Films explore biomimicry, immigration woes 
By Georgeann Johnson February 20, 2009 San Miguel de Allende

Bioneers Winter Film Series Nature’s 100 Best Tue, Feb 24, 3–4pm Teatro Santa Ana Biblioteca Pública Insurgentes 25 50 pesos

Janine Benyus, the naturalist and founder of the Biomimicry Institute, brought her latest knowledge...straight from the heart of nature...to the recent Bioneers Conference. 

The new field of biomimicry comes from deep observation of nature and how nature does incredible things. One instance is the velcro we use to stick things together. This came from the observation of burrs that stick together. Observation of starfish has led to things like silicon and computer chips.

Benyus, as an author, biologist and consultant, helps clients to use the genius found in life to create sustainable products and processes. She then turns around and helps preserve the habitats of the mentor organisms. Her most recent breakthroughs are described in her talk along with great visuals.

The second film portrays the plight of the migrant farmworker in the US, as told by Lucas Benitez, who migrated to Florida from the state of Guerrero at the age of 15 to join several siblings. It wasn’t long before he developed the voice of a leader. After that, it wasn’t long before he received the Do Something BRICK Award, an award that recognizes outstanding leaders under the age of 30. 

By organizing fellow migrant farmworkers, Benítez helped secure wage increases and stop slavery rings. In his talk, he describes the organizing efforts that forced the richest fast-food chains to the negotiating tables. 

A credo of Bioneers is that, “there is no environmental justice without social justice.” Benitez is a strong voice in the alliance of these forces.

Animator premieres latest work
By Robin Loving Rowland

Film Premiere
Missed Aches
Thu, Feb 26, 1:30pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos

Missed Aches (say that really fast!), a new film spoofing the indiscriminate use of spell check, has its international premier in San Miguel. Accompanying the film will be several other animations by acclaimed filmmaker Joanna Priestley.

Priestley has produced, directed and animated 20 award-winning films about subjects as varied as relationships, plants, abstraction, magic and prison. In addition, her films have been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles and the Stuttgart Animation Festival in Germany.

Gus Van Sant, director of Good Will Hunting and Fight Club, is a Priestley fan. “Joanna Priestley is one of the most interesting and adept personal animators and filmmakers. I have enjoyed her work for years and been amazed at how she gets into her own thoughts onto the screen in a very elegant and focused way,” he said.

The International Journal of Animation said, “Imaginative, playful and whimsical, Priestley’s work radiates a sense of wonder and delight about the art of animation.”

Priestly has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Film Institute, the MacDowell Colony, Fundación Valparaíso and Creative Capital. She is a founding president of the International Animation Association’s Northwest chapter. Priestly has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1992. She teaches animation workshops worldwide.

Fellow filmmaker and part-time San Miguel resident Jan Baross will introduce Priestley. “I’ve known Joanna for more than 25 years. Her innovative films are often deceptively simple in concept and amazingly complex in execution,” said Baross.

Proceeds from the premiere will benefit the 40 children of Casa Hogar Santa Julia. Priestly’s films are available on DVD from www.primopix.com.

For more information, contact Robin Loving Rowland at robin@robinloving.com ; 152-3709 in San Miguel; or (925) 418-8003 from the US/Canada.

A perfect match for film buffs
By Atención staff

Reel Docs film series
Moja Moja
Q&A w/director Sam Oliver
Fri, Feb 20, 3pm
50 pesos 
Match & Marry
Sat, Feb 28, 4pm
The Longing
Sat, Feb 28, 5:30pm
100 pesos, incl. double feature & VIP Reception
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50A

Reel Docs, a local documentary film series, premiered last month to sold-out audiences. Linda Hattendorf, filmmaker of The Cats of Mirikitani, said “The beauty of San Miguel de Allende is equaled only by the warmth of its people. A gem of a city blossoming withlife and art, this is a community like no other I’ve experienced. A wonderful place for filmmakers and artists of all kinds. Magical things happen here!”

Sam Oliver, filmmaker of Moja Moja, said “My experience was fantastic. Moja Moja played to a full house and was very well received. The audience laughed and cried in all the right places and a great Q&A session afterwards brought about some very interesting questions.”

Both of these documentaries were so well received that Reel Docs squeezed in a second screening of Cats while filmmaker Linda Hattendorf was still in town. A second screening of Moja Moja is scheduled with a Q&A session with Sam Oliver following. If you missed this film previously, makes plans to see it today! 

Reel Doc’s co-directors, Caren Cross and Jennifer Posner, continue their mission to bring thought-provoking documentaries and their filmmakers to San Miguel. Their next series begins February 28 with two fascinating films about Jewish life.

Match & Marry by Suzannah Warlick features tales, anecdotes and surprises of matchmaking, dating and marriage in the Orthodox Jewish community. Although focusing on the Jewish culture, the messages are universal. Whether you are married, divorced, single, engaged, young, old, religious or not, Match & Marry is sure to be an enjoyable, entertaining and educational experience.

The Longing: The Forgotten Jews of South America by award-winning director Gabriela Böhm documents a small group of South Americans longing to affirm their faith. Their ancestors, European Jews, were forced to convert during the Spanish Inquisition. Isolated in Catholic countries, rejected by local Jewish communities, they battle to become Jews regardless of the consequences.

Filmmakers will participate in Q&A sessions after each screening. A special VIP Reception will give you the opportunity to meet one-on-one with our invited filmmakers, Suzannah Warlick and Gabriela Böhm.

Tickets for the February 28 Reel Docs series are only 100 pesos, which includes both films and entrance to the VIP Reception with margaritas and botanas. Advance tickets are on sale now at the Teatro Santa Ana box office and with the success of the first series, purchase tickets early so you don’t miss out!

All proceeds fund scholarships and programs for local Mexican children provided by the Biblioteca Pública. For more information about these Reel Docs films, their filmmakers and to attend the VIP Reception, check out www.reeldocs.org. 

Cinemateca, February 23–March 1, 2009 

José Luis Pick’n’tip

International premiere of Missed Aches Joanna Priestley has produced, directed and animated 20 award-winning films about subjects as varied as relationships, plants, abstraction, magic and prison.

In addition, her films have been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, and the Stuttgart Animation Festival in Germany. This screening is not to be missed, so buy your tickets in advance, limited seating.

The Tip Important: 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. Would you like to receive this info by email? Write to José Luis at alephamour@hotmail.com.  Thank you.



The Movies

Opera Series Un Ballo in Maschera (The Masked Ball)  Monday, February 23 at 2pm Opera, Italian with English subtitles, 137 minutes Director: Brian Large Starring: Aprile Millo, Luciano Pavarotti

Un Ballo in Maschera is based on real events, such as the assassination of the Swedish King Gustav III in 1792. The opera first played in the Apollo Theatre in Rome and from the beginning of its composition had problems with censorship. The representation of an assassination was feared because of the effects it could entail—Emperor Napoleon III suffered an attempted assassination in Paris and the king of the Dos Sicilias suffered an attack by a soldier. The Neapolitan censorship rejected any option except the one requiring drastic changes that would have ruined the opera. However, the church’s censorship was not as strict and required only that the monarch not be European. So Un Ballo in Maschera premiered on February 17, 1859, with Riccardo, the governor of Boston, as the main character instead of the Swedish king. Today the opera is frequently staged and recorded, and it is common to see in Sweden, as it was originally meant to be. Verdi’s operas are perceived as an evolution of this opera in staging and in shifting attention from the singer’s skills and more toward the story.



Premiere of the animated movie
Missed Aches
Thursday, February 26 at 1:30pm
The filmmaker will attend the premiere.

Joanna Priestley is an award-winning, independent animator and teacher who currently resides in Portland, Oregon. She trained for printmaking at Rhode Island School of Design and received a BFA in painting from UC Berkley, graduating with honors. In addition, she received an MFA in experimental animation from the California Institute of the Arts. She was mentored under Jules Engel. During her career, she has produced and directed 19 animated films, most of which have been screened at film festivals worldwide. Her work has also been broadcast on PBS and the BBC. In addition, she has done animation pieces for Sesame Street as well as music videos for Tears for Fears and Joni Mitchell.



Global Justice Feature Film
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the End of the American Dream
Monday, February 23 at 5pm

This film raises serious questions about the sustainability of the suburban way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American way of life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this critically acclaimed documentary. Are today’s suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow?



The History of Mexico
Thursday, February 26 at 5:30pm
Poetic-visual-chronological narration, English, 60 minutes
Director-producer: Murray Kamelhar
Cast: Cleo Stevens, Gary Whare, Lilia Trapaga, José Luis Mendoza 

For the past 10 years, this final version has been presented to full houses at Teatro Santa Ana. Through the voices of the actors and the beautiful visuals, The History of Mexico brings to life the struggles, defeats and victories of its people. The poetry, the art, the color and craft of their culture are also part of their story. A reporter for The New York Times said, “This story should be required viewing by all who enter Mexico.” 



Love Is…
Friday, February 27 at 1:30pm
San Miguel comedy, English, 98 minutes
Director: Nils Macquarie
Producer: Gerry Holmes
Writer: Christine Foster

Love is in bloom in the enchanted colonial city of San Miguel de Allende where couples of all ages find romance. This light-hearted look at nine different relationships weaves its magic through cobbled streets, past fountains and flower-filled patios. Set against the backdrop of one of the international community’s favorite playgrounds, this intertwined stories offer delightful insights into the twists and turns of the timeless game of love.



Kids Movies: Cartoons
Saturday, February 21 at noon