Darling! The Pieter-Dirk U y s St o r y Director Julian Shaw
San Francisco Premiere Australia, 2007, 54 min., color, English
Co -sponsored by American Jewish World S e r v i c e and t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o HIV P r e v e n t i o n K l at s c h
When he was just 15, Julian Shaw saw a one-man show in Sydney, Australia, by the outrageous, controversial and brilliant South African political satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys. A half-Jewish, halfAfrikaaner anti-apartheid activist and entertainer, Uys (pronounced “ace”) was renowned for his drag alter ego, a dowager named Evita Bezuidenhout (think of Dame Edna with a political hammer), winning over no less than Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela with his/her wicked satire. Now Uys is taking on “the new apartheid”: the scourge of HIV/AIDS. His passionate critique of South Africa’s failure to educate children about the epidemic inspired young Shaw to document Uys’s tireless yet hilarious work enlightening highschoolers about AIDS. Darling! is a stirring portrait of a man on a mission—using the double dagger of truth-telling and satire to save the future of his country.—Peter L. Stein Followed by
West Coast Premiere Israel, 2007, 61 min., color and black & white, Hebrew w/ Eng. subtitles
Director Itamar Alcalay
Fabulous archival footage of Tel Aviv’s gay life from the 1950s immerses us in the world of society furrier Stefan Braun and the man who loved, worshipped and stood by him for 39 years, Eliezer Rath. Braun’s charisma and zest fascinated not only Israel’s wealthy matrons, chic models and his many lovers, but also his extended family for whom he was patriarch and benefactor. But soon La Dolce Vita on the Mediterranean becomes a rivalry between family of origin and Braun’s chosen—even if closeted—family, Rath. After Braun’s death, a battle begins for his legacy. The family contests the will, while the bereft Rath sits in Braun’s still-untouched room talking to his lost lover. Everyone has their say in this story, but Braun himself remains a fascinating enigma.—Alan Snitow Co-presented by Frameline and LGBT Alliance Tue, Jul 29 Mon, Aug 4
France, Israel, 1960, 60 min., color, French w/ Eng. subtitles
4:30 PM 2:00 PM
DARL29C DARL04B
Director Chris Marker
Sp o n s o r e d b y D e n i s B o u v i e r
A young boy joyfully rides a pushcart down the hilly streets of Haifa, a humped camel crosses a street, and an innocent girl paints an unseen picture in what may best represent the emergence of a new country and its unknown future. These are the arresting images captured by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Chris Marker (La Jetée, Sans Soleil) in his 1960 travels to Israel. Winner of the Golden Bear at the 1961 Berlin Film Festival, Marker’s remarkable documentary thoroughly examined, critiqued and predicted the newly created state’s past, present and future. Striking in the beauty of its images, ranging from the vastness of the desert landscape and the tranquility of the sea to the hubris of Tel Aviv, Description of a Struggle allows a rare and memorable glance at an Israel in the making.—Joshua Moore Followed by
D e s c r i pt i o n o f a M e m o r y U.S. Premiere Israel, 2006, 80 min., color, English, Hebrew, Arabic w/ Eng. subtitles
St e f a n B r a u n
Castro Roda
D e s c r i pt i o n Of a St r u g g l e
Director Dan Geva
Nearly 50 years after Chris Marker’s landmark 1960 documentary about Israel, Description of a Struggle, Dan Geva’s film engages with and pays tribute to its progenitor. Clearly Marker’s film left a lasting impression on the Israeli-born Geva, who uses images from the original film as a springboard to uncovering the many changes that have taken place in the physical and political landscapes of Israel and in its inhabitants. Attempting to answer questions originally raised by Marker, Geva tracks down some of the people featured in Marker’s film (what did happen to that young girl at the easel?), with surprising and emotionally complex results. Description of a Memory is an intimate portrait of the nature of change in a multifaceted land where history and memories intertwine to create an odyssey both personal and universal. —Joshua Moore Co-presented by the Pacific Film Archive and San Francisco Cinematheque Roda
Sat, Aug 9
11:30 AM
DESC09B
15