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SPRING 2003

Ride Lonesome: Budd Boetticher's Westerns of "Ranown"
Saturdays (see below for dates)
Born in Chicago and raised in Evansville, Indiana, director Budd Boetticher (pronounced Bet-ick-her) became a matador in Mexico before directing a series of revolutionary Westerns in the late 1950s. Starring Randolph Scott, the films of the so-called "Ranown cycle" were thematically indebted to Boetticher's fascination with the codes of bullfighting: overt machismo, ritualized combat, and a fusion of brutality and grace. Our series pays tribute to this Hollywood auteur who greatly influenced the post-classical Westerns of Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood.

A Matter of Taste: Contemporary French Cinema
Fridays (see below for dates)
From directors both new and veteran to French filmmaking come five critically celebrated and commercially acclaimed features that explore themes of sex, destiny, and everything in between. This program was made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture (CNC).

Within our Gates: African American Cinema from Silent to Sound
Thursday, April 10 - Sunday, April 13
Before their acceptance by Hollywood, African American filmmakers and actors worked independently, producing a remarkable output of films that ranged from religious dramas to musicals. In conjunction with the UW Center for the Humanities' Du Bois Bienniel (April 7-13), we celebrate the rarely seen cinematic achievements of Paul Robeson, Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams Jr., Lena Horne, and Josephine Baker. Film scholar Christopher Sieving will introduce the films. For more information about the Bienniel, visit http://www.humanities.wisc.edu/programs.

Madison Film Forum Presents
Fridays (see listings for dates)
Founded in 1995, the Madison Film Forum continues its mission to bring to the Cinematheque films which would otherwise never reach Madison screens. This semester, the MFF presents three award-winning pieces from contemporary world cinema. Special thanks to the UW-Madison's ASM for financial support.

Russian Ark  ·   Friday, January 24 · 7:30 p.m.
ABC Africa  ·  Friday, March 14  ·  7:30 p.m.
Grin Without a Cat   ·  Friday, May 2  ·  7:30 p.m.

NYC: New York Celluloid
 
Friday, February 14
"New York: Capital of Photography," an exhibition on view at the Madison Art Center through February 16, includes photographs by, among many others, Lewis Hine, William Klein, and Diane Arbus. To complement the works by the artists who sought to capture their vision on New York on celluloid, we present a special evening of films about the Big Apple. We begin with New York, Just Like I Pictured It, a touring package of shorts which includes Helen Levitt's In the Street and two versions of Shirley Clarke's Bridges-Go-Round. The evening concludes with the independently-produced and Oscar-nominated feature, Little Fugitive.

New York, Just Like I Pictured It (touring program)  ·  Friday, February 14  ·   7:30 p.m.

Bridges-Go-Round
In the Street
Vanilla Egg Cream
Go Go Go
Some Exterior Presence
1933
Skyscraper

Little Fugitive  ·  Friday, February 14  ·   9:00 p.m.

11th Annual Asian American Film Festival
Friday, February 28 - Sunday, March 2
A favorite Cinematheque tradition, the Asian American Film Festival showcases the most recent and most challenging film and video works from across the United States and Canada. This year's festival focuses on both political films and animated shorts, and will be enhanced by visits from Anita Chang and Grace Poore.

Director's Spotlight: Anita Chang in Person!  ·   Friday, February 28  ·  7:30 p.m.
Interactive Discussion with Grace Poore!   ·   Saturday, March 1   · 4:30 p.m.
Director's Spotlight: Grace Poore in Person!  ·  Saturday, March 1  ·  7:30 p.m.
Shadow Circus: The CIA in Tibet  ·  Sunday, March 1  ·  7:30 p.m.
Animated Shorts Showcase  · Sunday, March 2  ·  8:30 p.m.
Political Shorts Showcase  · Sunday, March 2  ·  9:30 p.m

Films from the Island: Retrospective of Taiwanese Cinema
Thursday, March 6 - Saturday, March 8
Thanks to a generous donation from the Information Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research recently acquired dozens of Taiwanese films. Encouraged by the success of last year's Taiwanese film festival, we have chosen several titles from the new collection for this extraordinary weekend event.

Run Away (Ce ma ru lin)  ·  Thursday, March 6  · 3:30 p.m.
Ah Fei (You ma tsai zai)  · Friday, March 7  ·  7:30 p.m.
Reunion   ·  Friday, March 7  ·  9:30 p.m.
Eat Drink Man Woman (Yin shi nan nu)  ·  Saturday, March 8  ·  7:30 p.m.
The Matrimony ·  Saturday, March 8  ·  7:30 p.m.

Wisconsin Film Festival
Thursday, March 27 - Sunday, March 30
The Wisconsin Film Festival is Wisconsin's premier independent film event and only major film festival. Tickets go on sale at the end of February. For more information, see www.wifilmfest.org or (877) 963-FILM.


Independent Film and Video Collaborative Showcases
Friday, May 9 - Saturday, May 10
The Independent Film and Video Collaborative is devoted to the exhibition of amateur work, and the IFVC Film and Video Open Shows are an excellent way to see some of the work being produced by members of the Madison video- and filmmaking community. Check out new works by the future Martin Scorseses and Steven Soderberghs.

IFVC Open Video Show  ·  Friday, May 9
IFVC Open Film Show  ·  Saturday, May 10


Indian Melodrama Film Series
February 8 - March 1, 2003

The series is sponsored by: Consulate General of India, Chicago, Directorate of Film Festivals, XP Division, MEA, New Delhi. (for details see the full description listing using the side menu)

Devdas  ·  Saturday, February 8  ·  2:00 pm
Mother India (Bharat Mata)  ·   Thursday, February 13  ·  7:00 pm
Sholay  ·  Saturday, February 15  ·   2:00 pm
Guide   ·  Saturday, February 22  ·   2:00 pm
36 Chowringhee Lane  ·   Saturday, March 1  ·   2:00 pm


Special Events
Sunday  ·  Sunday, April 27th  ·  7:30 p.m.
Lady Windermere's Fan  ·  Friday, May 3  ·  7:30 p.m.

Ride Lonesome: Budd Boetticher's Westerns of "Ranown"
Saturdays (see below for dates)
Born in Chicago and raised in Evansville, Indiana, director Budd Boetticher (pronounced Bet-ick-her) became a matador in Mexico before directing a series of revolutionary Westerns in the late 1950s. Starring Randolph Scott, the films of the so-called "Ranown cycle" were thematically indebted to Boetticher's fascination with the codes of bullfighting: overt machismo, ritualized combat, and a fusion of brutality and grace. Our series pays tribute to this Hollywood auteur who greatly influenced the post-classical Westerns of Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood.


Seven Men from NowSeven Men From Now
Saturday, January 25, 7:30 p.m.

USA,  1956,  35mm,  77 min.
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Produced by Andrew V. McLaglen, Robert Morrison
Written by Burt Kennedy
With Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin

Haunted by the loss of his wife in a Wells Fargo robbery, an ex-sheriff treks through the West to hunt down seven guilty men. French critic André Bazin praised the film as "one of the most intelligent westerns I know but also the least intellectual." Considered lost for many years, this first of Boetticher's Westerns with Randolph Scott was recently restored by UCLA's film archive.
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The Tall T image

The Tall T
Saturday, February 1, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1957, 35mm, 78 min.
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Produced by Harry Joe Brown
Written by Burt Kennedy
With Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan

"Taut! Torrid! Tremendous! T Is for Terror!" Such was the tagline for the "grittiest and grimmest" of the Randolph Scott Westerns. The Tall T was based on an Elmore Leonard novel and portrays a former ranch foreman and newlyweds held hostage by a ruthless bandit and his henchmen.
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Decision at SundownDecision at Sundown image
Saturday, February 8, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1957, 35mm, 77 min.
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Produced by Harry Joe Brown
Written by Vernon Fluharty, Charles Lang
With Randolph Scott, John Carroll, Karen Steele

A righteous gunman, a local tough guy, and soul-searching townspeople are the ingredients of this classic "psychological Western". As sundown approaches and a final shoot-out seems inevitable, parallels are drawn between a hero and villain who each feel partly responsible for one woman's suicide.
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Buchanan Rides Alone Buchanan Rides Alone image
Saturday, February 15, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1958, 35mm, 78 min.
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Produced by Harry Joe Brown
Written by Burt Kennedy, Charles Lang
With Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, Barry Kelley

On his ride home through Texas, with $2000 in blood money in hand, Tom Buchanan is sidetracked by a family feud in the California border town of Argy. Plot twists abound in a script which was, according to the director, entirely ad-libbed.
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Ride Lonesome
Saturday, February 22, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1959, 35mm, 73 min.
Directed and produced by Budd Boetticher
Written by Burt Kennedy
With Randolph Scott, Karen Steele

A taciturn bounty hunter takes a young desperado hostage in order to find his murderous older brother. A superior and nearly ironic B-Western, Ride Lonesome features breathtaking widescreen cinematography, as well as a strong screen debut from James Coburn.
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Comanche StationComanche Station image
Saturday, April 5, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1960, 35mm, 74 min.
Directed and produced by Budd Boetticher
Written by Burt Kennedy
With Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Aikins, Skip Homeier

The last of the Budd Boetticher - Randolph Scott collaborations is a masterful portrait of Jefferson Cody, a "lone rider" who must rescue a woman from Comanche captors and return her to her husband. Shot in stunning CinemaScope, the film draws motives from Boetticher's earlier Westerns that we have seen in this Cinematheque series.
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The Bullfighter and the LadyThe Bullfighter and the Lady image
Saturday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1951, 35mm, 124 min.
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Produced by John Wayne
Written by Budd Boetticher, James Edward Grant, Ray Nazarro
With Robert Stack, Joy Page, Gilbert Roland

Partly based on the director's own experiences as a professional matador, Bullfighter stars Robert Stack as an American who falls in love with a Mexican beauty and takes up bullfighting to impress her. The film was shot in Mexico and received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing.
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A Matter of Taste: Contemporary French Cinema
Fridays (see below for dates)
From directors both new and veteran to French filmmaking come five critically celebrated and commercially acclaimed features that explore themes of sex, destiny, and everything in between. This program was made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture (CNC).
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Trouble Every DayTrouble Every Day pic
Friday, January 31, 7:30 p.m.

France/Germany/Japan, 2001, 35mm, 102 min.
Directed by Claire Denis
Produced by Georges Benayoun, Philippe Liégeois, Jean-Michel Rey
Written by Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau
With Vincent Gallo, Tricia Vessey

On their honeymoon in Paris, newlywed Americans find more than they bargained for from the City of Love. A radical departure from the director's previous film, Beau Travail, this exploration of desire, lust, and cannibalism almost delves into the realm of B-movie horror. Warning: Gory sex scenes, frequent nudity.
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Girls Can't Swim (Les Filles ne savent pas nager)Girls Can't Swim image
Friday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.

France, 1999, 35mm, 101 min.
Directed by Anne-Sophie Birot
Produced by Philippe Jacquier
Written by Anne-Sophie Birot, Christophe Honoré
With Isild Le Besco, Karen Alyx

Gwen and Lise are two teenagers and best friends whose relationship changes during one rocky summer. An unsentimental coming-of-age story, director Birot's debut was enthusiastically received at the 2000 Montréal World Film Festival.
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Code Unknown (Code innocu)
Friday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.

France/Germany/Romania, 2000, 35mm, 117 min.
Written and directed by Michael Haneke
Produced by Marin Karmitz, Alain Sarde
With Juliette Binoche, Thierry Neuvic, Ona Lu Yenk

A seemingly inconsequential event on a busy Parisian street alters the lives of six tenuously-connected characters. Director Haneke, whose most recent film is The Piano Teacher, draws excellent performances from a cast which includes Juliette Binoche. Winner of an Ecumenical Jury Prize at Cannes.
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Sentimental Destinies (Les Destinées sentimentales)Sentimental Destinies image
Friday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.

France/Switzerland, 2000, 35mm, 180 min.
Directed by Olivier Assayas
Produced by Bruno Pésery
Written by Jacques Fieschi, Olivier Assayas
Based on novel by Jacques Chardonne
With Emmanuelle Béart, Charles Berling, Isabelle Huppert

From the director of the celebrated Irma Vep comes this ambitious film about a Protestant minister torn between public responsibilities and private needs. With outstanding performances and gorgeous cinematography, the film was nominated for four César Awards and a Palme d'Or.
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In Praise of Love ( Éloge de l'amour)
Friday, April 25, 7:30 p.m.

France/Switzerland, 2001, 35mm, 97min.
Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard
With Bruno Putzulu, Cécile Camp

Always provocative, cinematic iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard presents an exhilarating film about history, memory, and a casting agent looking for a leading actress. Color digital video and 35mm black-and-white film render a story in fragmentary bits and flashbacks. Nominated for a Palme d'Or at Cannes.
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Within our Gates: African American Cinema from Silent to Sound
Thursday, April 10 - Sunday, April 13
Before their acceptance by Hollywood, African American filmmakers and actors worked independently, producing a remarkable output of films that ranged from religious dramas to musicals. In conjunction with the UW Center for the Humanities' Du Bois Bienniel (April 7-13), we celebrate the rarely seen cinematic achievements of Paul Robeson, Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams Jr., Lena Horne, and Josephine Baker. Film scholar Christopher Sieving will introduce the films. For more information about the Bienniel, visit http://www.humanities.wisc.edu/programs.
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Body and Soul
Thursday, April 10, 3:30 p.m.

USA, 1925, 16mm, 102 min.
Written, directed, and produced by Oscar Micheaux
With Paul Robeson, Mercedes Gilbert

In Paul Robeson's screen debut, a seemingly righteous reverend has something to hide: he's really a con-artist hiding out from the law. With live piano accompaniment. A talk by film scholar Christopher Sieving will precede this screening.
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Symbol of the Unconquered
Friday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1920, 35mm, 60 min.
Written, directed, and produced by Oscar Micheaux
With Iris Hall, Walker Thompson, Lawrence Chenault, Mattie Wilkes.

Advertised to its target African American audience with statements such as "come see the annihilation of the Ku Klux Klan," Symbol is one of the few race films that deals overtly with racism. Recently restored by Turner Classic Movies, this print is on special loan from the Museum of Modern Art. With live piano accompaniment.
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Within Our Gates
Friday, April 11, 8:45 p.m.

USA, 1920, 35mm, 79 min.
Written, directed, and produced by Oscar Micheau
With Evelyn Preer, Flo Clements, James D. Ruffin, Jack Chenault

This response to D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation tells the story of a teacher unjustly accused of murder. Unsparing in graphic content, the film was withdrawn from circulation almost immediately after its release. With live piano accompaniment.
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The Emperor JonesEmperor Jones image
Saturday, April 12, 7:30 p.m.

USA, 1933, 35mm, 72 min.
Directed by Dudley Murphy
Produced by Gifford Cochran, John Krimsky, William C. de Mille
Written by DuBose Heyward
Based on play by Eugene O'Neill
With Paul Robeson, Dudley Digges, Frank H. Wilson, Fredi Washington, Ruby Elzy

This loose adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's play follows the extraordinary life of an innocent railroad porter who is sent to prison, escapes to Haiti, and becomes a feared emperor- only to fail as a victim of his own arrogance. Recently restored print courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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Zou Zou
Saturday, April 12, 9:00 p.m.

France, 1934, 35mm, 92 min.
Directed by Marc Allégret
Produced by Arys Nissotti
Written by G. Abatino, Carlo Rim
With Josephine Baker, Jean Gabin

The flamboyant entertainer "La Baker" plays a Creole laundress in love with Jean Gabin, a music hall electrician. As one critic put it, "La Baker's costumes reveal virtually everything but what she's eaten for breakfast, and her dancing is just a step away from obscenely erotic."
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The Blood of Jesus
Sunday, April 13, 2:00 p.m.

USA, 1941, 16mm, 57 min.
Written, directed, and produced by Spencer Williams
With Cathryn Caviness, Spencer Williams

Against a soundtrack of ethereal gospel music and down-and-dirty blues, a sinful husband accidentally kills his newly baptized wife. Her soul is sent to the Crossroads of Life, where she is destined for either heaven or hell-but which will it be?
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Stormy Weather
Sunday, April 13, 3:00 p.m.

USA, 1943, 35mm
Directed by Andrew L. Stone
Produced by William LeBaron
Written by Frederick Jackson, Ted Koehler
Story by Jerry Horwin, Seymour B. Robinson
With Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway

With a spotlight on Lena Horne, fourteen outstanding musical numbers showcase the talents of the era's greatest African American jazz artists. Watch for uncredited appearances by such jazz greats as Coleman Hawkins and Taps Miller.
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Madison Film Forum Presents
Fridays (see listings for dates)
Founded in 1995, the Madison Film Forum continues its mission to bring to the Cinematheque films which would otherwise never reach Madison screens. This semester, the MFF presents three award-winning pieces from contemporary world cinema. Special thanks to the UW-Madison's ASM for financial support.
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Russian Ark (Russkij kovcheg)Russian Ark
Friday, January 24 · 7:30 pm

Russia/Germany,  2002,  35mm,  96 min.
Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov
Produced by Andrei Deryabin, Jens Meuer, Karsten Stöter
Written by Boris Khaimsky, Anatoli Nikiforov, Svetlana Proskurina, Aleksandr Sokurov

Nominated for a prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes, Aleksandr Sokurov's masterpiece finds a 19th century French diplomat travelling through a museum and encountering historical figures from Russia's past. With beautifully choreographed camerawork, the film consists of a single, uninterrupted shot.
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ABC Africa
Friday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.

Iran, 2001, 35mm, 85 min.
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
Produced by Marin Karmitz, Abbas Kiarostami
With Abbas Kiarostami and Seyfolah Samadian

Renowned Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami (A Taste of Cherry) traveled to Africa and recorded the work of the volunteers of Uganda Women's Effort to Save Orphans. The tragic experiences of children whose parents have died of AIDS contrasts with a sense of optimism about their future.
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Grin Without a Cat (Le Fond de l'air est rouge)
Friday, May 2, 7:30 p.m.

France, 2002, 35mm, 180 min.
Written, directed, and edited by Chris Marker
Music by Luciano Berio
With voices of Jim Broadbent, Cyril Cusack

Originally released in 1977, Chris Marker's exquisite documentary about the rise and fall of the New Left was reedited after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Marker's stunning assemblage of period footage earned him a César Award nomination for editing.
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NYC: New York Celluloid
 Friday, February 14
"New York: Capital of Photography," an exhibition on view at the Madison Art Center through February 16, includes photographs by, among many others, Lewis Hine, William Klein, and Diane Arbus. To complement the works by the artists who sought to capture their vision on New York on celluloid, we present a special evening of films about the Big Apple. We begin with New York, Just Like I Pictured It, a touring package of shorts which includes Helen Levitt's In the Street and two versions of Shirley Clarke's Bridges-Go-Round. The evening concludes with the independently-produced and Oscar-nominated feature, Little Fugitive.
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NYC, Just Like I Pictured It
Friday, February 14, 7:30 p.m.

This special touring program from the MadCat Women's International Film Festival includes:
Bridges-Go-Round USA, 1958, 16mm, 16 min. Directed by Shirley Clarke Jazz score by Teo Marceo
In the Street USA, 1952, 16mm, 16 min. Directed by Helen Levitt
Vanilla Egg Cream USA, 1999, 16mm, 7 min. Directed by Johanna Hibbard
Go Go Go USA, 1962-64, 16mm, 12 min. Directed by Marie Menken
Some Exterior Presence USA, 1977, 16mm, 8 min. Directed by Abigail Child
1933 USA, 1967, 16mm, 4 min. Directed by Joyce Wieland
Skyscraper USA, 1959, 16mm, 20 min. Directed by Shirley Clarke
Bridges-Go-Round USA, 1958, 16mm, 16 min. Directed by Shirley Clarke Electronic score by BeBe Barron
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Little Fugitive
Friday, February 14, 9:00 p.m.

USA, 1953, 35mm, 80 min.
Written and directed by Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin
Produced by Morris Engel, Ray Ashley
Cinematography: Morris Engel
With Richie Andrusco

Adorable Richie Andrusco stars as Joey, a seven-year-old boy who runs away to the fantasy world of Coney Island. An enthralling look at the landscape of New York through the wondering but bewildered eyes of a child, this independent low-budget piece garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay and a Silver Lion award at the 1953 Venice Film Festival.
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11th Annual Asian American Film Festival
Friday, February 28 - Sunday, March 2
The Asian American Studies Program and the UW Cinematheque team up to showcase politically motivated films and videos to campus for the 11th Annual Asian American Film Festival, Friday February 28 - Sunday, March 2. This year's Festival emphasizes the works of Anita Chang and Grace Poore, two artists who use the moving image as a tool for political activism. Born in the US to Taiwanese parents, Chang received an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University, and has since pursued her artistic career in New York City and San Francisco. Poore is a South Asian of dual Tamil heritage, born and raised in Malaysia, and has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years. While both Chang and Poore infuse their works with their personal experiences, they remain committed to telling their stories by fully engaging the form of the medium in which they work.

In addition to the works by Chang and Poore, the Festival also presents Shadow Circus, a revealing documentary about the CIA's financing of Tibetan rebels during the 1960s. The Festival concludes with two programs: Animated Shorts Showcase, which includes claymation by the hip, young Hawaii filmmaker, Aaron Yamasoto; and Political Shorts Showcase, featuring the satirical Death Threat by Canadian Zarqa Nawaz.

All events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Screenings take place in 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue. No food or drink is permitted in the theater. For more information, call (608) 262-3627, email kaspring@wisc.edu or skim23@wisc.edu, or visit http://cinema.wisc.edu.

PLEASE NOTE: The screening of Amazonia which appeared on the Cinematheque Spring 2003 poster has been cancelled.


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Director's Spotlight: Anita Chang in Person!
Friday, February 28, 7:30 p.m.

San Francisco-based filmmaker and videographer Anita W. Chang was born in the U.S. to Taiwanese parents who immigrated in the 1960s. After receiving an MFA in cinema from San Francisco State University, she worked as a youth counselor and civil rights investigator/activist in New York City. Her films and videos are both politically motivated and aesthetically innovative. In her experiments with the formal features of the moving image, Chang asks the audience to bring a new kind of interpretation to the moving image. Chang currently guest lectures, curates and writes on film, and teaches video and film production, as well as courses on alternative documentary and experimental filmmaking.

A discussion session with the filmmaker will follow these screenings.

She Wants to Talk to You
Nepal/US, 2001, BetaSP, 29 min.
Three 13-year-old Nepali girls bravely take the unique opportunity to share with the filmmaker their ideas on marriage, friendship. love, loneliness, their dreams, and God. Their insights provide a complex and poignant framework for three Nepali women living in the U.S. to reflect on their own struggle, exile, and quest for liberation. She Wants to Talk to You is a result of Chang's observations while living in Katmandu, as well as her research with UNICEF experts and academics in the field of women's roles in developing nations.

An elegy to our small selves
US, 2002,16mm, 10 min.
By using a variety of media -- Super 8mm, 16mm, and video -- Chang attempts to re-forge the links between humans and animals. The beautifully juxtaposed images remind us of the fragility of beauty, nature, and humanity.

Mommy, What's Wrong?
US, 1997, 16mm, 14 min.
"A young woman's relationship to her mother and sense of personal history is revealed in an evocative docu-memoir composition of home movie footage, recordings and the subconscious thread of a recurring dream. Thoughts of immigration, motherhood, daughterhood and spirituality culminate in a cathartic relay of strength between mother and daughter. This strong emotional undertow conjures a desire to look deeper into the artifact, evidence and testimony of memory." (NAATA)


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Interactive Discussion with Grace Poore
Saturday, March 1, 4:30 p.m.
Video producer, writer and director Grace Poore has firsthand knowledge of what it is like to grow up in a violent home. It is this personal experience that drives the focus of her documentaries and the passion for her work as an activist who produces and uses videos to advocate for an end to violence against women and girls. Her award-wining videos blur the line between those who are survivors of violence and those who are traditionally thought of as "experts" on violence, and much of her work looks at how mainstreaming the movement to stop domestic violence and incestuous sexual assault continues to marginalize women who defy the conventional understanding of "survivor". Poore has worked for the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka, as well as the US-based National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Poore has been giving workshops and interactive seminars to campus and community groups internationally for nearly ten years. We are thrilled to present this interactive audience discussion, to which we welcome students and the general public.
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Director's Spotlight: Grace Poore in Person!
Saturday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.

A discussion session with the filmmaker will follow the screenings.

The Children We Sacrifice
India/Sri Lanka/Canada/US, 2000, BetaSP, 61 min.
Shot in India, Sri Lanka, Canada, and the US, this award-winning and widely screened documentary explores the universal crime of incestuous sexual abuse through the prism of the South Asian experience. Interviews, statistics, and images of childhood innocence alternate with paintings, music and poetry by incest survivors to visually juxtapose the harsh reality of home as a source of refuge and violation, family as a source of comfort and betrayal.

Excerpt from Voices Heard Sisters Unseen
BetaSP, 15 min
This powerful and inspirational work weaves perspectives of battered women in the United States who are frequently overlooked and ignored because they are deaf, sex workers, undocumented ("illegal aliens"), lesbians, have disabilities, or live with HIV/AIDS. Unlike most documentaries on the subject, this one allows battered women to do their own talking, in their own language and with the sensitivity of having survived the many interlocking barriers that kep them from services, shelter, and freedom from violence. For the Festival, Ms. Poore will show a 15-minute excerpt about battering in lesbian relationships.


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Shadow Circus: The CIA in Tibet
Sunday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.

USA/Tibet, 1998, BetaSP, 50 min.
Directed by Tenzing Sonam, Rita Sarin
Written by Tenzing Sona

This superbly shot film documents a rarely acknowledged chapter in Tibetan history: between 1957 and 1969, the CIA armed, financed, and helped train Tibetan guerrillas.
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Animated Shorts Showcase
Sunday, March 2, 8:30 p.m.
From stop-motion to claymation, the Festival presents the best recent animated works.

Little Red Plane
US, 2002, VHS, 8 min.
Directed by Wira Winata
In a tree house, safe from the world around him, a little boy immerses himself in dreams of flying.

Manhang (Ephemeral Epiphany)
US, 2002, VHS, 5 min.
Directed by Hyungsuk Kim
ManHang means "the way to reach true knowledge", and this animated short explores the themes of suffering after birth and salvation after death.

Pedro and Tony?
US, 2001, VHS, 19 min.
Directed by Don Thomas.
In this claymated shorted, melodrama ensues when a rooster and dog engage in a kind of love you don't see on Sesame Street.

Vision Test
US, 2001, VHS, 6 min.
Directed by Wes Kim
What begins as a routine eye exam turns into a chilling dramatization of attitudes towards minorities in the United States.

Vessel Wrestling
US, 2001, 16mm, 13 min.
Directed by Lisa Yu
Hairy, blood-sugar-sex-magic happens around dinnertime in this sensual claymation household.
Winner, 2002 Slamdance: Best Experimental Short.

Iceberg
US, 1999, VHS, 6 min.
Directed by Aaron Yamasoto.
This hilarious, award-winning claymation parody is told through the eyes of the innocent wildlife inhabitants floating on the doomed iceberg that fateful night it collided with the Titanic.


Political Shorts Showcase
Sunday, March 2, 9:30 p.m.

Death Threat
Canada, 1998, VHS, 19 min.
Directed by Zarqa Nawaz
Death Threat tells the charming story of a young Muslim woman who has written an appallingly bad Harlequin-type novel and is struggling to find a publisher. Depressed, frustrated and irritated after receiving her fifty-ninth rejection, she decides that controversy is the only way to catch a publisher's eye; but her exploitation of cultural stereotypes eventually backfires on her.

The Frog in the Well
USA, 2001, VHS, 29 min.
Directed by Cervando David Martinez
Hoh-Kun Yuen came from Hong Kong to the US to study physics in 1949, but he became a passionate observer and recorder of many social upheavals between 1963 and 1997, including the Free Speech Movement, the rise of the Black Panthers, the anti-war and anti-apartheid movements, and the Gulf Wars.

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Films from the Island: Retrospective of Taiwanese Cinema
Thursday, March 6 - Saturday, March 8
Thanks to a generous donation from the Information Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research recently acquired dozens of Taiwanese films. Encouraged by the success of last year's Taiwanese film festival, we have chosen several titles from the new collection for this extraordinary weekend event.


Run Away (Ce ma ru lin)
Thursday, March 6, 3:30 p.m.

Taiwan, 1984, 16mm, 115 min.
In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles
Directed by Wang Tung
Produced by Kuo-Liang Hsu
With Ma Ruh-fong, Chang Yin-jen, Deng Bing-chen, Wang Reh

Part of a disintegrating criminal gang, Ho Nan kidnaps a young woman and then decides to reform. A gritty, Kurosawa-like film, Run Away was scripted in part by Tsai Ming-liang and cinematography done in part by Li Pin-bing (Mark Lee).
Winner, 1985 The Golden Horse Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design.
Winner, 1985 Asian Pacific Film Fest.: Best Cinemotograhpy, Best Art.

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Ah Fei ( You ma tsai zai )
Friday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.

Taiwan, 1983, 16mm, 110 min.
In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles
Directed by Wan Jen
Written by Hou Hsiao-hsien, based on a novel by Liao Hui-ying
With Su Ming-ming, Chen Chiu-yen, Ke Yi-cheng

Ah Fei grows up in post-war Taiwan watching her father change from a rich philanderer to a cowering failure, while her mother goes from a long-suffering wife to an embittered matriarch. Is Ah Fei doomed to repeat her mother's story, or will she triumph? Written by legendary Taiwanese filmmaker (and UW Cinematheque favorite) Hou Hsiao-hsien.

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Reunion
Friday, March 7, 9:30 p.m.

Taiwan, 1986, 16mm
In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles
Directed by Ke Yi-cheng
With Ting Nai-chu, Hu Ying-meng, Hsu Ming

An archetypal Taiwanese New Cinema film, Reunion explores the movement's recurring theme: the experience of growing up in post-war Taiwan. The film follows an elementary school class as it grows up over the decades and reunites periodically along the way. Eventually, the classmates discover that their beloved teacher, the world around them and even themselves have changed beyond recognition.
Winner, 1986 Golden Horse Award: Best Screenplay

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Eat Drink Man Woman (Yin shi nan nu)
Saturday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.

Taiwan/USA, 1994, 35mm, 123 min.
English subtitles
Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Ang Lee, James Schamus, Hui-Ling Wang
Produced by Ted Hope
With Lung Sihung, Wu Chien-lien, Yang Kuei-mei, Wang Yu-wen

This classic, influential work by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) has spawned both Hong Kong and Mexican films that also center around cooking. An aging chef attempts to make an important announcement to his daughters at a weekly family meal, but each time, he is interrupted by an announcement by one of them. This quiet, charming work, written by James Schamus, takes a look at love and marriage in contemporary Taiwanese society.

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The Matrimony
Saturday, March 8, 9:30 p.m.

Taiwan 1985, 16mm, 93 min.
In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles.
Directed by Chen Kun-hou
With Yang Ching-huang, Yang Chieh-mei.

In 1957, star-crossed lovers struggle against parental and societal objections. Directed by longtime collaborator of Hou Hsiao-hsien, Chen Kun-hou, this New Cinema film paints in stark relief the clash between the old and the new in Taiwan.
Winner, 1985 Golden Horse Awards: Best Photography, Best Original Music.

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Fifth Annual Wisconsin Film Festival
Thursday, March 27 through Sunday, March 30
The Wisconsin Film Festival, a public program of the University of Wisconsin- Madison Arts Institute, is Wisconsin's premier independent film event and only major film festival. The Festival presents the best recent independent film, world cinema and new media; cultivates discovery through discussions with filmmakers; and showcases the work of Wisconsin filmmakers. Tickets go on sale at the end of February. For more information, see www.wifilmfest.org or (877) 963-FILM.
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Independent Film and Video Collaborative Showcases
Friday, May 9 - Saturday, May 10
The Independent Film and Video Collaborative is devoted to the exhibition of amateur work, and the IFVC Film and Video Open Shows are an excellent way to see some of the work being produced by members of the Madison video- and filmmaking community. Check out new works by the future Martin Scorseses and Steven Soderberghs.

IFVC Open Video Show  ·  Friday, May 9
IFVC Open Film Show  ·  Saturday, May 10
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Indian Melodrama Film Series
February 8 - March 1, 2003

The series is sponsored by: Consulate General of India, Chicago, Directorate of Film Festivals, XP Division, MEA, New Delhi.

Devdas
Saturday, February 8, 2:00 pm

India, 1955, 159 min., 35mm, black & white
In Hindi with English subtitles
Directed and Produced by Bimal Roy.
Written by Nabendu Ghosh.
Dialogue by Rjinder Singh Bedi.
Lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi.
Cinematography: Kama Bose.
Music: S. D. Burman.
Cast: Dilip Kumar, Suchitra Setn, Vyjayanthimala, Motilal, Kanhaiyalal, Nasir Hussain.

Based on the classic novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee, Devdas tells the legend of Devdas and Paro, childhood sweethearts whose status differences prevent their marriage. An archetype for Hindi melodrama, this passionate and tragic tale implicitly critiques India's caste system.


Mother India (Bharat Mata)
Thursday, February 13, 2003, 7:00 pm

India, 1957, 168 min., 35mm, color
In Hindi with English subtitles
Directed, Written and Produced by Mehboob Khan.
Lyrics: Shakeel Badiyuni.
Cinematography: Faredoon Irani.
Music: Naushad.
Cast: Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Kanhaiyalal, Jilloo, Kumkum, Master Sajid, Sitara Devi.

Likened to Gone With the Wind in its national popularity and influence on the genre of Indian melodrama, Mother India tells the story of a woman who, after being abandoned by her husband, raises three sons alone. Each son takes a different path in life: one dies in a flood, one becomes a violent rebel, and one remains dutiful to his mother. The film's rural lyricism has been compared to Dovzhenko's later films.


Sholay
Saturday, February 15, 2:00 pm

India, 1975, 199 min., 35mm, color
In Hindi with English subtitles
Directed by Ramesh Sippy.
Produced by G.P. Sippy.
Written by Salim-Javed.
Lyrics by Anand Bakshi.
Cinematography: Dwarka Divecha.
Music: R.D. Burman.
Cast: Dharmendra, Snajeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, Iftikhar, A.K. Hangal, Lella Mishra, Macmohan, Sachin, Asrani, Helen, Keshto Mukherjee.

A revenge story of two mischievous crooks, Sholay remains India's best known "curry" western-- a genre that drew from the Italian western and combined elements from the genres of romance, comedy, feudal costume dramas, and musicals. Moreover, Sholay's accomplished cinematography provides spectacular views of the Indian landscape: "The end result resembles a skillfully designed shopping mall with the viewer being propelled past successive window displays, each exhibiting an eye-catching presentation of some aspect of the popular cinema's history." --Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen.


Guide
Saturday, February 22, 2:00 pm

India, 1965, 183 min., 35mm, color
In Hindi with English subtitles
Written and Directed by Vijay Anand.
Lyrics by Shailendra.
Cinematography: Fali Mistry.
Music: S. D. Burman.
Cast: Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Leela Chitnis, Kishore Sahu, Anwar Hussain, Ulhas, Gajanan Jagirdar, Rashin Khan.

Raju, a brash tourist guide, seduces Rosie away from her tyrannical archaeologist husband. As Rosie fulfills her dream to become a dancer, Raju attains his goal of wealth, only to be dissatisfied with his financial success. Freeing himself from material possessions, Raju is soon mistaken for a messianic figure. Featuring a boldly colored set design that could have only appeared in mid-1960s cinema, Guide was also a musical success.


36 Chowringhee Lane
Saturday, March 1, 2:00 pm

India, 1981, 122 min., 35mm, color
In English.
Written and Directed by Aparna Sen.
Produced by Shashi Kapoor.
Cinematography: Ashok Mehta.
Music: Vanraj Bhatia.
Cast: Jennifer Kendal, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Debashree Roy, Geoffrey Kendal, Soni Razdan, Dina Ardeshir, Fae Soares, Reny Roy, Sylvia Philips.

Aparna Sen's directorial debut features Jennifer Kendal as an Anglo-Indian schoolteacher who lives a relatively solitary life teaching Shakespeare to schoolgirls. When she invites a young novelist to live with her, he brings his lover, and the couple become the schoolteacher's main interaction with the outside world. 36 Chowringhee Lane presents an engaging portrait of one woman's reconciliation with loneliness and old age.



Special Events

Sunday
Sunday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.

UK, 2002, BetaSP, 109 min.
Directed by Charles McDougall
Written by Jimmy McGovern
Produced by Gub Neal

Presented by Executive Producer Jim Keys.

In conjunction with the Celtic Cultural Center, the Cinematheque presents a screening of SUNDAY. On January 30, 1972, in Derry, North Ireland, a civil rights march ended when British troops shot dead 13 marchers and wounded 15. The event, which became known as Bloody Sunday, was a watershed in contemporary Irish/British relations. In a poignant telling of this tragic story, Jimmy McGovern's SUNDAYinvolves the Derry community itself; McGovern chose to shoot the film in Derry and to enlist local actors as much as possible. The final result is a deeply authentic and powerful film that looks, feels and sounds Derry while still managing to strike a universal chord. After its television premiere, SUNDAY took home a prestigious Prix Italia and was nomiated for an Emmy Award.

Jim Keys, executive producer of Sunday, will be present to introduce the film and to participate in a question-and-answer session following the screening. Born in Derry, Keys has worked extensively to promote cultural and community education in his hometown.

For more information, contact Dineen at (608) 246-4198 or Katherine at (608) 262-3627, or visit www.celticmadison.org.
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Lady Windermere's Fan
Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m

USA, 1925, 35mm, 115 min.
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck
Written by Julien Josephson, based on the play by Oscar Wilde
With Ronald Colman, May McAvoy, Bert Lytell

A delightful tale of sophisticated manners and morals, this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play concerns the caddish Lord Darlington's love for the very pretty - and very married - Lady Windermere. Hilarious visual innuendos, attributed to the "Lubitsch touch", made this film a huge success upon its release. With live piano accompaniment.
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