MARCH
Friday 2
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut Street)
Emir Kusturica's UNDERGROUND (1995, Serbia)
This screening has been generously sponsored by the Kleppe Family.
This comically absurd film tells the story of Yugoslavia; a country created and then destroyed by an endless series of wars. An entire neighborhood lives underground for decades, surviving on passion and music and the fractured chaos of life.
Warning: Nudity, violence and suggested sex scenes
Why we show this film:
This is the amazing film that came out of the national tragedy of the disintegration of Yugoslavia. It doesn’t particularly explain the causes of Yugoslavia's woes, but it does capture the values and personalities that may have added to their trials. But don’t be too worried, it’s also highly entertaining and completely surreal. It’s been a huge hit with Cine Club students because it’s packed with memorable scenes you won’t forget.
About this director:
Kusturica was born in Bosnia and had a rebellious adolescence in the former Yugoslavia. After graduating from film school and working a number of years in television his second film, When Father was Away on Business, won the Cannes Festival and gave him his first international acclaim. Underground brought him his second win at Cannes, and was followed by an American film ARIZONA DREAM and BLACK CAT, WHITE CAT, a film about gypsies. Not a career without controversy, Kustarica has been accused by fellow filmmakers from former Yugoslavia of having been a propagandist for Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, but he successfully sued his accusers for libel.
Friday 9
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut Street)
Ingmar Bergman's PERSONA (1966, Sweden)
A stunning masterpiece from one of the greatest directors of the 20th century. Two women, a nurse and her patient, live together on an island. One is mute, the other never shuts up. Together alone, the boundaries that define personal identity begin to blur...
Why we show this film:
One of Bergman's regular themes is the inner lives of women. Persona stands high and mighty on the landscape of film history, not only because it challenges you to unravel its images in order to uncover its meaning, but because it is riveting to watch. Bergman is putting every ounce of his considerable experience into it, producing scenes like you have seldom seen. The story of the film is simple, but its implications are not. Two women wind up on a deserted island, only one woman leaves the island—which one?
About the director:
Two directors define the middle half of 20th century film: FELLINI and BERGMAN. Their influence on film makers has been enormous, and they are the staple of film studies courses in college.
Bergman began in film in Sweden during the forties, first as a assistant, then as a writer, and made a large number of filmsthat serve as his “student” period. With the appearance of The Seventh Seal, which won Cannes and threw him into international fame, he began an annual output of thoughtful, visually bold and psychologically profound works that kept him at the head of the class.
In 1976 a crisis came when he was arrested for, of all things, income tax evasion. It was a traumatic event which left him with a nervous breakdown and hospitalized. He left Swedenfor a number of years and made films abroad. Long past his zenith as a filmmaker he surprised all with his last film Fanny and Alexander (1983), afilm that was an international critical and popular success. Bergman then retired from film and took over as head of the Royal Theater in Stockholm, where he directed plays and was considered one of the finest stage directors in the world.
Saturday 10
Art Saturday TBA
Hiroshi Sugimoto at the Fraenkel Gallery
Come with us on a walk through downtown to visit some of SF's top contemporary art galleries, followed by a picnic lunch!
11 am Meet inside SFMOMA (the Howard Street entrance by the Richard Serra sculpture)
11:15 Visit Berggruen Gallery and Gagosian Gallery.
12:00 Walk up to 49 Geary to visit Fraenkel, Haines and Koch galleries.
12:45 Picnic lunch in Yerba Buena Gardens
Friday 16
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute
Paul Thomas Anderson's THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007, USA)
Family, money, and religion clash when a turn-of-the-century oil prospector strikes it rich. An epic tale of greed that draws out the uglier aspects of our national heritage, all set against a breathtaking recreation of the “Golden West.”
Warning: graphic violence
Why we show this film:
Here’s a film whose reputation has grown since its release, distinguishing it as being one of the best American films of the new millennium. It’s scope is enormous, as it captures the dynamism of vitriolic capitalism at its ugliest and most destructive. It also has a brilliant performance by Daniel Day Lewis which raises the ante, and it has great imagery and setting that give it exceptional stature.
About the director:
Paul Thomas Anderson began as an independent film maker, never having studied film at school. He borrowed money from his family to make his first short film in 1993, Cigarettes & Coffee. He then attended the Sundance Institute and had his first big
success with Boogie Nights, a film set in the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970’s and 80’s.
His film making has always be singular and full of bold touches. For example, Magnolia (1999) featured a dramatic rain of toads. After a five year absence, There Will Be Blood brought him a wave of acclaim, appearing on several film lists as the best film of the year.
Friday 23
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute
Vittorio De Sica's BICYCLE THIEVES (1948, Italy)
One of the best-loved films of all time! The heart-wrenching tale of a desperate man and his son on a search for a stolen bicycle through the streets of post-war Rome. This is the crown jewel of “Neo-Realism,” the Italian film revolution that swept the world after WWII.
Why we show this film:
Not only is this endearing masterpiece one of the most popular films with our students, but it is a veritable history lesson. Filmed just a few short years after then end of WWII, this film is filled with scene after scene of real life post-war Italy—the desperate lives of the poor and the astonishing way that almost everyone in society had to “make do” with the black market to survive. It also has some remarkable performances including a great one from its child actor. We hope you will join us and discover what powerful filmmaking is all about.
About the director:
De Sica began his film career as an actor during the 20’s but by the 40’s his interest had turned to directing. His first four films were in the style of the light comedies of the day, but with his fifth The Children Are Watching Us, he began collaborating with screenwriter Cesare Zavattini and together they created a number of masterpieces which came to be known as “neo-realism": The Bicycle Theif, Shoeshine, Miracle In Milan, Umberto D and Two Women. His filmmaking career fell into decline, but he made a big comeback in 1971 with The Garden of the Fitzi-Continis. All together, he directed 25 films and acted in 150. Try to beat that record!
Saturday 24
Art Saturday @ SFMOMA
We've had so many great shows at SFMOMA this year we haven't had time to take you through their excellent permanent collection! Join us for a refresher on the history of modern art, plus a pair of new works on display in the contemporary art wing.
11 am Meet inside SFMOMA (the Howard Street entrance by the Richard Serra sculpture)
11:15 Tour the permanent collection and new shows at SFMOMA.
1:00 pm Picnic lunch in Yerba Buena Gardens
Friday 30
Cine Club @ SF Art Institute
David Lean's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962, UK/USA)
Due to its length, this film with start an hour early at 6:30.
An epic adventure film! This is the (mostly) story of T. H. Lawrence, hero of World War I. He is one of the most complex and captivating characters in film as he treks across deserts, defies governments and conquers cities, but at what cost?
Why we show this film:
We end with the two most stunning adventure films that exist. This film is huge in scope, sets the landscape for all our modern troubles in Iraq and Iran, and gives you great action, terrifically complex characters, and helps you see and understand how the big world works, with its ironies, triumphs, and disappointments.
About the director:
English director David Lean honed his skills with early adaptations of Dicken’s Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. He is most know for his huge epics which include Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India. He also directed a number of smaller intimate works like Brief Encounter. Both Bridge and Lawrence won him Academy Awards.