José Luis's Picks & Tips

This week's pick:

From May 18 to 28 we will be celebrating the VII Multicultural Festival to promote world community (VII Encuentro Internacional de Convivencia y Hermandad Universal) in San Miguel, and the Cinemateca Santa Ana will join this celebration with a selection of films from the participating countries. It is hard to choose one to single out this week because I like all these movies. This time, you choose your favorite …. 


The tips:

In order to be able to provide the best viewing experience, the show times for some movies may be adjusted to accommodate their length. Be sure to check the schedule carefully. Also, please remember the new ticket price of 50 pesos. Discount cards are 400 pesos for 10 shows. 

On Monday after 4pm buy your tickets for any selection of the week. Don't take the risk of being locked out! Nos vemos en el Cine….


Hong Kong
In the Mood for Love
Monday, May 22, 3pm
Cantonese with English subtitles, 97 minutes

In director Kar Wai Wong's delicately mannered tale of platonic romance set in 1962 Hong Kong, neighboring married apartment-dwellers Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung, a Cannes Film Festival best actor winner for his role) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) discover that their often-absent spouses are having an affair. The two spend much of their free time together and find they have much in common, but they vow never to behave like their unfaithful mates.



Israel
Broken Wings

Monday, May 22, 7:30pm Hebrew with English subtitles, 83 minutes Israeli mother Dafna (Silbersatz Banai) struggles to function after her husband dies in a freak accident.

Coping with her own grief and that of her four children, she is also faced with economic obstacles that his passing has caused the family. As her relationship with her 17-year-old daughter Maya (Maya Maron) deteriorates and Maya's twin brother Yair loses touch with reality, Dafna knows she must soldier on and keep her family together.



Brazil
Behind the Sun

Tuesday, May 23, 5pm Portuguese with English subtitles, 92 minutes Director Walter Salles creates a modern, epic meditation on war and peace in a story inspired by Broken April, a novel by Ismaïl Kadaré about a long-standing blood feud between two Brazilian clans.

When his brother is killed, a reluctant hero decides revenge is the only answer. But he is also aware that the bloodshed will not end if he pursues violence. José Dumont, Rodrigo Santoro and Rita Assemany star.



The Netherlands
Cinema for Mexican Youth
Antonia's Line
Wednesday, May 24, 5pm
Dutch with English subtitles, 102 minutes

Winner of the 1995 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and many other prestigious international honors, Antonia's Line is the remarkable story of a woman who builds a new life with her daughter in a quiet Dutch village after World War II. Earthy, sexy, romantic and filled with laughter and warmth, it's a joyous, multigenerational celebration of simple pleasures and enduring passions.



France
Cleo from 5 to 7

Wednesday, May 24, 7pm French with English subtitles, 90 minutes A woman delves into the inner depths of her soul and resurfaces transformed in this 1962 film by French director Agnes Varda.

Young singer Cleo (Corrine Marchand) strolls along the bustling Paris streets, pondering the meaning of life and her own existence as she awaits the results of her cancer biopsy. Cleo's observations offer a close look at Paris's rich street life, and desperation turns into hope when Cleo encounters a young soldier.


History Special
Islam: Empire of Faith
Thursday, May 25, 5pm
English. 160 minutes
This program will have a 10-minute-intermission.

From the birth of the prophet Muhammad to the rise of the caliphs and the glories of the Ottomans, Islam: Empire of Faith fully illuminates the first thousand years of an often neglected and misunderstood civilization.



Sweden
My Life as a Dog
Friday, May 26, 5pm
Swedish with English subtitles, 110 minutes

This Oscar-nominated gem offers an honest depiction of the often-confusing nature of childhood. Shipped off to live with his uncle for the summer, 12-year-old Ingmar finds unexpected adventures with the help of the town's warmhearted eccentrics. These experiences give him the strength to accept his life and eventually enjoy childhood.



Australia/Canada
Black Robe
Friday, May 26, 7pm
English with Spanish subtitles, 101 minutes

In 1634, Jesuit missionary Father Laforgue (Lothair Bluteau) arrives in the Canadian wilderness to convert the Huron and Algonquin Indians to Catholicism. Although the Algonquin chief (August Schellenberg) offers guidance and friendship, Laforgue doesn't endear himself to the natives. On a journey up the St. Lawrence River, a devastating chain of events causes Laforgue to question his beliefs and forever changes the natives' way of life.



Kids Cartoons
Saturday, May 27, noon
Free