Chicago premiere!
VAJRA SKY OVER TIBET
2006, John Bush, USA, 89 min.
Narrated by John Bush, Tenzin Chogyal, Dadon
<“Beautifully shot. . . an illuminating meditation on that deepest of Buddhist philosophical concerns--impermanence.”--Richard Kuipers, Variety
“Stunning camerawork. . . A tonic for Buddhists, no doubt, it offers many pleasures to atheists as well.”--John Patterson, Village Voice
“Vajra” is a Sanskrit word for the thunderbolt of enlightenment. Traveling illicitly with only a two-person crew and a Tibetan guide, filmmaker John Bush takes us on a startlingly illuminating journey across a fabled land currently suspended between rebirth and annihilation. The Chinese invaders have moderated their previous policy of cultural obliteration, and gutted temples are being rebuilt and reinhabited, but tenacious Buddhist traditions are now threatened by a more insidious process of assimilation. Though it is endorsed by the Dalai Lama, this is not just a film for insiders. Bush’s camera captures a landscape that is spectacularly beautiful and at the same time charged with spiritual resonance and political drama. The majestic soundtrack includes contributions by acclaimed composer David Hykes and renowned singer/actress Dadon. DigiBeta video. (MR)
December 1--7
Fri., Mon.-Tue., and Thu. at 6:15 pm and 8:00 pm
Sat. at 3:15 pm, 5:00 pm, and 7:45 pm
Sun. at 3:15 pm and 5:00 pm
First Chicago run!
CAUTIVA
(aka CAPTIVE)
2003, Gastón Biraben, Argentina, 115 min.
With Bárbara Lombardo, Susana Campos
“A well-paced thriller.”--Deborah Young, Variety
“A tender, tough, and, most of all, compelling work.”--Warren Curry, CinemaSpeak.com
An entrancing political thriller, CAUTIVA cracks open the door to an obscured history through a story that unfolds with passion. A 15-year-old living the life of a pampered debutante has her world shattered when it is revealed that her real parents were a “disappeared” activist couple, murdered during Argentina’s bloody military dictatorship of the 1970s. Now ripped by court order from her wealthy, politically-connected mom and dad, who it appears may have abducted her as an infant, “Cristina” unwillingly becomes “Sofia” in the home of her newfound grandmother and angrily goes in search of the long-buried truth. In Spanish with English subtitles. 35mm. (BS)
December 8--14
Fri. and Mon.-Thu. at 6:00 pm and 8:15 pm
Sat. at 3:15 pm, 5:30 pm, and 7:45 pm
Sun. at 3:00 pm and 5:15 pm
New 35mm print!
ANTONIO GAUDÍ
1985, Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japan, 72 min.
Our holiday tradition, we bring back the ever-popular cult film by Hiroshi Teshigahara (WOMAN OF THE DUNES), inspired by the wild, undulating, joyously erupting forms of Barcelona architect Antonio Gaudí. Teshigahara’s eye for texture, shape and sensual detail meets Gaudí’s whimsy in the cinematic exploration of such masterpieces of visionary architecture as the cathedral of the Sagrada Familia. The contemporary of artists such as Picasso and Joan Miró, Gaudí drew on Barcelona’s medieval Romanesque architecture and ancient Arab culture for his inspiration. This film reveals the intricacy and hallucinatory richness of his concepts through camerawork alone. Forgoing narration, Teshigahara accompanies his images with a brilliantly eclectic selection of music, ranging from baroque harpsichord to glass orchestra. Newly struck 35mm print. (BS)
December 15--21
Fri., Mon. and Wed.-Thu. at 6:15 pm and 7:45 pm
Sat. at 3:15 pm, 4:45 pm, 6:15 pm, and 7:45 pm
Sun. at 3:15 pm and 4:45 pm
Tue. at 6:15 pm only
Chicago premiere!
...SO GOES THE NATION
2006, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, USA, 90 min.
“A clear-eyed and utterly ruthless dissection of the battle for Ohio.”--Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times
“From its riveting opening to its gripping conclusion, ...SO GOES THE NATION is arguably the most intelligent, kinetic analysis of the modern election process since THE WAR ROOM.”--Tim Grierson, LA Weekly
Ohio was the Florida of 2004. The swing state was not only the pivot of the presidential election but also a microcosm of recent American political realities. Concentrating on candid accounts by campaign workers on both sides, from top-level strategists to volunteer foot soldiers, filmmakers Stern and Del Deo (THE YEAR OF THE YAO) tell the inside story of how the Republicans were able to offset an unpopular war and a failing economy with mantras about flip-flopping and gay marriage. Although ruses to disenfranchise African American voters are duly noted, the film’s focus is not on conspiracies but on failures: the Republicans won because they were smarter, more ruthless, and more willing to get down to what one participant calls “the elemental, reptilian level.” 35mm. (MR)
Fri. at 6:15 pm
Sat. at 3:15 pm and 6:45 pm
Tue.-Thu. at 6:15 pm and 8:00 pm
SHORTBUS
2006, John Cameron Mitchell, USA, 102 min.
With Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson
“If there’s such a thing as hard-core with a soft heart, this is it.”--Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
“An ode to the joy and sweet release of sex. . . that finds humor where you might least expect it.”--Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
“Sweet, very funny, volcanically romantic.”--Richard Corliss, Time Magazine
A sensation at the Cannes Film Festival, SHORTBUS has been wowing its way through U.S. release as the comedy that proves that serious filmmaking and no-holds-barred sex can add up to a wacky, poignant, and hilarious experience that won’t leave viewers with sweaty palms. Director Mitchell (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH) and his daring ensemble cast frolic their way through an oddly heartwarming tale of sexual dysfunction, search for orgasm, and gay and straight relationship dilemmas that come to a head, so to speak, in the sexual self-help salon “Shortbus,” where all problems are laid bare. 35mm. Note: No one under 18 admitted. (BS)
December 29--January 4
