NOVEMBER

Friday 1

Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut)
Curtis Hansen LA CONFIDENTIAL (1997, USA)

This Cine Club is generously sponsored by Art & Film alumnus David Laven.

A fast moving, neo-noir story of police corruption that feels like it comes right out of current headlines. Packed with powerful performances by actors at the beginning of their careers who are now (sometimes notorious) super stars.

Warning: domestic abuse and graphic gun violence.

Why we’re showing this film:
Police abuse and corruption has recently been brought front and center in the American political landscape. It is so often talked about in generic terms, and the systems that enable it and encourage it are hidden from the public eye. In the 40’s and 50’s, the Los Angeles Police Force had gained a reputation for being one of the most ruthless and corrupt in America. This film lays out just how rotten it was on all levels, and will help you understand how convoluted the relationship between the police, the press, victims, and officials can be.

About the director:
Hanson was a high school dropout who worked full time as free-lance photographer and editor of a film magazine. His work in Hollywood, with the exception of this film, falls into a series of well-crafted but easily forgotten movies. In L.A. Confidential he takes his influences from Alfred Hitchcock and Nicolas Ray, and a tight script filled with truthful observations about the nature of corruption gave it greater significance.

Friday 8

Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut)
Carol Reed THE THIRD MAN (1949, UK)

One of the most celebrated films of all time. An American novelist travels to Europe in search of a job, only to find his friend dead under mysterious circumstances. A thrilling hunt for the truth through the ruins of WWII Vienna full of murder, corruption and intrigue. Film-noir at its finest!

Why we’re showing this film:
The Third Man deals with how faulty reasoning can make monsters of people. It is packed with colorful incidents which reflect the Hitchcock films of the 30s, and is carefully paced toward its spectacular ending chase scene through the Vienna sewers. Its detailed look of a city under foreign control, its careful development of supporting characters, and its astounding reveals and reversals of fortune make it a jewel of post war film. Throw in a sense of humor, a dash of irony, and a terrific script by Graham Greene, and you have a combination that has made it a favorite for decades.

About the directors:
Carol Reed produced a number of intelligent wonderfully scripted thrillers, of which The Third Man is the most popular. Odd Man Out dealt with the Irish rebellion, and The Fallen Idol with ideas about the shifting nature of truth. He developed a style of chase scene that involves dramatic camera angles, silhouettes against bright lights, tilted cameras –all of which give a brilliant urgency to his work and influenced all action directors that followed him. He received his only director’s Oscar for the musical, Oliver!

Saturday 9

Art Saturday @ Potrero Hill Art Galleries

We've been so busy with so many great venues this year we haven’t made it out to the Potrero Hill galleries yet! A handful of galleries have collected around Potrero and 16th Streets, some of them large enough to house a small museum, allowing for some of the more spectacular gallery shows in SF.

11 am Meet outside Starbucks (2727 Mariposa 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 15

Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut)
Amma Asante’s BELLE (2013, UK)

Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of an African slave and a British admiral, is left in the care of her grandfather, a powerful judge who is now forced to confront his prejudices. Based on historical lives, this film is a fascinating look at issues of race in 18th century England and one young woman’s role in the campaign to abolish slavery.

Why we’re showing this film:
In the United States, our own history of slavery tends to overshadow any familiarity with how the slave trade impacted lives elsewhere. In England, slavery was abolished much earlier than in the US, and without a civil war, but it took persistent action to bring about even the slightest change in attitudes. This film not only gives you an excellent view of how people of mixed-race backgrounds were often treated in England, but also of the issues that occupied the political world during that time.

About the director:
Amma Asante was born in London to Ghanaian parents. As a child she studied as a dancer and actor, and played in two television series. In her late teens she left acting to study playwriting, and wrote a series for the BBC. Her first film, A Way of Life, brought her many awards, as did her second, Belle.

Friday 22

Cine Club @ SF Art Institute (800 Chestnut)
Alejandro Iñárritu AMORES PERROS (2000)

This film is generously sponsored by Art & Film alumnus Sergio Guerra.

Themes of dogs and disloyalty unite three brutal tales that explore how class inequality breeds violence. This powerful, gripping film launched the careers of Iñárritu and international star Gael García Bernal.

Warning: graphic violence and simulated animal cruelty

Why we’re showing this film:
In the past couple decades Mexico has become one of the hottest countries for film. This stunning film shows why. There is a clear voice and a fully fleshed out concept that is as original as it is relentless. The connections this film makes between class conflict, racism, the irony of fate, celebrity feel new, important, and vital. You know you are in the hands of a master filmmaker from the very start.

About the director:
At the age of 16 Inarritu headed out on a cargo ship to have adventures, and work his way across Europe and Africa. On returning to Mexico his career path took many turns—a radio host, a producer for television, and finally a director of feature films. Amores Perros was his first film. This was followed by 21 Grams, Babel, and Biutiful leading to his three Oscars for Birdman, and then another the following year for The Revenant. He continues to work as one of the most acclaimed directors in the world.

Saturday 23

Art Saturday @
The Exploratorium

Another great visit to the Exploratorium with two exhibits that explore art and science. We’ll tour their annual Curious contraptions show and a new show that uses human DNA to create sculpture.

Join us at 11 to see some amazing films from their extensive media archives, followed by lunch and then a visit to see the new shows.

Curious Contraptions explores small, surreal worlds through fantastical, often amusing mechanical sculptures known as automata. Each sculpture performs an absurd miniature drama while also reflecting its maker's worldview and sense of humor. Exposed inner workings and low-tech mechanisms invite the viewer to understand how each one comes to life.

11 am Meet outside the Exploratorium main entrance at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero.

Art Saturday lunches are generously sponsored by Mission AOC I, LLC.