Thu., January 22
Sans Soleil French experimental filmmaker Chris Marker
directed this montage that juxtaposes the images of urban Japan with
Africa in transition, Hitchcock’s San Francisco as depicted in
Vertigo, and the open spaces of Ireland (100 min., 1982). (PFA,
7:30)
Friday, January 23
Amarcord Federico Fellini’s good-natured anecdotal homage to
life in his native Rimini is both lyrical and affecting, and avoids the
false nostalgia and pathos that could have befallen such a project.
Magical imagery abounds, like those dazzling peacocks flying through
the snow, or the villagers’ night outing to see a grand ocean liner,
lights ablaze, sail majestically past in the darkness — a scene
reminiscent of Garcia Marquez’s magical story “The Last Voyage of the
Ghost Ship” (123 min., 1974). — M.C (PFA, 8:50)
Sat., January 24
Boogie Doodles: Animation by Norman McLaren A collection of
eleven animated shorts by Norman McLaren, who used simple, handmade
materials — in some cases even drawing or painting directly on
film (total running time 55 min., 1939-1971). (PFA, 3:00)
The Docks of New York Josef von Sternberg’s 1928 silent
explores marriage and murder among sailors and waterfront hookers.
Recognized as one of the earliest examples of von Sternberg’s mastery
of light and shadow. With George Bancroft, Betty Compson, and Clyde
Cook (96 min.). (PFA, 6:30)
Innocent Sorcerers Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda departs
from his usual themes of historical significance to explore the human
frailties of a young couple — a serious-minded doctor and
part-time musician and a naive, but charming girl. They represent a new
generation of young people who have never known the horrors of war (83
min., 1960). (PFA, 8:30)
Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival A full day of
live-action and animated shorts for children, plus a youth-directed
documentary on Lake Merritt’s gondolier and a conversation with the
filmmakers. (Auctions by the Bay, Alameda, 11:00 a.m.)
Sun., January 25
Kinshasa Palace Director José Zeka Laplaine plays
Kaze, a Paris-based Congolese immigrant (and filmmaker) who travels
across Paris, Lisbon, Kinshasa, and Cambodia in search of his missing
brother (75 min., 2006). (PFA, 2:00)
Journeys: Short Films from Africa Short films from Zaire,
Ethiopia, and Sudan, all with physical and emotion journeys at their
heart (total running time 74 min., 1997-2008). (PFA, 3:45)
The Goonies Filmmaker Richard (Superman) Donner’s 1985
kiddie adventure sends juvie leads Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Martha
Plimpton, and Corey Feldman in search of a pirate ship and buried
treasure (114 min.). (EC, 2:00)
Farewell to Manzanar A 1976 fact-based drama about the
internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, focused on the
experiences of the Wakatusi family. Based on the book by James D.
Houston and directed by John Korty (120 min.). (PW, 2:00)
Tuesday, January 27
Tire Dié (PFA, 7:30) “Social inquiry” documentary set
in Santa Fe, Argentina, in which filmmaker Fernando Birri lets his
subjects speak for themselves as they fight for their lives against
poverty (1960). Preceded by a series of shorts on capitalism and
poverty around the world (total running time 91 min.).
Wed., January 28
The Promised Land Andrzej Wajda directed this searing
examination of turn-of-the-century Polish nobility. He centers his tale
on three young men plotting their business affairs set against the
industrial revolution in Lodz, near Warsaw, that turned that town into
a boon for the rich and a hellhole for the poor. Based on a novel by
Nobel Prize winner Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont (168 min., 1975). (PFA,
7:00)
Planet Earth Two more episodes (“Fresh Water” and “Seasonal
Forests”) of David Attenborough’s award-winning documentary television
series, originally broadcast on the BBC in 2006 (total running time 100
min.). (Humanist Hall, Oakland, 7:30)
