Our World of Wong Kar Wai series ends this week with a newly-extended cut of WKW’s featurette The Hand! Originally conceived for the omnibus film Eros, the film—presented in this retrospective for the first time in its extended cut—tells the tale of Zhang (Chang Chen), a shy tailor’s assistant enraptured by a mysterious client, Miss Hua (the ineffable Gong Li). It’s new, an hour long, free, and it ties together all of WKW’s pet themes. What’s not to love? Don’t miss it!
We’re also opening François Ozon’s By the Grace of God, based on the true story of a Catholic pedophilia scandal in Lyon, France. According to RogerEbert.com, it’s “One of the most powerful movies in Ozon’s filmography ... A great film that will stick with you long after it ends.” If you’d prefer your true stories in documentary form, we’ve got tickets left for Crutch, which chronicles the gravity-defying life of Bill Shannon, an internationally renowned artist, breakdancer and skate punk—on crutches. Shannon became well-known in breakdancing and skateboarding circles for his innovative movements utilizing his crutches, and he later worked in fine arts performances, eventually doing choreography for Cirque du Soleil. It’s a crowd pleaser!
Our reservations open up for two films: Agnès Varda’s final film, Varda by Agnès, which acts as a free-associative guide through her vast filmography, and Sing Me a Song, a new documentary following a young Bhutanese monk as he connects to the wider world with his smartphone and pursues a WeChat romance against the backdrop of the Himalayas (pictured).
And important Oscar Shorts news! We’ll be opening all three Oscar Shorts programs (Documentary, Animation, and Live Action) next Friday, April 2. These will be paid-admission programs, but 50% of proceeds will come back to Cornell Cinema to help cover the costs of our free programming this year. Individual programs will be $12, with a special 3-program bundle for $30. No reservations needed for these titles; rental links will be available on the individual film pages on our website by next week.
