|
|
Bad Day to Go Fishing
Uruguay, 2009, 110 min.
A droll dark comedy that plays out like a classic Western crossed with the decidedly modern sensibilities of filmmaker such as Jim Jarmusch or Aki Kaurismäki, this quirky tale pits a scamming hustler and his wrestler sidekick against the inhabitants of a small Uruguayan town, circa 1961.... more
|
|
|
|
CasaNegra
Morocco, 2008, 131 min.
Two twenty-something friends agree to pull a job for a local gangster in the hopes of upping their lot in life. A dark and stylish noir set on the mean streets of Casablanca, CasaNegra is Morocco's answer to Scorsese's classic crime dramas.... more
|
|
|
|
Children Metal Divers
Philippines, 2009, 93 min.
A realistic docudrama, Children Metal Divers tells the heart-tugging story of children who scavenge for metal scraps in the murky waters of Manila Bay, often risking their lives in the process.... more
|
|
|
|
City of Borders
USA, 2009, 66 min.
Set during the construction of the separation wall between Israel and the Palestinian territories, City of Borders documents Jerusalem's gay community's struggles to hold a gay pride celebration in the Holy City while the characters, and the country, contend with internal conflicts.... more
|
|
|
|
Daniel & Ana
Mexico, 2009, 90 min.
Daniel and Ana Torres enjoy a careless, affluent existence. But when the siblings are kidnapped on the streets of Mexico and forced to perform the unthinkable in front of a camera, their relationship is violently shattered and their lives thrown into an utterly uncharted route. ... more
|
|
|
|
Donkey
Croatia, 2009, 90 min.
A gentle comic fable that shows how one family of mulish, macho men in the Herzogovina countryside ultimately gain some much-needed self-awareness -- with the help of a real donkey.... more
|
|
|
|
The Front Line
Italy, 2009, 100 min.
The fictionalized story of Sergio Segio and Susanna Ronconi, a modern-day Marxist Bonnie and Clyde who terrorized Italy in the 1970s through their extreme left-wing terrorist organization Primea Linea. An insightful examination of the terrorist mind.... more
|
|
|
|
Grandpa is Dead
Philippines, 2009, 92 min.
The death of the beloved patriarch of a large inner-city family throws the lives of his children into chaos. Long-buried secrets, conflicts and emotional bonds bubble to the surface during a weeklong wake in this bittersweet dramedy.... more
|
|
|
|
Junior
USA, 2009, 77 min.
Eddie "Junior" Belasco, 75, and Josey, his 99-year-old mother, might make the most co-dependent and heartwarming pair since Big Edie and Little Edie of Grey Gardens fame. Jenna Rosher's touching, laugh-out-loud documentary perfectly captures their endearing relationship for the ages.... more
|
|
|
|
Kimjongilia
France, 2009, 75 min.
N.C. Heikin's documentary gives long overdue voice to those who've suffered under Kim Jong-il's reign. The film maintains a furious tone as it playfully mixes interviews, dance performances, propaganda films and animation. The result is a devastating indictment of one of the world's worst dictators.... more
|
|
|
|
Love & Rage
Denmark, 2009, 95 min.
Daniel is a dedicated piano student who could wind up at Juilliard if he can just keep his nerves under control. Then he falls for Sofie. Their bliss soon spawns an awful jealous streak, propelling this slow-burn psychological drama to a startling climax.... more
|
|
|
|
Mount St. Elias
Austria, 2009, 100 min.
At an altitude of 18,000 feet, Alaska's Mount St. Elias is the destination for a trio of mountaineers determined to reach the mountain's summit, and to ski back down as well. Mount St. Elias documents their journey as they trek the fine line between bravery and madness.... more
|
|
|
|
On These Shoulders We Stand
USA, 2009, 75 min.
Not everything began with Stonewall. On These Shoulders We Stand is a historical account of early gay life and activism in Los Angeles told by the people who lived it.... more
|
|
|
|
Paulista
Brazil, 2009, 83 min.
From award-winning director Roberto Moreira, Paulista is the story of three young people in search of love amid the frantic pace of São Paulo. What will a relationship unearth of their unspoken past, and can they dare hope for a happy future?... more
|
|
|
|
Plan B
Argentina, 2009, 103 min.
When conniving Bruno gets dumped by his girlfriend he decides to win her back by hook or by crook. Since she is happy with new boyfriend Pablo, Bruno devises another plan to get him out of the way in this clever, witty comedy.... more
|
|
|
|
Protektor
Czech Republic, 2009, 98 min.
Notable for its fresh approach and unusual art direction, this fateful love story is set in Prague during the late 1930s and subsequent Nazi occupation. It focuses on radio journalist Emil, who is deeply in love with his glamorous movie star wife Hana, a Jew.... more
|
|
|
|
Rabia
Spain, 2009, 89 min.
A gripping social thriller about two immigrants: a short-tempered construction worker and a live-in maid eking out a livelihood in Spain. A few weeks into their passionate relationship a tragic accident forces him to hide in her attic. Unbeknownst to her, he becomes a menacing ghost-like dweller.... more
|
|
|
|
Red Riding: 1974
United Kingdom, 2009, 102 min.
The haunting first film of a trilogy (inspired by the true events of the Yorkshire Ripper) that winds its way through a sordid labyrinth of police corruption and mysterious murders, 1974 immerses us in a crime reporter’s investigation into the disappearance of a young girl. ... more
|
|
|
|
Red Riding: 1980
United Kingdom, 2009, 93 min.
Yorkshire is being plagued by a serial killer who preys on young women. When a detective is dispatched to investigate local police for their failure to apprehend the killer, he uncovers deeper, far more sinister horrors.... more
|
|
|
|
Red Riding: 1983
United Kingdom, 2009, 100 min.
The ongoing struggles between the depraved and the just reach a hair-raising climax in the final film of the Red Riding trilogy. This time, the tables are turned: 1983 explores the toll that institutional corruption takes on a cop who is privy to its perpetration.... more
|
|
|
|
Shoot the Hero
USA, 2009, 82 min.
When a young couple shops for wedding rings they accidentally become eyewitnesses to a jewelry store heist gone awry. A mob boss dispatches a mysterious hit man to find the couple and clean up the mess. What follows is an action-packed romp full of thugs, fights, laughs and love.... more
|
|
|
|
Sons of Cuba
United Kingdom, 2009, 88 min.
Wielding their fists like pinwheels, nine-year-old Cuban boxers fight for national pride, Olympic glory and, most importantly, the love of their families in this poignant, riveting documentary.... more
|
|
|
|
Talking Pictures: Telling It Like It Is
120 min.
Variety's Peter Debruge leads a panel with top directors in cinema today.... more
|
|
|
|
Wake in Fright
Australia, 1971, 108 min.
A true milestone in Australian film history, this dread-filled 1971 drama is set in a rough outback mining town where a marooned teacher finds himself at odds with the xenophobic locals. Tensions quickly escalate until the inevitable explosion comes to pass.... more
|
|
|
|
White Wedding
South Africa, 2009, 93 min.
Elvis and Ayanda are getting married. Elvis just needs to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town for the big event. Take a sweet South African road trip through the hills and valleys of love, friendship and post-apartheid culture clashes.... more
|
|
|
|
The World is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner
Bulgaria, 2009, 105 min.
This sweet intergenerational drama about an amnesiac helped toward recovery by his charismatic grandfather encompasses over 30 years of social and identity crises, with backgammon as a metaphor for life.... more
|
|