Master Gardener

Paul Schrader USA 2022, 107 min.

North American Premiere

No Bears

Jafar Panahi Iran

2022, Farsi, Azerbaijani, Turkish with English subtitles, 107 min.

USA Premiere

Following First Reformed and The Card Counter, Paul Schrader continues his dramatic renaissance with an equally effective, startling tale about dormant violence and the possibility of regeneration, centering on a horticulturist (Joel Edgerton) who works for the imperious owner (Sigourney Weaver) of a wealthy estate.

Jafar Panahi’s risk-taking output has never slowed down even amidst his internationally condemned treatment by the Iranian government. In No Bears , another virtuosic sleight of hand, the director appears as himself, relocated to a rural border town to remotely oversee the making of a new film in Turkey, the story of which comes to sharply parallel disturbing events that begin to occur around him.

The Novelist’s Film

Hong Sangsoo South Korea

2022, Korean with English subtitles, 92 min.

North American Premiere

For his playful and gently thoughtprovoking 27th feature, Hong Sangsoo takes on the perspective of a prickly middle-aged novelist, Junhee (Lee Hye-young), whose dormant creativity is stoked following a chance encounter with a famous actress (Kim Min-hee).