2009-2010
PRESENTED AT THE SMITH THEATER, HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Nine Fridays/Saturdays of film for $35
October 2 & 3, 2009
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Souléymane Sy Savané, Red West, Diana Franco Galindo, Carmen Leyva, and
Lane "Roc" Williams
On the lonely
roads of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, two men forge an improbable friendship that
will change both of their lives forever. Solo is a Senegalese cab driver working
to provide a better life for his young family. William is a tough Southern good
ol‘ boy with a lifetime of regrets. One man‘s American dream is just beginning,
while the other‘s is quickly winding down. But despite their differences, both men
soon realize they need each other more than either is willing to admit. Through
this unlikely but unforgettable friendship, Goodbye Solo deftly explores the passing
of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America. (Roadside Attractions)(91
minutes)(in English & French)
October 30 & 31, 2009
RATING: PG-13 for thematic material
Starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, and
Kimiko Yo
Departures follows
Daigo Kobayashi, a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved
and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown
with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled
“Departures” thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover
that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional
who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his
wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins
to perfect the art of “Nokanshi,” acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and
death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his
profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy
and meaning of life and living. (Regent Releasing)(130 minutes)(in Japanese)
December 4 & 5, 2009
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Barbara Sarafian, Jurgen Delnaet, and Johan Heldenbergh
Ordinary
Matty has nothing but three kids to her name. She works at the post office, her
husband has run off to the bedroom of one his students. At forty-three life is pretty
hopeless.Then she gets in a fender-bender at the grocery story with twenty-nine
year old Johnny. After some harsh words, Johnny finds himself enamored with Matty,
who finds that she likes being wanted, and decides to take a chance on Johnny. A
romance ensues just as the wandering husband comes home. Now Matty finds she is
the center of attention. Matty must choose to settle back into the life she was
leading or to break into something new and step into the unknown. This heart-felt
movie is covered in subtle humor making the story like a well made meal. (NeoClassics
Films)(102 minutes)(in Flemish & Dutch)
January 8 & 9, 2010
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Hiam Abbass, Ali Suliman, Danny Leshman, Rona Lipaz-Michael, Tarik Kopty,
Amos Lavi, and Amnon Wolf
Lemon Tree is Eran
Riklis' engaging human drama of one woman's struggle to preserve her way of life
in the midst of political turmoil. The wonderful Hiam Abbass is Salma, a Palestinian
widow who earns her living tending to her late father's lemon grove. When an Israeli
government minister moves next door and declares the grove a potential security
threat, Salma struggles to defend her peaceful livelihood. Personal drama gives
way to political controversies as Salma forms an unexpected bond with the minister's
lonely wife, and takes her protest - with the help of her young lawyer - all the
way to the Israeli Supreme Court. (IFC Films)(106 minutes)(in Arabic, Hebrew, French
& English)
February 12 & 13, 2010
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Mikael Persbrandt, Maria Heiskanen, Jesper Christensen, Callin Ohrvall,
Ghita Norby, Amanda Ooms, and Emil Jensen
Sweden,
early 1900s. In a time of social change and unrest, war and poverty, a young working
class woman, Maria, wins a camera in a lottery. The decision to keep it alters her
whole life. The camera grants Maria new eyes with which to see the world, and brings
the charming photographer "Piff Paff Puff" into her life. Trouble ensues when Maria's
alcoholic, womanizing husband, feels threatened by the young man and his wife's
newfound outlook on life. (IFC Films)(131 minutes)(in Swedish & Finnish)
March 19 & 20, 2010
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi, and Farida Benkhetache
The
Secret of the Grain is a touching and resoundingly humanistic story set in the rustic
port of Sete in southeastern France. Slimane has worked in the same shipyard job
for over 35 years, when his growing dissatisfaction prompts him to try to open his
own restaurant. His dream seems unbelievable, but his contagious conviction and
persistence work their way into the hearts of his loyal but dispersed family; the
four children from his first marriage, his ex-wife, current girlfriend and her bright,
outspoken daughter, Rym. A grand film about ordinary people, The Secret of the Grain
is a deliciously slow-burning drama about fate, food and family. (IFC Films)(151
minutes)(in French, Arabic, & Russian)
May 7 & 8, 2010
RATING: R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use
Starring Algenis Pérez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Michael Gaston, Jaime
Tirelli, José Rijo, Ann Whitney, and Richard Bull
Sugar follows the story of
Miguel Santos, a.k.a. Sugar, a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro De Macorís, struggling
to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing
professionally at a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic, Miguel finally gets
his break at age 19 when he advances to the United States’ minor league system;
but when his play on the mound falters, he begins to question the single-mindedness
of his life’s ambition. (Sony Classics)(114 minutes)(in English & Spanish)
May 21 & 22, 2010
RATING: PG-13 for language
Starring François Bégaudeau
François and his fellow
teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighborhood. Armed
with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them
from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes
often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and
inspiring as the teenaged students can be, their difficult behavior can still jeopardize
any teacher's enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere
of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often
takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when
his students begin to challenge his methods. (Sony Classics)(128 minutes)(in French)
June 4 & 5, 2010
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Askhat Kuchinchirekov, Samal Yeslyamova, Ondasyn Besikbasov, and Tulepbergen
Baisakalov
Following his Russian
naval service, young dreamer Asa returns to his sister’s nomadic brood on the desolate
Hunger Steppe to begin a hardscrabble career as a shepherd. But before he can tend
a flock of his own, Asa must win the hand of the only eligible bachelorette for
miles—his alluringly mysterious neighbor Tulpan. Accompanied by his girlie mag-reading
sidekick Boni (and a menagerie of adorable lambs, stampeding camels, mewing kittens
and mischievous children), Asa will stop at nothing to prove he is a worthy husband
and herder. (Zeitgeist Films)(100 minutes)(in Kazakh & Russian)