Cinemateca, May 4–10, 2009
José Luis Pick’n’tip

Yesterday (2004) Yesterday is the first international feature film shot in the Zulu language and is the first South African film to receive an Oscar nomination. Set against the awesome, harsh landscapes of South Africa, Yesterday is an eloquent, unsentimental film that quietly builds an overwhelming emotional force.

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: 60 pesos and discount cards buy 12 shows for 550 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

Whale Rider (2003) Tuesday, May 5 at 3pm POSTPONED Family drama, English, 101 minutes Director: Niki Caro Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. A Maori tribe must contend with the distinctly non-traditional concept of having a female leader when young Pai’s (Keisha Castle-Hughes) twin brother—the intended heir to the throne—dies during childbirth. Now, she must struggle to prove herself. Stars Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis and Grant Roa. Written and directed by Niki Caro.

On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea’s direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief, but her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.



Yesterday (2004)
Tuesday, May 5 at 7pm POSTPONED
Thursday, May 7 at 3pm SHOWS AS SCHEDULED 
Drama, Zulu and English, with English subtitles, 96 minutes
Director: Darrell Roodt
Starring: Leleti Khumalo, Lihle Mvelase

The film’s title protagonist is a 30-year-old mother, Yesterday (Leleti Khumalo) who lives in Rooihoek, a remote village in South Africa’s Zululand. Yesterday’s life is not easy; there’s little money, no modern conveniences and her husband is away in Johannesburg working as a miner.

Struggling to raise her daughter, she finds the odds stacked against her when she is diagnosed HIV positive and must journey afar to learn about and confront her illness. With her husband in denial, Yesterday must somehow find the strength to go on, determined to live just long enough to see her daughter go to school.

Unknown White Male (2005) Wednesday, May 6 at 3pm SHOWS AS SCHEDULED  Friday, May 8 at 7:30pm SHOWS AS SCHEDULED  Documentary, English, 87 minutes Director: Rupert Murray Starring: Doug Bruce

A young man with a British accent turns up one rainy day in Coney Island, frightened and alone, with no clue to his identity. The process of re-establishing his family ties and life story forms a fascinating portrait of a man who, as far as he knows, doesn’t have a past.

Filmmaker Rupert Murray tells the true story of Doug Bruce, a onetime stockbroker and photography student, who in 2003 woke up on a New York subway with no clues as to who he was, other than a random phone number and a British accent. Documenting Doug’s quiet terror upon discovering he has no memory of his former life—and his detachment when meeting friends and family he’s known for years—this intriguing film explores the true nature of identity. Over the days and months following his discharge from the hospital, Doug meets his family members and friends as if for the first time, gradually discovering the person he used to be while also working to make sense of his condition and build a new life.

The Big Animal (Duze Zwierze, 2000) Wednesday, May 6 at 5:30pm SHOWS AS SCHEDULED  Comedy-drama, Polish with English subtitles, 73 minutes Director: Jerzy Stuhr Starring: Jerzy Stuhr, Anna Dymna

Working from a recently rediscovered script from late Polish filmmaker Krysztof Kieslowski, veteran actor and frequent Kieslowski collaborator Jerzy Stuhr directs this wry fable about intolerance and individuality. The film opens with bank clerk and clarinet enthusiast Zygmunt Sawicki (Stuhr) discovering a huge two-humped camel in his garden—apparently left behind by a traveling circus. Though his schoolteacher wife Marysia (Anna Dymna) initially doesn’t know what to make of the cud-chewing animal, Zygmunt takes an immediate shine to the beast and takes it in. His fellow villagers also seem to take to the camel: Zygmunt is greeted warmly as he parades it around their little town and Marysia’s pupils clamor over each other to name the animal. However, the townsfolk soon grow tired and suspicious of the beast. Friends and neighbors start to avoid the Sawickis and children are forbidden to go near the animal.



The History of Mexico 
Thursday, May 7 at 5:30pm SHOWS AS SCHEDULED 
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 the story. A reporter for The New York Times said, “This story should be required viewing by all who enter Mexico.” 

Molière (2007) Friday, May 8 at 2pm SHOWS AS SCHEDULED  History-comedy, French with English subtitles, 121 minutes Director: Laurent Tirard Starring: Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini

In 1645, the French playwright and actor Jean-Baptiste Poquelin—better known as Molière—mysteriously disappeared for several weeks and this lavish comedy-drama imagines a scenario that could explain what may have happened to him. At the time, Molière is touring the French countryside with his traveling theater company and he’s yet to be recognized as one of the continent’s great authors (or achieve significant financial success). Molière is put in jail after skipping out on some unpaid debts, but is freed after his fine is paid by two strangers. Molière discovers his benefactors are acting on behalf of Jourdain, a very wealthy man who has a beautiful wife, Elmire, and two lovely daughters. However, Jourdain has fallen head over heels for the gorgeous widow Celimene and he’s written a short play in order to demonstrate his feelings for her. Jourdain needs someone to help him polish his script and serve as an acting coach and hes recruited Molière for the job. Needing the money, Moliere accepts, but he poses as 
a man of the cloth, Monsieur Tartuffe, to keep his identity a secret. Molière soon realizes that Jourdain’s talent exists only in the rich man’s imagination and that Jourdain already has a rival for Celimene’s affections. 



Kids Movies: Cartoons
Saturday, May 9 at noon