Cinemateca, May 11–17, 2009
José Luis Pick’n’tip

The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) Tom, 28, leads a life that might be termed criminal. In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of his father, who made his money from dirty, and sometimes brutal, real estate deals.

Tom is a pretty hard-boiled guy but also strangely considerate as far as his father is concerned. Somehow he appears to have arrived at a critical juncture in his life when a chance encounter prompts him to take up the piano and become a concert pianist, like his mother. He senses that this might be his final opportunity to take back his life. 



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: 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) Monday, May 11 at 2pm Thursday, May 14 at 7pm 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.

Winner of Best Documentary in the Boston Film Festival  Lost and Found in Mexico Monday, May 11 at 5pm 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, 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 follow the show. Proceeds benefit the Mexican kids’ scholarships.

Thoth (2002)  Tuesday, May 12 at 3pm Documentary, English, 40 minutes Director: Sarah Kernochan Starring: S.K. Thoth

This Academy Award-winning documentary introduced the world to an enigmatic outcast who goes by the name of Thoth, the product of a Jewish father and an African-American mother who inhabits Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain clad in a gold loincloth performing “soloperas.” As the one and only resident of a mythical land he calls Felstad, he lives in relative peace and harmony despite the odd stares he gets from passersby.

Rize (2005) Tuesday, May 11 at 5pm Music documentary, English, 84 minutes Director: David LaChapelle Starring: Tommy the Clown, Lil C.

Rize reveals a groundbreaking dance phenomenon that’s exploding on the streets of South Central Los Angeles. Taking advantage of unprecedented access, this documentary film by David LaChapelle brings to light a revolutionary form of artistic expression born from oppression. The aggressive and visually stunning dance modernizes moves indigenous to African tribal rituals and features mind-blowing, athletic movement sped up to impossible speeds. Rize tracks the fascinating evolution of the dance: we meet Tommy Johnson (Tommy the Clown), who first created the style as a response to the 1992 Rodney King riots and named it “Clowning,” as well as the kids who developed the movement into what they now call Krumping. The kids use dance as an alternative to gangs and hustling: they form their own troupes and paint their faces like warriors, meeting to outperform rival gangs of dancers or just to hone their skills. For the dancers, Krumping becomes a way of life and, because it’s authentic expression (in complete opposi
tion to the bling-bling hip-hop culture), the dance becomes a vital part of who they are.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped (De Battre Mon Couer s'est Arrete, 2005)
Wednesday, May 13 at 2pm
Friday, May 15 at 5pm
Crime, drama, music, French with English subtitles, 107 minutes
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Romain Duris, Aure Atika

Tom’s piano teacher is a Chinese virtuoso who has recently come to live in France. She doesn’t speak a lick of French, so music becomes the only language they have in common. Before long, Jacques’ bid to be a better person means that he begins to yearn for true love. But, when he finally has the chance of winning his best friend’s wife, his passion only succeeds in scaring her. And then, one day, his dubious past comes to light.

The Butterfly (Le Papillon, 2002) Wednesday, May 13 at 7pm Thursday, May 14 at 5pm Comedy, drama, French with English subtitles, 85 minutes Director: Philippe Muyl Strarring: Nichel Serrault, Claire Bouanich, Nade Dieu

Julien, a solitary widower, has one passion in his life: to collect and preserve butterflies. But when a woman (Nade Dieu) and her eight-year-old daughter Elsa (Claire Bouanich) take residence in his building, his world opens up for good. One summer, he decides to make an excursion to the countryside to track down a butterfly that has so far eluded him. He is surprised to find that Elsa has stowed away in his car. Believing the girl’s story that her mother will be away from home for several days, Julien decides to take her with him on his quest. Young Elsa befriends Julien and sneakily joins him on a trip to the Alps to find a rare butterfly specimen. During this getaway, their touching intergenerational bond deepens in this family-friendly film with lessons about life for adults.

Mother of Mine (Äideistä parhain, 2005) Thursday, May 14 at 2pm Friday, May 15 at 7pm Drama, Swedish with English subtitles, 111 minutes Director: Klaus Härö Starring: Topi Majaniemi, Marjaana Maijala

Director Klaus Härö tackles the real-life drama of history in this heartbreaking film set against the backdrop of World War II. Evacuated to the safety of neutral Sweden along with more than 70,000 other Finnish children, nine-year-old Eero (Topi Majaniemi) grapples with feeling abandoned by his biological parents and yet detached from his surrogate family. Unfortunately, things only get worse when he returns to a much different home life. 

Eero, whose father is killed during the war, feels lost, particularly as his foster mother Signe is unfriendly. She was expecting a little girl and still mourns for her daughter who drowned in the sea. The situation changes when Eero’s mother informs him in a letter that she wants to go with her lover to Germany and Eero should remain with his foster mother. Thus Eero becomes Signe’s son. Now she cares lovingly for him. Eero makes friends with the little girl Siv and enjoys childhood for a while. However, after the end of the war the boy has to go back to Finland against his will where his mother waits for him. Never again he will be able to trust her, since she has disappointed him too often. Sixty years later, invited to Signe’s burial, he will understand, while reading letters, that both women only wanted the best for him.

Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink, 1997) Saturday, May 16 at 2pm Drama, French, 88 minutes Director: Alain Berliner Starring: Michèle Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey

Convinced he’s a girl trapped in a boy’s body, seven-year-old Ludovic (Georges Du Fresne) expresses his true self by regularly donning girls’ clothing, putting a strain on his perplexed family and, of course, sending shockwaves among his bigoted neighbors. But Ludovic innocently carries on, oblivious to the chaos he’s creating. This whimsical Belgian comedy was an international film festival smash and received a Best Foreign Film Golden Globe. 

Kids Movies: Cartoons
Saturday, May 9 at noon