Cinemateca, June 2–8, 2008 May 30, 2008 
San Miguel de Allende

José Luis Pick’n’tip


The Saltmen of Tibet

This film follows four men and 160 yaks on their annual spring pilgrimage to the remote lakes of the Changtang region where they gather raw salt, continuing a ritual that goes back more than 2,000 years. Shot under extreme conditions in one of the world’s most remote and beautiful locations, The Saltmen of Tibet documents the ancient traditions and daily rituals of a Tibetan nomadic community and transports us into a realm untainted by the tides of foreign invasion or encroaching modernity. Step by step we follow the unforgettable, annual three-month pilgrimage to the holy salt lakes of northern Tibet.


The Movies

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) 
Tuesday, June 3 at noon
Thursday, June 5 at noon
India, Hindi with English subtitles, 129 minutes
Director: Aparna Sen
Cast: Rahul Bose, Konkona Sen Sharma, Bhisham Sahni, Surekha 

Mrs. Iyer is traveling by bus to Calcutta to be with her husband. But a flare-up between Hindus and Muslim extremists closes the roads and a curfew descends. While the passengers are trapped on the bus, a gang of Hindus boards to ferret out any Muslims. Mrs. Iyer was brought up to believe that Muslims were inferior, but during the journey, she comes to realize that it’s who a person is, not their religion, that’s the defining factor.



The Saltmen of Tibet (Die Salzmänner von Tibet, 1997)
Tuesday, June 3 at 7pm
Friday, June 6 at 5pm
Religion & spirituality documentary, Tibetan with English subtitles, 110 minutes
Director: Ulrike Koch

Journey to the rooftop of the world! Documenting the ancient traditions and day-to-day rituals of a Tibetan nomadic community, the film transports us into a realm of endless mystery untainted by the tides of foreign invasion or encroaching modernity. The Saltmen of Tibet is a work of sublime beauty and epic proportion.



Into the Wild (2007) 
Tuesday, June 3 at 3pm
Adventures, English, 148 minutes
Director: Sean Penn
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Jena Malone, William Hurt 

Sean Penn directs this feature based on bestselling author Jon Krakauer’s true story of a young man who gives up everything to lead a solitary life in the wild. Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a middle-class college graduate, abandons his safe existence to trek across the harsh yet beautiful terrain of Alaska. William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden co-star, along with Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook (in an Oscar-nominated role).



Gabriel Orozco (2002)
Monday, June 2 at 3pm
Friday, June 6 at noon
Mexico, English, 80 min
Director: Juan Carlos Martín 

Martin’s documentary about Mexican conceptual artist Gabriel Orozco is shot with digital video, 35mm color and 16mm black-and-white. In his directorial debut, Martin accompanies Orozco to Paris, Oaxaca, Frankfurt and finally to his first solo show in Mexico City in 2000. The artist offers plenty of opinion and insight on his background as a painter and his thoughts on the creative process. Martin captures some of his collection techniques with found objects and ready-mades, especially for his reconstructed Citroën. Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and video artist Steve McQueen are interviewed. Original music is by Manuel Rocha Iturbide and the Austin-based Tosca Tango Orchestra.



The Rules of the Game (La Règle du Jeu, 1939)
Monday, June 2 at 5pm
Friday, June 6 at 7:30pm
French cinema, French with English subtitles, 106 minutes
Director: Jean Renoir
Cast: Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parely, Odette Talazac, Claire Gerard, Anne Mayen, Gaston Modot, Jean Renoir, Lise Elina, Marcel Dalio 

When affluent Marquis Robert de la Chesnaye (Marcel Dalio) hosts a party at his sprawling property, emotions run high. Guests include Robert’s mistress Genevieve (Mila Parely) and pilot Andre Jurieu (Roland Toutain), who fancies Robert’s wife, Christine (Nora Gregor). Meanwhile, Schumacher (Gaston Modot) is trying to keep Marceau (Julien Carette) from hitting on his wife (Paulette Dubost). All the while, the servants watch with great interest.



Kids Movies: Cartoons
Saturday, June 7 at noon