December 2022

Posted December 1, 2022.

Contents

  • The Cinema Lounge ONLINE
  • Adam's Rib Looks at His Favorite Movie "Cheer Moments"
  • The 66th BFI London Film Festival
  • We Need to Hear From You
  • Calendar of Events

    Last 12 issues of the Storyboard.


    The Cinema Lounge

    On Monday, December 19 at 7:00pm please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group. We will be online again.

    TOPIC: Sidney Poitier

    Peter Bogdanovich wrote that “Sidney Poitier was to the movies what Jackie Robinson was to baseball.” Black film stars existed before Poitier, but they were hamstrung by blatant bigotry, local censorship and risk-averse studios. Poitier fought for and got opportunities denied to his predecessors. He first earned acclaim in the 1950's in edgy for their time films such as No Way Out, Blackboard Jungle, The Defiant Ones, and Edge of the City. In the early 60s he shined in films such as A Raisin in the Sun and Lilies of the Field, for which he became the first black man to win a Best Actor Oscar. In 1967 he had three hit films, To Sir, With Love; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; and most notably, In the Heat of the Night.

    Poitier stood up to Jim Crow both onscreen, standing against racists in Night, and offscreen as an activist in the civil rights movement. But more than anything he said it was the dignity and humanity that he imbued in his performances that struck a blow against prejudice. Like Jackie Robinson, Poitier carried the burden coming with being “the first” with courage, determination and grace. For many years Poitier had to view every choice, every character and every performance as representing an entire race onscreen to both black and white audiences.

    Poitier had other talents. In the 1970s he directed comedies such as Buck and the Preacher, Uptown Saturday Night, and A Piece of the Action. With the Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor comedy Stir Crazy, Poitier became the first black director of a $100 million grossing film.

    Sidney Poitier died at the beginning of the year, so we will end the year discussing the man, his many achievements, and his legacy.

    Please RSVP to atspector@hotmail.com and you'll get the Zoom link 1-2 days before the discussion.

    The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 7:00pm at     Teaism in Penn Quarter, 400 8th St., NW in Washington, DC (closest Metro stop is Archives, also near Metro Center and Gallery Place). NOTE: We will meet in the downstairs area. WE ARE MEETING ONLINE THIS MONTH. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.


    Adam's Rib Looks at His Favorite Movie "Cheer Moments"

    Lost in the furor of “The Slap Heard Around the World” was the Oscars Cheer Moment poll. The Zack Snyder fanboys flooded the online poll and crowned as the winner Zack Snyder’s Justice League, not even released theatrically, for The Flash running through the Speed Force. The bizarre selection prompted a brief “What the hell?!” from non-Zack Snyder fans and then a collective shrug. While the poll’s execution proved horrible, an honest look at “Cheer Moments” enticed me. We go to the movies for many reasons. Sometimes we look for exhilaration, and every so often we find it. What makes us cheer, either literally, or in our own minds? I look for the answer in my new Adam’s Rib column.


    The 66th BFI London Film Festival

    By Ron Gordner, DC Film Society Member

    The 66th BFI London Film Festival sponsored by American Express was held October 5-16, 2022. The festival originated in 1957 and is somewhat a festival of festivals since it has many of the better films not yet released from earlier important film festivals. A number of world premieres and British films are usually offered also. An expanded list of 167 feature films versus the hybrid 58 films presented two years ago in 2020, brought the festival back to primarily onsite screenings, but included some online screenings, 22 world premieres, red carpets, screen talks, and special programs again. This year there were 189,200 physical attendances and over 101,900 virtual attendances (291,100 total attendances) over the 12 days involving 10 partner cinema venues within the United Kingdom and online.

    Categories or Sections of films included: Headline and Strand Galas, Special Presentations, Competitions, Love, Debate, Laugh, Debate, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Create, Family, Treasures, and Experimental films with smaller samples of films and highlighted films directed or co-directed by women and minorities. The LFF Expanded Immersive Arts also showcased 20 projects from 17 countries including Guy Maddin’s Haunted House.

    Tricia Tuttle continued as festival director but announced it would be her last year at the helm. In-person tickets were about 10 pounds each and available for only about 5 pounds for 18-25 year olds, and usually some complimentary access for young film students. Some free films are also available on the BFI YouTube. A number of industry and media programs and special event speakers were also available.



    MUST SEE FILMS:

  • 1976 (Chile) (Manuela Martelli; Chile/Argentina/Qatar; 2022). Carmen, an elite housewife is asked by her priest to secretly hide a young man at her beach house. Although she has had no interest in politics, she is thrust into the ugly reality of Chile’s military reign of power.

  • All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen, United States/India/United Kingdom; 2022. A documentary about two brothers and another friend who rehabilitate injured raptor kite birds in Delhi, India. It covers many nature, ecological and environmental issues and sometimes shows the world from the level of various creatures. This film has been awarded many best documentary or cinematography prizes at festivals like Cannes, Sundance and London.

  • The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh; U.K./Ireland/U.S.; 2022). The latest film from the writer/director of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, this fictional account of people on an Irish island stars Colin Farrell as Padraic and Brendan Gleeson as Colm who were best friends, but Colm wants to make music rather than spend time with Padraic now. This film and the actors have won multiple awards and the film, writer/director, and actors may be Oscar nominated in several categories this year.

  • Bobi Wine: The People’s (Ghetto’s) President (Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp; U.K./Uganda/U.S.; 2022). Bobi Wine is a musician, activist and opposition leader who runs against the dictatorial president of Uganda who has been in power for over three decades.

  • Empire of Light (Sam Mendes, U.K./U.S.; 2022). Olivia Colman stars as middle aged woman who works at the Empire Cinema in a British seaside town in the 1980s and the story deals with her romance with a younger man and the ugly racism of the period.

  • Fragments of Paradise (K.D. Davison, U.S.; 2022). An engrossing documentary about Jonas Mekas, aka the Godfather of Avant-garde cinema, his pioneering status on New York City underground film, and his influences on others like Scorcese and Warhol.

  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Guillermo del Toro, U.S./Mexico/U.K.; 2022). Another varied but wonderful version of Pinocchio using Jim Henson puppets. It has a limited run in theatres before going streaming on Netflix.

  • Hidden Letters (Violet Du Feng, Qing Zhao, China; 2022). A fascinating documentary about a secret written language used by oppressed Chinese women and wives for centuries and is being decoded providing a broader global interest.

  • Holy Spider (Ali Abbasi; Denmark/Germany/Sweden/France; 2022). Set in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran, a journalist investigates the serial murders of sex workers by the Spider Killer, based on some real incidents. Denmark’s submission for Oscar’s Best International Film. It will screen also at this year’s 2022 European Union Film Showcase at the AFI Silver in December.

  • Living (Oliver Hermanus, U.K./Japan/Sweden; 2022). Based on the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru finds Billy Nighy playing a civil servant who has just received a very traumatic health diagnosis. Nighy has been discussed as an Oscar nominee for Best Actor.

  • The Store (Ami-Ro Skold, Sweden; 2022). A combined real actors and stop-motion animated figures telling the ethical problems of women forced to dumpster dive for food from grocery stores and the plight of the store’s workers also to survive.

  • Till (Chinonye Chukwu, U.S.; 2022. In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14 year old boy, leaves Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi and is murdered. Based on the real story that gained national attention about racism. Danielle Deadwyler who plays his mother may be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

  • Utama (Alejandro Loayza Grisis, Bolivia/Uruguay/France; 2022). The story of an elderly Quechua married couple living in the highlands during a very bad drought. It is Bolivia’s submission for Best International Feature Film Oscar and has won a number of awards.

  • Women Talking (Sarah Polley, U.S.; 2022). A multi-awarded film about 12 women from a religious community that meet in a barn and discuss how to deal with brutal abuse by their men.


    VERY GOOD FILMS:

  • After Sherman (Jon Sesrie Goff, US.; 2022). A documentary about the history of a South Carolina coastal community and the Gullah who have lived there holding on to their culture and lands.

  • Argentina 1985 (Santiago Mitre, Argentina/U.K./U.S.; 2022). 1980s Argentina and lawyers including one played by Ricardo Darin battle in courts the military dictatorship and its trail of murder and injustices. It is also Argentina’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film.

  • Corsage (Marie Kreutzer, Austria/France/Germany; 2022). Vicky Krieps takes on the role of famed Empress Elisabeth of Austria who rebels at her bored life and is cunning enough to placate her husband. Tied for best performance by an actress in the Cannes Un Certain Regard Section for Krieps, the film is Austria’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. It will screen also at this year’s 2022 European Union Film Showcase at the AFI Silver in December.

  • Geographies of Solitude (Jacquelyn Mills, Canada; 2022). Fascinating documentary about Zoe Lucas, an environmental naturalist who has spent at least 40 years of her life on Sable Island recording the flora and fauna of that unique habitat.

  • Getting It Back: The Story of Cynamede (Tim Mackenzie-Smith; U.K.; 2022). A music documentary about the British band in the 1970s who combined jazz, funk, soul and Caribbean music and was famous in the U.S. but not in Britain.

  • Last Flight Home (Ondi Timoner, U.S.; 2022) Another documentary but about the ending of life and the remembrance of the extraordinary life of Eli Timoner. Available on Paramount+.

  • More Than Ever (Emily Atef, France/Germany/Luxembourg/Norway; 2022). Helene (Vicky Krieps) and Mathieu (Gaspard Ulliel) seem happily married until she finds herself facing a terminal lung disease and travels to Norway to visit an Internet acquaintance.

  • My Imaginary Country (Patricio Guzman, Chile/France; 2022). A documentary capturing the 2019 spirit and street protests in Santiago, Chile demanding more freedom, democracy and social equality.

  • Sick of Myself (Kristoffer Borgli, Norway/Sweden; 2022). Signe is in a relationship with a selfish but rising artist when she begins to make herself sick to gain local and media attention to rival or surpass that of her partner’s fame.

  • The Swimmers (Sally El-Hosaini, U.K//U.S.; 2022). A biography of two Syrian refugee sisters who compete in the Rio Olympics swimming meets. Available also on Netflix.

  • Under the Fig Trees (Erige Sehiri, Tunisia/Switzerland/France/Qatar; 2022). Sana, a 17 year old girl daydreams about her life while working with other young and older workers harvesting figs. Abdou, a boy who used to live in their village, has returned and has the attention of Sana’s sister Melek. This is Tunisia’s Oscar Submission for Best International Feature Film.

  • The Whale (Darren Aronofsky. U.S., Brendan Fraser plays a very obese English teacher trying to recontact his estranged daughter. Fraser seems to be the front runner for Oscar’s Best Male Lead performance so far.

  • The Wonder (Sebastian Lelio, Ireland/U.S./U.K.; 2022). Florence Pugh plays a British nurse who is hired by an Irish parish to watch a young girl who has not eaten in several weeks in this somewhat historical gothic drama. It is available also on Netflix.


    GOOD FILMS:

  • Blue Bag Life (Lisa Selby, Alex Fry, Rebecca Hirsh Lloyd-Evans; U.K.; 2022). Audience winning documentary about artist Lisa Selby and her loves and losses and constant fight with addiction.

  • The Cloud Messenger (Rahat Mahajan, India/U.S.; 2022). Two young people meet but are the reincarnation of lovers from centuries earlier.

  • Fast & Feel Love (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Thailand; 2022). A comedy about a young man who wants to become the sport stacking champion and is supported financially and otherwise by his partner until she forces him to grow up.

  • God Said Give Em Drum Machines (Kristian R. Hill, U.S./Japan/Russia/S. Africa/U.K.; 2022). A documentary on Detroit’s musical heritage in the 1980s to Techno music.

  • Mayo, Nilo (Laura) (Lovisa Siren, Finland/Belgium/Sweden; 2022). Sister Maya shows up at her estranged sister Nilo’s and kidnaps her niece and sister’s car for a trip to Portugal to see the grandmother who has been diagnosed with cancer. It becomes an odd road trip when sister Nilo joins them also.

  • Palm Trees and Power Lines (Jamie Dack, U.S.; 2022). A cautionary slow burn thriller about a teenager Lea, who is bored with her teen friends and enters into a relationship with an odd man twice her age.

  • A Room of My Own (Ioseb Soso Bliadze, Georgia; 2022). Millennial Tina seems somewhat broke and wandering in life, after having an affair and leaving her newly married husband, and rents a room from more focused Megi in Tbilsi. A film of self awareness and taking responsibility and experimentation.

  • Shabu (Sharmira Raphaela, Netherlands; 2022). Shabu is a teenager from Rotterdam who has quick rich schemes, a girl friend, and decides to take his grandmother’s car for a drive; making it an interesting Summer for this coming of age documentary.

  • The Woman in the White Car (Christine Ko, South Korea; 2022). A rural town thriller about a sister who shows up at a hospital with her injured sister and claims the sister’s fiancé attacked them.

  • Xale (Moussa Sene Absa, Cote d’Ivoire/Senegal; 2022). A family melodrama and thriller about Awa and her brother somewhat orphaned by their grandmother’s death and dependent on other relatives to care for them.


    Award Winners:

    Official Competition Winner, Best Film: Corsage (Marie Kreutzer, Austria/Luxemboug/ Germany/France; 2022).

    First Feature Competition (Sutherland Award): (Chile) 1976 (Manuela Martelli, Chile/Argentina/Qatar; 2022).

    Audience Award: Blue Bag Life (Alex Frye/Rebecca Lloyd-Evans, Lisa Selby, United Kingdom; 2022).

    Documentary Competition Winner (Grierson Award): All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen, United States/India/United States; 2021).

    Short Film Competition Winner, Best Short Film Award: I Have No Legs, And I Must Run (Yue Li, China; 2022).

    Best XR/Immersive Art Film: As Mine Exactly (Charlie Shackleton, United Kingdom; 2022).

    See     the website for more information.


    We Need to Hear From YOU

    We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.


    Calendar of Events

    FILMS

     American Film Institute Silver Theater

    The 35th "European Union Film Showcase" (December 1-20) features 56 films representing all 27 European Union countries, including award winners, regional box-office hits, debut works by up-and-coming talents and new works by leading auteurs, plus 19 of the top contenders for this year's Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and 12 U.S. and North American premieres. The Opening Night film is Corsage (Marie Kreutzer) from Austria and the Closing Night film is Green Perfume (Nicolas Pariser) from France. A pass is available.

    For "Stage and Screen" (filmed plays) in December is "A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story" and "Chunky Shrapnel."

    This year's holiday films are The Holly and the Ivy; Elf; Die Hard; The Bishop's Wife; Christmas Eve; A Muppet Christmas Carol; Miracle on 34th Street and Scrooge. Author Jeremy Arnold will be at selected screenings of It's a Wonderful Life.

    Freer Gallery of Art
    Pm December 7 at 2:00pm is The Tale of Zatoichi (Kenji Misumi, 1962), part of the "Japanese Classics" series.

    A new series "Head Trips and Road Trips in India" begins in December. On December 2 at 7:00pm is Dubai Return (Aditya Bhattacharya, 2005), a gangster parody starring Irrfan Khan. Director Aditya Bhattacharya will be present for discussion. On December 4 at 2:00pm is an author talk "Lalitha Gopalan on Indie Indian Cinema" followed by a film at 4:00pm Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis (Anamika Haksar, 2018). Lalitha Gopalan, author of Cinemas Dark and Slow in Digital India will be present for discussion. On December 9 at 7:00pm is Cosmic Sex (Amitabh Chakraborty, 2013). On December 11 at 2:00pm is Churuli (Lijo Jose Pellissery, 2021).

    National Gallery of Art
    "Recent Films from Spain" continues in December. On December 3 at 2:00pm is Horses Die at Dawn (Ione Atenea, 2021) with an introduction by Ada Vilageliu Díaz.

    The series "Vault to Screen: Carmen Amaya and Flamenco" begins December 17 at 2:00pm with María de la O (Francisco Alias, 1939). On December 18 at 2:00pm is Los Tarantos (Francisco Rovira Beleta, 1963).

    The "Fellini Retrospective" continues with Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) on December 11 at 2:00pm. On December 24 at 2:00pm is 8-1/2 (Federico Fellini, 1963). On December 31 at 2:00pm is Roma (Federico Fellini, 1972) preceded by Toby Dammit (1968) part of the omnibus film Spirits of the Dead.

    Special Events in December: On December 2 at 2:00pm is Canyon Del Muerto (Coerte Voorhees, 2022), about North America's first female archaeologist. On December 4 at 2:30pm is Girls Always Happy (Yang Mingming, 2018) shown with the Rajiv Vaidya Memorial Lecture on Film "Girls (Not) Always Happy" by author Gina Marchetti on 21st century female directors working in Chinese-language cinema.

    Registration is required for all films.

    Museum of American History
    On December 10 at 3:00pm and December 17 at 3:00pm is The Wizard of Oz (1939). On December 11 at 3:00pm is Batman (1989). Both are in the Warner Bros theater and registration is required.

    On December 11 at 11:00am is a lecture "The Legacy of Anna May Wong." Wong's niece, Anna Wong, and National Museum of American History curators Ryan Lintelman and Theo Gonzalves will discuss her legacy in film and show film clips.

    Washington Jewish Community Center
    On December 1 at 7:30pm is the documentary Love and Stuff (Judith Helfand, 2020). On December 8 at 7:30pm is the documentary 1341 Frames of Love and War (Ran Tal, 2022), followed by Q&A with Ran Tal. On December 15 at 7:30pm is the documentary Only in Theaters (Raphael Sbarhe, 2022), followed by Q&A with film subject Greg Laemmle.

    Goethe Institute
    On December 16 at 6:30pm is the documentary Walchensee Forever (Janna Ji Wonders, 2020).

    National Air and Space Museum
    On December 10 at 1:00pm is the documentary One Small Visit (Jo Chim), a short film about an Indian family who passed through Neil Armstrong's hometown. A discussion follows with members of the family depicted in the film. Registration is required.

    Bethesda Row
    "Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series. On December 11 at 10:00am is Fire in the Mountains (Ajitpal Singh, 2021).

    Breakfast is at 9:30am, the film is at 10:00am and discussion follows, moderated by Adam Spector, host of the DC Film Society's Cinema Lounge and author of the column "Adam's Rib." A season pass is available.

    The Avalon
    On December 7 at 8:00pm is You Resemble Me (Dina Amer, 2021), part of the "Programmer's Choice" series of films.

    On December 14 at 8:00pm is All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras, 2022) part of "Avalon Docs."

    Landmark's E Street Cinema
    "Retro Replay" is a series of classic films shown Tuesdays at 4:00pm and 7:30pm. This month's theme is "Holiday Fun." On December 6 is Gremlins (1984) and on December 13 is Batman Returns (1992).

    Kennedy Center
    On December 11 at 3:00pm is A Muppet Christmas Carol and on December 18 at 3:00pm is It's a Wonderful Life. Location: Millennium Stage.

    Atlas Performing Arts Film Series
    On December 4 at 4:00pm is the silent film The Patsy (1928) starring Marion Davies. Live music by Andrew Simpson.

    Old Greenbelt Theater
    On December 5 at TBA is Christmas in Connecticut (Peter Godfrey, 1945) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan.

    Embassy of Argentina
    The Period Film Series starts December 6 at 6:30pm with Felicitas (Maria Teresa Constantini, 2009), set in 1862. Reservations are required.

    Alden Theater
    On December 1 at 1:00pm is Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson, 1966) from France.

    Angelika Film Center Mosaic
    For the "Angelika Classics" series is Jaws on December 5 at 7:00pm.

    A "Pajama Party Series" is on Saturdays at 10:00am. On December 3 is A Christmas Story; on December 10 is Dr. Seuss' The Grinch and on December 17 is Elf.

    "Four Weeks of Christmas" films are at 7:00pm. On December 7 is Gremlins; on December 14 is Bad Santa; and on December 21 is Love Actually.

    The "Sci Fi" film for December is Dune (1984) on December 19 at 7:00pm.

    Reel Affirmations XTra
    On December 12 at 7:00pm is the documentary Wonderfully Made - LGBTQ+R(eligion) (Yuval David, 2022). Location: Landmark's E Street Cinema.


    FILM FESTIVALS

    AFI European Union Film Showcase
    The 35th "European Union Film Showcase" (December 1-20) features 56 films representing all 27 European Union countries, including award winners, regional box-office hits, debut works by up-and-coming talents and new works by leading auteurs, plus 19 of the top contenders for this year's Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and 12 U.S. and North American premieres. The Opening Night film is Corsage (Marie Kreutzer) from Austria and the Closing Night film is Green Perfume (Nicolas Pariser) from France. A pass is available.


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