We’re in the home stretch of winter, folks! March starts in a couple days, and before you know it, it’ll be 50 degrees every day. Why not pass the time between now and then with some excellent movies?
Tickets are sold out for two films opening today, Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Strange Fish, but as a reminder to patrons who were lucky enough to snag a view of Strange Fish, showing as part of our Migration Stories series, filmmaker Giulia Bertoluzzi will take part in a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 2 at noon, and you need to register for that discussion separately, and can do so here.
We still have tickets available for two films opening today, including the debut film from Wong Kar Wai, As Tears Go By, from 1988. Though it shares quite a bit of DNA with other hyper-cool Hong Kong thrillers of the era, from the likes of John Woo et al, As Tears Go By is undeniably Wong Kar Wai. And if you’re itching for a vacation, may we suggest My Mexican Bretzel? Comprised of mid-20th century home movies shot during a wealthy couple's world travels and accompanied by text from a woman's diary, My Mexican Bretzel unfolds as a melodrama, as the narration describes a relationship that doesn’t quite match up with the idyllic locales on screen. It was the winner of the Found Footage Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Recommended!
Finally, we are opening reservations today for four films: Wong Kar Wai’s sophomore film Days of Being Wild; a new documentary on pioneering video artists Steina and Woody Vasulka, The Vasulka Effect; a new restoration from the British Film Institute of the ravishing silent film Shiraz: A Romance of India (pictured), about the romantic tale behind the creation of one of the world’s most iconic structures, the Taj Mahal; and finally, the beguiling experimental documentary Her Socialist Smile, about Helen Keller’s lifelong advocacy for leftist causes. We’ll be hosting a Q&A with the director of the film, John Gianvito, on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:30pm. Register for that discussion here.
