Spring 2020
2/3 Give me Liberty (2019, USA, d. Kirill Mikhanovsky) 110 min NR
When a medical transport driver's normal route is diverted due to protests, he ends up spending a wild day with his clients that leads them all down unexpected paths. Starring mostly inexperienced actors in a debut feature length directorial outing by Kirill Mikhanovsky, Give Me Liberty has been praised for its compassion and heart and was dubbed "a master class in controlled escalating chaos." (Justin Chang, L.A. Times). (language)
2/10 Queen & Slim (2019, Canada/USA, d. Melina Matsoukas) 132 min R
After a racially motivated traffic stop turns deadly, a black couple are forced to go on the run. When their story goes viral, they become symbols that spawn a rallying cry around the country. From the producer of Dear White People (2014) and starring Get Out's (2017) Daniel Kaluuya, Queen & Slim is bold, poignant, and romantic all at once. Jimi Famurewa wrote in his Empire review that the film "crackles with urgent anger and provocative swagger." (violence, some strong sexuality, nudity, pervasive language, brief drug use)
2/17 Les Misérables (2019, France, d. Ladj Ly) 104 min R
When a police officer transfers into a Paris slum, he soon clashes with fellow officers who are abusing the people they're sworn to protect. His efforts to keep the peace are derailed when someone from the neighborhood starts using a drone to film their every move. Not to be confused with the novel of the same name, 2019's Les Misérables is "a passionate protest on behalf of an entire generation, whose future has largely been foreclosed." (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) (language throughout, some disturbing/violent content, sexual references)
2/24 The Biggest Little Farm (2018, USA, d. John Chester) 91 min PG
***panel of local farmers after the film, organized by GardenShare***
Emmy-award winning director John Chester turns the camera around to document the struggles he and his wife face in running a 200-acre farm in Ventura County, California. Featuring stunning cinematography, The Biggest Little Farm is an intimate portrait of a couple following a dream that "feels like fresh air for the soul." (Peter DeBruge, Variety). (mild thematic elements)
3/2 The Lighthouse (2019, Canada/USA, d. Robert Eggers) 109 min R
From the director of The Witch (2015), Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe deliver unforgettable performances as two lighthouse keepers struggling to hold on to their sanity while living on a remote island in New England. The Lighthouse has already garnered a dozen awards and has been hailed as a cinematic achievement for its stark vision. "Very few films can make you scared and excited at the same time. Just like the lighthouse beam, this is dazzling and dangerous." (Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian). (sexual content, nudity, violence, disturbing images, some language)
The following films were not shown due to COVID-19 related cancellations.
3/23 Step (2017, USA, d. Amanda Lipitz) 84 min PG
Following the "Lethal Ladies" dance squad of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, Step documents the lives of these young women as they prepare for competition, apply to college, and navigate their lives in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray. Winner of the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, Step "fires on every cylinder, investing viewers in personal stories that couldn’t have higher stakes and inviting them on a journey that pays off in ways expected and utterly surprising" (Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post). (thematic elements, some language)
3/30 NYICFF Kid Flicks One - Catch the best short films from around the world for ages 3-7! 60 min
NYICFF Viva Kid Flicks - Catch the best Spanish-language short films from around the world! (Ages 8+) (2017-2019, various countries and directors) 65 min NR
***Presented in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival***
An exciting game of checkers, cooking tamales with family, the importance of friendship, and dreaming of the stars are just some of the subjects covered in these two collections of short films from the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Bringing together works from new directors as well as 2018 Student Academy Award Winner Hanna Kim, these films provide thoughtful reflections on real and imagined worlds for audiences of all ages.
4/6 Pain and Glory / Dolor y gloria (2019, Spain, d. Pedro Almodóvar) 113 min R
Through a series of reunions and flashbacks, director Salvador Mallo overcomes his creative crisis while through reflecting on his past relationships with family, lovers, and drugs. Winning Antonio Banderas the Best Actor award from the Cannes Film Festival, Pedro Almodóvar’s most recent film has been hailed by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone as “not just his most personal film. It’s also one of his greatest.” (drug use, some graphic nudity and language)
4/20 The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019, Canada/Norway, d. Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) 105 min TV-MA (close to R)
When Áila finds Rosie barefoot and crying on the street after being assaulted by her boyfriend, the two women begin an emotional journey highlighting the lives of Indigenous women in a world indifferent to their needs. Co-written, co-directed, and co-starring Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Blackfoot/Sámi), The Body Remembers… has been recognized for its “authenticity and activism” and for “combating frivolous escapism with social relevance” (Peter DeBruge, Variety). (mature audiences)
4/27 Photograph (2019, Germany/India/USA, d. Ritesh Batra) 110 min PG-13
Feeling family pressure to get married, a struggling photographer convinces a shy stranger to pose as his fiancée. The two people from vastly different social castes form a unique relationship that develops over the backdrop of “exquisitely framed shots and the loving portrayal of the city of Mumbai” (Nell Minow, rogerebert.com). (thematic material)
5/4 The Destruction of Memory (2016, USA/Bosnia and Herzegovina/France/Germany/Iraq/Mali, d. Tim Slade) 81 min NR
The war against culture, and the battle to save it. Over the past century, cultural destruction has wrought catastrophic results for humanity, and it's been steadily increasing. The Destruction of Memory looks at why this has happened, and how the push to protect, salvage and rebuild has moved in step with the destruction. (thematic material)
***Q&A with director Tim Slade after the film***
In partnership with the LoKo Arts Festival