Cinema Lounge >> SFIFF 2004

San Francisco International Film Festival 2004

A good Sunday morning to you. I hope this proves useful to those of you looking to attend some unusual films at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

The Festival is extending some special discounts to friends of the Balboa. Check them out and pass them on to friends:

SFIFF 2004 Special Invitation

SAN FRANCISCO FILM FESTIVAL TIPS

This is the 47th year that San Francisco's International Film Festival has been bringing the world to Bay Area movie lovers. Founded by Irving and Irma Levin, it was the first film festival in North America. The Levins operated movie theaters in San Francisco and could provide venues to show new works from other parts of the globe. After several years they gave the Festival to the City of San Francisco while family members have continued to advise. Irma Levin is like our patron saint, being the Balboa's landlady who encourages what we do and regularly attends our showings.

Opening night of the Festival launched Thursday night with the quirky new Jim Jarmusch film COFFEE AND CIGARETTES. The sold out Castro Theatre roared with laughter at the movie consisting of 11 short films featuring celebrities' eccentric conversations over the two Cs. The project started with a short made in 1986 for Saturday Night Live. The hilarious piece starring Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright is followed by more recently completed encounters involving Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, Jack and Meg White discussing a Tesla Coil experiment that goes wrong, Cate Blanchett meeting herself and a touching sequence with Andy Warhol actor Taylor Meade. Without question the highlight is RZA and GZA from Wu-Tang Clan discussing alternative medicine with Bill Murray trying to disguise himself as a waiter in a dive of a coffee shop. Joining director Jarmusch on stage after were RZA and Tom Waits, meeting for the first time while the three answered questions from the audience.

The opening night crowd was dressed from casual to flashy. The post film party was possibly the best in memory. Held at the SF Design Center's Galleria, this space is perfect for people watching. A 4-story high open space with balconies to wander, eat, drink and gaze, one could be in the crowd or slightly removed while in a perfect position to check out the entire scene. Mingus Amungus provided the sounds and the burlesque acts from Tease-O-Rama provided distraction for even those in deepest conversation.

Food from 18 restaurants and drinks from various sources kept the starving masses happy with highlights such as tempting tapas from Ramblas, succulent spring rolls from Millennium, and Senegalese surprises from Bissap Baobob including fried plantins, Casamance Marinated sole with grilled onions in a lemon garlic mustard sauce and vegetables in a peanut sauce over couscous. We plan to try the latter two soon and had a delicious lunch with several Festival filmmakers at Ramblas on Saturday.

This year's Festival is packed and I will give you very brief comments on some of the films I have seen and look forward to experiencing myself. Since most films play multiple times I urge you to get a program guide by your side as you read through my rambling thoughts. They are available throughout the city and online at: sfiff.org/fest04/

THE BIG EVENTS

Film Society Awards and Tributes are planned for actor Chris Cooper and Milos Forman. Cooper is often seen in the films of John Sayles and won an Oscar for his part in Spike Jonze' ADAPTATION. His range is terrific and he is one of the most respected and well-liked actors working today. The tribute on April 21 will include a discussion and screening of Sayles' MATEWAN. For filmography: imdb.com/name/nm0177933/.

Director Milos Forman established his career with a formidable group of films made in Czechoslovakia. The last film he made before coming to America is one of my favorites. Watching FIREMAN"S BALL it is clear why the Czech censors banned his anti-authoritarian comedy. His first movie here was the wickedly funny TAKING OFF starring Buck Henry. Forman collaborated with John Guare and Jean-Claude Carriere to create this satire on American life in 1971. Both films, rarely seen, will play today, Sunday afternoon, at the Castro. Though best known for his Oscar-winning ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and AMADEUS, the Festival programmers have wisely chosen to show movies today's young audiences aren't likely to have seen. A third selection is HAIR, adapted from the Broadway musical sensation and a perfect follow up to TAKING OFF. It will be interesting to see how the film plays now. Forman discusses his career after its April 23 showing. Forman and Berkeley producer Saul Zaentz are scheduled to reunite next year with GOYA.

Forman filmography: imdb.com/name/nm0001232/

Jon Else is a most deserving winner of the Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award for his work as both a director of a diverse range of documentaries and as a fine cinematographer. His award-winning THE DAY AFTER TRINITY is worth revisiting on April 25 where Else will appear. imdb.com/name/nm0255613/

I have a bias on this next program. As a member of the Mel Novikoff Award committee it is our pleasure to follow the goal of seeking "an individual or institution whose work has enhanced the film going public's knowledge and appreciation of world cinema" in memory of San Francisco's adventurous theater owner. Novikoff was my mentor. He first operated the Surf Theater, bringing a repertory of classics, lost masterworks and new international discoveries to local audiences. Long before the megaplexes thought about having cafes in their lobby, Mel had one at the Surf. He then took over the Castro, restoring it and making it San Francisco's favorite movie palace. The Lumiere and Clay were added to his growing group of cinemas. As a co-director of the Film Festival, film programmer at the Museum of Modern Art, and patron of many other forms of music and art he established a showcase for quality cinema with a cross-fertilization that brought people together from many areas of interest. When Mel passed away in 1987 his friends and admirers decided to offer this annual Award in memory of a person who had so much impact on our lives and whom we will never forget.

This year it is a pleasure to honor Paolo Cherchi Usai for his incredible work as a film archivist and leader in film preservation. Based at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, Paolo regularly shares his discoveries at festivals and archives around the world. With several other lovers of silent movies he founded Le Giornate del Cinema Muto in the Italian town of Pordenone. Since 1982 they have unveiled wonders often thought long lost. Some day I hope to attend. Until then I am happy to read his provocative articles and books and take any opportunity to attend film presentations he curates. You can too on Monday, April 26 at PFA in Berkeley when he presents LIFE IS SHORTS, a collection of rediscovered silent short subjects that will have you laughing, surprised and even amazed.

Many of you enjoyed Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL when the Balboa screened it for our Birthday party 3 years ago. I remember several people saying that it was the first time they'd seen a silent movie with live music, asking where they could see more. On April 20 a double dose will be offered in the perfect setting of the Castro Theatre. The annual appearance by Boston's Alloy Orchestra is a must see event. Whether you've never seen THE GENERAL or loved it 10 times before, I assure you the Alloy's accompaniment is a revelation. Even more memorable will be the French film to follow, DANS LA NUIT. We showed both movies at the Telluride Film Festival last fall and they were the talk of the town. Each film shows only once (separate admission) and if you love great experiences you'll be telling friends about for years you can't afford to miss this.

This is the second year the Festival has offered "The State of the Cinema." Certain to be as thought-provoking as her frequent articles in the London Guardian, The Nation, New York Times and other publications, critic and UC Berkeley film professor B. Ruby Rich will deliver her thoughts on where movies are today and what the future might bring. Tonight at 5pm at the Kabuki, it will be followed by the poetic film about Cuba, SUITE HABANA.

DRAMATIC FILMS I can recommend

MANHOLE —A dark comedy driven by a romance that takes surprising turns when a young man, having been jailed for defending the honor of his sweetheart, is released to a changed China and must figure out where he fits in the puzzle.
CARANDIRU is the much-anticipated return to directing from Brazil's Hector Babenco (PIXOTE, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, IRONWEED) and he delivers an powerful and unusual drama set in prison. A doctor, who visits to obtain blood for HIV testing, also gets each inmate to tell their own stories and there are some real surprises, great performances and a devastating climax in a film based on true incidents.
JAMES' JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM comes from the Israeli filmmaker Ra'anan Alexandrowicz whose THE INNER TOUR was a SF Festival hit in 2002. In his first fiction film he tells of an idealistic small-town Zulu farmer who is on his way to Jerusalem for a religious pilgrimage. Arrested upon arrival, a slave boss gets him released and forces him to work as an indentured laborer. The filmmaker brings humor to a serious subject and believes difficult issues are brought to a wider audience in an entertaining context. "The films that communicate hard-hitting ideas best are those that are more metaphorical," says the director.
THE MOTHER is something very different from the director of NOTTING HILL and CHANGING LANES. A couple visits their grown children in London who really don't have time for their parents. When the husband suddenly dies, his partner, May fears that her life is also over. And then she falls for Darren, a man half her age who is renovating her son's house and sleeping with her daughter. This film may make you squirm as Ann Reid gives a brave performance in a story from Hanif Kureishi (MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDERETTE, THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA).
RECONSTRUCTION is a satisfying puzzle where a young photographer leaves his girlfriend when he meets a woman on the subway and sleeps with her. But when he returns home, nothing exists from his previous life. This stunningly photographed first feature from Danish director Christoffer Boe takes place during a dizzying 24 hours as it bolding presents a complex interweaving of time, place and point of view. Winner of the Best First Film prize at Cannes (Camera d'Or), it is both adventurous and poignant.
SINCE OTAR LEFT is one of my favorites in the Festival. First time director Julie Bertuccelli was Krysztof Kielowski's assistant director on his Three Colors trilogy. Three generations of women live together in the Georgian capital of Tibilisi. Otar long ago left for Paris and occasionally phones his 90-year-old mother who lives for his calls. His accidental death could be too much for her so the other women decide to hide the fact but the old lady insists that they go to Paris to find him. The results are both comic and tragic in a beautifully acted ensemble piece.
LOVE ME IF YOU DARE is new French movie influenced by Jacques Tati, Tim Burton, AMELIE and the filmmaker's very original sense of ironic humor and romance. Visually stunning as it follows a boy and girl who play a game of "dare" throughout their lives with each challenge more dangerous, both physically and emotionally. Certain to be a hit when it is released later this year.
In the mood for a 3-D horror film, Hong Kong style? THE PARK is a roller coaster ride of a movie full of grand googol touches from director Andrew Lau screening this afternoon.
Melvin Van Peebles returns home to San Francisco (he was once a cable car brakeman) with his son Mario directing BAADASSSS!, a recreation of the making of his father's breakthrough 1971 SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSS SONG about a promiscuous black antihero as he makes his way towards Mexico to evade the white police. For those around when it came out there will be both nostalgia and some surprises. Young audiences will be fascinated by the film that really jump-started the "blaxploitation" genre.

DOCUMENTARIES are an important part of the Festival

The film guaranteed to get the most buzz is CONTROL ROOM. With a final showing this afternoon (and theatrical release set for late May), Jehane Noujaim's look inside the workings of Al Jazeera, the dominant source of news for the Arab world, is an eye-opener that also provides context for CNN and other news outlets covering the war in Iraq. Interviews with reporters, behind-the-scenes footage and preparations for press conferences at U.S. Central Command offer us a unique insight about the way media tries to cover the war, dodging or buying into the official "spin."
I had lunch on Saturday with the young director (whose first film was the collaboration with Chris Hegedus, STARTUP.COM). Noujaim discussed the reactions to her film that follows a two producers and a respected reporter at Al Jazeera as they try to report the news objectively. Of course that is a matter of perspective and while there is certainly a bias on the station, just as American news often makes judgments, I think many people will reconsider their perceptions. U.S. military Press Officer John Rushing is surprisingly honest as he does his job while trying to understand the big picture. The filmmaker said he recently called her to express his concerns that his comments in the film may cause problems for his career though he stands by them.
CHISHOLM '72 — UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED does a terrific job of telling the story of the first African American woman in Congress who also made a run for the Presidential nomination 32 years ago. Her story is inspiring while frustrating. Could she run today and have a chance? THE CORPORATION focuses on publicly traded corporations. Co-director Mark Achbar (MANUFACTURING CONSENT: NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA) believes the managers of such corporations are obliged by law to put financial interests ahead of other standards. Legally, corporations are considered like individuals but the film asks what would happen if priorities including human rights and the environment were more important than profit. THE CORPORATION is both thought provoking and often funny.
DOUBLE DARE is twice as much fun as the typical film about movie making as it follows the careers of two stuntwomen. One was the stunt double for the TV series Wonder Woman. As a 40-year veteran she must fight to convince producers she still has what it takes while the woman who did Lucy Lawless' stunts in Xena must decide how to keep her career alive after that show was cancelled. Amazing stunt footage and two telling stories provide the core for San Francisco filmmaker Amanda Micheli's fascinating film.
METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER — Don't like heavy metal music but up for a great documentary? This new work from the directors of BROTHER'S KEEPER and PARADISE LOST won't disappoint at tonight's screening (theatrical release coming soon). The local band allows the camera to explore their lives, frustrations and creative problems as they prepare to record a new album.
SUPER SIZE ME may have already caused McDonald's to change the way they market fast food. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock spent 30 days only eating food from the hamburger chain. When you finish laughing and being disgusted don't be surprised if you'll never pass through the golden arches again after learning how fast food affects our national weight and nutrition problems.
THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL is already a hit before anybody has seen it. It tells the story of Mark Bittner and his love for the colorful birds that are often found on the stairs coming up the east side of Telegraph Hill. It is an inspiring tale that will bring smiles to viewers' faces. Bittner's book has become a surprise best seller and Judy Irving (DARK CIRCLE, etc) is hoping to get theatrical distribution. Festival screenings are sold out.

MOVIES I WANT TO SEE

Also at lunch Saturday also was Bong Joon-Ho, whose MEMORIES OF MURDER is a major hit in Korea. Based on a real series of unsolved murders where a small group of detectives became frustrated in their attempts to find Korea's first serial killer, the film is both a thriller and a comedy. Director Joon-Ho explained that the movie is set in 1986, the middle of the dictatorial and military state of South Korea when oppression was a regular part of life and the detectives were left powerless to make a successful investigation. Sounds terrific.

Other movies I look forward to seeing include ANA AND THE OTHERS, B-HAPPY, BAD BEHAVIOUR, BEAUTIFUL BOXER, THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A BEAR, CIRCUS CINEMATICUS, DIG!, DOPPELGANGER, L"ESQUIVE, EVERYDAY PEOPLE, GOD IS BRAZILIAN, GOODBYE, DRAGON INN, THE HANDCUFF KING, RAGHU ROMEO, STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL, TEMPTRESS OF A THOUSAND FACES, THREE STEP DANCING, TRIPLE AGENT VODKA LEMON, WE LOVED EACH OTHER SO MUCH, WHAT THE EYE DOESN'T SEE and YOUTH BE TOLD.

As the Festival progresses I'll be told about other gems and hope I can fit in a hefty selection.

Festival screenings are in San Francisco at the Kabuki and Castro, Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive and the Century Mountain View.

Download a nifty Festival calendar for a PDA at the Calendar page.

There is a daily online newsletter with gossip and tips called Scoop du Jour.

Enjoy,

Gary