ArtsEmerson February Film Orgy
The Next Thing Festival and World Cinema Classics
By: Charles Giuliano - Jan 22, 2013
ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage continues its third season of independent and repertory films by screening classics of world cinema, plus a wide array of films to compliment The Next Thing (TNT) Festival, a 10-day mash up of live performance, film, music and workshops that explores emerging aesthetics in contemporary performance. Films are screened at Emerson College’s Paramount Center (559 Washington St., Boston), in the Bright Family Screening Room unless otherwise noted. Tickets are $10, or $7.50 for members unless otherwise noted, and are available in advance at ArtsEmerson.org, or by calling 617-824-8400. Discounted tickets for seniors are $7.50, and $5 for all students with valid ID and children under 18, unless otherwise noted. Discounted tickets are available in person at the Box Office only. For more information visit ArtsEmerson.org
According to Director of Artistic Programs David Dower, “This is a month in which we flex our range in the Bright Family Screening Room. From world classics to an event so fresh it’s performed live, edited live and streamed live from its home site in Tempe, Arizona. It’s a program unlike anything you will find in Boston this month.”
Classics of World Cinema
The month begins with the final weekend of our focus on diversity and inclusivity that began Martin Luther King weekend. This final week focuses on classic films from around the world: Mexico, Sweden, Thailand, India, Hong Kong and the U.S. as seen through the minds of some of the greatest directors of all time.
Friday Feb. 1, 6 p.m.
Los Olvidados
Directed by Luis Bunuel
1950, DVD, B&W, 77 minutes
In Spanish with English subtitles
In what became his first international box-office success, Luis Buñuel tells the story of a gang of juvenile delinquents trapped by circumstances of poverty in the slums of Mexico City. The youngest member of this gang of loyal street kids, Pedro is taken down a dark path by El Jaibo, who commits a series of terrible crimes of theft and even murder. Pedro tries to get his act together and appease his mother, but El Jaibo and the street life inevitably cause a relapse into the old way of life. As a giant skyscraper rises on the city’s skyline, those in the slums cannot help but wonder at the injustice of this world. Filled with vivid dream sequences and fantastical imagery, Los Olvidados won Buñuel the honor of Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival and marks the beginning of his most creative period.
Friday, Feb. 1, 9 p.m.
The Music Room
Directed by Satyajit Ray
1958, Blu-Ray, B&W, 100 minutes
In Bengali with English subtitles
Acclaimed Bengali film-maker Satyajit Ray tells the moody story of a prosperous man whose wealth crumbles as he attempts to cling to the old way of life. His music room used to be his pride and joy—filled on a regular basis with the country’s most prized musicians providing private concerts for invited guests. Although funds are too tight to keep the music room open, the man decides to spend his last rupees hosting one last glorious concert in the hall…if nothing else, out of spite for his competitive neighbor. With delicate storytelling and evocative imagery, Ray gives the audience an intimate portrait of loss, tradition and perseverance.
Saturday, Feb. 2, 1 p.m.
Fanny and Alexander
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
1982, 35mm, Color, 188 minutes
The joys and sorrows of a bourgeois Swedish family around the turn-of-the-century are told through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander. The children must live through the death of their father and their mother’s re-marriage to a cold-hearted clergyman in what is considered legendary director Ingmar Bergman’s warmest and most autobiographical film. Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Film, this thematically simple and visually stunning film was set to be Bergman’s last project—bringing all the emotional intensity to light in what is one of his culminating works.
Saturday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m.
In the Mood for Love
Directed by Wong Kar Wai
2000, 35mm, Color, 98 minutes
In Cantonese/Shanghaiese/French with English subtitles
Two couples move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Over time, Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chen come to realize that their frequently absent spouses are having an affair. Although the two experience a similar attraction to each other, especially with their new knowledge, they each understand that the other plans to remain faithful no matter what. Still, they cannot deny their newly formed bond and embark on a journey exploring the parameters of love. Hong Kong-based director Wong Kar Wai litters the film with stunning cinematography, moody music and structured improvisations that lend a relatable, endearing tone to the work.
Saturday, Feb.2, 9 p.m.
Blue Velvet
Directed by David Lynch
1986, Blu-Ray, Color, 120 minutes
College boy Kyle MacLachlan is forced to return home after the ominous death of his father. When he arrives, however, he stumbles upon a severed ear in an empty field. Together with the detective’s daughter, MacLachlan sets out to uncover the mystery behind the dismembered body part, which draws him into a nightmarish world of voyeurism and sex completely unexpected. Face-to-face with evil incarnate (played by a maniacal Dennis Hopper), Kyle is forced to re-evaluate his perception of the world. From the dark mind of David Lynch, Blue Velvet serves as a deconstruction of white picket fence America under which true evil and darkness lie.
Sunday, Feb. 3, 1 p.m.
Syndromes and a Century
Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2006, 35mm, Color, 105 minutes
In Thai with English subtitles
In this charming “memory film,” Thai director Weerasethakul portrays an imagined representation of his parents’ romance in two parts. The first is told from his mother’s point of view several decades ago when his parents would have actually met, and the second from his father’s viewpoint in a more present-day environment. The result is a stimulating look at the nature of love, how it affects others, and how it endures over time.
TNT Festival: Priming the Pump
According to Dower, “We move into a weekend of films that prime the pump for The Next Thing (TNT) Festival, a 10-day mash up of live performance, film, music and workshops that explores emerging aesthetics in contemporary performance. We start with classic films that pair well with the live performances of the Festival. David Foster Wallace, for instance, wrote movingly of how deeply Terry Gilliam’s Brazil influenced him. Another TNT offering, Blood Play, is equal parts Todd Haynes and Monty Python. Mike Daisey always credits Spalding Gray as his inspiration as a performer. And how can you present a piece called Birth Breath Bride Elizabeth and not pair it with James Whale’s 1935 horror classic, The Bride of Frankenstein?”
Friday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m.
Brazil
Directed by Terry Gilliam
1985, 35mm, Color, 131 minutes
In this visually riveting, mentally stimulating dystopian masterpiece, bureaucrat Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) finds himself tangled in a complex web of deceit in which a series of terrorist bombings are falsely blamed on an innocent citizen rather than the actual terrorist (played by the brilliant Robert De Niro). In this futuristic, totalitarian society, Sam quickly goes from being a loyal citizen of his country to being deemed an enemy of the state. Channeling influences like George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut, famed director Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) creates a frightening vision of a world gone wrong in an eerily realistic fashion that has been hailed as one of the best films of the 1980s.
Friday, Feb. 8, 9 p.m.
Zabriskie Point
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
1970, DVD, Color, 110 minutes
Following one of the student protests during the 1960s, a young man steals an airplane and flies off into the desert. Unexpectedly, he meets a fellow traveler on the journey and ends up falling in love with her. In this idyllic tale of self-discovery, growing pains and young love, Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni makes his only American film, providing a unique outsider’s perspective on the turbulent 1960s and the generation wanting to form its own sort of utopia.
Saturday, Feb. 9, 1 p.m.
Far From Heaven
Directed by Todd Haynes
2002, DVD, Color, 108 minutes
In a tribute to the “women’s films” of the 1950s, writer/director Todd Haynes produces a visually tantalizing and emotionally involved look at the life of one ‘50s housewife in abnormal circumstances. When she finds out her husband (Dennis Quaid) is having a homosexual affair, Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) realizes that, although she has the perfect veneer of a happy life, she wants more. She seeks solace in the company of a black gardener (Dennis Haysburt), and soon rumors about the two of them begin spreading like wildfire. Providing a personal look at the racial and sexual prejudices of the era, this modern reinterpretation of Douglas Sirk’s classic film All That Heaven Allows stands out with tight writing and manicured visuals. Add in the acting talents of Viola Davis and Patricia Clarkson, and Far From Heaven becomes an irresistible, tenderly wrought tale of suppressed love and desire.
Saturday, Feb. 9, 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 15, 9 p.m.
Swimming to Cambodia
Directed by Jonathan Demme
1987, DVD, Color, 85 minutes
Actor and raconteur Spalding Gray delivers his acclaimed monologue Swimming to Cambodia for the camera. Slipping in history and socio-political context of the political turmoil Cambodia was experiencing at the time, Gray recounts his experience as an extra on the Sam Waterston film The Killing Fields filmed on location. A modern master of language and story, Gray’s riveting tale speaks to the power of storytelling and importance of using the arts—theatre in particular—to bring about social awareness.
Saturday, Feb. 9, 9 p.m.
The Bride of Frankenstein
Directed by James Whale
1935, Columbia Artists Print, B&W, 75 minutes
This classic horror film directed by James Whale returns to the Frankenstein story with cast members from the original movie, including the legendary actor Boris Karloff. Dr. Frankenstein and his monster are not, in fact, dead as was implied by the end of the first film. They’re back, and this time the monster wants a companion. With the persuasion of Dr. Pretorius, Frankenstein is convinced to create a bride for his monster. The results are, of course, nearly disastrous. Featuring a haunting score and cutting edge technology for the time, The Bride of Frankenstein serves as a prime example of the classic horror film from eras passed.
Sunday, Feb. 10, 1 p.m.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Directed by Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
1975, Blu-Ray, Color, 91 minutes
The Monty Python gang returns with a vengeance in their second full-length (and arguably most beloved) feature film. King Arthur, king of the Britons, assembles a motley crew of knights for his roundtable and together they set off in search of the mythical Holy Grail. Together, this horseless band of brave (and not-so-brave) knights wander the English countryside, assured of their abilities to find the goblet from which Christ drank—if that is the Holy Grail, at all. In this quintessential mash-up of comedy, farce and history lesson, Monty Python is at their most memorable, creating a classic that will last even longer than the journey for the Grail itself.
TNT On Screen
These two weeks are devoted to films that expand the depth and breadth of TNT Festival. Working with partners at Under the Radar in New York, ArtsEmerson has programmed a line-up of events that includes filmed performances of iconic American artists, films from the archive of On The Boards TV that feature present day pioneers like Young Jean Lee and Reggie Watts, and a couple of unique events that can’t be seen anywhere else.
Admission to TNT Festival screenings is free with a Festival Pass. Check with the Box Office or online for more information.
Friday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 22, 9 p.m.
Transition
Directed by Tommy Smith
2009, .MP4, Color, 60 minutes
Transition is an absurd yet addictive mix of stereophonic effects, live video, geometric movement and improvisation created by comedic musician Reggie Watts and playwright/director Tommy Smith. Watts’ many talents—standup comedian, former front man of rock band Maktub, R&B soul singer and experimental performer—have made him an audience favorite at venues and festivals around the world. In recent years his collaborations with Smith, including performances at The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival (NYC) and the 2009 Sydney Festival, have received rave reviews from critics and audiences.
Saturday, Feb. 16, 1 p.m.
Time Bandits
Directed by Terry Gilliam
1981, DVD, Color, 111 minutes
Monty Python affiliate Terry Gilliam gathers some of his favorite funny people to form this story of a fairy tale come to life. Young Kevin daydreams materialize when a troupe of little men burst through the wall of his wardrobe and sweep him off on a journey through history, planning to steal from some of the great men of times past. In an attempt to stay ahead of The Supreme Being, they dart through time, encountering figures like Napoleon, Robin Hood, Agamemnon and even Evil himself. With a cast including John Cleese, Ian Holm and Sean Connery, Gilliam pulls off his traditionally irreverent and ragingly funny story gone awry.
Saturday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
The Shipment
Directed by Young Jean Lee
2009, .MP4, Color, 90 minutes
Playwright and director Young Jean Lee and a talented cast of five African-American performers create an unsettling terrain of well-trodden stereotypes that dare audiences to laugh as they consider their own preconceptions about race and culture. One of the leading and most provocative voices in American contemporary theatre, Lee pushes herself to new artistic heights as she confronts her fear about creating an ethnic identity play through the lens of a “black identity politics show.”
Saturday, Feb. 16, 9 p.m.
City Council Meeting
Directed by Aaron Landsman
2013, Multi-camera live stream, Color, 2 hours
City Council Meeting is a participatory theatre event about empathy, democracy and power. Created by Aaron Landsman, Mallory Catlett and Jim Findlay, the project combines local government transcripts, original writing and a surprise ending, revealing the city we make together each night by performing it. Who are you in this place? You live here. What’s your problem? City Council Meeting is a New England Foundation for the Arts National Theater Pilot project, and will be presented in four U.S. cities (and counting), with additional funding from New Play Network and MAP. The project is developed with lead support from the HERE Artist-in-Residence Program (HARP).
Sunday, Feb. 17, 1 p.m.
And Everything is Going Fine
Directed by Stephen Soderbergh
1987, Digibeta, Color, 89 minutes
Special appearance by Spalding Gray’s wife Kathie Russo (one of the film’s producers),son Forrest Gray (composer of the score) and Mike Daisey following the screening!
Comprised of clips from monologist Spalding Gray’s interviews and one-man shows, this hilarious and intimate documentary follows the life and career of one of America’s most outstanding theatrical artists. Steven Soderbergh—acclaimed director and friend of Gray’s—pieces together the warm, moving and revealing clips of Gray’s work and life to form a sort of posthumous autobiography celebrating the memory of this one-of-a-kind performer. The delicately chosen clips weave together a final monologue of sorts for Gray, remaining at once fascinating and enlightening but retaining an air of mystery.
Friday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
Your Brother. Remember?
Directed by Zachary Oberzan
2012, DVD, Color, 63 minutes
An elaborate experiment with the concept of Before-and-After photographs, Your Brother. Remember? splices and dices home videos, Hollywood film footage, and live performance. As kids in rural America, Zachary and his older brother Gator loved making parodies of their favorite films, most notably Jean-Claude Van Damme’s karate opus Kickboxer, and the notorious cult film Faces of Death. Then 20 years passed. Estranged from his family, Zack returned to his childhood home to re-create these films, shot for shot, as precisely as possible – but now seen through a 20-year lens of emotional and physical wear and tear. One brother became an actor, and one self-destructed. Which is which? How different are these lives? Could this story have turned out the other way around? Maybe. And what are these peculiar parralels in Mr. Van Damme's life, as it unfolded over the same 20 years? Born in Belgium or America, the simple childhood desire for love gets confused with fame, drugs and ambition. The liars believe their own lies, and "real-life" clashes with the "art of manipulation." But with Mr. Van Damme and renowned pathologist Dr. Francis Gross in their corner, Zack and Gator step into the ring one last time for a title shot at redemption.
Saturday, Feb. 23, 9 p.m.
El Pasado Es Un Animal Grotesco
Directed by Mariano Pensotti
2012, .MP4, Color, 110 minutes
It’s 1999 in Buenos Aires. Mario, Laura, Pablo and Vicky are in their mid-20s and ready for careers, love and adulthood. Over the next decade, Argentina’s economy will collapse and their lives will take a series of unexpected turns. In this fast-paced, multilayered “mega fiction,” director Mariano Pensotti (one of the most noted experimental directors throughout the world) deftly unfolds the lives of these four characters. El pasado es un animal grotesco (The Past is a Grotesque Animal) is a funny and moving portrait that takes place atop a slowly spinning turntable stage; a reminder of time’s ceaseless march. Guided by a narrative voice-over, we are granted access to a string of defining moments in the touching and tumultuous lives of the group. Moments that illustrate how quickly and easily real life can transform into fiction and back again.
Sunday, Feb. 24, 1 p.m.
Passing Strange
Directed by Spike Lee
2010, DVD, Color, 135 minutes
Already a hit Broadway show, Passing Strange tells the story of a young black man who decides to leave behind his religious, middle-class upbringing in 1970s Los Angeles and head to Europe to find something “real.” In racy Amsterdam and militarized Berlin, he encounters some misadventures with sex, drugs, art and politics, causing him to realize how much he left behind at his home. Famed director Spike Lee brings his signature touch to this contemporary musical, filming the event with multi-camera coverage and providing a unique glimpse to the backstage process of the actors in the show. This electric collaboration between theatre and film artists is not to be missed.