FEBRUARY
Friday 2
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut Street)
Satyajit Ray's WORLD OF APU (1959, India)
This screening is generously sponsored by Rita & Michael Laven.
The final film in Ray’s immortal Apu Trilogy. Apu, now an unemployed young writer, unexpect- edly stumbles into marriage and must find a way to provide for his new family. This film is a beautiful exploration of love, death and rebirth. Truly a knockout!
Why we show this film:
The Apu Trilogy, the first three films of Ray’s long career, is something of a wonder in itself.
The first film, Pather Pacahali, was financed originally by mortgaging Ray’s house, by handouts from family and friends, and taking two years to film it went on to make Ray famous throughout the world. Ray was inspired by another great film maker, Jean Renior, and worked with him on his film The River. There isn’t another film about India that will show you as much of the rich texture of life there, and it’s visual poetry, beautiful performances, and deep humanity make this trilogy unique in the history of film. It carries a deep emotional punch that makes it a beloved film by generations of fans.
About the director:
Before Ray the Indian film industry had triumphed by churning out an endless series of musical fantasies. Ray brought a sensibility of neo-realism to his films—stories of people struggling to hold on to a moral center in their poverty, problems and personal disappointments and tragedies. His legacy is enormous, though his films never achieved popularity either at home or abroad, he has become symbolic of artist who hold on to their vision and never falter.
Friday 9
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut Street)
Wim Wender's PINA (2011, Germany)
This screening has been generously sponsored by Vance Martin & Jay Manley.
The German choreographer Pina Baush was one of the greatest talents of the century, and here her company perform her most famous works. The breathtaking beauty of their work combines with a camera that moves like a dancer to create an unforgettable portrayal of artistic genius.
Why we show this film:
We often show short dance films before our features, so we thought its time to give you a full evening of powerful dance. Some of Pina’s work you won’t forget – A savage Rite of Spring; a haunting Café Mueller and sections from other fabulous works.
About the director:
Wim Wenders studied medicine and philosophy before he decided to abandoned them for a life as an painter. His resolution was weakened by his love of cinema, and for a year he saw up to five movies a day in the neighborhood theaters. Like his new wave
idols he also worked as a film critic. His most lauded early productions came from his
friendship with Sam Shepard (Paris, Texas) and German writer Peter Handke (Wings of Desire).
Over the years he worked more and more in documentaries about the arts and artists: The Buena Vista Social Club, The Soul of a Man and The Salt of the Earth. He has recently been making films in 3D (Pina being the first).
SATURDAY 10
Art Saturday @ Potrero Hill Galleries
We've been so busy with so many great venues this year we've neglected Potrero Hill, so we had to make sure we got at least one trip in!
11 am Meet outside Coffee Bar (1890 Bryant St.)
11:15 Walking tour of Potrero Hill art galleries (Jack Fisher, Catharine Clark, Hosfelt, and CCA Wattis)
1 pm Picnic lunch at Franklin Square Park (Corner of Bryant and 17th)
Friday 16
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute
Andrey Zvyagintsev's THE RETURN (2003, Russia)
Two teenagers’ lives are changed forever when their long-absent father suddenly returns and wants to take them on a trip to a remote island. What are his intentions? Can he be trusted? This is Russian filmmaking at it most powerful.
Why we show this film:
Cine Club is a fan of visual film making, so when a film as beautiful and breathtaking as this comes along we can see it has “instant classic” written all over it. This film uses images that capture the emotional content of a scene.
This film is one of the most accomplished debut film to appear in years. Every shot, every moment seems not only perfect, but the emotions they summon up of abandonment, of reconciliation, of mistrust, and of suspicion add to the enormous suspense that images cut together can create. Also stunning performances from the young actors, plus a sense of mystery and poetry the qualities that that make a film great.
Friday 23
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute
Krzysztof Kiéslowski's BLUE (1993, Poland/France)
The first film of Kieslowski’s famous Three Colors trilogy is on freedom, specifically emotional freedom. The wife of a famous composer loses her family in a car accident and must rebuild her life from scratch. Both mysterious and moving.
WARNING: some nudity and mild sex scenes.
Why we show this film:
Kieslowski was already established as a powerful director, but the Three Colors trilogy surprised even his most ardent fans. There is a definite French sensibility that comes into these last films: powerful roles for women, a sensitive attention to emotions and nuance, and a profound understanding of how we are joined together through circumstance and coincidence. This is a film of enormous emotional substance—it leads you to think about your own life, and gives you scenes and images that will come back to haunt you in the days to come.
About the director:
Kieslowski made films for years, many of them censured by the Polish authorities, but he entered the world cinema pantheon with his brilliant set of films for Polish television called Dekalog. Loosely based on the ten commandments, these films showed an originality, and an integrity we only associate with greatest filmmakers. His next film however, The Secret Life of Veronique, shot in both Poland and France, made him into an idol of the French film going public.
His last three films, Red, White and Blue were filmed in France and brought him cult-icon status, which greatly increased the stress level in his life and probably contributed to the heart attack that killed him.
Saturday 24
Art Saturday @ Minnesota Street Project
11 am Meet outside Philz Coffee (1258 Minnesota St.)
11:15 Walking tour of Minnesota Street Project and nearby galleries (Anglim Gilbert, Rena Bransten, McEvoy Foundation, and more)
1 pm Picnic lunch at Esprit Park