SEPTEMBER at MBC:
"The Dreamer and The Aesthete", and more!...
T H E M I A M I B E A C H C I N E M A T H E Q U E
The on-going film festival where you don't just watch films, you experience them!
512 Española Way at Plaza de España (305) 67-FILMS (673-4567) www.MBCINEMA.com
SEPTEMBER At A Glance:
"The Dreamer and The Aesthete: BERGMAN & ANTONIONI" (SAT 01, SUN 16, FRI 21 & 28)
(with an exhibition "Bergman and Antonioni IMAGES" from the MBC Archives)
XXII International Ballet Festival Dance Series (THU-SUN 06-09)
Jazz On Film #2: Queen Of Swing with NORMA MILLER in person! (SAT 15)
Gypsy Caravan Miami Premiere with "Siempre Flamenco" (WED 19)
Independent LENS 2007-2008 Season Premiere! (THU 20)
Miami Short Film Festival Preview (SAT 22)
"DOCUSPAIN" (New Series Season Premiere!) (SUN 30)
Silenced July 30, 2007: BERGMAN / ANTONIONI
“The Dreamer” and “The Aesthete”
“Before them, films were just movies...By an awful and uncanny coincidence—
the kind of occurrence that, in a movie, would have to be taken as symbolic
lest it seem altogether preposterous — Michelangelo Antonioni and
Ingmar Bergman died on the same day. Since Mr. Bergman was 89 and Mr.
Antonioni 94, neither man’s death came as much of a shock, but the
simultaneity was startling. Not only because they were both great filmmakers,
but more because, in their prime, Mr. Antonioni and Mr. Bergman were
seen as the twin embodiments of the idea that a filmmaker could be, without
qualification or compromise, a great artist.”—A.O Scott NY Times, August 2007
(read the entire article HERE)
Sept. 01 SAT 8:30pm: “The Dreamer” (1918-2007)
BERGMAN: The Virgin Spring (Jungfrukällan) (1960)
With Max Von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom
Cinematography by Sven Nykvist
Who would have thought
that Wes Craven would be the one to remake (or was it rip-off?) this classic
Bergman film (with Last House On The Left). The two films could not be further
apart in style, but both concern the same parental vengeance caused by murder
and rape of an innocent daughter. Bergman had catapulted to fame with The
Seventh Seal a few years earlier, and returns to a breathtaking medieval milieu
for this folk ballad of monumental emotional proportions. Max Von Sydow as
the father Töre also returns for another round in what is part of an incomparable
set of collaborations with a director, making this among the best films ever made
by a regular “family” of artists working together (Bergman, foremost, but also
always supported by his returning cast, cinematographers, art directors, and editors,
for decades). In Swedish with English subtitles.
WINNER: Academy Award Best Foreign Film, Golden Globes Best Foreign Film
Special Mention Cannes Film Festival: “Too good to be judged.”
XXII International Ballet Festival of Miami
Dance Film Series
Sept. 06 THU 8:30pm: Miami Premieres!
Babel (Peter Sparling, USA, 2005, 7min.)
A former member of Martha Graham Dance Company
returns in a solo that would only be possible on screen. Mirroring the voices in
Arvo Part’s score, he reveals four physical personalities. He transcends boundaries
of gender and character while charting a man’s struggle to embody his own metamorphosis.
Lucinda Childs (Patrick Bensard, France, 2006, 56min.)
Lucinda Childs' work dates back to the sixties,
the period in which New York’s “downtown” circle of artists pushed each other to
explore and experiment beyond convention. Now, after decades based in Paris, Lucinda
lives in Martha’s Vineyard where she takes time to reflect between choreographic
assignments around the world.
Sept. 07 FRI 8:30pm: Miami Premieres!
Opium (Miles Lowry and David Ferguson, Canada, 2006, 24min.)
Suddenly Dance Theatre’s narrative is inspired by a three-month
episode in the life of the French artist Jean Cocteau (1889-1963). OPIUM imagines
Cocteau’s harrowing stay at a clinic near Paris in 1929, where he hoped for a cure for
his addiction to opium.
Georgians In Maryinski (Zurab Inashvili, Georgia, 2003, 47min.)
Manana Kvachadze produced this documentary rich with
information, interviews and archival footage. A treat for ballet lovers with
background on George Balanchine, Vakhtang Chabukiani, and others.
Sept. 08 SAT 8:30pm: Miami Premiere!
Serge Lifar Musagete (Dominique Delouche, France, 2005, 88min.)
Produced by Les Films du Prieuré, this documentary is a
tribute to the lasting legacy of the French-Russian dancer/choreographer Serge Lifar
(1905-1988) who carried on the Diaghilev tradition of the Ballets Russes.
Sept. 09 SUN 8pm: Miami Premieres!
One Flat Thing, Reproduced (Thierry de Mey France 2006 26min)
William Forsythe carved a formidable career in Europe
with infrequent returns to NYC. His collaboration with Thierry de Mey, acclaimed for
his screen adaptations of works by Anna Teresa de Keersmaeker, brings us insights
into his ingenious choreography.
Dido and Aeneas (Barbara Willis Sweete, Canada, 1995, 55min.)
An adaptation by choreographer Mark Morris and his
Mark Morris Dance Group, of the Henry Purcell baroque opera. Dido, the noble
queen of Carthage has fallen in love the Trojan prince, Aeneas. While the court
celebrates the imminent union of the two monarchs, the evil sorceress with her
coven of witches, plots their downfall. Romance leads to heartbreak and tragedy.
Sept. 15 SAT 8:30pm: JAZZ on Film #2:
Queen Of Swing (John Biffar/2007) Miami Premiere!
The documentary
Queen of Swing is the life story of the remarkable and inspiring entertainer
Norma Miller. Her story spans a generation of cultural changes, challenges
and African American heritage. At a time of civil strife in America, the birth
of jazz music and new black dance forms played an important role in breaking
down the barriers to racial equality. Norma Miller was at the center of that
cultural revolution. She danced her way out of the ghetto and right into the
hearts and minds of a world wide audience.
“As you make your bed so will you lie. This is what you do before you die.
Before I die there’s just one thing, I’ll do my thing, and swing, baby, swing.”
...Keep on swingin’ and it’ll keep you going. Duke Ellington said it.
It had to be true.”—Norma Miller
Meet the legendary Norma Miller! She will join director
John Biffar who will introduce the film and be present for Q&A!
Sept. 16 SUN 8:30pm: “The Aesthete” (1912-2007)
ANTONIONI: Blow-Up (1966)
With David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, Jane Birkin, Veruska
In one of the most
influential films in history, Antonioni’s English debut is his up-to-the minute version
of “through a glass darkly” where everyone sees only what they want to see in
individual worlds that may or may not collide, the *image* is the most important
thing. Aesthetically, Antonioni presents a surface point of view, but underneath is
where the real secrets lie. David Hemmings is the hottest fashion photographer in
swinging 60’s London, (based roughly on the legendary David Bailey) and he
accidentally discovers a possible murder while working (influenced roughly on the
then recent JFK assassination). Like our lives, the puzzle is inevitably missing a
few pieces, and the solution is up to us without ever finding all the clues, or even,
ultimately, the characters.
“It emerges as a great film, if not the one we thought we were seeing at the time”
—Roger Ebert
WINNER: Palm d’Or Cannes Film Festival
National Society of Film Critics Best Film, Best Director
19 WED 8:30pm: Miami Premiere!
Presented by SIEMPRE FLAMENCO
& ART WORKS FOR US...
When The Road Bends:
Tales of the Gypsy Caravan
(Documentary/ Jasmine Dellel/2007)
With Fanfare Ciocarlia, Taraf de Haidouks,
and Johnny Depp (as himself)
“You cannot walk straight when the road bends”—Romani proverb
Shot by legendary cinematographer Albert Maysles, this dynamic musical
documentary follows five Gypsy bands from four countries who unite for the
Gypsy Caravan as they take their show around North America for a six-week
tour, astounding every audience they meet. Their musical styles range from
flamenco to brass band, Romanian violin to Indian folk. They celebrate the
best in Gypsy culture in an explosion of song and dance.
WINNER: Audience Award San Francisco Indepenendent Film Festival,
Flanders Int’l Film Festival, Jeonji Korea Int’l Film Festival
Impact Of Music Jury Award Nashville Independent Film Festival
“It would be great if by experiencing the Romani people and their music,
people can learn more about them and understand that—what you’ve
believed about these people has been a lie your entire life”—Johnny Depp
With LIVE music by Paco Fonta and Friends,
and reception with tapas afterwards!
$15 or $12 MBC Members
Sept. 20 THU 8:30pm: Independent LENS 2007-2008
Florida exclusive previews of award winning documentaries
before they air on PBS...Presented with HANDS ON MIAMI
Season Premiere! Florida Premiere!
Please Vote For Me (Weijen Chen/2007)
Want to find out how democracy really
works? Then head to China. Three eight-year-old students—a charismatic
challenger, a ruthless incumbent, and a thoughtful outsider—all campaign
for the coveted position of class monitor in a third grade classroom in Wuhan,
China. Hot debates. Backstabbing. Alliances.
Move over Little League, real sport is coming, and it’s called democracy.
COMPLIMENTARY Screening (donations welcome!)
Sept. 21 FRI 8:30pm: “The Dreamer” (1918-2007)
BERGMAN: The Silence (Tystnaden) (1963)
With Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Jörgen Lindström
Cinematography by Sven Nykvist
Ester (Thulin): “...The forces are all too strong. I mean the forces,
the horrible forces. You need to watch your step among the ghosts and memories.”
The last film in Bergman’s
“Faith Trilogy” (comprised also of Through A Glass Darkly and Winter Light),
The Silence focuses on the inability to communicate with both human or heavenly
presences, and desires of the physical rather than spiritual. In his lifetime wrestle
with religion and human emotion, Bergman was at the pinnacle of his very
personal experimental voyage in the 1960’s, creating one of the most searing,
controversial, and mysterious portraits of his career. Ester (Thulin) and Anna
(Lindblom) are sisters who decide to rest on their way home from a vacation home,
due to Ester’s unexpected illness. The town they stop in is as foreign as their
connection to each other, and the profound experience there will be unforgettable
for both, as well as for Anna’s impressionable son. In Swedish with English subtitles.
“BERGMAN AT HIS MOST POWERFUL! A sexual frankness that blazes
a new trail. Wonderful, marvelous, shuddering performances.”—A. Winston NY Post
WINNER: Swedish Film Institute Academy Awards Best Film, Best Director,
Best Actress Ingrid Thulin
Sept. 22 SAT 8:30pm:
Miami Short Film Festival Preview:
“The Best of Student Short Films”
The best examples of student short films from this year’s Miami Short Film Festival
will be screened at MBC. The film titles and directors will be announced soon,
just after the final selection process takes place. The 6th Annual MSFF will take place
on November 26 through December 02 at various venues including the Bill Cosford
Cinema, the Tower Theater, Miami Museum Of Science, and MBC!
Sept. 28 FRI 8:30pm: “The Aesthete” (1912-2007)
ANTONIONI: Zabriskie Point (1970)
With Mark Frechette, Daria Halprin, Rod Taylor
Music by Pink Floyd, Jerry Garcia
Exploding with a European artistic
sense that went too far for most Americans--besides the acclimated cinephiles who
clamored to defend it as it shocked the establishment, and formed a cult status around it--
Antonioni followed Blow-Up with an anti-war, anti-consumerist visit to Death Valley
USA. Using young non-actors Mark Frechette and Daria Halprin as his representatives
of the new generation amidst a corrupt society, they wander and ponder throughout
Antonioni’s cinematic canvas. Mark is a dropout fugitive (not unlike his tragic real life),
and Daria is a teetering pro-developer anthropology student. As an Italian in America,
he saw the American situation with his undiluted austere sense of visual style and
sensibility, making this film one of the most debated examples of a foreigner’s point of
view, along with the upcoming Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar Wai, and Bruno Dumont’s
Twentynine Palms (coming soon to MBC!).
“All of Death Valley erupts with life and love...”—Vincent Canby New York Times
“The films (of Antonioni) pose a subject (only to compromise it), constitute objects
(only to dissolve them), propose stories (only to lose them)...but in such a way that
the surface takes on a fascination, becomes a "subject" all its own.”
--Sam Rhodie –from his book Antonioni
Sept. 30 SUN 8pm: “DOCUSPAIN” Season Premiere!
Award winning, provocative documentaries in Spanish,
produced with Spanish support...once a month at MBC!
Presented with MAHOU, and PRAGDA Barcelona/New York,
with support from the Embassy of Spain, the Spain Foreign Cultural Corporation,
and the International Documentary Association
MAHOU, PRAGDA and MBC present a series of provocative and brilliantly conceived Spanish
documentaries that have revived the genre with new forms of expression. The program will tour the
U.S. during 2007 and 2008. Included is the winner of the prestigious Joris Ivens Award at IDFA and
this year’s Academy Award® qualifying My Grandmother's House; Oliver Stone's remarkable and
highly controversial study of Fidel Castro, Comandante; the spectacularly powerful document about
a Brazilian favela that uses music for social change The Miracle of Candeal; Academy Award®
nominated Balseros; "The most controversial Spanish film in decades." as per Fiachra Gibbons
from The Guardian--The Basque Ball by Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia); the humorous and very touching
piece of Spain Seville Southside; the taboo subject of Franco’s concentration camps in Bars In The Memory;
and the emotionally turbulent Memory Train.
La Casa de mi Abuela (My Grandmother’s House) Adan Alaga/2005
How does a pop duet
work out for impulsive and irreverent six-year-old Marina and 75 year old Marita?
Cheeky Marina plays to the camera, ignoring the chiding of her aged grandmother,
Marita. Marita's crumbling house was built by her long-dead husband. She moved in
when they married, over 53 years ago, and nothing much has changed since. Now her
home is under threat; the neighborhood is being torn down, replaced with charmless
apartments.
WINNER: Joris Ivans Award, Miami Film Festival Special Grand Jury Mention
Toronto Hot Docs Grand Jury Prize, Chicago Int’l Film Festival Silver Gen Award
Belgrade Int’l Film Festival Best Documentary
Every DOCUSPAIN film will be followed by an afterparty at Tapas y Tintos,
featuring complimentary tapas and MAHOU beer for filmgoers!
T H E M I A M I B E A C H C I N E M A T H E Q U E
512 Española Way at Plaza de España (305) 67-FILMS (673-4567) www.MBCINEMA.com
FILMS: $10 or $6 MBC Members and Students
Gypsy Caravan premiere $15 and $12 MBC Members
Independent LENS: complimentary admission
Exhibition complimentary and viewable before and after screenings.
Doors open 1/2 hour before screenings
MBC is supported by the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council and the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural
Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners
