jack McElmorne. "My commercials had children. Jack is very strong willed. Very intelligent. You tell him once and he goes off and plays football then comes back and does it. That character had to be very warm." Over 100 children were auditioned for this part.
Butler interjected, "I was inspired by Jack. If I had been an actor at that age it would have been miserable." "You are like brothers. He was not afraid. Jack's performance had such depth. You never knew where Jack was going next. So much of it is about the audience climbing inside his head."
The screenwriter, Gibb, talked about working with the young actor, "At no time did they patronise him. The same thing was required of him as every other actor on the set. He talked with Shona as any other actor."
Auerbach gave a behind the scene glimpse into Jack's acting. In the dance scene, he is looking at the girls on the stage and gives such a great smile. What he was actually looking at was his mother on stage dancing." Although only ten, McElhone is a film veteran. Dear Frankie is his second film. His previous work was as the son of Tilda Swinton and Peter Mullen in Young Adam.
Gibb said she was struck by his assuredness throughout the casting process. "He has a fantastic sense of self. And that's not to say he's an arrogant boy, absolutely not. He's just so obviously got such a fantastic relationship with his parents. He is just totally sure of who he is and the fact that he is loved. And I think he brings that to Frankie. You feel the love between Frankie and his mum strongly."
The script began life as a 15-minute film for Scottish Screen's Tartan Shorts series. That entry was called Natural History and was sent to Auerbach as a writing sample. "Just before producer Caroline Wood had just seen the Czech film Kolya that had won an Oscar in 1997 and wanted to do a film with a child at the center.
Auerbach met with her and they decided to find a project involving a child. Together with Gibb they worked to turn the 15-minute short into a 90-minute feature. Gibb said that some scenes haven't changed at all. "Until very recently when we added an scene, the ending is almost intact from the first draft. The last four pages have not changed. There are some other scenes that are still in the long film script; like the scene in the kitchen where the Stranger arrives for the first time."
One big change was that the character of Frankie became deaf. "How much of the truth does he know? How much does he accept? Nobody ever told him that his father is on that ship but inside deep down he knows, the little boy knows what we find out at the end." "What would that do if the communication between Frankie and Lizzie was restricted in some way? That's how I came up with the notion that actually he was deaf. And that gave me something else, something interesting to explore between mother and son. I have a cousin who is both deaf and mute. He was very much in my head when I was writing Frankie."
Questions were asked about the locations in the film. "The location," Auerbach said, "came from Andrea. She is from Greenock, the Clyde Coast town where she grew up." "Weirdly enough," Gibb revealed, "I think I'm not writing about Greenock and I always am." I don't know why that is and I don't know why it has such a pull, or what it is about that particular place you can't shake off."
Auerbach said, "I was looking for something very visual. That's just the way I think." Butler contributed, "The film does not feel like regional Britain. The story could be any where." When asked about her style in working with the actors, the director said, "I don't think it very extreme, working with actors. Jerry liked to talk a lot before the short. Emily likes to get it in her head exactly what she wants to do. Sharon, you are more like Jerry. Jack can be spontaneous but did not want to talk about it."
Jerry Butler concluded the press conference by sharing his thoughts about coming back to his native Scotland. "Nice to come back to Scotland. I had such a good time coming home to Glasgow, to Greenock. Had such a fantastic time there." He was born in nearby Paisley and practised law in Glasgow before being bitten by the acting bug. "My family now lives in the Highlands so I usually just pass through Glasgow. Such a nice simple experience. I really liked this role. It was great for me. Parts of the film brought back such good memories. The beach where Frankie and I walk is the one that I played on with my father."
Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
Beginning March 9 is a short series of films by Sidney Lumet, including Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Twelve Angry Men, and Fail-Safe. Also during March is a Martin Scorsese retrospective of ten films and a Wong Kar-Wai film retrospective. The AFI takes part in the city-wide Environmental Film Festival with a series of short films directed by Les Blank, who is expected to appear. The Future of Food (2004) will also be shown as part of the EFF.
Freer Gallery of Art
"Iraq on Film" is a three-part series which includes Zaman, the Man From the Reeds (2003), doing double-duty as part of the Environmental Film Festival, on March 11 at 7:00pm; Turtles Can Fly (2004) on March 18 at 7:00pm and About Baghdad (2004) on March 20 at 2:00pm.
National Gallery of Art
During March, films by Agnes Varda will include the Washington premiere of Cinevardaphoto (1964-2004) on March 6 at 4:30pm, Daguerreotypes (1975) on March 12 at 1:00pm and The Gleaners and I (2001) shown with Gleaners Two Years Later (2003) on March 12 at 3:00pm. More Agnes Varda films are at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, see below.
Other special events include "The Circle of Andre Kertesz", a two-part assemblage of films on March 5 at 12:30pm and The Man Who Laughs (Paul Leni, 1928) on March 26 at 3:00pm.
For the Environmental Film Festival the Gallery will show Touch the Sound (2004) about solo percussionist Evelyn Glennie on March 13 at 4:00pm and Seeing the Landscape (2003) shown with Trees (2002) on March 19 at 4:00pm.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
On March 3 at 7:30pm is The Franklin Abraham (2004) with video artist Jonah Freeman in person to discuss his work. On March 10 and 11 at 8:00pm is the Black Maria Film Festival, featuring different short films each evening; on March 17 and 18 at 8:00pm is Proteus (2003) as part of the Environmental Film Festival, and on March 31 and April 1 at 8:00pm is Hunting Down an Angel of Four Passions of the Soothsayer Poet (2002) constructed from silent archival footage.
National Museum of African Art
For Women's History Month, on March 6 at 2:00pm is Faraw! Mother of the Dunes (Abdoulaye Ascofare, 1997), an award winning film about the struggles of a mother as she cares for her handicapped husband and meditates on her morally ambiguous options.
For the Environmental Film Festival, a program of two films on March 12 at 2:00pm is about clothes: T-Shirt Travels (2001) about secondhand clothes ending up in Zambia and Flip Flotsam (2003) about Africa's most popular footwear: the flip-flop.
National Museum of the American Indian
Two short films celebrate Women's History Month: On March 6 and 8 at noon are Hozho of Native Women (1997) shown with The Right to Be 1994).
A program of two short films on March 11 at 6:30pm is part of the Environmental Film Festival: Tales of Wesakechak: The First Spring Flood (2002) shown with Okimah (1998) about a traditional Cree goose hunt. Another EFF program on March 12 at noon is a series of short films about land and water.
Museum of American History
On March 12 at 12:30pm is Let the Church Say Amen (2003), part of the Environmental Film Festival. On March 13 at 2:00pm is The Greatest Good (2005), a documentary about forests; the program will be attended by the filmmakers. On March 19 at 1:00pm is another EFF program of short films.
As part of the "Reel Americans" series is D-Days in the Pacific, a preview of the forthcoming 5-part documentary on World War II in the Pacific, on March 22 at 7:00pm.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Two Agnes Varda films complement those at the National Gallery of Art (see above). On March 3 at 7:00pm is Varda's debut feature La Pointe Courte (1954) shown with the short documentary L'opera-Mouffe (1958). On March 24 at 7:00pm is Varda's controversial family drama Happiness (Le Bonheur) (1964) shown with a short film Les Dites Cariatides (1984).
The Women's Museum also takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with last year's Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short, Chernobyl Heart. Director Maryann De Leo will be present for discussion.
Films on the Hill
For the Environmental Film Festival are Suez (Allan Dwan, 1938) on March 11 at 7:00pm, starring Tyrone Power as Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal; and on March 16 at 7:00pm is The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935), Henry Fonda's first film. Rudolph Valentino makes an appearance in The Conquering Power (1921) on March 23 at 7:00pm, shown with a trailer of the only film Rudy's wife starred in.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On March 8 at 7:00pm is Rosenstrasse (Margarethe von Trotta, 2003), about the remarkable acts of resistance by women married to Jewish men. On March 28 at 7:00pm is Channels of Rage (Anat Halachmi, 2003), about the Israeli rapper Subliminal and the Arab-Israeli hip-hopper Tamer Nafar. Director Anat Halachmi will be present to discuss this winner of Best Documentary at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Pickford Theater
The Pickford takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with Navajo (1951) on March 14 at 7:00pm and Brighty of the Grand Canyon (1966) on March 15 at 7:00pm. Two programs of Marion Davies films are on March 3 at 6:30 Getting Mary Married (1919) shown with Beauty's Worth (1922) and March 11 at 7:00pm It's A Wise Child (1931).
Goethe Institute
On March 7 at 6:30pm is Surplus: Terrorized into Being Consumers (2003) shown with Sin Embargo: Never the Less (2003) both films selections from Okomedia, Germany's Environmental Film Festival. As part of the 13th Environmental Film Festival are two programs: on March 14 at 6:30pm is Anita Roddick: Mrs. Body Shop (2004) shown with The Stolen Protein (2004). On March 17 at 7:00pm is Life Running Out of Control (2004) about gene technology.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Concluding the series "Deadly Medicine," on March 6 at 2:00pm is In the Shadow of the Reich: Nazi Medicine (John J. Michalczyk, 1997), a documentary about how German physicians and scientists adapted medical research and practices to the ideological goals of the Nazi regime. On March 13 at 2:00pm is Leo's Journey: The Story of the Mengele Twins (Shel Piercy, 2001) about Leo Lowy, one of the twins experimented on by Josef Mengele.
National Geographic Society
The Banff Mountain Film Festival makes its yearly appearance at the Geographic from March 7-12, films start at 7:00pm. As part of the Environmental Film Festival is The Great Warming on March 1 at 7:30pm, Earthling (2005) on March 15 at 7:30pm, Strange Days on Planet Earth on March 16 at 7:30pm and The People of Rome (Ettore Scola, 2003).
French Embassy
For the Environmental Film Festival, the French Embassy presents two films by Jean-Jacques Annaud: On March 20 at 4:00pm is The Bear (1988) and at 7:00pm is Two Brothers (2004).
National Archives
Taking part in the Environmental Film Festival, the Archives presents three short films directed by Charles Guggenheim on March 11 at 7:00pm. The films include Monument to a Dream (1964), Island of Hope, Island of Tears (1989), A Place in the Land (1998). On March 25 at 7:00pm is "It's Our War Too!" a collection of documentaries, newsreels and training footage of women in action on the home front and in the field during World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
National Museum of Natural History
Several programs are part of the EFF: March 11 at noon, Suzuki Speaks (2004) a documentary about the scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki; on March 13 at noon is a program of short films from the Mountainfilm Festival; on March 18 at noon are documentaries about Indonesia; and on March 20 at 11:00am is a selection of documentaries from the Wildscreen Film Festival.
Smithsonian Associates
On March 4 at 7:00pm is Mondovino (Jonathan Nossiter), a documentary exploration into the modern world of wine. The director will be present to discuss the film, along with a wine importer. DISCOUNT FOR DCFS MEMBERS!
Francophonie 2005 is a 4-part series of films from French-speaking parts of the world. On March 8 at 7:00pm is Satin Rouge (2002) from Tunisia; on March 15 at 7:00pm is The Silence of the Forest (2003) from Cameroon; on March 22 at 7:00pm is Sia, the Python's Dream (2001) from Burkina Faso; and on March 29 at 7:00pm is Madame Brouette (2002) from Senegal.
FILM FESTIVALS
