Most of the films in this series are free and open to the public. The films are shown in the original language with English subtitles.
SHOWING TIMES: Fridays: 3:00pm , 7:30pm Sundays: 7:30pm -ALL SHOWINGS **Except when noted** WILL BE HELD IN JEPSON HALL ROOM 118-
Jellyfish (Meduzot) Israel, 2007 Directed by Shira Geffen and Etgar Keret
January 23 & 25 78 min.
This ensemble comedy set in modern day Tel Aviv, follows the lives of three women as they maneuver through outrageous situations and everyday tedium. Jellyfish is a departure from most films from the Middle East as it concerns itself not with the politics of the region but with the complexity and absurdity of life no matter where it is lived. Husband and wife directing team Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen gracefully orchestrate the simultaneously whimsical and profound nature of the film. Winner of the Camera d'Or (best first feature) at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, Jellyfish is entertaining, richly symbolic and marks another triumph for Israeli filmmakers.
Heartbeat Detector France, 2007 Directed by Nicolas Klotz
January 30 & February 1 141 min.
The baleful managing director of a German petrochemical company operating in Paris tasks his staff psychologist, Simon Kessler, with investigating the mental fitness of the company's CEO. Kessler is played by Mathieu Amalric who is known for his soulful performances in The Flying Bell and the Butterfly and Kings and Queen. In his investigation Kessler, haunted by his own indiscretions and moral uncertainties, uncovers the dark past of the company. Director Nicolas Klotz uses murky colors and muffled dialogue to mirror the dehumanization of capitalism in the 21st century. Heartbeat Detector is a psychological thriller and a must see for fans of Hitchcock and Kubrick.
A small Bosnian town, riddled with lingering war-time corruption, prepares for a diplomatic visit from President Clinton. Written and directed by Pjer Zalica, Fuse artfully pairs an offbeat comedy with the harsh reality of a country recovering from a civil war. The citizens race to transform their town of weapons and brothels into a quaint destination worthy of America's generosity. Audiences will find this film both entertaining and informative as it dares to present a heavy topic through a series of comical mishaps and misunderstandings.
Bamko Belgium, 2006 Directed by Abderrahmnane Sissako
February 13 & 15 118 min.
Acclaimed African filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako seamlessly combines a sharp political message with a satirical backdrop to deliver this singularly powerful film about a trial between African society and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The trial takes place in a courtyard in the Malian town of Bamako and witnesses testify to the detrimental effects of the economic shackles international monetary establishments have affixed to African nations. Bamako premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and has been consistently described as a fantastic and moving film. The New York Times film critic A.O. Scott called it "a fierce and unforgettable piece of political art."
The film in this special program is part of the Fourth Annual China-America Festival of Film and Culture to be held from February 19 - 22 at UR, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Byrd Theater. Visit www.theROSEgroup.orgfor detailed schedules.
Up the Yangtze Canada, 2007 Directed by Yung Chang
February 22 93 min.
A luxury cruise boat motors up the Yangtze, navigating the mythic waterway known in China simply as "The River." In the biggest engineering endeavor since the Great Wall, China has set out to harness the Yangtze with the world's largest mega-dam. Meanwhile at the river's edge Yu Shui says goodbye to her family and turns to face the future. From this small patch of land, her parents watch the young woman walk away, her belongings clutched in a plastic bag. The waters are rising. The Three Gorges Dam, gargantuan and hotly contested symbol of the Chinese economic miracle, provides the epic and unsettling backdrop for Up the Yangtze, a dramatic and disquieting feature documentary on the life inside the 21 century Chinese dream. Stunningly photographed and beautifully composed, Up the Yangtze juxtaposes the poignant and sharply observed details of Yu Shui's story against the monumental and ominous forces at work around her. Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang directs the film with insight and cinematic flair. Drawing inspiration from contemporary Asian cinema and post-war neo-realism, he crafts a compassionate account of peasant life and a powerful documentary narrative of contemporary China.
Song of Tibet (Yeshe Dolma) China, 2000 Directed by Xie Fei
Screening held at the Byrd Theatre, $3.00 admission February 21, 11:00am 102 mins
This sweeping historical drama examines a romance that spans the lion's share of the 20th century, between a woman from Tibet, Yixizhuoma, and a soldier named Jiacuo. Yixizhuoma (Laqiong) first meets Jiacuo (Renqingdunzhu) under less than ideal circumstances, as he takes her captive in the midst of battle. Love eventually grows between them, and together they view the political and social turbulence that sweeps Tibet through the decades, up to the late 1990s, when an aging Yixizhuoma (Danzengzhuoga) tells their story to her granddaughter (Dazhen) as she waits at the bedside of her dying husband (Dawangdui). Yixizhuoma is based on Ming, a successful novel by Zhaxidawa. The film was entirely shot on the stunning plateaus of Tibet and it won Best Music, a Screenplay Special Award and Actress Special Award (Danzengzhuoga) at China's 20th Golden Rooster Awards.
Letter from an Unknown Woman China, 2004 Directed by Xu Jinglei
Screening held at the Byrd Theatre, $3.00 admission February 21, 2:00pm 90 mins
A gorgeously photographed tale of unrequited love and passion, Xu Jinglei's adaptation of Stefan Zweig's memorable short story is a visual and romantic masterpiece. Famously filmed by Max Ophuls in 1948, Xu's adaption transports the tale from turn of the century Vienna to war-time China, placing it against the epic backdrop of China's revolution. Unfolding over the course of twenty years, Letter from an Unknown Woman chronicles the life of a woman whose self-sacrificial love for a man ultimately consumes her. The love-lost Jiang's story begins in childhood when a mysterious writer (Jiang Wen) moves into the courtyard next door. Caught by his intellect and charisma, she becomes entranced by his comings and goings. Through the turmoil of the ensuing war, their paths continue to cross; the two are brought together only to be torn apart, again and again, but his fast-fading memories never match the power of her devotion. Almost entirely shot in interiors - writing chambers, bedrooms and ballrooms - the film is suffused in the moody browns of melancholy and fiery reds of passion, lovingly captured by cinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bin (In the Mood for Love). Winner of Best Director award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, it is a lyrical mediation on memory, love and loss. - Jason Sanders, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco.
Three Monkeys Turkey, 2008 Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
March 20 & 22 109 mins.
Three Monkeys, directed by Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, is a brooding family drama that employs the metaphor of the three monkeys (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil). This film, which attempts to reinvent the film noir genre, centers around a theme of guilt-- for a young man killed, an innocent man imprisoned, and various personal indiscretions. Ceylan artfully utilizes visual complexities that amplify the deterioration of the characters' relationships and the eventual consequences of their transgressions.
Brick Lane Great Britain, 2007 Directed by Srah Gavron
March 27 & 29 102 min.
Based on the acclaimed novel by Monica Ali, Brick Lane is a story about Nasneen, a young woman from Bangladesh, who finds herself living in the poor immigrant suburbs of London with her much older husband from an arranged marriage. While Nasneen tries to be a dutiful wife to her unimpressive husband, she spends most of her days daydreaming about home. Exquisitely developed characters and exceptional acting drive this unique coming of age story, which doesnt shy away from complex issues of racial injustice, cultural conflicts and the true meaning of "home."
Woman on the Beach South Korea, 2006 Directed by Hong Sang-soo
April 3 & 5 127 min.
Kim Joong-rae, a filmmaker invites his friend to join him at a seaside retreat as he finishes writing his screenplay. His friend agrees to join him and invites his girlfriend to come along. So begins the classic love triangle story. Korean director Hong Sang-soo challenges the oft-predictable romantic-comedy genre in this refreshingly complex film that successfully combines humor and bitterness. Woman on the Beach, which A.O. Scott of The New York Times calls "a wicked comedy of manners," is broadly considered Sang-soo's best film to date.
