Q.1 2018 Smith Rafael Quarterly

J A N U A R Y — M A R C H

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FREE COMMUNITY SCREENINGS

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Join us for this neighborhood series that brings people of all ages together for screenings and community-driven conversations, featuring documentaries from PBS’s Independent Lens series and other sources. We invite local residents, school groups and organizations to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics, to family and relationships. Meet new people, share stories and join the conversation.

Admission is free. Seats must be reserved at cfieducation.org/community All screenings at 12:00pm TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: THE STORIES OF BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

January 22 Directors Stanley Nelson, Marco Williams

LOOK AND SEE:

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WENDELL BERRY’S KENTUCKY

April 16 Director Laura Dunn

SERVED LIKE A GIRL May 21 Director Lisa Heslov

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BIG SONIA February 26 Director Leah Warshawski Guest: Morrie Warshawski (film subject)

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* * These films presented in association with

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THE CORRIDOR March 26 Directors Annelise Wunderlich, Richard O’Connell Guests: Annelise Wunderlich, Richard O’Connell, plus film subjects to be announced

Tell Them We Are Rising

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Big Sonia

The Corridor

Look and See

Served Like a Girl

CFI B OARD O F DIRECTO RS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / FOUNDER

Mark Fishkin Maida Brankman Kenneth Broad Lynne Hale Richard J. Idell (Secretary)

Amy Keroes

Steve Weinswig Zach Zeisler (Treasurer)

(Vice President)

CFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(Vice President)

Caroline Labe Jennifer Coslett MacCready Cathy Nourafshan Maggie O’Donnell Jonathan Parker (President)

Susan Schwartz Dr. Joel Sklar

(Vice President)

Jann Stanley

EMERITUS BOARD

Rita Cahill Sid Ganis Bruce Katz Gary Meyer Gordon Radley Christopher B. Smith Henry Timnick

FOUNDING BOARD

Rita Cahill Mark Fishkin Lois Kohl Shore ADVISORY BOARD

The Honorable Barbara Boxer Stewart Boxer Drusie Davis Jeff Fisher Peter Flaxman Robert Greber

Linda Gruber Peggy Haas Jessica Igoe Michael Klein Roxanne Klein KC Lauck Andrew McGuire Mary Poland Eric Schwartz Michael Schwartz Skip Whitney

R AFAE L QUARTERLY STA F F R I C H A R D P E T E R S ON Director of Programming | Editor

SHEL L EY SPICER Director of Marketing & Publicity

L EAH L OSCHIAV O Marketing Coordinator

D A N Z A S T R OW Rafael General Manager

JAN KL INGEL HOF ER Program Consultant

BRIAN LEHMAN Quarterly Layout/Production

Smith Rafael Film Center is owned and operated by the California Film Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that also produces the annual Mill Valley Film Festival, DocLands Documentary Film Festival and CFI Education programs throughout the year. © Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No portion of the Rafael Quarterly may be duplicated in any form without written consent from the Smith Rafael Film Center and/or the California Film Institute.

J A N U A R Y

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M A R C H

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Vol. 20 Issue 1

From the

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: WORLD OSCAR SUBMISSIONS January 5-11

DIRECTOR of PROGRAMMING The January-March quarterly schedule for the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center reminds us that it’s Oscar® season…at least, for the first two months.

We are offering several theatrical runs of films that have been submitted for the Academy’s foreign language honors.

And, for the 15th time, we present For Your Consideration, a week-long series of foreign language entries selected by Karen Davis and Janis Plotkin, senior programmers for the Mill Valley Film Festival.

Beginning this quarter, you will also see a “Mind the Gap” logo appearing next to films directed by women. This represents the California Film Institute’s expansion of a program that began at the 2015 Mill Valley Film Festival, conceived by its director of programming Zoë Elton as an initiative to help narrow the gender gap in the creative and technical aspects of the movies.

There is no doubt that the highlight of this season at the Rafael is our weekend visit by Liv Ullmann, the extraordinary Norwegian actor/director closely associated with Sweden’s giant of film and theater, Ingmar Bergman. 2018 is Bergman’s centenary, and institutions around the world are celebrating his art. We’re very excited to open our own Bergman festivities with her participation.

Bergman was 20 years older than Ullmann when they collaborated on Persona and became lovers for a while. The films they made when together constitute a remarkable body of work (highlighted in these tribute programs) that garnered international acclaim. At the same time they were parting as lovers, Hollywood

AT-A-GLANCE

started to beckon her. Ullmann’s work with Bergman was certainly a substantial part of that, but she also dazzled American eyes when she earned a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar® nomination for her performance in The Emigrants, the epic by another great Swedish filmmaker, Jan Troell. (She would receive a second Oscar® nomination for Bergman’s Face to Face.)

Ullmann’s Hollywood career peaked in the 1970s, but throughout that decade she would return to work with her close friend Bergman. Americans recognized her as both a Swedish beauty and an actor of formidable intelligence, but she also strove to challenge and expand her range. She performed in several productions on the New York stage, and ultimately she turned to film direction herself. Her first feature, Sofie, came out in 1992, and she directed projects written

by Bergman in 1996 and 2000, after he had officially “retired” from filmmaking.

What she has expressed in her writings, instead of the vanity one might expect from a beautiful actress, is a filmmaker’s perspective, particularly one compatible with Bergman’s: “I love close-ups. To me they are a challenge. The closer a camera comes, the more eager I am to show a completely naked face, show what is behind the skin, the eyes; inside the head. Show the thoughts that are forming…Discard the mask and show what is behind it.”

Please welcome Liv Ullmann, one of the most distinguished artists to grace our stage. And thank you for supporting the Rafael. ~ Richard Oscar® Peterson

Films marked with this logo are part of CFI’s gender equity initiative, Mind the Gap, launched at the 2015 Mill Valley Film Festival. CFI is dedicated to actively working towards closing the gender gap in Hollywood and the rest of the global film industry.

2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM TOUR Opens January 5 PGS-INTUITION IS YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE SYSTEM Wednesday, January 10 HAPPY END Opens January 12 IN THE FADE Opens January 12 THE FINAL YEAR Opens January 19 THE INSULT Opens January 26 DJANGO Opens in January BERGMAN 100: A TRIBUTE TO LIV ULLMANN February 2-4 INDIVISIBLE February 5-8 OSCAR® NOMINATED SHORTS Opens February 9 RUMI-POET OF THE HEART Sunday, February 11 A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH Wed., February 14 & Sun., February 18 A FANTASTIC WOMAN Opens February 16 The Royal Opera RIGOLETTO Sunday, February 18 LOVELESS Opens March 2 AWARDS NIGHT Sunday, March 4 LEANING INTO THE WIND Opens March 9 OH LUCY! Opens March 16 The Royal Opera TOSCA Sunday, March 18 4 WHEEL BOB Sunday, March 18 FOXTROT Opens March 23 The Royal Ballet THE WINTER’S TALE Sunday, March 25 NATIONAL SCIENCE ON SCREEN EVENING Tuesday, March 27 BACK TO BURGUNDY Opens in March BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY Opens in March LIFE AND NOTHING MORE Coming soon

On the cover: LIV ULLMANN & INGMAR BERGMAN - See page 8

Programs with in-person guests Programs subject to change, including opening dates. OTHER PROGRAMS OPEN THAT DO NOT APPEAR HERE. For up-to-date info: rafaelfilm.org Sign up for weekly email at rafaelfilm.org Check daily newspaper Call 415 454 1222

JANUARY 5-11 Each year the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences invites countries to submit a single film for consideration in the competitive category of Foreign Language Film. This year 92 films have been accepted for competition and for the 15th consecutive year, the Smith Rafael Film Center offers a choice sampling. This is a rare opportunity to view some of the most distinguished works in international cinema, many of which are film festival prizewinners. Series programmed

by Karen Davis and Janis Plotkin.

FÉLICITÉ

SENEGAL

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 5:30 Félicité sings her heart out at Kinshasa’s rowdiest bar. When her son is seriously injured in a car accident, the songbird begins to lose her voice. Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis crafts an incredible story of maternal endurance driven by a vibrant soundtrack featuring everything from the Kasai All-stars’ rump-shaking Afro-pop to the city’s real-life church choirs. Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Berlin Film Festival. In Lingala with English subtitles.

Director: Alain Gomis. 124 min.

HAPPY END

AUSTRIA

AYITI MON AMOUR

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 8:15 Michael Haneke’s semi-sequel to 2012’s Oscar®-winner Amour sets his portrait of a dysfunctional bourgeois European family against the refugee crisis in France. This ironically titled film focuses on characters with multiple skeletons in the closet, starring Isabelle Huppert as a grown daughter who has taken over the family business from her ailing father (Jean-Louis Trintignant). In French with English subtitles and some English. With Mathieu Kassovitz, Toby Jones. Director: Michael Haneke. 107 min

ZAMA

HAPPY END

ZAMA

—4—

HAITI

FILMMAKER IN PERSON SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2:00 Exquisitely shot in the Haitian mist and sunlight five years after the devastating earthquake, Ayiti mon amour presents three compelling stories that intertwine, collide and co-exist. Memories of the disaster still haunt the villagers who seek healing in order to begin anew. This beautiful and haunting film is the first feature-length narrative entirely shot in Haiti by a Haitian-born female director. In Creole, French, Japanese with English subtitles. Director: Guetty Felin.

86 min.

A FANTASTIC WOMAN

YEVA ARGENTINA

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 5:00 In a remote South American colony during the late 18th century, officer Zama of the Spanish crown waits in vain for a transfer to a more prestigious location. Forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors, Zama slowly succumbs to lust and paranoia, in this intoxicatingly atmospheric story adapted from Antonio di Benedetto’s 1956 classic of Argentinean literature. (Special Sneak Preview) In Spanish with English subtitles. Director: Lucrecia Martel. 114 min.

CHILE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 7:30 Meet Marina—the complex, talented, tender and determined title character who works as a waitress while aspiring to sing. In love with an older man who loves her in return, she is coming into her own as a well-adjusted transgender woman. But when her paramour dies unexpectedly, Marina must suddenly face a humiliating swirl of suspicion and rejection.

Silver Bear, Berlin Film Festival. In Spanish with English subtitles. Director: Sebastián Lelio.

103 min.

ARMENIA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2:00 Recently widowed Yeva and her daughter arrive in a village seeking protection from vengeful inlaws. She struggles to conceal her past while fighting for her future, in this compelling drama. Anchored by a powerful lead performance and cinematic detail of Armenia’s disputed Karabakh region, where Persian, Turkish and Russian cultures meet and collide, director Anahit Abad’s debut feature paints the portrait of a border town rife with secrets and reeling from the after effects of war. In Armenian with English subtitles. 94 min.

YEVA

LOVELESS

BREATH

BREATH

IRAN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 4:15 Woman director Narges Abyar’s beautifully crafted (and multiple award-winning) anti-war drama is a portrait of pre-teen daydreamer Bahar and her family, in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Bahar’s love of books leads her into a rich fantasy world where frightening realities are left behind. Though current events are peripheral to her world, the revolution and brewing war with Iraq loom larger than she can imagine. In Farsi with English subtitles. 112 min.

THE WOUND

SOUTH AFRICA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 6:45 Factory worker Xolani returns annually to an encampment in the mountains to mentor young Xhosa initiates into manhood following their ritual circumcision. His clandestine gay relationship with a fellow caregiver and the cultural shame of forbidden love reveal more than one type of wound in this deeply moving and important film. Director John Trengove’s acclaimed debut feature premiered at Sundance and has garnered more than 14 festival wins. In Xhosa with English subtitles. 88 min.

NOVEMBER

ESTONIA

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 5:30 THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 5:30 In this lush and folkloric tale of love and survival in 19th century Estonia, peasant girl Liina longs for village boy Hans, but Hans’ heart belongs to the baroness. Director Rainer Sarnet’s phantasmagorical imagery shapes a landscape where spirits and the devil himself converge, where thievery is rampant and mischievous objects come alive. Best Cinematography, Tribeca FF. In Estonian and German with English subtitles. 115 min.

THE WOUND

LOVELESS

WHITE SUN

RUSSIA

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 8:00 Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (Oscar®-nominated Leviathan) delivers some devastating scenes from a marriage in Loveless, a meticulous, absorbing drama that won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Boris and Zhenya are a contentious husband and wife anxiously looking forward to finalizing their divorce—both of them have new lovers awaiting them—but they’re forced to spend time together after they belatedly realize that their 12-year-old son has gone missing. In Russian with English subtitles. 127 min.

TEMPESTAD

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 8:00 Focusing on a character from his award-winning debut Mediterranea (MVFF39), director Jonas Carpignano’s new film centers on Pio Amato, a teenage Romani hustler in a small Italian community. This gripping coming-ofage tale addresses themes of poverty and crime, documenting Pio’s quest to assert himself as the man of the house after his elders are imprisoned. A supporting cast including Amato’s family members adds urgency and authenticity to this unforgettable drama. In Italian with English subtitles. 118 min.

TEMPESTAD

NEPAL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 8:00 Immersed in idyllic beauty amid the textures of a rural mountain locale, this film chronicles a complex political and interpersonal relationship in the still-unsettled aftermath of the Maoist revolution in Nepal. A son, who left his village long ago to join the revolution, returns to his village to find himself confronted by class conflicts over the burial of his recently deceased father and more personal domestic tensions at home. In Nepali with English subtitles. Director Deepak Rauniyar. 86 minutes.

FOXTROT ITALY

IRELAND

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 5:45 Director Pat Collins takes us on a lyrical journey through the life of celebrated traditional Irish folk singer Joe Heaney, from his boyhood in Connemarra to the folk clubs of 1960s Greenwich Village alongside Pete Seeger and the Clancy Brothers. This beautifully photographed biopic invites us to draw up a chair by the fire, or a stool at the pub, and experience Heaney’s heart-stopping a cappella performances along with the story of his life. In English and in Gaelic with English subtitles.104 min.

WHITE SUN MEXICO

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 5:45 Recounting the parallel emotional and physical journeys of two women, Miriam and Adela, director Tatiana Huezo’s brave film spans the landscapes and highways of Mexico, revealing tales of government corruption and injustice, along with their unfulfilled longings, dreams and desires. This exploration of love, resistance and dignity in the face of terrible odds examines the impact of violence and impunity afflicting Mexico today. In Spanish with English subtitles. 105 min.

A CIAMBRA

SONG OF GRANITE

ISRAEL

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 8:00 From the director of Lebanon comes a dance of fate. Michael and Dafna are devastated when army officials show up at their home to announce the death of their son Jonathan.

While his sedated wife rests, Michael spirals into a whirlwind of anger, only to experience one of life’s unfathomable twists, rivaling the surreal military experiences of his son. Winner, Silver Lion, Venice Film Festival. In Hebrew with English subtitles. Director: Samuel Maoz.

113 min.

FOXTROT

—5—

Lucia, Before and After

© Anu Valia

Ten Meter Tower

© M. Aertryck & A. Danielson

2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM TOUR

OPENS JANUARY 5 On the eve of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, we present a program of seven shorts, including two award winners, from last year’s event. Canadian Peter Huang’s Five Films About Technology hilariously takes on the dumber sides of technology. Francisca Alegria’s Chilean short (in Spanish with English subtitles) And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye (Short Film Jury Award, International Fiction) depicts a woman visited by a ghost. Come Swim is Kristen Stewart’s impressionist diptych of one man’s day. In Anu Valia’s Lucia, Before and After (Short Film Jury Award: US Fiction), a young woman waits out a state-mandated period before her abortion can proceed. Marshall Tyler’s Night Shift looks at a bathroom attendant in a Los Angeles nightclub. Polish animator Renata Gasiorowska’s Pussy depicts a young woman’s thwarted attempts at a solo pleasure session. In Swedish filmmakers Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson’s Ten Meter Tower (in Swedish with English subtitles), people who’ve never been up a 10-meter diving tower must choose whether to jump or climb down, in an entertaining study of people in a vulnerable position. Some films contain mature content. (US 2017) Total program 95 minutes.

IN PERSON: BILL BENNETT, Director DR. FRANCESCA MCCARTNEY, Founder, Academy of Intuition Medicine DR. DEAN RADIN, Chief Scientist, Institute of Noetic Sciences

© Bill Bennett

PGS-INTUITION IS YOUR PERSONAL GUIDANCE SYSTEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 7:15 Australian director Bill Bennett will present and discuss the first US screening of his latest film. Several years ago, Bennett was driving when he heard a voice that saved his life. Shot around the world over a three-year period, this film documents Bennett’s journey to find the source of that voice. The film features interviews with some of the world’s leading experts on intuition, spanning the fields of science, religion and spirituality.

Bennett’s search for the source of that voice would not only take him to the furthermost reaches of the planet, it would also lead him to explore the innermost depths of his soul. Writer/Producer/Director: Bill Bennett. (Australia 2017) 83 min. plus discussion.

© Films du Losange / Sony Picture Classics

US PREMIERE $12 general, $9 CFI members

HAPPY END

OPENS JANUARY 12 “All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind” could be the epigram for the latest from filmmaker Michael Haneke (Amour), who returns to skewer the bourgeoisie in a sardonic drama about the wealthy and dysfunctional Laurent family.

Isabelle Huppert stars as Anne, who has taken charge of the family’s Calais estate and their powerful construction company that may soon be on the rocks. Jean-Louis Trintignant is her aging father Georges, who is suffering from incipient dementia.

Co-starring Matthieu Kassovitz and Toby Jones, this dark family portrait contrasts the Laurents with the lives of their Moroccan servants, as well as the African migrants who are crowding the streets of Calais. Rated R. In French with English subtitles and some English. Director: Michael Haneke (Austria/France 2017) 107 min.

CFI FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

© Magnolia Pictures

IN THE FADE

—6—

OPENS JANUARY 12 Diane Kruger received the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her electrifying performance in what later became Germany’s official submission for Academy Award consideration. Katja’s life in Hamburg suddenly falls apart, when her Turkish husband and their young son are killed in a bomb attack. The subsequent investigation hinges on Katja’s memory of a young German woman she noticed leaving a bicycle outside her husband’s office, shortly before the explosion occurred. Clues lead to a Neo-Nazi couple, and Katja must decide whether she can attain justice through the courts, or whether to take the law into her own hands. In German and Greek with English subtitles. Writers: Fatih Akin, Hark Bohm. Director: Fatih Akin.

(Germany 2017) 105 min.

© Magnolia Pictures

THE FINAL YEAR

OPENS JANUARY 19 This unique documentary offers a look at the inner workings of the Obama administration as they prepared to establish a legacy when leaving power after eight years.

Throughout 2016, filmmaker Greg Barker and a minimal crew filmed extensively at the White House and State Department in Washington, D.C. and the United Nations in New York, in addition to following US officials to 21 countries. The film revolves around Obama’s foreign policy team: Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Adviser and presidential confidant Ben Rhodes, as well as National Security Adviser Susan Rice and President Obama himself.

Director: Greg Barker. (US 2017) 89 min.

© Cohen Media Group

THE INSULT

OPENS JANUARY 26 Lebanon’s submission for Oscar© consideration is a taut drama, set in contemporary Beirut, concerning a personal conflict that mushrooms into a media circus. Yasser (Kamel El Basha - Best Actor, Venice Film Festival) is a Palestinian refugee working as a handyman for building code violations. When Lebanese Christian Tony (Adel Karam) lashes out and destroys his repairs, a vulgarity sparks a racially charged feud that eventually ends up in court and exacerbates the already-high tensions between the Muslim and Christian groups in Lebanon’s Arab community. Both Yasser and Tony feel overwhelmed by the escalation of what, for each, is simply a matter of honor. Rated R. In Arabic with English subtitles. Writers: Ziad Doueiri, Joëlle Touma. Director: Ziad Doueiri. (Lebanon 2017) 112 min.

© Under the Milky Way

DJANGO

OPENS IN JANUARY This musical drama about the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt focuses on a critical period in his short life. In the occupied Paris of 1943, Reinhardt is at the pinnacle of his art. This brilliant and carefree king of ethereal swing plays to standing-room-only crowds, while his Roma brethren, the gypsies, are being persecuted throughout Europe. But Django must face the music, when the Nazi propaganda machine plans to send him on tour in Germany. French actor Reda Kateb inhabits the role with breezy authority, and the many concert sequences convey the art of this guitar hero. With Cécile de France. In French with English subtitles. Music: The Rosenberg Trio, Warren Ellis. Director: Étienne Comar. (France 2017) 115 min.

CFI FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

© Deutchman Company

INDIVISIBLE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5 – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Winner of six David di Donatello Awards (The Italian “Oscar”), this dreamy fable, set in an impoverished suburb of Naples, features Angela and Marianna Fontana as Viola and Daisy, two beauties on the verge of 18, who happen to be conjoined twins supporting their family by singing at weddings and holy communions. With their beautiful voices (supported by a memorable music score), Daisy and Viola are priceless to the people exploiting them, and when a doctor confirms that they can be separated, their desire to do so clashes with their handlers’ greed. In a story that values beauty over the grotesque, the girls become exhilarating symbols of rebellion against exploitation and human trafficking. In Italian with English subtitles. Director: Edoardo De Angelis. (Italy 2016) 100 min.

—7—

LIV ULLMANN © AF Archive/Alamy

A TRIBUTE TO

There are several great actors inextricably associated with Ingmar Bergman’s art, but none has been more impactful than Liv Ullmann. Born in Tokyo of Norwegian parents, she began her theatrical career in Norway in the late 1950s and entered Ingmar Bergman’s life in 1965, when he cast her in Persona.

Ullmann and Bergman lived together for five years and had a daughter (Linn Ullmann, now a noted Norwegian novelist and journalist). Over the course of their relationship, followed by an extended friendship parallel to her years in Hollywood and on Broadway, Liv Ullmann acted in 10 of Bergman’s films, and she assumed the director’s chair herself for two screenplays he wrote after he had essentially retired from film direction. Ullmann has been a strong advocate for humanitarian causes and is also the author of two elegant memoirs, Changing and Choices.

Along with our colleagues at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (where she appears February 1 and 3), we extend a warm welcome to Liv Ullmann on her visit to the Bay Area to celebrate Bergman 100.

2018 marks the centenary of Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007), the Swedish writer and director widely recognized as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Bergman 100 is the encompassing title for numerous programs around the world, honoring his enormous contributions to film, theater and literature. At the California Film Institute, we are excited to participate with special programs and events taking place at the Smith Rafael Film Center.

Support for this series has been provided by the Consulate General of Sweden, San Francisco, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and Norway House Foundation. We also thank the Swedish Film Institute, SF Studios, Janus Films and our programming partner BAMPFA (Susan Oxtoby, Senior Film Curator).

—8—

LIV & INGMAR

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 5:00 In this recent documentary, Liv Ullmann (speaking in English) recalls her intense relationship and lasting friendship with Ingmar Bergman. Her eloquent commentary and visits to Bergman’s home on the Swedish island of Fårö are artfully interspersed with scenes from their films together. Director: Dheeraj Akolkar (Sweden 2012) 83 min.

AN EVENING WITH LIV ULLMANN

© Handout

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 7:30 Liv Ullmann will participate in an onstage interview and discussion about her work with Ingmar Bergman, illustrated with film clips from films they made together. “To work with Ingmar,” she has written, “is to go on a journey of discovery within my own self.”

Program approximately 100 minutes. $20 (CFI members $15)

SHAME

PERSONA

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 4:15 In Liv Ullmann’s first collaboration with Bergman, she plays an actress who lapses into total silence. Bibi Andersson (another great Bergman muse) is the nurse who tends to her on an isolated island.

Communication, confession and identity are at the heart of this daring, complex and magnificent film. In Swedish with English subtitles. Camera: Sven Nykvist. Writer/Director: Ingmar Bergman.

(Sweden 1966) 85 min.

HOUR OF THE WOLF

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 6:30 After the disappearance of an artist (Max von Sydow), his young wife (Liv Ullmann) recalls his sleepless nights haunted by darkness and demons of his imagination. This great (and underrated) tale of psychological horror features extraordinary surrealist imagery.

In Swedish with English subtitles. With Erland Josephson, Ingrid Thulin. Camera: Sven Nykvist. Writer/Director: Ingmar Bergman.

(Sweden 1968) 89 min.

PERSONA

© Janus Films / Sven Nykvist

© Janus Films

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2:00 Ingmar Bergman’s powerful war allegory stars Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow as a couple who ignore a distant conflict until blind destruction shatters their rural community. Ullmann considers this masterpiece to be urgently relevant. In Swedish with English subtitles. With Gunnar Björnstrand. Writer/Director: Ingmar Bergman. (Sweden 1968) 103 min.

AUTUMN SONATA

© Janus Films

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 3:00 Liv Ullmann will participate in a discussion following the screening of this beautiful chamber drama, one of the final projects for Ingrid Bergman, who plays a concert pianist who has neglected family for career. Now comes a reckoning with her daughter (Liv Ullmann), who hasn’t seen her in many years. In Swedish with English subtitles. With Lena Nyman, Erland Josephson, Gunnar Björnstrand.

Camera: Sven Nykvist. Writer/Director: Ingmar Bergman. (Sweden 1978) 93 min. plus discussion. $15 (CFI members $12)

FAITHLESS

© SF Studios

IN PERSON: LIV ULLMANN AUTUMN SONATA

FAITHLESS

35MM PRINT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 6:30 Screened in a 35mm print, this second film that Liv Ullmann directed from an Ingmar Bergman screenplay stars Erland Josephson as an isolated, elderly dramatist named Bergman, whose conscience conjures his muse (Lena Endre), an actress who relates her powerful story of adultery, jealousy and guilt. 35mm print from SF Studios and the Swedish Film Institute. Rated R. In Swedish with English subtitles. Writer: Ingmar Bergman. Director: Liv Ullmann. (Sweden 2000) 155 min.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2018

© xxxx

OPENS FEBRUARY 9 Once again the Rafael participates in the national release of short films nominated for the upcoming Academy Awards. Audiences will have the opportunity to see the nominated Live Action and Animated shorts prior to the 90th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 4, 2018. We are also one of the few venues to present select screenings of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject. While we have no indication of the nominated titles at press time, it‘s likely that several of the films will have already won awards at international film festivals. Each category will be screened in an individual program, each requiring separate admission.

IN PERSON: FILMMAKER HAYDN REISS

© Haydn Reiss

RUMI - POET OF THE HEART

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 4:15 In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, we are happy to reprise this Rafael favorite. Why is a 13th century Persian scholar and mystic named Jelaluddin Rumi the bestselling poet in America today? The poems that this Sufi mystic composed about the transformative power of love have gripped the contemporary imagination. This film presents Coleman Barks, the most celebrated contemporary translator of Rumi’s poetry, in live performance and intimate conversation. Joining him to celebrate the earthy, joyous, spiritual passion of Rumi’s poetry are Robert Bly, Deepak Chopra, Michael Meade, Huston Smith and others. Narrator: Debra Winger. Music: Hamza El Din, Jai Uttal.

Director: Haydn Reiss. (US, 1998) 60 min. plus discussion.

VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL | NEWLY RESTORED!

© Sony Pictures Releasing

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 7:00 & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 4:15 Released in the US as Stairway to Heaven and presented in a major new restoration, this classic romance from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger stars David Niven as a British pilot who crashes into the Channel, only to survive and fall in love with American soldier Kim Hunter. An emissary from Heaven has missed his scheduled soul pickup, and ultimately the pilot stands trial to defend remaining on Earth with his new love. Produced at the end of World War II to promote Anglo-American goodwill, this charming fantasy was brilliantly photographed by Jack Cardiff, with eye-popping Technicolor for Earth and black-and-white in Heaven. With Roger Livesey, Marius Goring, Raymond Massey, Robert Coote, Richard Attenborough. Writers/Producers/Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. (UK 1946) 104 min.

© Sony Pictures Classics

A FANTASTIC WOMAN

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OPENS FEBRUARY 16 In Chile’s choice for Oscar© consideration, the title character is Marina (Daniela Vega), a young waitress and aspiring singer in love with older, successful businessman Orlando (Francisco Reyes). One night Marina takes him to the hospital in a medical emergency, but is dismissed by doctors and Orlando’s family, solely because she is a trans-woman. This critically lauded film by Sebastián Lelio (Gloria) boasts an extraordinary performance by Vega, who is a transgender performer herself. She inhabits what A.O. Scott in The New York Times praised as “at once a straightforward story of self-assertion and defiance and a complex study of the nuances of identity.” Writers: Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo Maza. Director: Sebastián Lelio. Rated R. In Spanish with English subtitles. (Chile 2017) 104 min.

THE ROYAL OPERA

© Anna Matveeva / Sony Pictures Classics

© Trafalgar Releasing

RIGOLETTO

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, NOON The corruption of innocence is at the heart of Giuseppe Verdi’s potent masterpiece in director David McVicar’s production for The Royal Opera. Dimitri Platanias sings the title role, court jester to the libertine Duke of Mantua (Michael Fabiano). The father of one of the Duke’s victims curses the clown for his irreverent laughter and, when the Duke seduces Rigoletto’s own daughter Gilda (Lucy Crowe), the hunchbacked jester believes the curse is taking effect. Conducted by Alexander Joel, this popular opera is filled with many musical highlights. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. Anticipated running time is 165 minutes, including one intermission. $15 general, $13 seniors/youth, $10 CFI members

LOVELESS

OPENS MARCH 2 This powerful drama from filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev (Oscar© nominee and Golden Globe winner Leviathan) is Russia’s official submission for Academy Award© consideration and focuses on the dissolution of a marriage and, more important, a family unit. Zhenya and Boris are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Already embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, they are impatient to start again, to turn the page. However, neither parent wants to take custody of their 12-year-old son Alyosha. When the distraught child goes missing, both parents are forced by the police to aid in their work, in an emotionally devastating story. Rated R. In Russian with English subtitles. Writer/Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev. (Russia 2017) 127 min.

© Magnolia Pictures

LEANING INTO THE WIND

OPENS MARCH 9 One of the Rafael’s all-time hits was Rivers and Tides, the extraordinary collaboration between filmmaker Thomas Riedelsheimer and environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. 16 years later, the artists have reunited for another beautiful film, as Riedelsheimer follows Goldsworthy on his exploration of the world and himself through ephemeral and permanent works on the landscape and in cities. As the artist examines the impact of the years on himself and his art, he introduces his own body into the work, which becomes more fragile and personal, and at the same time sterner and tougher. This exquisite film illuminates Goldsworthy’s mind as it reveals his art. Music: Fred Frith. Camera/Editor/Director: Thomas Riedelsheimer.

(Germany 2017) 93 min.

© Film Movement

OH LUCY!

OPENS MARCH 16 Setsuko (Shinobu Terajima) is a middle-aged “office lady” in Tokyo whose ennui is upended when she inherits a spot in an unconventional English class. Her teacher John (Josh Hartnett) speaks no Japanese but employs hugging and role-playing, placing a blonde wig on her and renaming her “Lucy.” Strangely liberated by this (and obviously attracted to teacher), Setsuko/Lucy is shattered when she discovers that John has abruptly returned to Los Angeles. Embracing American spontaneity over Japanese formality, she flies to L.A. to find him. This first feature by Atsuko Hirayanagi (an expansion of her celebrated short film) is darkly comic, poignant and ultimately very moving. Executive Producers: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay. Writer/ Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi. (Japan/US 2017)

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THE ROYAL OPERA

© Trafalgar Releasing

TOSCA

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, NOON Giacomo Puccini’s musical thriller is one of the most performed of all operas, and Jonathan Kent’s production captures the dangerous political turbulence of Rome in 1800.

Chief of Police Scarpia (Gerald Finley), one of the most malevolent villains in opera, ruthlessly pursues enemies of the state, and his dark, demonic music contrasts vividly with the expansive melodies of the idealistic lovers, Tosca (Adrianne Pieczonka) and Cavaradossi (Joseph Calleja), who express their passion in sublime arias. Conducted

by Dan Ettinger. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. Anticipated running time is 180 minutes, including two intermissions. $15 general, $13 seniors/youth, $10 CFI members

IN PERSON: FILMMAKER TAL SKLOOT & FILM SUBJECT BOB COOMBER

© Tritone Films

4 WHEEL BOB

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 4:15 Bay Area filmmaker Tal Skloot will present his film portrait of Bob Coomber, who will join him for discussion following the film. 4 Wheel Bob follows Coomber, an intrepid adventurer who sets out to be the first wheelchair hiker to cross the 11,845-foot Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada. Bob grew up in Piedmont in a family of avid backpackers and, while hiking in his early 20s, shattered his leg in a struggle related to juvenile diabetes and subsequent osteoporosis. After a period of depression, Bob adopted a philosophy of “no excuses” and, confined to his wheelchair, took increasingly strenuous hikes, using only his arms to get around. And, as you will see, the Kearsarge Pass can be a dangerous climb. Producer/Director: Tal Skloot. (US 2017) 72 min. plus discussion.

© Sony Pictures Classics

FOXTROT

OPENS MARCH 23 Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and Israel’s official submission for Oscar© consideration, this devastating drama begins when Michael (Lior Ashkenazi) and Dafna (Sarah Adler) open the door of their home to army officials who announce the death of their son Jonathan (Yonatan Shiray), “fallen in the line of duty.” While his sedated wife rests, Michael spirals into a whirlwind of anger, only to experience one of life’s unfathomable twists, rivaling the surreal military experiences of his son at the remote military checkpoint nicknamed “Foxtrot.” Filmmaker Samuel Maoz (Lebanon) meticulously explores how historical trauma can echo across generations. Rated R. In Hebrew with English subtitles. Writer/Director: Samuel Maoz. (Israel 2017) 108 min.

THE ROYAL BALLET

© Trafalgar Releasing

THE WINTER’S TALE

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SUNDAY, MARCH 25, NOON Shakespeare’s tale of love and loss becomes compelling dance drama in choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet adaptation, with music by Joby Talbot and powerful designs by Bob Crowley. Wheeldon created his ballet version in 2014, which has been acclaimed for its intelligent, distinctive and emotional story, told through exquisite dance. A marriage disintegrates through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child and a seemingly hopeless love. And yet, through remorse and regret, and after a seemingly miraculous return to life, the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. Anticipated running time is 180 minutes, including two intermissions. $15 general, $13 seniors/youth, $10 CFI members

© Music Box Films

BACK TO BURGUNDY

OPENS IN MARCH French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch explores relationships on a family vineyard in his fresh and tasty new drama. Thirty-something Jean (Pio Marmai) returns after a 10year absence when notified that his father (Eric Caravaca) has fallen ill. Reuniting with younger sister Juliette (Ana Girardot) and brother Jeremie (François Civil), he joins in on the harvest while they debate whether to sell the property, break it up or keep it in the family. Over four seasons and two harvests, they debate and bond, while we experience the beautiful landscape in its transformations and follow the process of creating fine wine. Also starring actual winemaker and technical adviser Jean-Marc Roulot. In French with English subtitles. Writers: Cédric Klapisch, Santiago Amigorena, Jean-Marc Roulot. Director: Cédric Klapisch.

CFI FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

© Zeitgeist Films

BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY

OPENS IN MARCH Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr was considered one of the world’s most beautiful women.

Born in Austria, and invited to Los Angeles after her notorious nude scenes in the 1933 film Ecstasy, she would soon play opposite the biggest stars of the day. However, her looks and glamour stood in the way of being recognized as an ingenious inventor who helped revolutionize modern communications. During World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a system that is now used as the basis for secure WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. But nobody knew this at the time. Combining newly discovered interviews with reflections from family, friends and fans (including Robert Osborne and Mel Brooks), this documentary brings her accomplishments to light. Writer/Director: Alexandra Dean. (US 2017) 89 min.

US THEATRICAL PREMIERE

© Aquí y Allí Films

LIFE AND NOTHING MORE

COMING SOON In his remarkable second feature, Spanish-born filmmaker Antonio Méndez Esparza follows-up his debut drama Aquí y allá with another sensitive portrait of a struggling family. Stressed by her job in a diner, single mother Regina (Regina Williams) is raising her two children in northern Florida. When her 14-year-old son Andrew (Andrew Bleechinton) has another brush with the law, she worries he’ll wind up in prison like his father. Méndez Esparza employs documentary-style realism in this snapshot of race, class and the bonds of family in contemporary America. Nominated for two Film Independent Spirit Awards, the film is hailed by critic Jonathan Romney as “a powerfully executed, richly human study of the challenges facing a black working-class family.” Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza . (US 2017) 114 min

NATIONAL SCIENCE ON SCREEN® EVENING

TUESDAY, MARCH 27 The National Evening of Science on Screen® is Tuesday, March 27, and that date will inaugurate our 2018 season for this dynamic series. Science on Screen events match the art of film with professionals in scientific fields who address topics that affect our everyday lives. Check rafaelfilm.org for details on this and subsequent programs in the series.

Science on Screen is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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THE ACT OF INSPIRING, ENGAGING, AND TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH THE ART OF FILM

We thank this vital group of supporters who believe in the power of film to entertain and enrich lives.

Your continued support is essential to ensuring that independent cinema continues to thrive in our community.

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