Since 1972, this joint production of the MoMA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center has given the first significant New York exposure to many of our more daring directors; several of this year’s films are already slated for release later this year. Screenings are at the Walter Reade Theater (W) and MoMA (M). Capsule reviews by Cullen Gallagher.
Frozen River (Courtney Hunt, 2007) 97 min. Rural, working-class noir about a single mother who resorts to smuggling immigrants across the border in order to support her two children. An updating of the classic “one last job” scenario; the snowy, upstate NY location photography only adds to the overbearing sense of desperation and inescapability. Mar 26 at 7pm (M); Mar 27 at 6:15pm (W)
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Jellyfish (Etgar Keret, Shira Geffen, 2007) 78 min. Preceded by My Olympic Summer (Daniel Robin, 2007) 12 min. Mar 27 at 6:15pm (M); Mar 30 at 5:30pm (W)
Munyurangabo (Lee Isaac Chung, 2007) 97 min. A young boy steals an axe and then takes to the road with a friend to avenge the death of his father. Shot in Rwanda with local (and almost entirely non-professional) actors by a Korean-American director, the film conveys its message of African unity without being too heavy-handed. Mar 27 at 9pm (W); Mar 29 at 2:30pm (M)
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Eat, for This Is My Body (Michelange Quay, 2007) 105 min. Mar 27 at 9pm (M); Mar 29 at 3:30pm (W)
Momma’s Man (Azazel Jacobs, 2008) 94 min. Mar 28 at 6:15pm (M); Mar 29 at 1pm (W)
Water Lilies (Céline Sciamma, 2007) 85 min. Preceded by Man (Myna Joseph, 2007) 15 min. When a teenage girl spies on her sister’s sexual encounter with an older boy, her protective impulse turns first to curiosity, then to jealousy. A poignant yet creepily voyeuristic story. Mar 28 at 6:15pm (W); Mar 30 at 2pm (M)
Japan Japan (Lior Shamriz, 2007) 65 min. A young man living in Tel Aviv dreams of going to Japan, but the narrative is fragmented by internet porn clips, DV vacation footage, Google maps and fake movie credits (a la Bruce Conner’s A Movie). A post-modern merry-go-round that is dizzying in all the irritating ways. Preceded by Camels Drink Water (Nathalie Djurberg, 2007) 4 min. A man dying of thirst in the desert, and two camels with plenty of urine to spare. Child-like animation plus a perverse sense of humor equals much-needed surrealism. Mar 28 at 8:45pm (M); Mar 30 at 8pm (W)
Sleep Dealer (Alex Rivera, 2008) 90 min. Mar 28 at 9pm (W); Mar 29 at 5:30pm (M)
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The Toe Tactic (Emily Hubley, 2008) 85 min. Mar 29 at 6pm (W); Mar 31 at pm (M)
Ballast (Lance Hammer, 2007) 96 min. Gorgeously filmed on 35mm using only natural lighting, Ballast recalls Nestor Almendros’ photography for Claire’s Knee and Days of Heaven transplanted to the Mississippi Delta. Its story, of how a mother and son cope with their estranged father’s suicide, is seductively bleak.
Mar 29 at 8pm (M); Mar 30 at 3pm (W)
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Frozen River (Courtney Hunt, 2007) 97 min. Rural, working-class noir about a single mother who resorts to smuggling immigrants across the border in order to support her two children. An updating of the classic “one last job” scenario; the snowy, upstate NY location photography only adds to the overbearing sense of desperation and inescapability. Mar 26 at 7pm (M); Mar 27 at 6:15pm (W)
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Jellyfish (Etgar Keret, Shira Geffen, 2007) 78 min. Preceded by My Olympic Summer (Daniel Robin, 2007) 12 min. Mar 27 at 6:15pm (M); Mar 30 at 5:30pm (W)
Munyurangabo (Lee Isaac Chung, 2007) 97 min. A young boy steals an axe and then takes to the road with a friend to avenge the death of his father. Shot in Rwanda with local (and almost entirely non-professional) actors by a Korean-American director, the film conveys its message of African unity without being too heavy-handed. Mar 27 at 9pm (W); Mar 29 at 2:30pm (M)
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Eat, for This Is My Body (Michelange Quay, 2007) 105 min. Mar 27 at 9pm (M); Mar 29 at 3:30pm (W)
Momma’s Man (Azazel Jacobs, 2008) 94 min. Mar 28 at 6:15pm (M); Mar 29 at 1pm (W)
Water Lilies (Céline Sciamma, 2007) 85 min. Preceded by Man (Myna Joseph, 2007) 15 min. When a teenage girl spies on her sister’s sexual encounter with an older boy, her protective impulse turns first to curiosity, then to jealousy. A poignant yet creepily voyeuristic story. Mar 28 at 6:15pm (W); Mar 30 at 2pm (M)
Japan Japan (Lior Shamriz, 2007) 65 min. A young man living in Tel Aviv dreams of going to Japan, but the narrative is fragmented by internet porn clips, DV vacation footage, Google maps and fake movie credits (a la Bruce Conner’s A Movie). A post-modern merry-go-round that is dizzying in all the irritating ways. Preceded by Camels Drink Water (Nathalie Djurberg, 2007) 4 min. A man dying of thirst in the desert, and two camels with plenty of urine to spare. Child-like animation plus a perverse sense of humor equals much-needed surrealism. Mar 28 at 8:45pm (M); Mar 30 at 8pm (W)
Sleep Dealer (Alex Rivera, 2008) 90 min. Mar 28 at 9pm (W); Mar 29 at 5:30pm (M)
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The Toe Tactic (Emily Hubley, 2008) 85 min. Mar 29 at 6pm (W); Mar 31 at pm (M)
Ballast (Lance Hammer, 2007) 96 min. Gorgeously filmed on 35mm using only natural lighting, Ballast recalls Nestor Almendros’ photography for Claire’s Knee and Days of Heaven transplanted to the Mississippi Delta. Its story, of how a mother and son cope with their estranged father’s suicide, is seductively bleak.
Mar 29 at 8pm (M); Mar 30 at 3pm (W)
click to continue
