Tsai Ming-liang's Stray Dogs
Exciting news to start off today! Rush tickets will be available available to tonight's Official Selection screenings of Jealousy and Stray Dogs in Alice Tully Hall. Jealousy is a sharp, vigorous film, shot in glorious black and white by the great Willy Kurant (Masculine Feminine). Directed by Phillippe Garrel and starring his son Louis, the film patiently follows the professional and emotional cross-currents between two romantically entwined theater actors. Garrel takes a fresh look at his oft-visited subject of the unadorned beauty of faces, figures and light. He also revisits the deeply personal themes of loss, mourning, and rejuvenation through love.
Tsai Ming-liang's Stray Dogs tells the heart-wrenching story of a father trying to support his family on a meager wage made waving advertising signs by the highway. As their father comes apart, the children find comfort from a kind woman in their building. Minimal in its narrative content and syntax, as visually powerful as it is emotionally overwhelming, Stray Dogs is bracingly pure in both its anger and its compassion. Today’s rush ticket opportunity is even more welcome as later screenings to both these films are currently standby only.
Today in our Applied Science section, we have the documentary Tim’s Vermeer. Tim Jenison, one of the giants of video and post-production software, takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of whether 17th century painter Vermeer ever made use of a camera obscura. Directed by Teller and narrated by Penn (the famed comedy/magic duo), the film is a bouncy, entertaining, real-life detective story.
The Square is more than your average documentary. Director Jehane Noujaim and her crew spent 20 months shooting in Tahrir Square during the popular uprising against Hosni Mubarak, whose overthrow resulted in the inauguration of Arab Spring. When recent events in Egypt began to unfold, she returned to shoot more footage and update the film following its Sundance premiere. It’s truly cinema catching up with history-in-the-making. Director Jehane Noujaim will be on hand for a Q&A at the sole screening of this Official Selection film.
Today also brings an amazing free event: our NYFF Live discussion about Story Creation and the Artistic Process. This special Filmmaker in Residence panel includes director Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, Red Road, Wuthering Heights), writer Henry Bean (The Believer), writer Naomi Foner (Running on Empty), and writer Larry Gross (We Don’t Live Here Anymore). It will be an opportunity to discuss the storytelling process with some of the strongest innovators working today.
Travis Wilkerson's Los Angeles Red Squad
Looking for something a little different? Why not check out one of today’s many Views from the Avante-Garde programs! This series of experimental films offers a unique cinematic perspective. Starting off the day at 3:00pm is Program 15: Voices perish (coloring the darkening glow), featuring beautiful, short (but not always sweet) pieces of artful filmmaking. Program 1: Stephanie Barber’s Daredevils follows at 6:00pm and is a World Premiere! It presents an experimental portrait of a writer as she interviews a well-known artist and feels the reverberations of their discussion throughout her day.
At 7:00pm, Program 2: Travis Wilkerson – Los Angeles Red Squad offers a controlled chaos of words and film in black and white harmony that you have to see to comprehend. It screens today with Redemption, a stunning new work from Miguel Gomes (Tabu). From there we go to the end of the world in Program 3: Lois Patiño – Costa da Morte, screening at 9:00pm. Costa da Morte is a region in Galicia, Spain that was considered to be the end of the world during the Roman period. The region draws its dramatic name from the numerous shipwrecks that happened right along the coast. Finishing the day strong is a very a special digital restoration from the Israeli Film Archives in Program 4: Chris Marker – Description of a Struggle.
Finally, five days of free Views from the Avant-Garde programs in the Film Center Amphitheater kick off at 6:30pm, featuring work from Patricia Thornely, Jim Finn, Leslie Thornton, John Price, Lois Patiño, Ernie Gehr, Aura Satz, Stom Sogo, and many more!
Thursday, October 3
6:00pm Jealousy (Offical Selection, ATH) RUSH AVAILABLE
6:00pm Tim's Vermeer (Applied Science, WRT) STANDBY ONLY
8:30pm The Square (Official Selection, WRT) STANDBY ONLY
8:30pm Stray Dogs (Official Selection, ATH) RUSH AVAILABLE
All Day Views from the Avant-Garde (Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center)
