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Buddhist Film Festival
Wine & Film Series
Science on Screen
An Evening with Peter Coyote
Orson Welles 100
Kiss Me Kate 3D
...and much more
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Photo 1: Lisa Lejeune All others: Tommy Lau
1. Dr. Grace Dammann (with Fu Schroeder in the background) at January’s special presentation of States of Grace (opening theatrically April 24).
2. Ecologist and adventurer Chris Morgan demonstrating a wolf call at CFI Education’s Environmental Youth Forum in February.
3. Special guest host Michael Pritchard at Awards Night, February 22.
4. John Hassen, Lauren Willmott, Alexis Ardito, and Alia Collins-Anderson-May, members of the Rafael staff, enjoy Awards Night, February 22.
5. Everybody enjoys CFI Education’s Environmental Youth Forum!
6. Pianist Michael Mortilla accompanies January’s special Hollywood Home Movies program while, in the background, Lynne Kirste and Randy Haberkamp
(of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) provide live commentary.
CFI BOARD OF D I R E CTO R S
FOUNDER /
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mark Fishkin
CFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kenneth Broad
(Vice President)
Jim Davis
Douglas Dolton
Michael Dyett
Lynne Hale
Richard J. Idell
(Secretary)
Bruce Katz
Amy Keroes
Jennifer Coslett
MacCready
(President)
Cathy Nourafshan
Jonathan Parker
(Vice President)
Susan Schwartz
Dr. Joel Sklar
(Vice President)
Jann Stanley
Zach Zeisler
(Treasurer)
EMERITUS BOARD
Ann Brebner
Rita Cahill
Sid Ganis
Gary Meyer
Gordon Radley
Christopher B. Smith
Henry Timnick
FOUNDING BOARD
Rita Cahill
Mark Fishkin
Lois Kohl Shore
HONORARY
ADVISORY BOARD
Barbara Boxer
Stewart Boxer
Drusie Davis
Jeff Fisher
Peter Flaxman
Robert Greber
Linda Gruber
Peggy Haas
Jessica Igoe
Michael Klein
Roxanne Klein
The 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 and CFI Education programs throughout the year.
© Copyright 2015. 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.
KC Lauck
Andrew McGuire
Mary Poland
Eric Schwartz
Michael Schwartz
Skip Whitney
APRIL – JUNE
|
2015
Vol. 17 Issue 2
From the
DIRECTOR of PROGRAMMING
The quarterly schedule for the
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
has a new look, thanks to the stewardship
of our graphic designers with input from
the marketing staff. In 1999 we opened
the newly-restored Rafael with a tabloidstyle schedule. In 2007 we added color.
Now in 2015, we have a magazine
format. What’s next…3D?
From April 10 to 16 we welcome yet
another film festival to our screens, and
the return of the International Buddhist
Film Festival is truly special. Gaetano
and Ayelet Maida of the Buddhist
Film Foundation have discerning
tastes in films, and most of these
unique programs include filmmaker
appearances and discussions.
At any rate, we hope you enjoy the
change, and I want to thank the staff
at the California Film Institute who
work tirelessly to keep our publications
cleanly designed and easy to handle,
whether it’s for the Rafael, the Mill Valley
Film Festival or CFI Education.
Another series is close to my heart.
If you were to press me, I’d probably
tell you that Orson Welles is my
favorite filmmaker. Beginning May 31,
and continuing on Sundays through
June 28, we present the first part of a
retrospective that will continue in the
fall.
As happens every quarter, we have
several in-persons at the Rafael, and
we’re happy to have among them some
good friends. These include the beloved
Chilean-American
author
Isabel
Allende, who has won more awards than
one can even count, appearing with the
screening of The Power of the Heart on
April 30.
On June 11 we welcome back Rob
Nilsson, the only filmmaker to win
both the Caméra d’or at Cannes and
the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance,
presenting a rare screening of his 1986
drama On the Edge, starring Bruce Dern
and set during the Dipsea Race.
On May 27 we are pleased to offer An
Evening with Peter Coyote, celebrating
the publication of his new memoir. Peter
has been a close friend to CFI, MVFF and
the Rafael over the years, and I’m looking
forward to an in-depth conversation
about his work. Having acted in more
than 140 films and narrated many
important documentaries, Peter has a
lot of work under his belt, and it will be
exciting to hear him talk about working
with such filmmakers as Martin Ritt,
Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski.
I realize that calling Citizen Kane the
greatest film of all time has become a
cliché, but I have to admit I fell under
its spell. I first saw Kane early on in
high school on a 16mm projector. (I
can’t recall why it was screened during
school, but thank you, movie angels!)
I had always been a casual buff, but
this strange and wildly inventive old
black-and-white treasure changed my
perspective completely. The full effect
might not have hit me until a week
later, when I noticed a local Spanishlanguage UHF station in New York was
playing it, and I sat and watched the
entire thing (dubbed, of course) barely
understanding a word of the dialogue.
Those were the days before VHS, let
alone DVD. Naturally, I would eventually
catch up to Welles’ other films, but I’ll
always remember that first experience. I
hope you will give Welles a chance.
By the way, until we adapt the Rafael
quarterly to 3D, you might want to catch
the vintage musical Kiss Me Kate in 3D
the week of June 26. It has some of the
best uses of that format I’ve ever seen.
Happy viewing!
~ Richard Peterson
APRIL
INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST FILM FESTIVAL
TOUCHING THE SOUND: THE IMPROBABLE
JOURNEY OF NOBUYUKI TSUJII
BLACK SOULS
CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
LOVE THY NATURE
BRITISH ARROWS AWARDS
STATES OF GRACE
THE POWER OF THE HEART
MAY
BOYCHOIR
WINE ENTHUSIAST WINE & FILM SERIES
SCIENCE ON SCREEN:
THE AMERICAN NURSE:
HEALING AMERICA
IRIS
TANGERINES
100 YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT
THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED
TRACKS
TO LIGHT A CANDLE
AN EVENING WITH PETER COYOTE
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN
JUNE
WELLES 100: ORSON WELLES CENTENNIAL
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
ON THE EDGE
KISS ME KATE 3D
R A FA E L Q U A R T E R LY S TA F F
R I C H A R D P E T E R S ON
Director of Programming | Editor
LE AH L OSCHIAVO
Marketing Assistant
D A N Z A S T R OW
Rafael General Manager
BRIAN LEHMAN
Graphics | Layout
SHELLEY SPICER
Director of Marketing & Publicity
ME LANIE NICHOL S
Science on Screen
J A N K L I N G E L H OFE R
Program Consultant
PLEASE NOTE: Programs listed here are subject to
change, including opening dates. OTHER PROGRAMS
WILL OPEN THAT DO NOT APPEAR HERE. For up-to-date
info: Online at rafaelfilm.org Sign up for weekly email at
rafaelfilm.org Check daily newspaper Call 415 454 1222
COVER PHOTO: Dustin Hoffman in Boychoir opening May 1.
The Buddhist Film Foundation celebrates its
15th year and partners with California Film
Institute to present more than a dozen new
films from ten countries–great cinema with a
Buddhist touch–and several special guests.
A special strand, indicated by (BIA), explores
aspects of Buddhism in America.
Tickets per program:
$12 General | $10 Seniors | $8 CFI Members
Available at Rafael Box Office and rafaelfilm.org
(Please note: Rafael passes and matinee prices are
not valid for these programs.)
EVEN THOUGH THE WHOLE WORLD IS BURNING
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 7:00 IN PERSON: JANE HIRSHFIELD
HERMITS SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 8:30
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR HE SHIPING
This is an intimate and beautifully filmed documentary portrait of
one of our national treasures: US Poet Laureate, Buddhist and deep
ecologist W. S. Merwin. One of America’s truly great poets and
translators, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, with over fifty books published, his legacy also includes his effort to regenerate native plants
and palms on a former plantation on Maui. Director: Stefan Schaefer. (US 2014) 85 min. plus discussion. WEST COAST PREMIERE | BIA
25 years ago, American translator Bill Porter journeyed among
the hermit monks and nuns practicing in the Zhongnan Mountains
of China and wrote Road to Heaven about them. This beautiful documentary follows him on his recent return—a total immersion in a
hidden world, with insightful conversations with the hermits. Encouraging words, intimate and inspiring; imagine the Sierra dotted with
solitary meditators! In Chinese with English subtitles and in English.
(China 2014) 91 min. plus discussion. WORLD PREMIERE
DHARMA RISING SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 1:00
LIVE VIA SKYPE: DIRECTOR DAVID CHERNIACK
BARDSONGS SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 12:30
LIVE VIA SKYPE: DIRECTOR SANDER FRANKEN
This documentary addresses Buddhism in the West, taking us on an
international road trip of sorts, featuring Alan Wallace, Bernie Glassman, Jack Kornfield, Matthieu Ricard, Jan Willis, Norman Fischer,
Robert Thurman, Stephen Batchelor, Blanche Hartman, Mel Weitzman and others. (Canada 2014) 84 min. plus discussion. WORLD
PREMIERE | BIA
Like the classic Latcho Drom, this is a joyous music-based film, beautifully photographed and recorded: three folk tales from different
cultures put to music by musical celebrities from those regions and
interpreted by local actors. The film revels in the similarities among
totally different worlds. Filmed on location in Rajasthan, Mali and
Ladakh. (Netherlands 2010) 94 min. plus discussion. BAY AREA PREMIERE
A GESAR BARD’S TALE SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 3:30
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR DONAGH COLEMAN
AMERICAN RIMPOCHE and
KHANDRO: A WOMAN’S PATH OF PEACE
The Tibetan tale of King Gesar, the world’s longest epic, has been
passed on orally, generation to generation, since at least the 12th
century. Filmed on location in China, this documentary focuses on
Dawa, an illiterate nomad who, at age 13, experienced visions that
resulted in the life-changing gift of becoming a Gesar bard. In Tibetan and Mandarin with English subtitles. (Finland/Ireland 2014) 83
min. plus discussion. WEST COAST PREMIERE
PAINTING PEACE SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 6:00
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR BABETH VANLOO
Berkeley-based Kazuaki Tanahashi is a Japanese Zen teacher, translator, artist and peace activist, known for his extraordinary calligraphy works as well as his masterful translations of 13th century Zen
innovator Dogen. This insightful film follows him to Europe and
Japan and into his home and family life. In Japanese with English
subtitles and in English. (Netherlands 2014) 90 min. plus discussion.
WORLD PREMIERE | BIA
SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2:30
IN PERSON: FILMMAKERS NIKKI APPINO
& BABETH VANLOO
American Rimpoche: Gelek Rimpoche was born in Tibet, trained
as a Buddhist monk and forced into exile at an early age. Now an
American citizen, he has lived an extraordinary life, no longer a
monk but a teacher and scholar linking the traditional and contemporary. Students have included Allen Ginsberg and Philip Glass,
who composed the music for this incisive film. Director: Nikki Appino. (US 2014) | BIA
Khandro: A Woman’s Path of Peace: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche is the
eldest daughter of Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen Gyurme Künzang
Wangyal, an important Tibetan teacher in the Nyingma school, and
is the latest in a unique lineage of female masters known as the
Jetsünma line. Director: Babeth VanLoo. (US 2014) Total running
time for both films, 2 hours plus discussion. | BIA
PAINTING PEACE
GIVING LIFE TO LIFE SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 6:00
IN PERSON: PRODUCER LAETITIA SCHOOFS
Zen teacher, activist and anthropologist Joan Halifax, founder of
Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, exemplifies many of the developments in Buddhism in America. She is a leader in working with people in the final phase of life, and this documentary follows her to
Holland, Nepal and Germany on teaching and humanitarian trips.
In Dutch with English subtitles and in English. Director: Patrick van
Boeckel. (Netherlands 2014) 75 min. WORLD PREMIERE | BIA
PROPHECY TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 7:00
Beautifully filmed on location in Bhutan, this vibrant drama tells the
story of a tertön (one who discovers hidden teachings), from birth
to discovery to surprise. A senior monk makes a connection with
a young girl from Thimpu, and together they go on a journey of
searching and challenge. In Dzongkha with English subtitles. Director: Zuri Rinpoche. (Bhutan 2014) 85 min. US PREMIERE
WHY NOT NOW? WITH ALAN WATTS
SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 8:00 IN PERSON: DIR. MARK WATTS
MYANMAR: NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 7:00 IN PERSON: ELLEN BRUNO
Alan Watts needs no introduction here; his work and spirit are still
felt in the Bay Area where he made his home. Known for his seminal
books on Zen Buddhism, he was also an observant participant in the
psychedelia and psychology explorations of the 60s. His son Mark
Watts has fashioned a unique profile of his father. Screened with
The Animated Alan Watts: shorts from Matt Stone and Trey Parker
(South Park), and excerpts from The Fine Art of Goofing Off. Approximately 75 min. plus discussion. (US 2015) WORLD PREMIERE | BIA
Myanmar (Burma) is bursting with new possibilities, new creativity.
Noted filmmaker (and BFF board member) Ellen Bruno recently
spent time with young filmmakers there and will present a program
of compelling shorts offering a sense of the vitality and perseverance of the people and the potential of a new Myanmar cinema.
A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Yangon Film School in Myanmar. Films
in Burmese with English subtitles. Approx. 75 min. plus discussion.
US PREMIERE
ON THE ROAD MONDAY, APRIL 13, 7:00
LIVE VIA SKYPE: DIRECTOR LEE CHANG-JAE
THE THREE MARKS OF EXISTENCE
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 7:00 LIVE VIA SKYPE: DIRECTOR
GUNPARWITT PHUWADOLWISID
Beautifully filmed over a year on location in and around Backheung-am, a thousand year old rural Korean Buddhist nunnery, this
documentary is a rare and revealing study of monastic life today.
Fiercely dedicated, passionate, hard working yet prone to mirth,
these nuns are sustaining a tradition of obvious vitality. In Korean
with English subtitles. (Korea 2013) 104 min. plus discussion. US
PREMIERE
Humor and charm infuse teachings as M, a young Thai man, goes
on the classic Buddhist pilgrimage in India: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya,
Sarnath and Kushinagar. He slowly begins to understand the secret
of pilgrimage, but beginner’s mind is a wild and beautiful thing…
In Thai with English subtitles and English. (Thailand 2012) 114 min.
plus discussion. BAY AREA PREMIERE
ON MEDITATION EPISODES WILL SCREEN WITH SELECTED PROGRAMS
Director Rebecca Dreyfus produced a wonderful series of short, intimate portraits of people who have integrated meditation into their lives,
including Peter Matthiessen, Mark Epstein and Arlene Shechet, Giancarlo Esposito, Sharon Salzberg, Congressman Tim Ryan, David Lynch,
Venerable Mettayya and others. (US 2014) WEST COAST PREMIERE | BIA
TOUCHING THE SOUND: THE IMPROBABLE JOURNEY OF NOBUYUKI TSUJII
TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 7:15
IN PERSON: ZARIN MEHTA & LARRY FURUKAWA-SCHLERETH
For 24-year-old pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, being blind from birth never affected his
ability to play masterpieces by Chopin, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, or to create
his own compositions. In this inspiring, music-filled documentary portrait, filmmaker
Peter Rosen follows “Nobu” from his Carnegie Hall debut (after winning the Van Cliburn Competition), through his 2013 American tour and subsequent performance
trips to the earthquake and tsunami areas of northeastern Japan. Following the
screening, a discussion about Nobuyuki Tsujii and his work will include onstage
participants Zarin Mehta, Co-Executive Director of the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University, and former President and Executive Director of the New York
Philharmonic and Larry Furukawa-Schlereth, Co-Executive Director of the Green
Music Center. Film 68 min. plus discussion.
BLACK SOULS (Anime Nere) OPENS FRIDAY, APRIL 17
This richly atmospheric mafia drama from Italy, filmed in the mountainous nerve
center of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta, focuses on three brothers and their divided
souls. Luigi (Marco Leonardi) is an international drug dealer and Rocco (Peppino
Mazzotta) oversees the accounts. Luciano (Fabrizio Ferracane), the oldest, clings
to their father’s tradition by raising goats. However, Luciano is struggling to keep
his grown son Leo (Giuseppe Fumo) down on the farm, while the impulsive young
man is dazzled by his uncles’ lifestyles, in an elegant tale charged with the forward
momentum of Greek tragedy. In Italian with English subtitles. Director: Francesco
Munzi. (Italy 2014) 103 min.
CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA OPENS FRIDAY, APRIL 17
This thoughtful English-language drama from French director Olivier Assayas features Juliette Binoche as Maria, an international star who faces a dilemma when
asked to perform in the piece that had made her famous two decades ago, but
now as the older woman rather than the ingénue. Filmed on spectacular locations,
including the Swiss town of the title, the story becomes a resonant meditation on
cinema, the acting profession, and a woman’s identity, through extensive conversations between Maria and her American assistant Val (Kristen Stewart, who recently
won a French César for this performance), and Maria’s encounter with the young
star (Chloë Grace Moretz) who’ll play the role once identified with her. Writer/Director: Olivier Assayas. (France/Germany/Switzerland 2014) 123 min.
LOVE THY NATURE SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 4:15 Co-presented with Bioneers
IN PERSON: FILMMAKER SYLVIE ROKAB & INVENTOR JAY HARMAN
Narrated by Liam Neeson and presented in anticipation of Earth Day, Love Thy Nature is a cinematic immersion into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with
the natural world. In the past few thousand years, we have come to believe we are
separate from nature, disrupting millions of years of evolution, causing mass extinction of species and threatening the survival of the human race. With beautiful
cinematography traversing the globe and interviews with scientists and experts, this
film demonstrates and explores how nature holds the key to our existence and our
future. Writer/Producer/Director: Sylvie Rokab. (US 2015) 76 min. plus discussion.
2014 BRITISH ARROWS AWARDS
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 7:00 | SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 5:00 & 7:00
The British Arrows Awards acknowledge the UK advertising agencies and production companies that create the best commercials of the year. This compilation of
2014 winners is an eclectic mix of mini-dramas, outrageous wit, inspired animation,
high-tech extravaganzas and bawdy comedy. Special thanks to the British Arrows
Awards and Walker Art Center. (UK 2014) 74 min.
STATES OF GRACE OPENS FRIDAY, APRIL 24
Winner of the Audience Award following its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film
Festival, this intensely moving documentary centers on Dr. Grace Dammann, a
revered HIV/AIDS physician who survived a near-fatal head-on collision during a
routine commute across the Golden Gate Bridge. After Dammann emerges from a
coma with her cognitive abilities intact but her body shattered, her longtime partner Fu Schroeder cares for her and their disabled teenage daughter as the family
embarks on a journey of loss, resilience and renewal. Editor: Kenji Yamamoto. Directors: Mark Lipman, Helen S. Cohen. (US 2014) 75 min.
POWER OF THE HEART THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 7:00
IN PERSON: ISABEL ALLENDE & PRODUCER BAPTIST DE PAPE
Celebrated author Isabel Allende and film producer Baptist de Pape will participate in a discussion following this beautifully photographed documentary from the
director of The Secret. The film focuses on the intelligence of the heart and the
life-changing energy within it, featuring appearances and commentary by Isabel Allende, Dr. Maya Angelou, Michael Beckwith, Deepak Chopra, Paulo Coelho, John
Gray, Immaculée Ilibagiza, Mark Nepo, Eckhart Tolle, Neal Donald Walsch and
Gary Zukav. These writers and spiritual influencers reflect on grief, love and passion and offer guidance on how to listen to one’s heart for powerful realization and
change. Producers: Alain de Levita, Arnoud Fioole, Mattijs van Moorsel, Baptist de
Pape. Writer/Director: Drew Heriot. (US/Netherlands 2014) 84 min. plus discussion.
– $15 | $12 CFI Members –
BOYCHOIR OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 1
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT
A troubled 11-year-old boy from a broken home struggles to find his niche in a
national boys choir, in this warm yet incisive musical drama from the director of
The Red Violin. Dustin Hoffman stars as Choirmaster Carvelle, the boarding school’s
exacting leader, who has guided his choir to international renown, although young
Stet (Garrett Wareing) confronts him with a different kind of challenge. In addition
to the lovely choral music throughout, the film achieves resonance and wit in Hoffman’s subtle performance and those of his fellow pros in the cast, including Kathy
Bates, Eddie Izzard and Debra Winger. They keep the movie’s tempo and let the
music soar. With Kevin McHale, Josh Lucas. Writer: Ben Ripley. Director: François
Girard. (US 2014) 103 min.
We are pleased to collaborate with Wine Enthusiast Magazine on a series celebrating the
often-complementary arts of the motion picture
and wine production. Each screening will be followed by a tasting of select wines. (You must be
21 or over to participate in the pouring.)
$12 general | $10 Seniors | $8 CFI members.
BOTTLE SHOCK THURSDAY, MAY 7, 7:00
IN PERSON: WINE JUDGES VALERY UHL & MICHAEL HANTMAN
WINE ENTHUSIAST EDITOR VIRGINIA BOONE
Based on a true story, this charming comedy-drama recreates the events leading
up to the famous Paris Tastings of 1976, during which Napa wines bested the
exalted French wines in a blind tasting and put California wines on the map for
good. Starring Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Dennis Farina and Eliza Dushku. Rated PG-13. Director: Randall Miller.
(US 2008) 110 min. Post-film discussion with Valery Uhl and Michael Hantman,
both judges for the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
SOMM THURSDAY, MAY 14, 7:00
IN PERSON: MASTER SOMMELIER GEOFF KRUTH
WINE ENTHUSIAST EDITOR JIM GORDON
How much do you think you know about wine? Somm takes us on a humorous,
emotional and illuminating tour of a mysterious world: the Court of Master Sommeliers and the intimidating Master Sommelier Exam, covering every nuance of
the world of wine and spirits. Since the Court’s inception almost 40 years ago,
fewer than 200 candidates have reached the exalted Master level, and this film
offers the ultimate insider’s look. Writer/Director: Jason Wise. (US 2012) 93 min.
plus discussion.
A YEAR IN CHAMPAGNE THURSDAY, MAY 21, 7:00
WINE ENTHUSIAST EDITOR VIRGINIA BOONE
Bubbles aren’t the entire story of Champagne, since only sparkling wine produced within the boundaries of the Champagne region in France can truly use the
name. With wine importer Martine Saunier as our guide, we get a rare glimpse
of the real Champagne through six different houses, from small independents
like Champagne Saint-Chamant to the illustrious houses of Gosset and Bollinger.
Writer/Director: David Kennard. (US/France 2014) 82 min.
CORKED THURSDAY, MAY 28, 7:00
IN PERSON: FILMMAKERS ROSS CLENDENEN, PAUL HAWLEY
& JEFFREY WEISSMAN
“Tasty and easy enough to swallow” (Los Angeles Times), this uproarious satire on
the wine industry takes the form of a “mockumentary” about four Sonoma County
wineries competing for the coveted “Golden Cluster” award, with witty observations along the way targeting vintners, sommeliers, critics, marketers and know-it-all
fans. The ensemble cast includes Ross Clendenen and Jeffrey Weissman. Directors:
Ross Clendenen, Paul Hawley. (US 2009) 90 min. plus discussion.
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
FINE WINES & SPIRITS
THE AMERICAN NURSE: HEALING AMERICA WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 7:00
SCREENING AND PANEL HONORING NATIONAL NURSES DAY
To celebrate National Nurses Day, we present the new film The American Nurse: Healing America, followed by a panel discussion. This is a heartwarming documentary
giving voice to nurses serving the front lines of the biggest issues facing America- aging, war, poverty, prison- through the work and lives of five nurses. Director: Carolyn
Jones. (US 2014) 81 min. plus discussion. – $12 | $8 CFI Members –
Following the screening, film editor Isabel Sadurni will moderate a panel discussion
with: Nita Lagleva Gibson, RN, PHN, MS, Senior Public Health Nurse, County of Marin;
Darlene D. Francis, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Health and Neuroscience, UC
Berkeley; Dr. Margaret “Molly” Bourne, Medical Director, Serenity Knolls and Chief
Medical Officer, Hospice by the Bay; Dr. Brian K. Kennedy, PhD, President and CEO,
Buck Institute for Research on Aging.
This program is part of the Rafael’s series
Science on Screen, made possible by a
grant from the Coolidge Corner Theatre
and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
IRIS OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 8
This delightful documentary pairs 87-year-old filmmaking legend Albert Maysles
with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old fashion maven
who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. The
film portrays a singular free spirit who continues to soar with creativity and reminds
us that dressing (or life for that matter) is nothing but an experiment. Mixing designer pieces with flea-market finds, this avid collector and assembler has created her
own style that was celebrated in a 2005 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, a show that turned her into a self-described “geriatric starlet.” Along with the
entire film world, we regret the passing of Albert Maysles in March of this year. Camera/Director: Albert Maysles. (US 2014) 78 min.
TANGERINES OPENS IN MAY
This Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film is set in 1992, during the growing conflict between Georgia and Abkhazian separatists in the wake of the Soviet
Union’s dissolution, focusing on two Estonian immigrant farmers who decide to remain in Georgia long enough to harvest their tangerine crop. When the war comes
to their doorsteps, Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) takes in two wounded soldiers from opposite
sides. The fighters vow to kill each other when they recover, but their extended
recovery period has a humanizing effect that might transcend ethnic divides. Set
against a beautiful landscape defiled by war, this poetic film makes an eloquent
statement for peace. In Estonian and Russian with English subtitles. Writer/Director:
Zaza Urushadze. (Estonia/Georgia 2014) 89 min.
THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW
AND DISAPPEARED OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 15
This hilarious Swedish import stars Robert Gustafsson as Allan, who on his 100th
birthday quietly slips from his retirement home, accidentally picks up a suitcase full
of drug money, and finds himself on the lam from both the crooks and the police.
Flashbacks reveal the 20th century odyssey of a naïve explosives enthusiast who,
like a first cousin to Forrest Gump and Zelig, wanders into famous people and important events in history. Based on the international bestseller by Jonas Jonasson,
and a crowd-pleaser at the Mill Valley Film Festival, this dark yet charming comedy
has become the biggest box office champ in Swedish history. Yes, even bigger than
the Stieg Larsson trilogy! In Swedish with English subtitles with English narration.
Writer/Director: Felix Herngren. (Sweden 2014) 114 min.
TRACKS WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 7:00
BENEFIT SCREENING FOR LITERACYWORKS
The acclaimed film Tracks tells the incredible true story of Robyn Davison (Mia
Wasikowska), a young woman who embarked on a journey of self-discovery by undertaking a perilous solo trek across 1,700 miles of the stunning Australian outback
with her dog and four camels. A chance meeting with award-winning National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (played by Adam Driver) gained her a sponsor,
provided that he photograph her journey for the magazine. Exclusive video interview between Robyn Davison and Rick Smolan will also be shown. This event is a
benefit for Literacyworks’ READ OUT campaign for family and adult literacy. Each
ticket purchaser will receive one of Smolan’s photography books. For more information: readout.us Rated PG-13, the film runs 112 min. – $20 | $7.75 18 & Under –
(Please note: Rafael passes and CFI Member prices are not valid for this program.)
TO LIGHT A CANDLE SUNDAY, MAY 17, 4:15
FOLLOWED BY PANEL DISCUSSION
This documentary by Maziar Bahari, the author of Then They Came for Me and the
subject of Jon Stewart’s film Rosewater, chronicles the lives of Baha’is in Iran and
their hardships and persecution by the Islamic government. The Baha’is are a religious minority forbidden to study or teach in Iranian universities, and the Baha’i
Institute for Higher Education is an underground university with covert classes in
peoples’ homes using mail and online lectures. Bahari’s film has sparked the global
“Education Is Not a Crime” campaign for universal access to higher education. Following the screening, Bay Area members of the Baha’i community will discuss this
movement of non-violent resistance. Writer/Producer/Director: Maziar Bahari. Film
60 min. plus discussion.
AN EVENING WITH PETER COYOTE WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 7:00
FILM CLIPS, DISCUSSION & BOOK SIGNING
Photo Courtesy of Peter Coyote
We welcome Peter Coyote back to the Rafael stage to celebrate his new book, The
Rainman’s Third Cure: An Irregular Education, published by Counterpoint Press. Showing scenes from some of his films, he will discuss his life and work as well as this new
volume, a spiritual sequel to his 1998 memoir Sleeping Where I Fall: A Chronicle. Peter Coyote is an ordained practitioner of Zen Buddhism who began his work in street
theater and political organizing in San Francisco. He has acted in more than 140 films
and is constantly in demand for his voice talent narrating documentaries. He won an
Emmy for narrating the documentary Pacific Century and has also narrated four of
Ken Burns’ historical series. The book’s guiding metaphor reflects on a line in an early
Bob Dylan song, in which the “rainman” offers “cures” that represent for Coyote two
competing forces: the transcendental power of love and the status-seeking world of
wealth and power. Following the program, Peter Coyote will sign his book, available
for sale that night. Co-presented by Buddhist Film Foundation – $15 | $12 CFI Members –
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 29
This heart-racing documentary tells the story of Carl Boenish, the father of the
BASE-jumping movement, whose early passion for skydiving drove him to ever
more spectacular (and dangerous) feats of foot-launched human flight, utilizing
parachutes following leaps from cliffs or skyscrapers. Recounted by his wife and
jumping-partner Jean Boenish and their associates, the film follows them from their
pioneering leaps in the 1970s to Carl and Jean’s Guinness record-breaking jump in
Norway in 1984. Reminiscent of Man On Wire in its skillful combination of reenactments and the real thing, this true-life adventure most spectacularly employs Carl
Boenish’s own footage of his jumps, produced by the 16mm camera he secured to
his helmet. Writer/Director: Marah Strauch. (US 2014) 101 min.
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 7:00 | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 7:00 | SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1:00
MIKE LEIGH DIRECTS ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA
Acclaimed filmmaker Mike Leigh directs his first-ever opera for the stage, in this
English National Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s popular musical comedy. (Recall that one of Leigh’s films was the historical drama Topsy Turvy about W.S.
Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.) The Pirates of Penzance contains some of the duo’s
most beloved songs. This exciting production is to be filmed live in May for these
presentations in June, and length is estimated to be 140 minutes. Please note that
normal Rafael matinee prices do not apply for this show. – $15 | $12 CFI Members –
ON THE EDGE THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 7:00
IN PERSON: ROB NILSSON
In advance of the 105th Dipsea Race on June 14, Bay Area filmmaker Rob Nilsson
will present a rare screening of his 1986 drama starring Bruce Dern as a 44-yearold runner who, after a 20-year ban for a financial indiscretion, tries to recapture
his old glory by running the Dipsea in Mill Valley. After declaring “The film is paced
like a race” and that it “conveys the excitement of running,” The New York Times
continued: “The director, Rob Nilsson, and the cinematographer, Stefan Czapsky,
have composed exquisite shots of some of the most beautiful scenery in the United
States.” Few audience members are likely to disagree! Also starring Pam Grier, John
Marley and Bill Bailey, On the Edge is a gripping sports drama from one of our best
independent filmmakers. (US 1986) 91 min. plus discussion.
KISS ME KATE 3D OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 26
To begin with, this classic MGM musical is a delight, loaded with great Cole Porter
songs and all the production panache that big studio had to offer. In 3D it’s a veritable knockout, a highlight from Hollywood’s three-dimensional craze of the early
1950s. Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel star in this backstage comedy about a
troupe mounting a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the
Shrew. Some of the most amazing moments involve the supporting players, from
Ann Miller’s sizzling “Too Darn Hot” to “From This Moment On,” in which Bob Fosse
and Carol Haney push jazz dance into a new era past the Kelly and Astaire models.
Dance is the key to this movie’s 3D splendor. Also starring Tommy Rall, Bobby Van,
Keenan Wynn, James Whitmore. Director: George Sidney. (US 1953) 110 min.
On Sundays from May 31 throughout June, we offer the first of a two-part retrospective honoring the artistry of filmmaker Orson Welles (1915-1985) on the 100th anniversary of his birth. One of the most ambitious and influential of all directors, Welles
began his film career with the revolutionary Citizen Kane, the one movie that has probably inspired more aspiring filmmakers,
film critics and film historians than any other.
Kane was a hard act to follow, and several denigrators have characterized his subsequent career as a downhill slide, especially
as Welles’ Hollywood releases became sparse. However, it is important to remember two things. Welles (a prodigy who lost
his parents early on) was a polymath who was always working, whether it was in film, theater, radio or scriptwriting, even in
gigs as political columnist. In addition, judging his career solely by his Hollywood productions ignores his achievements as an
independent artist outside the studio system with films that have been virtually invisible to American audiences.
Part One of the retrospective focuses on his Hollywood career preceding an extended sojourn abroad, where he would become a pioneering independent filmmaker, a focus of Part Two in the fall. Please note time changes in afternoon screenings from week to week.
CITIZEN KANE SUNDAY, MAY 31, 4:15 & 7:00
Whether or not one considers Citizen Kane to be the “greatest film ever made,” Orson Welles’ first feature has certainly held
its youth over 75 years. He was not yet 25 when he embarked on his bold Hollywood debut after wowing Broadway and
marshalling a Martian invasion for the national radio audience. Working with the great cinematographer Gregg Toland, he
adapted many of his theater and radio techniques to film, and the movies haven’t been the same since. The story of the
rise and fall of a great newspaper tycoon is about many things, but the script that Welles wrote with Herman J. Mankiewicz
(they would share the screenplay Oscar) contained several references to William Randolph Hearst, who actively tried to
suppress it. Citizen Kane would be Welles’ only Hollywood film to avoid studio tampering, because of an ironclad contract
that would even prevent it from being colorized after his death. Director: Orson Welles. (US 1941) 119 min.
THE STRANGER SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 4:30 & 7:00
Never considered by scholars to be one of his best, Orson Welles’ return to the film director’s chair after a four-year absence remains a crackerjack film noir with much to savor. Made immediately after World War II, it stars Welles as a New
England college professor who is secretly Franz Kindler, a Nazi architect of the Holocaust. Loretta Young is his beautiful
fiancée and Edward G. Robinson impresses as the war-crimes investigator looking for him. After the career-bruising Ambersons/Brazil episode, Welles surrendered artistic control to prove himself bankable: “I wished to show people that I
didn’t glow in the dark, you know. That I could say ‘action’ and ‘cut’ just like the rest of the fellows.” His ambitions show
through the restrictions, and The Stranger is the first Hollywood film to show (discreetly) footage from the concentration
camps. Director: Orson Welles. (US 1946) 95 min.
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 4:15 & 7:00 PRESENTED BY JOSEPH MCBRIDE
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Booth Tarkington, Orson Welles’s second feature was close to his heart: a
mother-son tragedy set around the turn of the previous century and the declining fortunes of an influential Indiana family.
Shortly after he finished shooting, Welles flew to Brazil, sent by the U.S. government to make a war-effort documentary, and
RKO reneged on its promise to keep him involved as it made drastic cuts and reshot scenes against his wishes. Even in its
much-altered state, the release version contains some of Welles’s most beautiful contributions to the art of cinema. With
Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello, Tim Holt, Anne Baxter. Writer/Director: Orson Welles. (US 1942)
88 min. plus discussion. Following each screening, film historian and San Francisco State University Professor Joseph McBride, the author of What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career and two other books on
Welles, will give a presentation about the changes imposed on the original version. 35MM PRINT!
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 4:30 & 7:00
Orson Welles and then-wife Rita Hayworth had already separated when he cast her as the alluring femme fatale in this film
noir that critic Dave Kehr would call “the weirdest great movie ever made.” Welles plays Michael O’Hara, a tough Irish sailor who signs aboard the yacht of criminal lawyer Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane) and his beautiful wife Elsa (Hayworth).
Crazy murder plots and double-crosses abound in a delirious adventure that comes ashore in Sausalito and careens to a
phantasmagorical climax in San Francisco’s Chinatown and Playland at the Beach. Although the release version suffered
at the hands of the studio, there is much left to enjoy, and in a beautiful digital restoration, this Lady looks better than ever.
With Glenn Anders, Everett Sloane. Writer/Director: Orson Welles. (US 1947) 87 min.
MACBETH SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 7:00
With his last Hollywood production before moving to Europe, Orson Welles intended to make a popular kind of Shakespeare adaptation on a B-movie budget and miniscule shooting schedule. His concept of the actors employing Scottish
accents did not play well in previews, and Republic Pictures asked Welles to cut the film and re-dub it into conventional
English. Fortunately the original, “Scottish” version survived, and the UCLA Film and Television Archive’s restoration from
1980 is complete, accents and all. Overtly theatrical with shades of German Expressionism, this Macbeth-on-a-budget is
still rich in atmosphere; French poet, artist and filmmaker Jean Cocteau praised its “crude, irreverent power.” With Jeanette
Nolan, Dan O’Herlihy, Roddy McDowall. Director: Orson Welles. (US 1948) 107 min.
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