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6 September 2004:
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
Andrew Jarecki; US, 2003, 107 min
The Friedmans are a seemingly typical, middle-class American family whose world is irreparably transformed when the father
and youngest son are charged with child abuse. With access to the family's home videos, Jarecki constructs a complex, ambivalent
and engrossing study of both the family and the allegations levelled at father and son. Brilliantly subverting our expectations,
this documentary resists easy answers and creates the texture and breadth of a Shakespearean tragedy. Winner of the Grand
Jury Prize, Sundance 2003.
20 September:
ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER
Zacharias Kunuk; Canada, 2000, 168 min
Touted as the first Inuit film ever made, this debut film about family rivalry centres on fleet-footed Atanarjuat, who
has his eyes on Atuat, who has been promised to the boorish Oki. The awkward situation is resolved by a bout of ritual head-punching,
but lust and jealousy propel events into escalating violence. Shot on digital video, the film skilfully balances the intimacy
of strong emotions and the scale of the daunting surroundings. A spellbinding story that prompts admiration for the Inuits'
patience, resilience and their overriding concern for harmony with the world around them.
27 September:
MEMORIES OF MURDER (Salinui chueok)
Bong Joon-Ho; S Korea, 2003, 127 min
Bong's follow-up to Barking Dogs Never Bite is inspired by the crimes of South Korea's first recorded serial killer, centring
on the efforts of the local cops and a sophisticated detective from Seoul to investigate the crimes. But nothing works out
quite the way you expect. Achingly moving, especially in the closing scenes, the film is also grimly funny and quite deeply
shocking. A triumph for its young director, the film was Korea's biggest commercial and critical success in 2003, a homegrown
product that outstripped the Hollywood heavies in box office takings.
1-3 October:
TURKISH FILM DAYS
A special programme of five films representing the new Turkish cinema, including Nuri Bilge Ceylan's trilogy of Kasaba,
Clouds of May and the 2003 Cannes Grand Jury Prize winner Distant (Uzak). Details to follow.
11 October:
ANIMATION ON 4
UK, 1991-1995, 76 min
Seven award-winning animation treats from Britain's Channel 4, whose adventurous commissioning policy and unwavering commitment
to animation as an art form have been a major force behind the development of quality animation in the UK.
18 October (starts at 8:30 pm):
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS
Peter Mullan; UK/Ireland, 2002, 114 min
Margaret, Rose and Bernadette arrive at the Magdalene Laundries, an institution for 'fallen' women, where they will atone
for their sins through a regimented life of work and prayer in which friendship and conversation is frowned upon and they
are stripped of their liberty and dignity. Yet within these confines, a loyal bond develops between the three women, raising
a hope that surpasses their daily hardship. Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2002 Venice Film Festival.
25 October (starts at 8:30 pm):
MALAYSIAN DOCUMENTARIES
Various directors, Malaysia, 110 min, 2004.
Featuring R.A.H.M.A.N (directed by Zan Azlee), Thread (Haanim Bamadhaj), Arranged Marriages (Halimatul Saadiah, Malina
Shamsuddin and Sharifah Shazana), Auto Focus India (Sharaad Kuttan), You and Me Running (Hakim) and 18? (Danny Lim).
1 November (starts at 8:30 pm):
AUGUST SUN (Ira Madiyama)
Prasanna Vithanage; Sri Lanka, 2003, 108 min
An intense film by a leading Sri Lankan director, set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war, which powerfully
depicts the atmosphere of war and the constant threat of violence, through the stories of three individuals: a Muslim refugee
boy whose family is evicted by rebels, a housewife searching for her missing Sinhalese pilot husband, and a lonely soldier
who makes a shocking discovery at a brothel - three compelling tales of love and human frailty in a film which celebrates
the triumph of the human spirit.
8 November (starts at 8:30 pm):
CHI-HWA-SEON
Im Kwon-Taek; S Korea, 2002, 117 min
Im's follow-up to Chunhyang is a racy and moving semi-fictional portrait of Korean master painter Ohwon who worked, womanised
and drank his iconoclastic way through the second half of the 19th century. A highly accomplished work, distinguished by a
luscious visual elegance and a charismatic performance by Choi Min-Sik in the lead role.
29 November:
DANCE OF THE WIND
Rajan Khosa; UK/Germany/India, 1997, 85 min
Pallavi, a successful young classical singer, loses her voice at her mother's death and with it her career and students.
But help arrives in the form of a street urchin whose angelic voice haunts Pallavi and leads her on a journey of discovery.
Set in contemporary New Delhi, Rajan Khosa's prize-winning film is a celebration of classical traditions, capturing the beauty
of ancient Indian music and the culture from which it emanates.
6 December:
MALAYSIAN SHORTS
Various directors, Malaysia, 2004.
Exciting new work showcased in a popular series that has won plaudits and helped to promote quality Malaysian filmmaking
to wider shores. Free admission for the public. To submit a work please contact us at kelabsenifilem@hotmail.com
13 December:
FIGHT FOR US (Orapronobis)
Lino Brocka; Philippines, 1989, 92 min
After the fall of the Marcos regime in the Philippines, the country faces a new, more insidious threat: the ruthless right-wing
death squads of the Ora Pro Nobis, a violent and depraved cult of political vigilantes bent on total control of the country.
Emerging from prison to challenge this new order, social activist Jimmy Cordero is soon caught up in a web of political treachery,
torture and brutality. A riveting political thriller from a master of Philippine cinema.
20 December:
L'APPARTEMENT
Gilles Mimouni; France, 1995, 112 min
A confident and stylish combination of love story and thriller which sees Max the protagonist planning a marriage, investigating
a murder, chasing after a lost love and getting bizarrely entangled with a mystery girl. Switching between time, women, chic
cafes and beautiful Parisian apartments, Mimouni's film playfully ties its lovelorn characters up in knots as it races along
to a heady conclusion. "Masterful, superb, brilliant, effortlessly cool'" - Time Out.
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