t-shirt travels • Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama • A Recurring Issue: South Dakota Re-debates Reproductive Choice • Ma Vie En Rose • war dance • the real dirt on farmer john • salud • everything is illuminated • fahrenheit 451 • once • donnie darko • who killed the electric car?
T-Shirt Travels
SYNOPSIS:
"T-shirt Travels" takes us from our local charity bin to the remote fishing villages in Southern Africa to introduce us to a people desperate to do anything to make ends meet. Focusing on Zambia, this journey investigates the second hand clothes business and seeks to understand the growing inequalities that exist between the first and third worlds. "T-shirt Travels" explores how a continent rich with natural resources and human potential has become the dumping ground for our old clothes and discarded goods. The journey begins in the streets of the United States, where clothes are dropped off in the charity bins, and continues to an Indian importer Mr. Patel in Zambia, who then sells them to individual businesspeople. We meet Luka, who at 19 years old must support his family by selling and trading clothes in remote parts of western Zambia. Through his story we see how our old clothes constitute a backbone of Zambia’s growing informal economy and provide a livelihood for many.REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
". . . brilliantly connects Americans who donate used clothes to charities with the poorest of the poor"—Ilsa Glazer, NY TIMES ". . . compelling and eye-opening for my students"—Karen Korn, college instructor in cultural anthropology, Ohio ". . . touching and very close to my heart"—Bekki Songolo, former Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia (a country featured in the film)AWARDS:
- Winner Best Documentary: Atlanta Film Festival 2001
- Chairman’s Award: Zanzibar Film Festival 2001
- Certificate of Merit: San Francisco Film Festival 2001
- Best of Human Rights & Justice: Vermont International Film Festival 2001
DETAILS:
MPAA: not rated. 60 min. 2001 release. In English.
Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama
SYNOPSIS:
How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet. Part biography, part philosophy, part adventure and part politics, "10 Questions for The Dalai Lama" conveys more than history and more than answers — it opens a window into the heart of an inspiring man. If you had only one hour, what would you ask? —monterey media/Rick Ray FilmsREVIEWER'S COMMENTS:
"One comes away from 10 Questions emboldened, energized, and sadder — aware that peace remains so radical a concept that most of us aren't yet worthy of it." —Ty Burr, BOSTON GLOBE “. . . an anything-but-tedious film that expertly merges the mystical and the mundane." —Jeannette Catsoulis, NEW YORK TIMES "A nicely crafted . . . introduction to that most eminent of men, the spiritual leader and deposed head of state of Tibet." —Stephen Hunter, WASHINGTON POST ". . . informative and challenging, touching on issues of free speech, modernity, democracy, and globalism." —Marrit Ingman, AUSTIN CHRONICLEAWARDS, NOMINATIONS:
- Grand Festival Award, Berkeley Video and Film Festival
- Best Editing Award, Australian International Film Festival
- Best of the Fest, Bend Film Festival
- Best Cultural Film, Ecovision International Film Festival, Palermo, Italy
- Inspiration Award Winner, Tahoe-Reno International Film Festival
- Compassionate Vision Award, Maui Film Festival
- Humanitarian Award, Moondance International Film Festival
DETAILS:
2006 release, 85 min., MPAA rating: Unrated (suitable for all audiences in our opinion). In color. English.TRAILER:
A Recurring Issue:
South Dakota Re-debates Reproductive Choice
Hello independent film fans,
We're presenting a double-feature program this month, in a effort to shed
some additional light on a topic where in-depth discussion has too often
been overshadowed by a blitz of soundbytes and oversimplifications. And
for a change, we're planning a panel discussion format where the filmmakers
and their representatives will be able to amplify their points and field
questions from the audience following the films.
A title for the evening's program could be, "A Recurring Issue: South Dakota Re-debates Reproductive Choice".
- The first presentation will be an 83-minute film just released by Denise Ross ("Unplanned Democracy") which follows the public response to the 2006 SD legislation banning abortion, presenting the views of those on both sides of the issue. Ms. Ross is well known to radio listeners as one of the two political journalists/analysts on the SD Public Broadcasting regular segment, "Regional Political Junkies". Formerly on the Rapid City Journal staff, Denise now hosts a political web log (the "Hoghouse Blog"), and is a frequent contributor to the Rapid City Weekly News.
The second, 26-minute film, also just released, was produced as a cooperative
effort by the local Democracy In Action non-partisan women's group,
and presents a detailed discussion of the implications of the currently-proposed
Ballot Initiated Measure No. 11, to be voted on next month. The title
is "South Dakota Faces Abortion".
See poster for this event.
You can view a trailer of Denise Ross' film at: http://www.unplanneddemocracy.com/trailer.html Please invite your friends to join us as well. All seats are $5.00 at the door.
Ma Vie En Rose
(My Life in Pink)SYNOPSIS:
This Belgian film is a candy-colored, emotionally complex fairy tale about seven-year-old boy who declares himself a girl. Teased at school, shunned by neighbors, and dragged to a psychiatrist, the boy escapes into his own imagination. Full of buoyant charm, though its portrayal of the pressures of conformity is anything by rose-colored.
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
- "well made, charming and oddly universal" --Barbara Shulgasser, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
- "a drama of the highest order"--Joshua Klein, AV CLUB
- "entertaining and thought-provoking"--Lisa Nesselson, VARIETY
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS:
- 1998: Won Golden Globe (best foreign language film)
- 1997: Won European Film Award (best screenwriting)
- 1997: Won Jury Award and President's Award, Ft. Lauderdale Int'l Film Festival
- 1997: Won Golden Swann, Cabourg romantic Film Festival
- 1997: Won FIPRESCI Prize, Sarajevo Film Festival
- 1997: Won Crystal Globe, Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival
DETAILS:
88 min. In French, with English subtitles. 1997 release. Rated R for brief strong language.
TRAILER:
War Dance
SYNOPSIS:
Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine's WAR DANCE is a powerful documentary that follows a group of schoolchildren as they overcome nearly insurmountable odds in their quest to participate in the annual Kampala Music Festival. For over 20 years, Northern Uganda has been a war zone, and as a vicious rebel force, the Lord's Resistance Army, has run rampant, destroying villages, kidnapping children, and murdering parents. The 60,000 survivors are forced to live in a refugee camp, where conditions are bleak and resources are scarce. Somehow, the children of the Patongo Primary School have qualified for the Kampala Music Festival competition for the first time, a feat unto itself; yet these children are determined to take home the championship prize.
Along the way, we meet three of these innocent and tender victims: Dominic, who escapes the brutal memories of his past as a member of the L.R.A. by playing the xylophone; Rose, a shy singer who still suffers from memories of having witnessed her parents' slaughter by the rebels; and Nancy, a dancer whose aunt doesn't want her to go to the festival because she needs to take care of her three siblings. In a situation that appears to be anything but glamorous, Sean Fine's gorgeous cinematography provides a much-needed respite, flooding the screen with images of beauty, reflecting the hopeful minds of these determined children. As they make their way to Kampala to perform in front of an audience that doesn't think much of them, they must band together to prove that war and famine and slaughter cannot suffocate their spirit. WAR DANCE is a truly inspiring work of nonfiction that deserves to be seen by viewers all over the world.
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
- "The perfect antidote to compassion fatigue."--Bruce Newman, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
- "This is powerful stuff that reasserts both the evil and the good in human hearts."--Robert W. Butler, KANSAS CITY STAR
- "This is documentary-making at its best, not pretending to be journalism, but still playing a crucial role in telling stories that otherwise wouldn't make the front page."--Ann Hornaday, WASHINGTON POST
- "The cinematography is striking. The music is mesmerizing. And the triumph of the underdog team against all odds is extra satisfying."--Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS:
- 2008: Nominated for Oscar (Best documentary feature)
- 2007: Won Best Director Award, Sundance Film Festival
- 2007: Won Audience Award and Wexler Award, Woodstock Film Festival
- 2007: Won Audience Award, Wisconsin Film Festival
- 2007: Won Audience Award, Aspen Filmfest
DETAILS:
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material describing war atrocities. 105 min. In English. 2007 release.
TRAILER:
The Real Dirt On Farmer John
SYNOPSIS:
The beguiling true story of an eccentric farmer who invites his friends to help him farm while they create an artists' commune during the 1970's, arousing the suspicions and prejudices of his neighbors. After nearly losing the farm during the debt crisis, he finally triumphs after pioneering organic, community-supported agriculture.
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
"... outstanding documentary ..." --Kevin Crust, LOW ANGELES TIMES
"Inspiring, instructive, humorous, dramatic and moving, The Real Dirt on Farmer John is something special". --URBAN CINEFILE CRITICS
"Don't be surprised if, by the finish, you wind up fantasizing about your own rural homestead". --Elizabeth Weitzman, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
"What a blessing this film is, for everyone who's chosen the road less taken, and even perhaps for anyone who's stood in their way". --Jan Stuart, NEWSDAY
"This is a loving, moving, inspiring, quirky documentary that was made while the lives it records were being lived". --Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"Unbelievably special!"--AL GORE
AWARDS:
2005: Won Special Jury Award (Best documentary), Newport International Film Festival 2005: Won Best Documentary Feature Award, Nashville Film Festival 2005: Won Audience Award and Jury Prize, Bend film Festival 2005: Won Audience Award, Slamdance Film Festival DETAILS: 83 min. No MPAA rating. In English. 2005 release.
TRAILER
ˇSalud!
SYNOPSIS:
A timely film about conflicting values and the urgency of ensuring the universal right to health care, ˇSALUD!, examines the remarkable case of Cuba, a cash-strapped country that has established what the BBC calls "one of the world’s best health systems," and helps other developing countries do the same. Beautifully filmed in Cuba, South Africa, The Gambia, Honduras and Venezuela, ˇSALUD! reveals the human dimension of the world-wide health crisis, and the central role of international cooperation in addressing glaring inequalities. ˇSALUD! accompanies some of the 28,000 Cuban health professionals now serving in 68 countries. Through their personal stories, and those of an array of young medical students—now numbering 30,000—from the Americas, Africa and the Caribbean (including nearly 100 from the USA) being trained by Cuba, ˇSALUD! invites us to explore new paths to making health a global birthright, wiping out the diseases of poverty.
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
"ˇSalud! is an excellent, accurate and deeply moving portrayal of a healthcare system designed to keep people healthy rather than the ‘sickcare’ system that currently exists in the United States." --Joycelyn Elders, MD, former U.S. Surgeon General
“ˇSalud! is a great movie that should inform our nation's urgent quest to raise health standards for all citizens." --William D. Rogers, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs
"For anyone interested in health and social justice, “ˇSalud! is indispensable to understanding the Cuban model -- what has been accomplished with very limited resources and the transformative potential of construing health as a fundamental human right and a matter of basic human dignity." --Alicia Yamin, JD, MPH, Physicians for Human Rights
“ˇSalud! should be required viewing for all medical students -- it provides the fresh and inspiring perspectives on healthcare delivery and medical education that are desperately needed in the current climate of medicine at large." --Jay Bhatt, National President 2006 - 2007, American Medical Students Association
AWARDS:
2007: Won Audience Award, Los Angeles Pan-African Film Festival The film's producer/director, Connie Fields, has twice been an Oscar nominee: in 1990 for "Forever Activists", and in 1994 for "Freedom on my Mind".
DETAILS:
2006 release. Not rated (should be acceptable for all audiences in our view). In English (Spanish dialogue has English subtitles). 93 min.TRAILER
Everything Is Illuminated
SYNOPSIS:
A young Jewish American travels to the Ukraine in search of the woman who sheltered his grandfather during the Nazi invasion. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his grandson (Alex the grandson speaks an inventive form of English, and is an archetypal wild and crazy guy). The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into rural Ukraine. Jonathan (the American) is a compulsive collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags so he will remember.
The story shifts from offbeat hilarious to poignant as they find the object of their journey. A wonderful directing debut for the actor, Liev Schreiber ("The Manchurian Candidate", "The Painted Veil").
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
"It sounds weird, and it is. It's also very funny, not to mention mesmerizing and, finally, heartbreaking." --Kerry Lengel, ARIZONA REPUBLIC
"A film that grows in reflection." --Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"As a whimsical and at times poignant look at family secrets and family ties, it's effective, it’s moving." --Richard Roeper, EBERT & ROEPER
"A movie with wit, warmth and unabashed emotion." --Claudia Puig, USA TODAY
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS:
2005: Won Biografilm Award and Laterna Magica Prize, Venice Film Festival 2005: Won International Jury Award (best screenplay), Sao Paulo International Film Festival 2005: Won Special Recognition Award, National Board of Review (USA) 2006: Nominated for Golden Trailer Award (best music)
DETAILS:
Rated PG-13 (for disturbing images/violence, sexual content and language). 106 min. 2005 release. In English.
TRAILER
Fahrenheit 451
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the 1951 Ray Bradbury novel of the same name. Guy Montag is a firefighter who lives in a lonely, isolated society where books have been outlawed by a government fearing an independent-thinking public. It is the duty of firefighters to burn any books on sight or said collections that have been reported by informants. People in this society including Montag's wife are drugged into compliancy and get their information from wall-length television screens. After Montag falls in love with book-hoarding Clarisse, he begins to read confiscated books. It is through this relationship that he begins to question the government's motives behind book-burning. Montag is soon found out, and he must decide whether to return to his job or run away knowing full well the consequences that he could face if captured.
REVIEWER'S COMMENTS:
"A marvelously courageous personal statement that becomes more fascinating with time".---TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE
"THIS is how you adapt a literary classic to the big screen".---Scott Weinberg, eFILMCRITIC.COM
"With a serious and even terrifying theme, this excursion into science fiction has been thoughtfully directed by Francois Truffaut".---VARIETY
"Weird, yes. And wonderful".--James O'Ehley, SCI-FI MOVIE PAGE
"This is the kind of film that should encourage the perceptive viewer to rush out to the library to read someone like Herman Melville before it's too late".---Dennis Schwartz, OZUS' WORLD MOVIE REVIEWS
AWARD NOMINATIONS:
1967: Nominated for BAFTA award (Best British actress, Julie Christie) 1967: Nominated for Hugo award (Best dramatic presentation) 1966: Nominated for Golden Lion award, Venice Film Festival DETAILS: 113 min. Color. Not rated (suitable for all audiences in our opinion). 1966 release. In English.
TRAILER
Once
SYNOPSIS:
The Irish romance ONCE may be a musical, but it is miles away from the traditional Hollywood idea of people bursting into song. Glen Hansard (frontman for indie rock band The Frames) plays the guy, a street musician who is playing for change when he meets the girl (Marketa Irglova), an immigrant from the Czech Republic. The pair immediately bond over their shared love of music (he is a guitarist, and she plays the piano), and the film chronicles their tentative relationship. Both are weighed down by plenty of baggage: his songs are fueled by a painful breakup, and she is a young mother who left her husband behind in her native country. Like the independent favorite BEFORE SUNRISE, ONCE is a simple, sweet drama that doesn’t rely on an elaborate plot. With its use of digital video and handheld cameras, ONCE matches its spare visual style to its intimate mood. Each moment feels stolen from real life, and the story is at once familiar and fresh. Driven more by music than by dialogue, ONCE features a stirring soundtrack of heartfelt indie rock sung by Hansard and Irglova. Before his foray into film, director John Carney (ON THE EDGE) played bass in The Frames, and his passion for music is clear in this modern musical that hits every note perfectly
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
"ONCE transcends even its own ambitions, becoming a complex meditation on relationships, Irish culture, and music".---Toddy Burton, AUSTIN CHRONICLE
"Just about everyone with a heartbeat has had this tingly experience. You're at a movie, and a song, as if by magic, breaks through the surface of the drama. Suddenly, you're no longer sitting and watching — you're soaring". ---Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"The captivating Irish musical romance ONCE will warm all but the stoniest hearts".---Colin Covert, MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE "This indie musical is a bijou of a film that joins unaffected performances and a compelling soundtrack in a low-budget, documentary-style film that lets us watch two people fall in love to the mesmerizing soundtrack of the songs they create".---Linda Barnard, TORONTO STAR
"A romantic fairy tale of astonishing delicacy and emotional nuance. This movie is so good..." ---Robert Butler, KANSAS CITY STAR
AWARDS:
2008: Won Oscar, Best Original Song ("Falling Slowly") 2008: Won Independent Spirit Award, Best Foreign Film 2008: Won Broadcast Film Critics Award, Best Song 2007: Won Audience Award, Dublin International Film Festival 2007: Won Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival 2008: Nominated for Grammy, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album
DETAILS:
Rated R for language. 2007 release. 86 min. In English. Color.TRAILER
Donnie Darko
SYNOPSIS:
The film can best be described as an edgy and very innovative psychological thriller. "October Sky's" Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Donnie, a mentally unstable high school student with a high IQ and too many questions running rampant through his disturbed brain. Guided by an imaginary 6' tall spooky-looking rabbit named Frank who delivers strange, fatalistic messages, Donnie tackles questions that never occur to most teens - including the possibility of time travel and how it relates to the existence of God. Despite its weirdness, ultimately "Donnie Darko" is a beautiful tale of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:
..."breathtaking filmmaking."---Thomas Delana,BOULDER WEEKLY "Haunting and altogether exquisite."---Leslie Felperin, SIGHT AND SOUND
"An unnerving, electrifying debut film from 26-year-old writer/director Kelly, one that elucidates the universal traumas of growing up, but does so with a startling uncommonness."---Kimberly Jones, AUSTIN CHRONICLEAWARDS, NOMINATIONS:
2001: Won San Diego Film Critics Award (Best Original Screenplay) 2001: Won Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival Award (Best Screenplay) 2002: Won Toronto Film Critics Association Special Citation 2002: Won Gerardmer Film Festival Premiere Award 2003: Won Film Critics Circle of Australia Award
DETAILS:
MPAA rating--R (language, some drug use, violence). 113 min. 2001 release. In English, color.
TRAILER
Who Killed The Electric Car?
SYNOPSIS:
In 1996, electric cars began to appear on roads all over California. They were quiet and fast, produced no exhaust and ran without gasoline...........Ten years later, these cars were destroyed. With gasoline prices now hovering around $3/gallon, fossil fuel shortages, war and unrest in oil producing regions around the globe, and mainstream consumer adoption of the hybrid electric car (more than 140,000 Prius' sold this year), this film couldn't be more relevant. It tells the story of GM's short-lived production of an electric car, its place in history and in the larger story of our car culture, and how it enables our continuing addiction to foreign oil. This is an important film that not only calls to task the industry officials who squelched the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, but all of the other converging influences such as oil companies, government, and even American consumers, who have embraced the SUV instead. The documentary also deals with the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in our country's future; issues which affect us all.
The film stars Martin Sheen as narrator, and includes appearances by Phyllis Diller, Mel Gibson, and others.
REVIEWS:
"A balanced examination of the reasons for the electric car's disappearance."---Mick LaSalle, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
"Runs efficiently on its own energy and sincerity, which makes it not unlike the car it mourns."---Terry Lawson, DETROIT FREE PRESS
"Fascinating"---Joe Morgenstern, WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Like a companion piece to "An Inconvenient Truth", this timely documentary tackles what could be done about America's oil addiction."---Susan Granger, MONAMAG.COM
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS:
Nominated: Best Documentary - Environmental Media Awards (2006) Won: Special Jury Prize - Mountain Film (Telluride) (2006) Nominated: Best Documentary - Writers Guild of America Won: Audience Award - Canberra International Film Festival Nominated: 2007 Best Documentary Feature - Broadcast Film Critics Association
DETAILS:
MPAA rating: PG (brief strong language). 91 min. In English. 2006 release.