Spring 2023
2/13 Aftersun (2022, UK/US, Charlotte Wells) 102 min R
In her directorial debut, Charlotte Wells brings audiences a heart-wrenching tale of reflection and reconsideration as a woman remembers the final holiday she took with her father some 20 years ago. Taking place in the past and present, Sophie remembers the vacation through home video footage while trying to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't. Film Critic James Luxford of the BBC called Aftersun "a tremendous film. Something that looks at a hard topic like depression in a very beautiful and human way." (language and brief sexual material, mental health)
2/20 All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022, US, Laura Poitras) 113 min NR
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is the latest documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour; My Country, My Country). The film follows the career of photographer and activist Nan Goldin in her pursuit to expose the Sackler Family, infamous philanthropists who most recently made headlines for their involvement in the opioid epidemic and OxyContin scandal. The film is nominated in the 2022 Oscars for Best Documentary Film. (drug use and addiction, mental health including memories of a suicide).
This screening will be followed by a Naloxone training. Naloxone is a medication that can be easily administered and that can reverse opioid overdose. Whitney Callaghan, Center Director of the Northern Area Health Education Center will lead the training at the Potsdam Public Library starting at 9:30pm. The training will last approximately 15 minutes.
2/27 No Bears / Khers nist (2022, Iran, Jafar Panahi) 106 min NR
Written, directed by, and starring Jafar Panahi, who was arrested shortly after the film's production wrapped, No Bears is a story set and secretly filmed in Iran. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, Jafar plays a director attempting to remotely direct a film in Turkey, from an Iranian village near the border, about a couple attempting to escape to Europe. While there Panahi becomes involved in a village dispute between two men who both want to marry the same girl. David Fear of Rolling Stone praised the film, calling it "a truly extraordinary late work produced by one of the era’s greatest working auteurs."
3/20 Decision to Leave / Heojil kyolshim (2022, S Korea, Park Chan-wook) 139 min R
The latest from the director of The Handmaiden (2016), Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave is a riveting romantic thriller that earned Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. After a man is found dead at the base of a South Korean mountain, an insomniac detective on the case begins to suspect the victim's wife, leading him along a path of mystery and infidelity. Detroit News' critic Adam Graham, praised the film as "one of the smartest, most satisfying murder mysteries in years." (violence, although not seen a character dies by suicide)
3/27 EO (2022, Poland, Jerzy Skolimowski) 86 min NR
EO is a mysterious and emotionally poignant vision of modern day Europe as seen through the eyes of a donkey. The eponymously named film follows circus animal, EO, as he traverses the countryside and encounters all manner of people, who instill joy, pain, and everything in between. It's a tale that Donald Clarke of The Irish Times calls "a unique mix of the absurd and the profound." EO is nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Academy Awards. (instances of animal cruelty)
4/3 Saint Omer (2022. France, Alice Diop) 122 min NR PG-13
Saint Omer is the feature length debut drama by documentary filmmaker Alice Diop, best known for her work exploring modern day life in France. The film follows a young novelist, who bears witness to the unfolding trauma in a courtroom, as the accused stands trial for the murder of her 15-month old daughter. Hailed as "vital film-making" by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, Saint Omer has been praised for its visceral and difficult narrative, one which makes the audience feel as though they're in the jury box themselves. PG-13 (thematic elements, language)
4/17 All That Breathes (2022, UK/India/US, Shaunak Sen) 97 min NR
All That Breathes follows two brothers in New Delhi, who have saved over 25,000 Black Kite birds over the last 15 years, rescuing them from the polluted skies of one of the world's most populated cities. All That Breathes is an intimate portrait of a family who honors tradition amidst the backdrop of growing economic and civil uncertainty. The film has been characterized as mesmerizing and urgent; it took the Grand Jury prize for documentary film at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and is nominated for a 2023 Academy Award.
4/24 The Eternal Daughter (2022, US/UK, Joanna Hogg) 96 min PG-13
From indie powerhouse studio A24, The Eternal Daughter stars Tilda Swinton in dual roles as mother and daughter. After returning to a haunted hotel they used to call home, the pair are forced to reckon with family secrets that the unsettled resort is determined to stir. Writing for Rolling Stone, K. Austin Collins remarked, "How can a movie that seemingly does so little amount do so much? It’s because of the story lurking beyond it all -- the psychological battle being waged, so quietly, under the surface of everything." (drug use)
5/1 RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022, India, S.S. Rajamouli) 187 min NR
Inspired by real life Indian revolutionaries, RRR is an explosive take on the superhero genre that follows friends Bheem and Rajuu in their fight against British colonial rule in the 1920s. Packed with electrifying performances and over-the-top action, it is India's most expensive film ever made, and the country's first to garner a nomination for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter promises, "you won't be bored for a nanosecond." (strong violence, language)
5/8 Triangle of Sadness (2022, Sweden, Ruben Östlund) 147 min R
In Triangle of Sadness, a celebrity couple is forced into a fight for their lives after their luxury cruise takes a disastrous turn under the command of its unhinged captain. Directed by Ruben Östlund (Force Majure [2014],The Square [2017]), the film delivers a hilarious and scathing critique of the ultra-rich and instagram culture, and features a commanding performance by Woody Harrelson as the captain. Amy Smith of Next Best Picture wrote, "it’s a non-stop, laugh-out-loud, savage ride that pulls no punches and should be seen ... with the biggest crowd possible." (language, sex, some violence, substance use)