Calendar
Patience, After Sebald
Seattle Premiere!
May 11 - May 17
(Grant Gee, 2011, United Kingdom, Blu-ray, 82 min)
Following up his documentaries on Radiohead and Joy Division, director Grant Gee turns his lens on author W.G. Sebald. An accolade rather than a biography of the German writer, Patience responds aesthetically to the author's body of work. In a journey through the landscape of the novel The Rings of Saturn, the film, like the book, pieces together an intimate collage of fiction, nonfiction, history and recollection.
Outfest Legacy Project Program
May 18
(Various directors)
Los Angeles’s Outfest Legacy Project, which is dedicated to rescuing and preserving films about LGBTQ culture and its social significance and impact, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012! This year, Outfest brings you three newly rescued films, landmarks in the history of LGBTQ community and individual consciousness.
Otter 501
May 18 - May 20
(Bob Talbot, USA, 2012, Blu-ray, 85 min)
A storm grows, a sea otter is seperated from its mother, and a young woman bound for adventure blows into town. On a wild and windswept beach on beautiful Monterey Bay, lives collide and an entire species' survival gets personal in Otter 501.
Native Land
New 35mm print!
May 19
(Leo Hurwitz, Paul Strand, United States, 1942, 35mm, 80 min)
Native Land, which sought to expose the injustices perpetrated upon Americans by American capitalism, was released shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor to an unwelcoming public. But the archival footage that the film’s directors compiled 75 years ago—footage of union busters and strikebreakers at war with farmers, sharecroppers, and minorities—deserves to be brought back and viewed in light of its renewed relevance.
Lauren Weedman: SRO-Single Room Occupancy
*Please note updated performance dates
May 17 - May 19
Writer, performer and comedian Lauren Weedman takes us to the world of Single Room Occupancy; a place of lawn care, electric guitars, the same dinner every night, old horror movies and sex.
The Forgotten Village
New 35mm print!
May 20
(Herbert Kline, United States, 1941, 35mm, 67 min)
Westernization vs. Mexican village: not the subject matter you may expect from a 1941 documentary. But in directing The Forgotten Village, which has been called a work of “ethnofiction,” Herbert Kline chose perhaps the greatest screenwriter for the job: John Steinbeck. Working with an entirely nonprofessional cast, Kline brought Western audiences a dramatized account of a Mexican hamlet beset with typhoid fever.
Sleep, My Love
New 35mm print!
May 21
(Douglas Sirk, United States, 1948, 35mm, 97 min)
Mary Pickford is most famous as an actress, but also produced nearly 40 films! Among them was Sleep, My Love, which stars Claudette Colbert as a socialite whose husband attempts to slowly drive her insane, in hopes of her committing suicide and leaving him her fortune.
Girl Walk // All Day
May 23
(Jacob Krupnick, USA, 2011, blu-ray, 75min)
A feature-length dance music video and tale of urban exploration follows three dancers across New York City, turning sidewalks, parks and stadiums into an evolving stage as a story of rebellion, love and discovery unfolds. Shot entirely in public spaces and funded by crowd-sourcing, Girl Walk // All Day is set to mashup musician Girl Talk and his All Day album. It’s also an insanely fun love letter to New York.
Hallelujah the Hills
Co-presented by The Sprocket Society
May 23
(Adolfas Mekas, 1963, USA, 16mm, 82 min)
Adolfas Mekas (Sept. 30, 1925–May 31, 2011) co-founded, with his brother Jonas, the groundbreaking journal Film Culture, co-founded the film department at Bard College, where he taught for decades and made a handful of films that left their mark on the New American Cinema movement. His debut feature, Hallelujah The Hills, is a lighthearted surreal comedy in which two men vie for the love of Vera, played by two different actresses to capture the suitors’ visions of the ideal woman. Simultaneously an art film and a parody of art films, it is packed with references to silent comedy, the French New Wave and even Kurosawa’s samurai films.
3 X 3
Sponsored by Seattle University
May 24
3X3 features electronic sound and digital projections by up-and-coming Seattle University artists. In the program, three student djs and three student visual artists pair up to create live music and visuals exploring themes of Pacific Northwest culture and our interaction with our environment.
Hit So Hard
Patty Schemel, the filmmakers and secret special guests in person opening night!
May 25 - May 31
(P. David Ebersole, USA, 2011, Blu-ray, 103 min)
The grunge era is revisited in this biography of Patty Schemel, the openly lesbian rock drummer of Hole. In archetypal fashion, Schemel’s story is of fame, drug abuse and loss, but the film is also a chronicle of Seattle identity. Featuring present-day interviews with Schemel, her retrospective is juxtaposed with never-before-seen “home movies” of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love and newly born Frances Bean.
News of the Day and Soundies
New 35mm print!
May 26
(Various directors, 1914-1967, United States, 35mm/16mm)
In addition to countless newspapers, William Randolph Hearst turned out News of the Day, a series of newsreels keeping the public up to date on world affairs, for over 50 years! Come witness a selection of the newsreels that your grandparents might have watched, produced by the infamous creator of sensationalist yellow journalism.
This is Your Life
New 35mm print!
May 27
(Various directors, 1952-61, United States, 35mm, 90 min)
Ever wondered where reality TV got its start? It may have been with Ralph Edwards, the host of This Is Your Life, who every week featured a surprise guest—celebrity or unknown—and told his or her compelling life story. Edwards, who would go on to produce the first true reality court show, revealed a more optimistic and inspirational perspective during the ten years of This Is Your Life.
Question One
May 25 - May 31
(James Nubile and Joseph Fox, 2011, USA, Blu-ray, 108 min)
On May 6th, 2009, Maine became the first state in this country to legislatively grant same-sex couples the right to marry. Seven months later, on November 3rd, 2009, Maine reversed that decision, becoming the thirty-first state in this country to say “no” to gay and lesbian marriage. Question One chronicles the fierce and emotional battle that took place in Maine during that time, a battle whose political symbolism is a bellwether for the greater ideological battlefield in American politics, the greater stakes in terms of civil liberties, constitutional safeguards, legal rights and human dignity, but above all, a battle that will form a fulcrum in the 2012 elections. e that took the country by storm, and surprised many.
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
Jun 01 - Jun 07
(Bob Hercules , USA, 2011, Blu-ray, 94 min)
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance tells the story of a groundbreaking cultural treasure. Directed by Bob Hercules, the film documents how The Joffrey revolutionized American ballet by daringly fusing modern dance with traditional technique, combining art with social statement and setting ballets to pop and rock music scores. Weaving a wealth of rare archival footage and photographs along with interviews featuring former and current Joffrey star dancers, this superb work is not to be missed by any dance lover.
Flamingos
Presented by Vertical Pool
Director in Attendance!
Jun 01
Antero Alli/2012/90 min
Twin sisters, Beatrice and Zoe, are in love with Ray, a philosopher-bank robber driven by visions of the end the world. Though Beatrice and Ray are married, Ray runs off with free-spirited Zoe and hides out in a motel after a bank heist. Meanwhile, Beatrice files for divorce as two enigmatic entities from the Bardo interzones take interest in their fates in Antero Alli's outlaw romance noir of crime, metaphysics, and amour fou.
Hugo the Hippo
Jun 02 - Jun 03
(Bill Feigenbaum, Hungary/USA, 1975, 35mm, 86 min)
Animation mavens enthuse about Hugo the Hippo, a widely-bootlegged cult curio from the 1970s about an orphaned hippopotamus and the sweet child who befriends him. This color-drenched film is voiced by the likes of Burl Ives and topped off by pop confections sung by Marie and Jimmy Osmond. Glimpses of the film's funkiness and psychedelic charm can be seen online, but chances to bask in a print of the film on the big screen come around next to never.
The City Dark
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 02 - Jun 07
(Ian Cheney, USA, 2011, Blu-ray, 83 min)
Until the advent of electricity, humans lived thousands of years with darkness. What are the spiritual and biological consequences of a lack of night? In The City Dark, filmmaker Ian Cheney sets out with a host of scientific experts and philosophers to explore an abundance of planetary changes, from baby sea turtle migration to humankind’s sense of place in the universe.
10,000,000 Views on YouTube and I Still Can’t Get A F%^*!$g Cab!
Jun 03
In 2007 Len uploaded his first video to YouTube, $250,000 in My Pocket and I Still Can’t Get a F%^*!$g Cab. 5 years and almost 400 videos later, his channel has surpassed 10,000,000 views. Join the filmmaker on a visual odyssey following Len’s wild journey creating and posting online video content over the last decade+.
The Day He Arrives
Jun 08 - Jun 14
(Hong-Sangsoo, South Korea, 2011, 35mm, 79 min)
The great Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo returns with an intimate examination of an artist who’s lacking inspiration. As Seongjun wanders from bar to bar of the course of a day, he meets his ex-girlfriend as well as her look-alike, as time becomes increasingly irrational. This black-andwhite film is the latest from one of South Korea’s most prominent new auteurs.
Small Roads
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 08
(James Benning, USA, 2011, HD, 103 min)
James Benning has built a body of avantgarde work that explores ideas of identity time and landscape. Small Roads utilizes long takes of Western roads, building a sense of space and rhythm which invites comparisons to filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami and composers like Phillip Glass. This is a journey to get lost in, a picture of America mapped out by the roads less traveled.
Music-Craft featuring Blondie, The Cure and The Clash
Sponsored by Easy Street Records
Jun 08
Our ongoing Music-Craft series features rare concert footage from rock musicians. This week, feast your eyes on incredible 1970s and 80s performances from Blondie, The Cure and The Clash.
The Observers
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 09
(Jacqueline Goss, 2011, USA, 16mm, 69 min)
New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, weather data has been recorded every hour since 1932. Known for its extremes, the storied mountain becomes the starting point for filmmaker Jaqueline Goss’ new work. Shot without dialogue, it follows a modern-day crew of scientists and the challenges, triumphs and poetry they discover while living at the top of the windiest mountain on earth.
I Have Always Been a Dreamer
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 10
(Sabine Gruffat, USA, 2012, Blu-ray, 78 min)
This is a tale of two cities: one in an apparently unstoppable state of growth, another in what seems to be a permanent state of decline. Filmed over four years, Sabine Gruffat’s documentary juxtaposes Dubai and Detroit in a film that’s part travelogue and part investigative report, which looks beneath the obvious contrasts and discovers intriguing parallels.
The Pettifogger
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 11
(Lewis Klahr, USA, 2011, Bluray, 65 min)
Lewis Klahr builds worlds out of artifacts we toss into the wastebasket. Using cutout paper images from vintage comic books, magazines and other cultural detritus, he constructs animated collages commenting on 20th century American culture. Klahr’s first feature-length work tells the story of a Mad Men-era con man and gambler, in a film both postmodern genre thriller and abstract essay on wealth and greed.
Caris' Peace
Special introduction by comedian Lewis Black!
Jun 11
(Gaylen Ross, 2012, USA, Blu-ray, 76 min)
What is an actress without memory? Caris Corfman was a brilliant young performer who graduated from the Yale School of Drama with luminaries including Lewis Black, Kate Burton and Mark Linn-Baker. As a rising star, she played opposite Tim Curry and Ian McKellen in the Broadway hit play Amadeus.
Suddenly, a brain tumor caused the loss of her short-term memory. Caris’ Peace is the story of this courageous woman’s triumphant and deeply moving return, against all odds, to the New York stage.
The Narcissus Flowers of Katsura-shima
Director In Attendance!
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 12
(Jon Jost, 2011, USA/Japan, Blu-ray, 74 min)
A year after Japan’s major earthquake and tsunami, art about the event is beginning to emerge. The Narcissus Flowers of Katsura-shima, a documentary by American film artist Jon Jost, takes an oblique, even elegiac approach. Combining shots of island landscapes, poetry and interviews with residents, the film is a compelling portrait of a place and the people who make their home there.
Charismatic Megafauna
Director In Attendance!
Live score by Lori Goldston, Dylan Carlson, Jessika Kenney and Greg Campbell!
Jun 13
(Vanessa Renwick, 2011, USA, Blu-ray, 48 min)
Vanessa Renwick’s unconventional documentaries explore habitat and landscape, urban and the wild. Charismatic Megafauna utilizes 16mm Renwick filmed in her youth on Chicago’s streets, where she lived and traveled with a wolf-dog hybrid, as well as footage shot in the nineties, documenting the process of reintroducing wolves to the American West. Images of Renwick’s dog and of biologists interacting with wolves raise questions of our responsibilities toward and expectations of the natural world.
The Little Match Girl
With live accompaniment by Cricket & Snail!
Jun 14
(Jean Renoir, Jean Tédesco, France, 1928, 40 min)
Join us for a special screening of Jean Renoir’s silent movie classic, accompanied by an original music score performed live by violin/accordion duo Cricket and Snail (James and Lucie Carlson). The screening is preceded by 30-minutes of live French, klezmer, classical and Celtic music.
Dissonance
Director in Attendance!
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 14
(Jon Jost, 2011, USA, Blu-ray, 62 min)
Using techniques of collage, split-screen and unconventional editing, inDissonance, Jon Jost has constructed a poetic meditation on life and the way we live it. His stream-of conscious sequences of images and sounds are reminiscent of the work of Chris Marker, particularly the still-influentialSans Soleil (1983). "It offers no conclusions," Jost says. "I only know it needs to be seen big."
Goodbye First Love
Seattle Premiere!
Jun 15 - Jun 21
(Mia Hansen-Love, France, 2011, 35mm, 110 min)
Goodbye First Love is a teenage romance directed with the knowing wisdom of a veteran. The film tenderly observes Camille, from stomach butterflies through heartache, as she grows from fifteen-year old girl to woman. The film’s setting gracefully traces the emotional churnings of its protagonist, showing the lasting effects of a first relationship.
Stories From Junk Puppet Land and StopMotion Celebration
Jun 16
(Live 40 min show followed by a 20 min program of stop-motion animated films)
The Australian aborigines of the Kimberley region use the term “Yorro Yorro” to refer to the life in rocks, trees and all inanimate objects. The Zambini Brothers Puppet Company believes this concept applies to everyday items and in this imaginative live show, they use discarded objects to animate a series of multi-cultural stories. Stories From Junk Puppet Land is followed by a collection of stop-motion animated films that use yarn and other tactile materials. Recommended for all ages.
Lost Bohemia
Jun 22 - Jun 28
(Josef Birdman Astor, USA, 2011, 35mm, 77 min)
A quarter century ago, photographer Josef Birdman Astor took up residence in apartments located above Carnegie Hall, which housed artists and teachers of all degrees of fame, from an 85-year-old ballerina to Marilyn Monroe. Shortly after Astor moved in, the Carnegie Hall Corporation announced plans for offices and began evicting its elderly tenants. Astor’s artful protest was to film his neighbors and collect vintage footage of the space he called home.
Music From The Big House
Seattle Premiere!
Rita Chiarelli in person and performing opening night!
Jun 22 - Jun 26
(Bruce McDonald, Canada, 2010, Blu-ray, 90 min)
Part concert film and part essay, Music From the Big House takes place in Angola State Prison—an ex-slave plantation and the largest maximum-security facility in the U.S.—as singer Rita Chiarelli organizes a concert with the prisoners. Starring many men who won’t ever be freed, Chiarelli facilitates the return of blues to its origins.
Special ticket prices: opening night $15 general, $12 members.