Cinemateca, February 18–24, 2008
February 15, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

José Luis’s Pick’n’tip

The Pick

Sugar Cane Alley tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, José, being raised by his strong-willed grandmother in a rural village on the French-speaking island of Martinique. Although the story is set in the thirties, more than a century after the abolition of slavery, José’s relatives and neighbors still suffer the miserable working conditions, grinding rural poverty and virtual debt-peonage of the sugar-cane economy. When José’s grandmother and schoolteacher recognize that the boy’s intelligence might open larger opportunities for him, they encourage him to seek further education in the island’s capital, Fort-de-France. Faced with a complex and humiliating social hierarchy and a rigid educational system, the boy’s integrity is put to the test. The film is based on the 1950 novel La Rue Cases-Nègres by Martiniquan author Joseph Zobel. The book was banned for 20 years.

The Tip: In order 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. I also want to remind you of our new ticket price: 50 pesos and discount cards buy 12 shows for 450 pesos. Starting Monday, after 11am, buy your tickets in advance for any movie or show of the week. If you have a discount card, collect your pass to secure a seat; don’t take the risk of being locked out…Nos vemos en el Cine…Would you like to receive this info by email? Write to José Luis at alephamour@hotmail.com . Thank you.


The Movies

Short Film Festival Award Winner
“Lost and Found in Mexico”
Monday, February 18 at 5:30pm 
Documentary, English, 53 minutes.
Writer/Director/Producer: Caren Cross.

“Lost and Found in Mexico” explores the question: What lies on the other side of the American dream? This quirky documentary explores the lives of Americans who chose to leave their hard-working, successful and fast-paced lives to live in San Miguel de Allende, where leisurely conversations take place in the main square, burros walk the streets and people find their hearts engaged in living once again. While many Mexicans are leaving families behind and risking their lives to cross the border to a better life, this film focuses on the Americans who have decided to cross in the other direction—for a simpler life. Questions and Answers with the filmmaker following the show.



Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (Korolevstvo krivykh zerkal 1963)
Tuesday, February 19 at 1:30pm
Wednesday, February 20 at 2pm
Foreign Sci-Fi, Russian with English subtitles, 80 minutes.
Director: Aleksandr Rou. Cast: Olga Yukina, Tatyana Yukina, Tatyana Barysheva, Ivan Kuznetsov.

Little Olya never listened to her grandmother’s advice. But one day, an old magic mirror allows Olya to meet her own reflection, a girl named Yalo. Together, they enter a kingdom of crooked mirrors, where normal mirrors are outlawed because evil, dishonest people can’t face their true selves. A homecoming for Olya proves challenging when she tries to get Yalo to lose her bad habits. An enchanting, whimsical Russian fantasy.



Music and Dance Special
Pulse: Stomp Odyssey (2006)
Only show Thursday, February 21 at 2pm
Contemporary dance and music, English, 40 minutes.

Directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, creators of the stage show Stomp, take their percussive preoccupation to new heights in this big-screen production that showcases the universal language of rhythm and provides a toe-tapping global odyssey you won’t soon forget. Numbers include the Jackie Robinson Steppers of New York, a Spanish dancer performing rooftop flamenco and hard hat-clad men strutting atop a mining platform.



Special Art Movie 
Art Today Presents: “The Artists of San Miguel”
Only show: Wednesday, February 20 at 4pm, limited seating. 

Three documentary films show a glimpse into the lives of prolific San Miguel artists Edward Swift, Chi Kaplan and Mario Cabrera.. Each film will be presented by the artist. The films reveal part of the artist’s creative process and body of work, and through interviews takes the viewer through a magical tour inside the life of each of these special people. Copies are available on DVD for purchase. Information and contact art@mitzibidner.com or (415) 154-8234.



Sugar Cane Alley (1983)
Friday, February 22 at 2pm
Wednesday, February 27 at 3:30pm
Great black films, French with English subtitles, 103 minutes.
Director: Euzhan Palcy. Cast: Garry Cadenat, Darling Legitimus, Douta Seck, Joby Bernabe.

José is a bright young boy who lives among the poor black families of a sugar cane plantation community. His grandmother, believing her grandson is capable of great things, sacrifices to save him from the hard life of working the fields. Euzhan Palcy’s award-winning film is an honest, deeply moving human drama of a young boy who fights against the odds for his future.



Kids Movies: Cartoons
Saturday, February 16 at noon


Sunday Piano Matinee:
New Program “Romantic Classics”
Sparkling jewels in elegant interpretations
Pianist: Age Kristoffersen
Sunday, February 24 at 2pm, Teatro Santa Ana, 50 pesos, limited seating.



Musical Saturdays:
Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana 
Saturday, February 23 at 2:30 pm, 140minutes

Pagliacci (clowns) is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell’arte troupe. Pagliacci premiered at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan on May 21, 1892, conducted by Arturo Toscanini with Adelina Stehle as Nedda, Fiorello Giraud as Canio, Victor Maurel as Tonio and Mario Ancona as Silvio.

It is the only one of Leoncavallo’s operas which has remained in the standard operatic repertoire. Its name is sometimes incorrectly rendered as I Pagliacci (The Clowns).

Since 1893, it has usually been performed in a double bill with Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana (rustic chivalry), an opera in one act to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a Sicilian short story written by Giovanni Verga. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Since 1893, it has often been performed in a so-called “Cav/Pag” double-bill with Pagliacci.