Foreign Films Cure Seasonal Blahs
While the American film industry pops out tired movies, foreign film festivals provide moviegoers with challenging, entertaining fare.
Craving a large bucket of popcorn and a quality big-screen connection? April has got to be the most boring month for cinephiles. Oscar season’s long gone and with it the character-driven dramas. The romantic comedies that dominated the box office around Valentine’s Day have dwindled down. With all the Star Trek and X-Men trailers in heavy rotation, you might think summer blockbusters are just over the horizon but, the truth is, there are still weeks to go. So forget about those sappy kids movies and sub-par dark comedies. This season, foreign film festivals are just the cure for the Spring cinema blahs.
This weekend, New Yorkers can catch the On the Edge independent Chinese film festival while Chicagoans have the Latino Film Festival to look forward to. The two festivals couldn’t be more different and yet, they both offer a refreshing reprieve from the mainstream and the opportunity to step into another culture from the comfort of a plush theater seat.
On the Edge: New Independent Cinema from China (In Search of Reality II) highlights critical, experimental fare, while the Chicago Latino Film Festival sweeps the broad spectrum of Latin American film. On the Edge is an academic pursuit, co-sponsored and created by Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Center for Korean Research. The CLFF, on the other hand, is a city-wide project presented by the Latino Cultural Center of Chicago in cooperation with Columbia College Chicago.
On the Edge, which runs Friday the 24th thru Sunday the 26th, showcases the talents of five award-winning directors. Each of the seven films has one set showing, which will followed by a question and answer session with the films’ directors. The films presented are connected by their use of surrealist techniques, which force the audience to contemplate reality. Sunday afternoon a panel discussion at Columbia University’s Dodge Hall will further the conversation about film and reality.
Feature films L to R: Iri, Chongqing, The Other Half
Chongqing, a 2008 Korean feature that takes place in China’s most populated industrial center, opens the festival. The film illustrates the lives of people who live on the margins of society in Chongqing. Saturday night’s Er Dong is a documentary that follows the title character, a simple country boy, through his formative years. Little Moth, winner of the Brisbane International Film Festival Interfaith Award, tells the story of a poor couple who adopt a child with a life-threatening disorder to help them earn money begging.
Scene from Chongquin
The Chicago Latino Film Festival is celebrating its 25th year promoting Latino culture, making it one of the oldest and largest festivals of its kind in the U.S. In contrast to On the Edge, more than 100 films will presented over the duration of the CLFF. The features span the globe from Spain to Latin America to Portugal.
The four big draws at the festival are The Gift (Chile), Tear This Heart Out (Mexico), The Best of Me (Spain) and the closing film Christmas Eve (Colombia). Each movie will be capped with a cocktail reception and tickets for these films are priced differently. These four movies were box-office darlings and critical hits in their native countries.
While mainstream films might fill the most coveted slots at the festival, the CLFF is all about celebrating every aspect of Latino film. Films directed by women, movies with LGBT themes, student films and “Made in America” movies all have their place in the festival. With screenings throughout the day, the CLFF offers something for every moviegoer.
Tickets for On the Edge are $11 for the public, $7 for students and Film Society of Lincoln Center Members. All shows take place at the Walter Reade Theatre on West 65th Street.
The CLFF is running now thru the 29th. Admission is $10, $9 for students and $8 for International Latino Cultural Center Members. Students pay half price on Tuesday. Most films are screened at Landmark Theatre, 2828 N. Clark St., though some will be shown at Facets Multimedia at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. For a schedule of the films presented, call 312-409-1757 or visit www.LatinoCulturalCenter.org.
