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1:1
Denmark, 2006, 90 min.
Director Annette K. Olesen takes on the growing issue of racial conflict in Denmark in this story about how the near-deadly assault on a white boy destroys fragile peace between the local European and Palestinian communities.... more
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The 12 Labors
Brazil, 2006, 90 min.
Heracles, a disadvantaged black youth, undertakes 12 tasks to qualify him for a job as a motorcycle delivery boy. Throughout his mission, he faces intolerance, unfairness, desire and temptation in typical situations of a city like São Paulo. An original film transposition... more
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4:30
Singapore, 2006, 93 min.
The melancholy story of Xiao Wu, a young boy desperately seeking human kindness and friendship from his indifferent uncle, confirms director Royston Tan as a major new talent. Tan's willingness to push the limits of cinematographic art has made him a indie hero.... more
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53 Days in Winter
Spain, 2006, 91 min.
Three people waiting for a bus one winter's night look on as a dog is abandoned. All three set out on journeys that lead each of them to confront their fears and frustrations. 53 Days in Winter delves into the life of each passenger, and interweaves a trio of stories on psychological,... more
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9th Company
Russia, 2006, 126 min.
The Soviet Union’s ill-fated “military action” in Afghanistan in the 1980s, a taboo topic until only recently, provides the backdrop for this recent number-one hit at the Russian box office. The film provides a gritty portrayal of war with all the blood, dirt and death of a war... more
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A Dinner for Them to Meet
Italy, 2006, 108 min.
This Cannes Film Festival winner features a family of three, who were abandoned by the wife/mother of the family. When she returns unexpectedly, the son, Tommy, along with his sister Viola and their father, try to cope with unexpected changes and growing pains with determination and unspoken love fo... more
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After the Wedding
Denmark, 2006, 120 min.
When Jacob, (played by Mads Mikkelsen, the arch villain in the recent Bond film Casino Royale) who runs a struggling orphanage in Bombay, returns to Denmark to secure new funds, he discovers that his new benefactor has a secret path that will forever alter his charitable present and... more
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Agua
Argentina, 2006, 89 min.
Goyo, a former open water swimming champion wrongly accused of doping, is attempting to regain his honor while Chino, a stubborn and disciplined young pool swimmer tries hard to be selected for the national team. Chen is a brilliant child of the Argentinean New Wave.... more
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Ahlaam
Iraq, 2006, 110 min.
In Iraq’s first post-Saddam feature, three individuals from a mental hospital are forced to wander the streets of Baghdad after the U.S. invasion destroyed their home. They are stuck between the madness they once were treated for and the madness that now surrounds them. Their dreams, or hallucinatio... more
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Allegro
Denmark, 2006, 88 min.
In this cinematic tour de force from Denmark, a concert pianist, Zetterstrøm (Ulrich Thomsen from The Celebration), returns home to Copenhagen and finds himself a lost in a dreamlike odyssey to rediscover the love that he lost many years ago.... more
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American Visa
Bolivia, 2006, 90 min.
Simple, honest and earthy, American Visa is the story of a Bolivian English teacher trying to get a visa to the US, in post-9/11 Bolivia. Strong dialogue and contemporary visuals, plus refreshing performances by the Mexican actors Demián Bichir and Kate del Castillo make this a riveting Boliv... more
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Antonia
Brazil, 2006, 90 min.
Dynamic, vibrant and life-affirming, Tata Amaral’s third feature, Antonia, describes the ups and downs of a group of female rappers living on the outskirts of São Paulo. Their love of performing and creating music together—despite the many obstacles presented by being poor, black and female... more
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Antonio Vivaldi: A Prince in Venice
France, 2006, 95 min.
Infamous in his lifetime not just for his music, but also for his non-conformity, Vivaldi’s genius influenced the shape of musical development long after his death. Made in cooperation with Virgin Music, this sumptuous, unconventional portrait of the composer offers a feast of riches for the eye and... more
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August Days
Spain, 2006, 93 min.
This biographical road trip features two brothers, Marc and David, as they embark on a trip in search of a dead friend’s past. This visually sublime film is a languorous stroll through idyllic nature, a strong experience of cinema, as well as a mysterious biographical portrait.... more
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Bamako
Mali, 2006, 112 min.
Leading African filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako offers this mock trial set in his hometown of Bamako, Mali. The influence of Western powers over the lives of Africans is called into question, and every argument and counterargument bristles with intense conviction.... more
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The Banquet
Hong Kong, 2006, 131 min.
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang’s lavish, tenth century spectacle recalls recent martial arts epics, but its true heart lies in its stately chamber drama intrigue starring popular actors Daniel Wu and Ziyi Zhang, loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.... more
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El Benny
Cuba, 2006, 120 min.
Cuba’s Oscar entry El Benny is based on the life of the famous Cuban musician, Benny Moré. The debut feature by writer/director Jorge Luis Sanchez features new versions of Morés songs performed by contemporary musicians including Chucho Valdes, Juan Formell, Haila and Orishas.... more
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Black Book
Netherlands, 2006, 145 min.
Director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Total Recall) returns to Holland to direct this World War II thriller. Rachel, a celebrated Jewish singer—who joins the Dutch resistance to track down the Nazis who killed her family—is caught in a web of seduction, betrayal, and revenge. In this comp... more
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Black Butterfly
Peru, 2006, 116 min.
A schoolteacher of privilege, Gabriela, and a cynical tabloid journalist, Ángela, join forces to avenge the politically motivated murder of the teacher’s jurist fiancé during Peru’s corrupt Fujimori regime in a taut character study-cum-political thriller. ... more
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Black Irish
USA, 2006, 92 min.
This complex, moving coming-of-age story is about Cole McKay, a 16-year-old South Boston kid trying both to survive and to save his disintegrating Irish-Catholic family that is fueled by alcohol and anger. A brilliant ensemble cast illuminates this ultimately uplifting story.... more
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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
Philippines, 2006, 100 min.
When Maximo, a 12-year-old effeminate Filipino youth, falls for a new cop on his street, all kinds of hell breaks loose for his criminal family and for his sense of who he is and what he wants to become. This independent project was awarded the International Jury Prizes at both the Berlin and Rotter... more
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Border Post
Croatia, 2006, 94 min.
This comedy about people on the verge of tragedy unfolds at an army base along the Yugoslav-Albanian border in the spring of 1987. The boring daily routine of the young soldiers suddenly changes when the commanding officer decides to hide a personal problem, namely syphilis, by declaring a state of ... more
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A Casa Nostra
Italy, 2006, 101 min.
A banker who is pursued by a police captain is at the center of a merry-go-round of characters whose fates are intertwined in contemporary Milan where money and power rules.... more
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Cecilie
Denmark, 2006, 100 min.
Cecilie sees and hears things no one else does. After she experiences an assault of which no traces are found, her husband commits her to a psychiatric hospital. But is she insane? With the help of a psychiatrist, Per, she begins to unravel the past, with shocking results, in this tense, psychologic... more
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Chicha Tu Madre
Argentina, 2006, 90 min.
When Julio Cesar, an amateur Tarot reader and cab driver, learns that his daughter is pregnant, he has to revise his sense of fate and chance to find a future for his family. Playing off local literary conventions, the film actually uses the Tarot cards to narrate its tale of fate, free will and cha... more
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Children
Iceland, 2006, 93 min.
Karitas, a single mother trying to survive in contemporary Icelandic society, fights a custody battle for her three young daughters, oblivious to the needs of her son Gudmund. Then her hoodlum ex enters the mix after burning his bridges elsewhere. The drama brings to light the failure of a supposedl... more
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Chronicle of an Escape
Argentina, 2006, 104 min.
The real-life events surrounding the escape of group of ‘disappeared’ (abducted) prisoners during the 1977 Argentinean Junta is the subject of this gripping political drama. Though rooted in history, the portrayal of torture feels terribly contemporary.The film’s riveting performances will keep audi... more
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Cinema, Aspirin and Vultures
Brazil, 2006, 99 min.
In 1942, Johann, a young German fleeing the war, and Ranulpho, a Brazilian seeking an escape from the oppressive drought in his home province, join forces. Merrily rolling from village to village, they bring rural folk the magic of cinema as they screen a film advertising a miraculous new patent med... more
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Close to Home
Israel, 2006, 90 min.
Two very different young Israeli women are partnered together to patrol Jerusalem streets as part of their obligatory Israeli military service. In the process, they find that, despite the uniforms, they are just young people trying to find their place in the world. ... more
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Cover Boy
Italy, 2006, 97 min.
Cover Boy is the story of a friendship between two young men—a Romanian immigrant and an Italian lower-class worker—who struggle to find gainful employment in Western society. One has a dream to pursue, while the other has lost all hopes. Friendship will help them through, somehow. ... more
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Crime Novel
Italy, 2006, 146 min.
A sweeping epic Italian crime saga (with appropriate nods to Coppola and Scorsese by the screenwriters of '04 PSIFF audience-award winner Best of Youth) chronicles the rise of a criminal from a juvenile delinquent dreaming of power inmthe '70s, to a national public enemy running the organized... more
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DarkBlueAlmostBlack
Spain, 2006, 105 min.
Sporting visual flair to burn and a plot that unfurls in unexpected ways, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s tragicomic debut chronicles twenty-somethings Jorge and Israel’s attempts to form their identities, both personal and sexual, while posing questions about love and morality in these complex times. Arév... more
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Day Night Day Night
USA, 2006, 94 min.
Julia Loktev’s hauntingly abstract portrait of a suicide bomber in New York City not only takes us deep into the terrorist mind, but also dramatically recreates the anxiety, dread and fear inherent in the act. The film received major prizes at the Cannes and Chicago Film Festivals as well as winning... more
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Days of Glory
Algeria, 2006, 120 min.
Winner of an ensemble acting prize at the Cannes and nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Independent Spirit Awards, Days of Glory is a powerful WWII story that details the bad treatment the French heaped upon their fellow soldiers of North African descent. The film features a superb ensemb... more
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Dear Mr. Waldman
Israel, 2006, 90 min.
In the early 1960s, Hilik, a Tel Aviv ten-year-old, shares his brother's goal in life: to make their parents happy and compensate for the grief they suffered in the Holocaust. Meanwhile Moishe, Hilik’s father, chooses to believe that his son from his first marriage didn't die in Auschwitz and someh... more
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Devil’s Point
Argentina, 2006, 90 min.
Marcelo Pavan’s impressive Devil's Point is a moody tale of a brain surgeon's confrontation with his own mortality. The film is an exceptional experience in sight and sound set on a remote, windswept Uruguayan peninsula that serves as a physical representation of the doctor’s well-concealed e... more
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Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
France, 2006, 100 min.
Lili returns from vacation to discover her 19-year-old twin brother has fled from home after a violent fight with their father. Her worries about his welfare eventually send her to an anorexia hospital ward where a postcard from her long-lost twin finally arrives. Lioret’s delicate direction... more
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Dreamland
USA, 2006, 89 min.
Beautifully shot and passionately acted, Dreamland is the striking feature film debut of Jason Matzner. This woozily romantic trailer park love triangle features a stunning central performance by Agnes Bruckner that, alongside rising stars Kelli Garner and Justin Long, seems to unspool... more
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The Education of the Fairies
Spain, 2006, 103 min.
When the fairy tale existence of Nicolas and his new bride and her son, Raul, comes to an end, he makes up stories of fairies to guard his stepson from the harsh reality of life. What’s he to do when a real fairy shows up?... more
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Emma’s Bliss
Germany, 2006, 99 min.
Max, a mediocre car salesman, learns that he is dying of pancreatic cancer. On a whim, he takes a road trip that introduces him to Emma, a pig farmer, and country life, both of which almost make him forget his fate. This second feature by Taddicken is a very sensual, unpredictable, and heart-warming... more
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Falkenberg, Farewell
Sweden, 2006, 88 min.
The struggle of five 20-something male friends to find their place in the world provides the focus for Falkenberg, Farewell, which captures the energy of youth, and with it, a strong undercurrent of melancholy. Winner for Best Film at the Athens Film Festival.... more
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The Family Friend
Italy, 2006, 110 min.
A harsh near-nihilism pervades the singular vision of director Paolo Sorrentino in this morally dark tale. Geremia de’ Geremei is a shabby loan shark who professes a deep (and deeply false) concern for the poor people who use his services. The film exposes the damage done by his squalid, soul-disfig... more
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Family Law
Argentina, 2006, 102 min.
From Argentinean director Daniel Burman, the ‘Latin Woody Allen,’ comes this witty comedy in which a successful law professor with a beautiful wife and adorable son suddenly finds himself unsure what it means to be either a husband or a father in this tender-hearted comedy of delusion and self disco... more
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Forever Flows
Bangladesh, 2006, 112 min.
A lower-middle class Bangladeshi family struggles after the father goes blind and the family's money has been wasted on a layabout son, forcing beautiful daughter Tithi to work as a prostitute to help out in this steady-eyed, non-judgmental look at the lives of Tithi and the people she comes in cont... more
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Forget You Not
Italy, 2006, 94 min.
The first feature film of Mariantonia Avati, daughter of Pupi Avati, continues the father’s tradition with a feminine approach. Nina works in a maternity ward in post-WWII Italy where women from different backgrounds are united by motherhood. For Nina, each story becomes a source from which she will... more
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French California
France, 2006, 107 min.
Maguy (Nathalie Baye) is an idle rich woman. She lives in a luxurious mansion of the French Riviera among a bunch of odd friends and hired men. A dangerous desire game starts where no one knows the rules, creating a blazing and dangerous story of desire and power.... more
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Fresh Air
Hungary, 2006, 109 min.
Viola works as a bathroom attendant in the subway. Angela, her daughter, is ashamed of Viola and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Communication between them has become almost impossible. This first contemplative feature by a young director reveals a mature craft for composition and creating at... more
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Frozen City
Finland, 2006, 90 min.
Unfolding in ice-encrusted Helsinki, this is a raw and realistic portrait of a marital breakdown that shows the battling partners fueled by remnants of the feelings they still have for each other, and also by an irrational desire to hurt the other as much as possible.... more
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The Girl is Mine
France, 2006, 91 min.
Perhaps a mother’s worst nightmare is that someone will take her child. This suspenseful tale revolves around Maud, who after searching 12 years for her abducted daughter, meets a child she believes is the lost girl, but must contend with another woman who claims the girl as her own.... more
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The Golden Door
Italy, 2006, 112 min.
A turn-of-the-century rural Sicilian family embarks on a difficult journey to Ellis Island and to modernity, leaving behind their homes and possessions in the hopes of securing a better tomorrow in a land purportedly flowing with milk and honey, in this imaginative and intelligent film.... more
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