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| THE DESPERATE HOURS Dir. William Wyler (USA: 1955), 112 min. Humphrey Bogart stars as Glenn Griffin in this 1955 classic. Griffin escapes from prison and finds himself in a well-to-do suburb of Indianapolis. He randomly selects to invade the home of the Hilliard family. While only planning to stay a night while he awaits his girlfriend, his stay ends up lasting several days after she never arrives.
This 1955 film stars Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. The movie was directed by William Wyler and is based on a novel and play of the same name. The story was based loosely on actual events. schedule
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| I Want to Live Dir. Sunil Gupta (India, 2009), 39 mins Over 3 million people are infected by HIV in India. After considerable pressure from the international community and court challenges from within, the Indian government rolled out a programme of free access to ARV drugs through its public health care system. However, as the testimonies in this film show, the right to access free treatment is hard to put into practice. Testimonials cover a range of issues from diagnosis, confidentiality, treatment through to rights. schedule
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| Stonewall Dir. Nigel Finch (UK, 1995) 99 mins Stonewall is a fictionalized narrative of the weeks leading up to the infamous Stonewall Riots a decisive moment in the American gay rights movement. Told through the words of drag queen La Miranda this film follows the individual struggles of characters such as Matty Dean a handsome young gay man and newcomer to NYC, Bostonia, the self-proclaimed matriarch of the drag queens and Vinnie, the deeply closeted owner of the Stonewall Inn. As the film progresses the characters individual struggles culminate in one of the seminal events of the wider social and political struggle for gay rights in the U.S.A. schedule |
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| The Times of Harvey Milk Dir. Rob Epstein (USA, 1984) 90 mins This film documents the rise of Harvey Milk from neighborhood activist through to becoming San Fransisco’s first openly gay supervisor. The Times of Harvey Milk was produced after Milk’s assassination at San Fransisco’s City Hall. This documentary includes original interviews, exclusive documentary footage, news reports, and archival footage. The film won the Academy Award for best documentary film in 1985 and was awarded Special Jury Prize at the first Sundance Film Festival. schedule |
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| THIN Lauren Greenfield (USA: 2004) With unprecedented access and an unflinching eye, THIN offers an emotional journey through the world of eating disorders. Photographer Lauren Greenfield, in her directing debut, filmed over a six-month period at the Renfrew Center, a residential facility for the treatment of eating disorders in South Florida.
The documentary focuses on four women struggling with anorexia and bulimia. Greenfield’s camera follows them to places most have never ventured: one-on-one and group therapy sessions, emotionally wrought mealtimes, early morning weigh-ins, heated arguments with staff, and tense encounters with family members.
As the film follows these individuals, it also explores the institution that is their home, investigating the process of treatment, the culture of rehab, and the relationships, rules and rituals that define everyday life in an institution.
102 mins. schedule |
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| KIDS + MONEY Lauren Greenfield (USA: 2008) Money Talks. Teens in Los Angeles discuss money: getting it, spending it and learning to live without it. Kids + Money is an original short film by award-winning filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield.
32 mins. schedule |
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| AT CLOSE RANGE WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Olive Bucklin (USA:2007) At Close Range with National Geographic follows photographer Joel Sartore as he visits some of the most exotic locations in the world. His job not only puts himself in danger from wildlife, but also allows him to be at the forefront to witness things many will never see. The film interviews the National Geographic editors who find the right images for each publication. The film also discusses the effect being a National Geographic photographer has on his personal life and marriage. At Close Range with National Geographic allows the viewer to see internationally acclaimed photographer Joel Sartore under extreme pressure for the right shot and allows us to see his passion for his home state, the environment and his family.
60 mins. schedule |
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| THE PHOTOGRAPHERS: SAM ABELL AND ALEXANDRA AVAKIAN National Geographic Society (USA: 2009) This film focuses on two National Geographic photographers; Sam Abell and Alexandra Avakian. Alexandra Avakian documents the culture of the Muslim world and has travelled for the past two decades exploring this culture. Alexandra looks into the way of life that deals with deep faith and love as well as conflict. She goes to Muslim communities that are war-torn and searches the world to take an in-depth look at the culture. Sam Abell is a veteran National Geographic photographer. In the film, the viewer gets an in-depth look at his techniques he uses to capture his best photographs. This documentary looks at both photographers’ styles and specialties as they have been with National Geographic for long periods of time.
73 mins. schedule |
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| EYE OF THE LEOPARD Dir. Beverly Joubert and Dereck Joubert (USA: 2006) This film documents the life and journey of a young leopard cub named Legadema, or “Light of the sky.” The film follows Legadema for 3 years throughout Botswana. The film first starts when Legadema is just a cub. The husband and wife team who are both directors and photographers, Beverly Joubert and Dereck Joubert won an Emmy Award for Eye of the Leopard. Narrated by Jeremy Irons, this documentary film by the National Geographic allows the viewer to see one of the most feared predators up close and the struggles leopards endure to survive.
90 mins schedule |
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| THE PHOTOGRAPHERS: MARK MOFFETT AND ANNIE GRIFFITHS BELT National Geographic Society (USA: 2008) This film focuses on two National Geographic photographers; Mark Moffett and Annie Griffiths Belt. Mark Moffett has travelled the world looking at nature up-close. He has discovered new species and is one of the few to earn his Ph.D. under the famous ecologist, E. O.Wilson. Annie Griffiths Belt was one of the first females to be hired by National Geographic as a photographer. She has worked on all continents, except Antarctica. The films focus is on her book “A Camera, Two Kids And A Camel,” where Annie took her children on her adventures for her work as a National Geographic photographer. These two photographers show the dedication and passion it takes to be a successful photographer.
90 mins. schedule |
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| GOD GREW TIRED OF US: THE STORY OF LOST BOYS OF SUDAN Christopher Dillon Quinn (USA: 2006) God Grew Tired of Us follows 3 of the 25 000 “lost boys of Sudan,” John Bul Dau, Daniel Pach and Panther Bior. These boys escaped Sudan in the 1980’s by walking thousands of miles for 5 years to leave their homeland conflicted with war. Along the way thousands died from different causes including starvation, dehydration, murder and war. From first escaping Sudan, and then from Ethiopia, the boys found safety in Kenya. The film follows the 3 boys as they leave many of the other refugees to come to the United States. The boys are thrown into a new culture and forced to adapt, but do not forget about helping the others they left behind in Kenya. The film looks at the boys new lives in a brand new country, how it has changed them and what they are doing to try to support their friends and loved ones.
The film was narrated by Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman and was executive produced by Brad Pitt. At the 2006 Sundance Film Festival the film won 2 awards; The Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the category of Independent Film Competition: Documentary. At the 2006 International Documentary Association Awards, Christopher Dillion Quinn won Emerging Documentary Filmmaker for God Grew Tired of Us.
89 mins. schedule |
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| MEMENTO Christopher Nolan (France: 2000) Memento chronicles two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator whose short-term memory has been damaged following a head injury he sustained after intervening on his wife's murder. Leonard is determined to avenge his wife's murder. He attempts to do this by using valuable tools, from tattooing notes on his body to taking Polaroid’s of familiar circumstances, to remind himself, despite his disabled state. The movie is told in forward flashes of events that are to compensate for his unreliable memory, during which he has liaisons with various complex characters, which assist him in getting closer to solving his wife’s murder. 113 mins. schedule |
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| LE FABULEAUX DESTIN D'AMÉLIE POULAIN Jean-Pierre Jeunet (France: 2001) Amélie is the story of a young woman who is a waitress in central Paris and her curious interactions with her neighbours, co-workers, customers and family. One such relationship with a mysterious Photomaton-image collector and one of his even more mysterious photo subjects provides Amélie with a new approach to life as she learns more about herself. The movie’s attention to detail provides a decadent and fantastical approach of one young woman’s understanding of life, love and the pursuit of happiness. 122 mins. schedule |
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| BLOW-UP Michelangelo Antonioni (USA: 1966) BLOW-UP is a provocative film about the dilemma of a man trapped in a life-style
of inaction and non-commitment. David Hemmings plays an egocentric photographer in free-swinging mid-1960's London. A series of his photographs make him think that he has witnessed a murder. The fact that he has photographed a murder does not occur to him until he studies and then blows up his negatives, uncovering details, blowing up smaller and smaller elements, and finally putting the puzzle together. 110 mins. schedule |
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| EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED Liev Schreiber (USA: 2009) Jonathan, a young Jewish American, flies to the heart of the Ukraine to Odessa, in search of his grandfather’s past. He brings with him the name and a photograph of the village. The past illuminates everything in this film as Jonathan and his hired companions from the Odessa Heritage Tours partake in this expedition. As Jonathan collects found objects from the present he is illuminating his families past. 106 mins. schedule |
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| ONE HOUR PHOTO Mark Romanek (USA: 2002) This film showcases the morose and lonely life of Seymour ‘SY’ Parrish which fuels his growing obsession of the seemingly ‘perfect’ Yorkin family. SY is the local photograph developer working at a department store the Yorkin family uses to process family photos. SY has worked as a developer for over 20 years and is as obsessed with modern photography practices as he is with the personal inner-workings of the Yorkin family. As SY discovers that the Yorkin family is not as perfect as they seem, he begins to take it personally and becomes a man possessed to expose the imperfections of the family which could tear them apart. 96 mins. schedule |
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| LES VACANCES DE MONSIEUR HULOT Jacques Tati (France: 1953) The peace and quiet of the hotel guests at a seaside resort doesn't last very long when Monsieur Hulot goes on a holiday at the resort. Mishaps and calamities follow him where ever he goes because although his intentions are good, they always turn out disastrous. 114 mins.
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| MON ONCLE Dir. Jacques Tati (France: 1958) Monsieur Hulot lives a very different life from his family, the Arpels. His sister, her husband and their son Gerard live in an ultra modern house, equipped with all the latest automated conveniences. They've decorated the property in a minimalist theme and are highly regimented in every aspect of their lives. Gerard enjoys escaping his “un-friendly” reality to spend time with his Uncle M. Hulot who lives a more lackadaisical lifestyle in a smallish apartment in an old building in a more established neighborhood. M. Arpel in particular doesn't like the influence his brother-in-law has on his son. The Arpels try to make M. Hulot, fit in better with themselves and their group of friends. M. Hulot even tries working for his brother-in-law at his factory after much insistence from M. Arpel. Of course nothing works out as planned when M. Hulot is around, either at work or at a social gathering! Perhaps in the end the Arpels can learn more from M. Hulot then the other way around. 117 mins.
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| PLAY TIME Dir. Jacques Tati (France: 1967) Monsieur Hulot gets caught up in yet another calamity when he becomes lost in a maze of a new modern Paris which he is unfamiliar with, while looking for an American official he needs to contact. M. Hulot ends up following a group of American tourists, causing chaos in his usual manner along the way. 155 mins.
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| TRAFIC Dir. Jacques Tati (Italy: 1971) M. Hulot designs an ingenious car for Altra Motors and to be expected, it has many clever features. M. Hulot follows the tow truck, which is bringing his prototype to an auto show in Amsterdam, in his own car and is also followed by a glamorous PR executive named Maria in her own sports car. This road trip has every imaginable problem, delaying the arrival of the prototype for the auto show; a flat tire, no gas, an accident, a run-in with police, a stop at a garage, and numerous traffic jams.Through interactions with different common town’s people, Maria gradually loses her imperious conceit, learning a few things about herself along the way. 96 mins.
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| CITIZEN KANE Dir. Orson Welles (USA: 1941) This is the story of Charles Foster Kane. The film opens with a long shot of Xanadu - the private estate of Kane, one of the world's richest and most powerful men. In the middle of the estate is a castle. We see, inside the castle, a dying man examining a winter scene within a crystal ball. As he drops it, it smashes, and one word is heard - "Rosebud..." Pieces of newsreel-like footage detail how Kane amassed his fortune, turning full circle in the end. 119 mins.
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| WILD STRAWBERRIES Dir. Ingmar Bergman (Sweden: 1957) An elderly physician, Professor Isak Borg, experiences disillusionment as he reflects upon his life and begins to perceive his mortality. He finds himself repeatedly affected by intrusive dreams and hallucinations that expose his darkest fears, as he travels to Lund to receive an honorary award after 50 years of medical practice. He begins to realize that the choices he made in the past have created a cold and empty life, devoid of real meaning or value. Through the love and forgiveness of his family he finally achieves redemption and reintegration. 91 mins.
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| 8 ½ Dir. Federico Fellini (Italy: 1963) An Italian director, named Guido Anselmi has lost all inspiration for his upcoming movie, and it's too late to back out. Aside from the fact that he can't make the film, his mistress, wife, producer, and all the rest of his friends, are pressuring him about one thing or another. As he retreats into his dreams to shelter himself from the pressures, he finds inspiration to make his new film, and face the world. 138 mins.
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| THE NUTTY PROFESSOR Dir. Jerry Lewis (USA: 1963) After a football coach humiliates Professor Julius Kelp a “nerd” who's been picked on by everyone, in front of his class and his beautiful student, Stella, Julius decides he will create a potion. After drinking the potion, he turns into, Buddy Love a wild and a popular party animal, plus, he isn't afraid to talk to Stella anymore. There's only one problem, the potion wears off quickly. 107 mins.
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| LES INVASIONS BARBARES Dir. Denys Arcand (Canada: 2003) A man dying of cancer tries to find peace in his last moments. He is having a difficult time accepting the reality of death and feeling regretful of his past. His estranged son, ex-wife, ex-lovers and old friends will all come to him to share his last breath. 99 mins.
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| LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLON Dir. Julian Schnabel (France: 2007) Using his left eye to blink out his memoir, Jean-Dominique Bauby, an Elle France editor, who suffered a stroke at age 43 that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye, eloquently described the aspects of his interior world. From the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he'd only visited in his mind, Baudy shares his story.
112 mins. schedule |
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| TERRITORIES Dir. Mary Ellen Davis (Canada: 2007) Larry Towell is the only Canadian member of the legendary Magnum Photos agency, known for its humanist and universal approach. Towell belongs to this tradition. His curiosity may guide him sometimes to the heart of conflicts, but his works express a particular sense of intimacy. More than a war photographer, Towell considers himself a family photographer. This documentary reveals the artist and the man through his photographic work and his open meditations on life and the creative process. It was filmed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank and East-Jerusalem), at the border between Mexico and the United States (States of California and Baja California), New York and Southern Ontario in Canada. (65 mins.) schedule |
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| FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS Dir. Clint Eastwood (USA: 2006) In February 1945, one of the fiercest battles during World War II occurred on the tiny island of Iwo Jima. Thousands of Marines attacked the stronghold maintained by thousands of Japanese soldiers, and the slaughter on both sides is horrific. Early in the battle, an American flag is raised atop the Mountain Suribachi, and a photograph of the flag raising becomes an American cause for celebration. As a powerful inspiration to war-sick Americans, the photo becomes a symbol of the Allied cause. The three surviving flag raisers, Rene Gagnon, John Bradley, and Ira Hayes, are whisked back to civilization to help raise funds for the war effort. The accolades for heroism heaped upon the three men become very difficult to bear. The soldiers are at odds with their own personal realizations that thousands of real heroes lie dead in Iwo Jima, and that their own contributions to the fight are only symbolic and not deserving of the singling out they are experiencing. Each of the three men must come to terms with the honors, exploitation, and grief that they face simply for being in a photograph. (132 mins.) schedule |
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| LETTERS OF IWO JIMA Dir. Clint Eastwood (USA: 2006) The island of Iwo Jima stands between the American military force and the home islands of Japan. The Imperial Japanese Army is desperate to prevent it from falling into American hands and providing a launching point for an invasion of Japan. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi is given command of the forces on the island and sets out to prepare for the imminent attack. General Kuribayashi, however, does not favor the rigid traditional approach recommended by his subordinates, and resentment and resistance fester among his staff. In the lower echelons, a young soldier, Saigo, a poor baker in civilian life, strives with his friends to survive the harsh regime of the Japanese army itself, all the while knowing that a fierce battle looms. When the American invasion begins, both Kuribayashi and Saigo find strength, honor, courage, and horrors beyond imagination. (141 mins.) schedule |
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| FULL METAL JACKET Dir. Stanley Kubrick (USA: 1987) A two-segment look at the effect of the military mindset and war itself on Vietnam era Marines, the film begins by following the trials and tribulations of a platoon of fresh Marine Corps recruits focusing on the relationship between Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, Privates Pyle and Joker. We see Pyle grow into an instrument of death as Hartman has foreseen of all of his recruits. Through Pyle's torment and Joker's unwillingness to stand up against it the climax of part one is achieved with all three main characters deciding their fates by their action or inaction. The second chapter of Full Metal Jacket delves into Joker's psyche and the repeated referral to the fact that he joined the Corps to become a killer. When his mostly behind the scenes job as a combat correspondent is interfered with by the Tet offensive he is thrust into real combat and ultimately must choose if he really is a killer. (116 mins.) schedule |
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| THE HURT LOCKER Dir. Kathryn Bigelow (USA: 2008) The Hurt Locker was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won six including Best Picture and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win this award. US Army Sergeant First Class Will James, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge comprise the Bravo Company's bomb disposal unit currently stationed in Baghdad. James is the tech team leader. When James the tech team leader, arrives on the scene, Bravo Company has thirty-nine days left on its current deployment. It will be a long thirty-nine days for Sanborn and Eldridge whose styles do not mesh with their new leader. James is a renegade for who the thrill of the dismantlement seems to be the ultimate goal regardless of the safety of his fellow team members, others on the scene or himself. On the other hand, Sanborn is by the books: he knows his place and duty and trusts others in the army to carry out theirs as well as he. Eldridge is an insecure soldier who is constantly worried that an error or misjudgment on his part will lead to the death of an innocent civilian or a military colleague. While the three members face their own internal issues, they have to be aware of any person at the bomb sites, some of who may be bombers themselves. (131 mins.) schedule |
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| M.A.S.H. Dir. Robert Altman (USA: 1970) The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean War. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable. Nevertheless, the war goes on. (116 mins.) schedule |
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| THE GRADUATE Dir. Mike Nichols (USA: 1967) schedule |
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| HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Dir. Chuck Jones & Ben Washam (USA:1966 A Dr.Seuss classic; A grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville. 26 min schedule |
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| THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW Dir. Roland Emmerich (USA: 2004), 124 min The American sci-fi film The Day After Tomorrow is a disaster movie that depicts the effect of global warming on the earth. Climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) leads an Antarctic research expedition to study the effects of global warming. He presents his findings to the United Nations, where representatives are unconvinced of his findings. After collaborating with scientists who do believe in his research, he develops climate models to predict the potential of catastrophic weather events. Expecting his findings to take hundreds of years to take place, he is stunned to find out that violent weather has begun to strike the globe. The next ice age is headed towards New York City and expected to strike within days. The film also stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum.
The Day After Tomorrow won a BAFTA Award for Best Special Effects (2005). schedule |
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| THE ICE STORM Dir. Ang Lee (USA: 1997), 112 min. Its Thanksgiving, 1973, and the climate is changing, politically and physically. As the Watergate scandal unfolds in the background, the inhabitants of New Canaan, Conneticut begin to slip into an existentialist void, wherein social taboos are shattered on whims and the line between adult authority and juvenile irresponsibility is practically nonexistant. Focusing on two families in particular, the Hoods and the Carvers, "The Ice Storm" chronicles a brief period of rapid moral deterioration, as the characters shatter their social "roles" in pursuit of meaning and satisfaction, within an environment turned inwards on itself. As the narrative device of an "Ice Storm" builds up around them, the actions of the characters - including adultery, sexual experimentation, drug use and petty crimes - become increasingly unpredictable and impulsive. Once the "storm" hits, though, reality sinks in, and the severity of their situation becomes all too apparent in its bitter and resonating aftermath. 112 min. schedule |
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| LITTLE FUGITIVE Dir. Ray Ashley, Morris Engel & Ruth Orkin (USA: 1953), 80 min. Little Fugitive is a story about a 7 year old boy who is tricked into believing he killed his older brother. He then flees to Coney Island thinking he is in big trouble. schedule |
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| BLACK ROBE Dir. Bruce Beresford (Canada: 1991), 101 min. Black Robe is set in 1634, in the French settlement which would eventually become present day Quebec City. A Jesuit priest, Father LaForgue, and his companion are escorted through the Quebec wilderness by Algonquin Indians. They have been sent by Samuel de Champlain to find a distant Catholic mission in a Huron village. The Jesuit missionary experiences a spiritual journey when his companion falls in love with the Algonquin chief’s daughter. schedule |
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| INTO THE WILD Dir. Sean Penn (USA: 2007), 148 min. Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, is a recent graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. After his graduation, Christopher destroys all his credit cards and identification documents and donates all of his $24,000.00 savings to charity. He starts out on a cross-country journey, driving and eventually hitchhiking, to discover life in the wilderness. schedule |
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| REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE Dir. Nicholas Ray (USA: 1955), 111 min. Jim Stark (James Dean) is the new guy in town. He has been trouble everywhere else he has lived. He plans on finding the love of his life in Los Angeles, love his family cannot provide him with. He meets a girl by the name of Judy (Natalie Wood) and the two fall in love. Jim must prove himself to his peers by taking part in switchblade knife fights and games of chicken, in which cars race towards a cliff. schedule |
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