A Hard day’s night / Early Godard / Masterpieces of polish cinema / David lynch selects / & more
SUMMER
2014
July / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER
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Three Colors: White (p. 21)
ta b l e o f contents 2 Calendar 6 Featured Series: Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema 8 artist spotlight: Ted knighton Street Trees 10 programs 12 July 19 August 33 September tickets/box office: Tickets are available at www.ihousephilly.org + 215.387.5125 IHP’s Box Office is open from 1pm – 8pm, Tuesday – Saturday. Purchase your tickets in person or over the phone during these hours and save the processing fee. Unless noted, all IHP screenings are free admission for IHP members; $7 students + seniors; $9 general admission. Cover: Sunset Boulevard (p. 37)
International House Philadelphia
A Hard Day’s Night (p. 12)
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4th of July BBQ 2pm (p. 12)
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SAT 5 The Janus Collection A Hard Day’s Night 7pm (p. 12)
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Art Exhibit Opening Street Trees by Ted Knighton 6pm (p. 13)
One Night Stands Mikey & Nicky 8pm (p. 13)
Family Matinee The Muppet Movie 2pm (p. 14)
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Full Exposure Strange Little Cat 7pm (p. 15)
Leos Carax Double Feature! Boy Meets Girl / Mauvais Sang 7pm (p. 16)
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One Night Stands After Hours 8pm (p. 17)
Family Matinee Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 2pm (p. 17)
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Exhumed Films The Lost Film Festival! 12pm (p. 16)
Janus Kwaidan 7pm (p. 15)
Best of the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival 2013 7pm (p. 18)
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28 EID 7pm (p. 18)
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Early Godard! Le Petit Soldat / La Paresse / Le Grand Escroq 7pm (p. 19)
3rd Annual BlackStar Film Festival (p. 19)
International House Philadelphia
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3rd Annual BlackStar Film Festival (p. 19)
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3rd Annual BlackStar Film Festival (p. 19)
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One Night Stands The Warriors 8pm (p. 20)
Family Matinee Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 2pm (p. 20) The Janus Collection Three Colors: White 7pm (p. 21)
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Archive Fever! 6.0 Goodbye Dragon Inn 7pm (p. 24)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Eroica 7pm (p. 24)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Ashes & Diamonds / The Last Day of Summer 7pm (p. 25)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Night Train 2pm (p. 25) Mother Joan of the Angels 5pm (p. 26) Jump 8pm (p. 27)
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Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Pharaoh 7pm (p. 27)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema The Saragossa Manuscript 7pm (p. 28)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema The Wedding 7pm (p. 28)
Family Matinee Babe 2pm (p. 29)
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Masterpieces of Polish Cinema The Illumination 7pm (p. 30)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema The Hourglass Sanatorium 7pm (p. 30)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Man of Iron 7pm (p. 31)
Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Blind Chance 2pm (p. 31)
Exhumed Films Star Trek III / Dune 8pm (p. 29)
The Constant Factor 5pm (p. 32) A Short Film About Killing 8pm (p. 32)
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Scribe Video Center Producers’ Forum Lordville 7pm (p. 33)
City of Signs Film Series L’eclisse / La ciudad de los signos 7pm (p. 33)
White Elephant 7pm (p. 34)
Family Matinee Fly Away Home 2pm (p. 34)
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A Filmmaker Visit: Xiaolu Guo UFO In Her Eyes 7pm (p. 37)
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30 Reelblack Purple Rain 7pm (p. 39)
The Janus Collection City Lights 7pm (p. 35)
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The Illiac Passion 7pm (p. 36)
Wayfaring Stephen Powers 7pm (p. 36)
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20 David Lynch Selects Sunset Boulevard 7pm (p. 37)
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Ekstasis: Two Films in Search of Transcendence Holy Ghost People / Aquarian Rushes 7pm (p. 38)
Family Matinee The Black Stallion 2pm (p. 38) Le Revelateur 8pm (p. 39)
International House Philadelphia
The Hourglass Sanatorium
F e at u r e d series
Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema In December 2011, filmmaker Martin Scorsese traveled to Poland to accept an honorary doctoral degree from The Polish National Film, Television, and Theatre School in Łódz. There, Mr. Scorsese met with Jedrzej Sablinski (a digital restoration expert, now with DI Factory) and reviewed a list of new digital restorations of Polish films. In the months following this visit, with the help of The Film Foundation, the two men came up with the idea of a North American tour of a series of restored Polish cinema classics. From an extensive catalog of digitally restored films, Mr. Scorsese chose 21 masterpieces. The Film Foundation’s Executive Director, Margaret Bodde then worked with Mr. Sablinski to develop the program and recommended Milestone Films as the North American distributor for the series. Milestone will be touring the 21-film retrospective
Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema throughout North America. The series features films from some of Poland’s most accomplished and lauded filmmakers, spanning the period from 1957–1987. Curated by Mr. Scorsese, each film has been digitally re-mastered and brilliantly restored on newly subtitled DCPs. The program was created and organized by Mr. Scorsese’s non-profit organization, The Film Foundation. Organized by: Propaganda Foundation, DI Factory, CRF, and The Film Foundation. In cooperation with: Kino RP, Tor, Zebra, Kadr, and Janus Films. Distributed by: Milestone Film & Video. With the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Film Institute. Honorary Patronage: the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C., the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, General of the Republic of Poland in Montreal, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto, the Consulate
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The Saragossa Manuscript Thursday, August 14 at 7pm Eroica
Friday, August 29 at 7pm Man of Iron
Friday, August 15 at 7pm Ashes & Diamonds / The Last Day of Summer
Saturday, August 30 at 2pm Blind Chance
Saturday, August 16 at 2pm Night Train Saturday, August 16 at 5pm Mother Joan of the Angels Saturday, August 16 at 8pm Jump Wednesday, August 20 at 7pm Pharaoh Thursday, August 21 at 7pm The Saragossa Manuscript Friday, August 22 at 7pm The Wedding Wednesday, August 27 at 7pm The Illumination Thursday, August 28 at 7pm The Hourglass Sanatorium
Saturday, August 30 at 5pm The Constant Factor Saturday, August 30 at 8pm A Short Film About Killing
International House Philadelphia
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ARTIST S P OTLI G H T
Street Trees by Ted Knighton
Street Trees is an exhibition of site-specific art by Philadelphia artist Ted Knighton. The show features drawings, videos, and installations that respond to, or emerge from our everyday surroundings, specifically the side streets, vacant lots, and public buildings of Philadelphia. The show gets its title from a series of drawings, in which familiar, tree-lined streets become alien landscapes of molten, morphing anatomies, a battleground where scarred limbs and naked roots fight a slow, silent war with buckling concrete and imprisoning, piercing iron. In his video piece 3rd & Arch, originally shown in an Old City lot, a projector shines onto the crumbling wall that still bears the remnants of a previously attached building. Rooms once occupied and hidden are now vacant and exposed. The wall comes alive with projected figures from an imagined past that dwell in the traces of former apartments and climb shadow staircases. The building’s skeletal rooms reveal a Poe-inspired drama that evokes Philadelphia’s literary history.
The show also documents Knighton’s past installations designed specifically for IHP, and overall the work expresses a tension between public and private, order and chaos. “We get used to the world around us and it’s easy to stop seeing how amazing, strange and fascinating it all is; much of the time, we are only passing through. These images invite the viewer to see these everyday places with new eyes.” Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, July 10 from 5:30-7pm to open Ted Knighton’s “Street Trees”. The opening will be followed by an artist’s talk at 7pm. The exhibit will be on view through the end of September 2014, in IHP’s East Alcove on the Main Level.
International House Philadelphia
programs Archive Fever! 6.0 Central to our visual culture, the archive is a repository for any personal memories, shared histories, objects, and documents through which we revisit the history of our time. In this series, we explore the myriad ways in which the archive, archival, and found materials are central to the works of film and video artists who are discovering the dynamic possibilities within archives. Wednesday, August 13 at 7pm Goodbye Dragon Inn City of Signs Film Series Prior to the 1900’s the vast majority of cultural representations of Rome, the city, within the western collective imagination have relied, necessarily, on perceptions, even echoes, of the classical city from the capital of the western world to the eternal city, from papal center to the city of ruins of the eighteenth century grand tourist. Moreover, throughout these epochs, these temporalities have been retained and have coexisted; shaping the image of Rome as the ‘Cuput Mundi’ as though it was a palimpsest of written and re-inscribed vellum whose original traces never completely vanished. The analogy of the palimpsest, necessitated by the pre-modern topography of the city with its contemporaneous order of diverse historical layers, was maintained throughout the centuries by the portraiture of its fascinated travelers, amazed by the persistence of historical landmarks and vestiges of history within the Roman landscape. In the IHP series, Rome, City of Signs we will travel through history and the films of the Italian capital, starting with the classic Roberto Rossellini’s Roma, Citta’ Aperta moving on through several other titles including Paolo Sorrentino’s most recent hit La Grande Bellezza, and Samuel Alarcon’s La Ciudad de los Signos. Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm L’eclisse / La ciudad de los signos David Lynch Selects The name David Lynch is now synonymous with cinema’s strangest, most visually arresting imagery and its most memorably quirky characters. Lynch’s morbidly humorous, surrealism-saturated vision was, in part, informed by his time spent in Philadelphia as a student.
Yet he has also been inspired by films that left their mark on cinematic history. To coincide with a major exhibition of David Lynch’s artwork at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, International House asked Lynch to select three titles that have been influential on his work as a director. Seeing these three beloved cinema classics through Lynch’s eyes may shed new light on his wholly original aesthetic. David Lynch film programming is in conjunction with David Lynch: The Unified Field at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), the first major U.S. museum exhibition of PAFA alumnus David Lynch, on view September 13, 2014 to January 11, 2015. Organized in close collaboration with the artist, the exhibition features over 90 paintings and drawings from all periods of Lynch’s career. It includes rarely-seen early work from Lynch’s time in Philadelphia (1965-70), a critical period in his creative development. Follow @ihousephilly @PAFAcademy on social media and join the conversation with #PAFADavidLynch. Saturday, September 20 at 7pm Sunset Boulevard Thursday, October 9 at 7pm Lolita Friday, November 7 at 7pm Mon Oncle Family Matinees All year long, International House Philadelphia entertains families when we open the doors to all ages for our series of family friendly matinees two Saturdays a month. The series brings the big screen to children, inspiring their imaginations, and yours, too! Take this opportunity to encourage a love of film and art from a young age. Audiences of all ages will delight in this carefully curated selection of inspired educational and entertaining cinema from around the world. With a diverse line-up of programming geared towards children, teens, parents, and grandparents, there’s no reason to leave anyone at home! Support provided in part by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.
Saturday, July 12 at 2pm The Muppet Movie (Musicals) Saturday, July 26 at 2pm Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Musicals)
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Saturday, August 9 at 2pm Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Musicals) Saturday, August 23 at 2pm Babe (Animals Save the Day) Saturday, September 13 at 2pm Fly Away Home (Animals Save the Day) Saturday, September 27 at 2pm The Black Stallion (Animals Save the Day) Full Exposure Full Exposure is a series dedicated to recent works by innovative film and video makers from around the world, and is a snapshot of the current state of moving image production and it’s constantly evolving practice. Friday, July 18 at 7pm Strange Little Cat One Night Stands When the sun sets on the city things tend to get a little…dramatic. This summer we present three classic films that take place over the course of one night. Whether being pursued by gangsters, baseball bat wielding gangs, or vigilantes in an ice cream truck, the protagonists in this series are in for a long, long night. Stay up late and enjoy the ride. Friday, July 11 at 8pm Mikey & Nicky Friday, July 25 at 8pm After Hours Friday, August 8 at 8pm The Warriors The Janus Collection Truly one of our national treasures, Janus Films is a vital part of American film culture. International House continues the Janus Collection with titles from their library, all in brand new or restored 35mm prints. Saturday, July 5 at 7pm A Hard Day’s Night Saturday, July 12 at 7pm Kwaidan Saturday, August 9 at 7pm Three Colors: White Saturday, September 13 at 7pm City Lights
Wayfaring: Conversations on Travel, Art & Culture Wayfaring, a speaking series that will take place once a quarter curated by Anthony Smyrski of Random Embassy and Megawords, will give members of the arts community a vehicle to discuss the way that travel and multi-cultural experiences have influenced their artistic process. Wayfaring, or the action of traveling from place to place, whether literally or metaphorically, is the journey of life, choices, and experiences and this speaker series will investigate both individual moments and the sum of these experiences in order to determine cultural resonance. Thursday, September 18 at 7pm Stephen Powers
PARTNER programs Exhumed FIlms Formed in 1997, Exhumed Films was created to provide a theatrical venue for a much beloved art form that had all but disappeared in the 1990s and is in further decline in the early 21st century: the cult horror movie. Sunday, July 20 at 12pm The Lost Film Festival! Saturday, August 23 at 8pm Star Trek III / Dune Reelblack Reelblack promotes discoveries and rediscoveries in African-American films. Tuesday, September 30 at 7pm Purple Rain Scribe Video Center Producers’ Forum The Producers’ Forum in-person screening series is a lecture discussion program, that allows Scribe to invite important nationally and internationally recognized media makers to Philadelphia to share their work and talk about their process of creating. Tuesday, September 9 at 7pm Lordville
International House Philadelphia
Thursday, July 3 at 2pm
4th of July bbq This event brings IHP Residents and the Philadelphia community together 4th of July festivities. Hotdogs, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, American rock ‘n roll, summer sun, and a dose of national history... join us in the courtyard of IHP and enjoy a barbecue, fun, games, and music. Free to Residents; $8 Members + Alumni; $10 general admission
Saturday, July 5 at 7pm the Janus Collection
A Hard Day’s Night Special Presentation
dir. Richard Lester, UK, 1964, DCP, b/w, 87 min.
Meet the Beatles! Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, John, Paul, George, and Ringo began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen. A Hard Day’s Night, in which the bandmates play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, reverent idols of their generation and changed music forever. Directed with raucous, anythinggoes verve by Richard Lester and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems, including the title track, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “If I Fell,” A Hard Day’s Night, which reconceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of the most deliriously entertaining movies of all time.
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Thursday, July 10 at 5:30pm
Street Trees by Ted Knighton
Street Trees is an exhibition of site-specific art by Ted Knighton. The show features drawings, videos, and installations that respond to, or emerge from, our everyday surroundings, specifically the side streets, vacant lots, and public buildings of Philadelphia. The show gets its title from a series of drawings, in which familiar tree-lined streets become alien landscapes of molten, morphing anatomies; a battleground where scarred limbs and naked roots fight a slow, silent war with buckling concrete and imprisoning, piercing iron. ‘We get used to the world around us and it’s easy to stop seeing how amazing and strange and fascinating it all is; much of the time, we are only passing through’, says Knighton. These images invite the viewer to see these everyday places with new eyes. Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, July 10 from 5:30-7pm to open Ted Knighton’s “Street Trees”. The opening will be followed by an artist’s talk at 7pm. The exhibit will be on view through the end of September 2014, in IHP’s East Alcove on the Main Level.
Friday, July 11 at 8pm One Night Stands
Mikey & Nicky
dir. Elaine May, US, 1976, 35mm, 119 min.
Peter Falk and John Cassavetes star in this tale of two friends on the run from the mob. Elaine May’s unconventional approach—it’s rumored that more than 1.4 million feet of film were shot—caused major delays in the film’s completion, angering the studio and leaving the final product little chance for success. Nevertheless, Mikey and Nicky is a fascinating convergence of the film noir/ buddy picture genres. Long takes and improvised dialogue draw comparisons to Cassavetes’ own films. May would return to this storyline in her much publicized failure Ishtar. Shot in Philadelphia almost entirely at night, Mikey and Nicky is a diamond in the rough that certainly awaits rediscovery.
International House Philadelphia
Saturday, July 12 at 2pm Family Matinee: Musicals
The Muppet Movie
dir. James Frawley, USA, 1979, 35mm, color, 95 min.
By 1979, the Muppets had conquered television, and were ready to move on to something bigger. Could puppets work convincingly on the big screen, and sustain a feature-length motion picture? The wild success of The Muppet Movie helped answer this question with a resounding “Yes.” Jim Henson broke new ground with this film by taking puppets to unheard-of locations through the use of special effects, skillful editing, and performance magic. Kermit and friends travel from a humble lily pond to Hollywood in the hopes of becoming rich and famous. Along the way, they encounter some familiar faces as they try to stay one step ahead of Evil Doc Hopper, who is trying to force Kermit to endorse his chain of Frenchfried frogs’ legs restaurants. Cameo appearances include Dom DeLuise, Edgar Bergen, Bob Hope, Orson Welles, Richard Pryor, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Steve Martin, and Mel Brooks. Free to members; $5 adults + children
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Saturday, July 12 at 7pm the Janus collection
Friday, July 18 at 7pm Full Exposure
dir. Masaki Kobayashi, Japan, 1965, 35mm, color, Japanese w/ English subtitles, 161 min.
dir. Ramon ZĂźrcher, Germany, 2013, DCP, color, German w/ English subtitles, 72 min.
Kwaidan
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales in which terror thrives and demons lurk. Adapted from traditional Japanese ghost stories, this lavish, widescreen production drew extensively on Kobayashi’s own training as a student of painting and fine arts. Janus is proud to present Kwaidan in a new, ravishing color transfer.
Strange Little Cat
Siblings Karin and Simon are visiting their parents and their little sister Clara. That evening, other relatives will be joining them for dinner. This sequence of family scenes in a Berlin flat creates a wondrous world of the everyday: Comings and goings, conversations, all manner of doings, each movement leading to the next, one word following another. It is a carefully staged chain reaction of actions and sentences, and in between, silent gazes and anecdotes about experiences. Putting the absurdities of daily life on display, the film assembles seemingly unspectacular details and snippets into an exciting choreography of everyday life.
International House Philadelphia
Boy Meets Girl Saturday, July 19 at 7pm Leos Carax Double Feature!
Boy Meets Girl
dir. Leos Carax, France, 1984, DCP, 100 min.
The feature debut of Leos Carax (Pola X, Holy Motors) owes a great deal of debt to the French New Wave, yet the film is also the work of a visionary director who would soon become one of France’s most critically acclaimed auteurs. Denis Lavant, Carax’s long running filmic alter-ego, plays a broken hearted loner who falls in love with a voice on an apartment intercom played by Mireille Perrier. When the pair finally meet, the results are equal parts comedy and tragedy. followed by:
Mauvais Sang
dir. Leos Carax, France, 1986, DCP, 105 min.
Leos Carax’s breakthrough second feature film Mauvais Sang is a romance set against a dystopian near future where a sexually transmitted disease is affecting those who make love without emotional involvement. Again channeling the best of the French New Wave, Carax crafts a stylized film noir that shimmers with primary colors and bounces along with a surreal poetry that the director would continue to refine in years to come.
Skatetown USA Sunday, July 20 at 12pm Exhumed Films presents
the Lost Film Festival!
Exhumed Films has spent the last seventeen years scouring the globe to unearth the rarest, most obscure genre films in existence. As part of the Lost Film Festival, they will present five “lost” film exclusives: these movies have never been officially released on video or DVD in any form, and in some cases, the movies have never even received a theatrical release! All will be projected from original, one-of-a-kind 35mm prints. The five films will span a variety of genres, from horror to crime to comedy to musical. Only one thing unites these titles: they can only be seen at an Exhumed Films screening at International House! $15 IHP Members; $20 General Admission
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Friday, July 25 at 8pm One Night Stands
After Hours
dir. Martin Scorsese, US, 1985, 35mm, 97 min.
The dull life of word processor Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) is rudely interrupted when he sets out to find the intriguing Marcy (Rosanna Arquette) in the dark and dangerous streets of downtown Manhattan. The bizarre characters Paul encounters on the SoHo streets lead him on a series of misadventures that involve plaster casts of bagels, a punk club where mohawks are enforced at the door, and a vigilante mob led by a Mister Softee truck. After Hours is a dark comedy of epic proportions with an all-star cast and a glimpse of New York City from a bygone era.
Saturday, July 26 at 2pm Family Matinee: Musicals
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
dir. Mel Stuart, USA, 1971, 35mm, color, 100 min.
From Roald Dahl’s novel, produced by David Wolper, and nominated for an Academy Award (“Best Score”), Gene Wilder stars in this magical, musical fantasy for the young, and the young at heart. Join the expedition visiting legendary Candy Man Willy Wonka (Wilder) in a splendiferous movie that wondrously brings to the screen the endlessly appetizing delights of Dahl’s classic book. Coated with flavorful tunes and production design that constantly dazzles the eye, this effervescent musical never fails to enchant young and old. On a whirlwind tour of Willy’s incredible, edible realm of chocolate waterfalls, elfish Oompa-Loompas and industrial-sized confections, a boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum) will discover the sweetest secret of all: a generous, loving heart. And you’ll rediscover the timeless magic of a delicious family classic. Free to members; $5 adults + children
International House Philadelphia
Oh Willy... Saturday, July 26 at 7pm
Best of the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival 2013 Recommended for Mature Audiences Only
The Best of Ottawa program showcases many audience favorites and award winners from the 2013 OIAF Official Competition. This year’s highlights include the elegant Virtuoso Virtual by Thomas Stellmach & Maja Oschmann, Eirik Grønmo Bjørnsen & Anna Mantzaris’ inspiring But Milk is Important, and Rosto’s macabre grandprize winner Lonely Bones. Na Ni Nu Ne No No - (Youkosobokudesu Selection) dir. Manabu Himeda, Japan Oh Willy... - dirs. Emma De Swaef & Marc James Roels, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Wind - dir. Robert Loebel, Germany Plug & Play - dir. Michael Frei, Switzerland Virtuoso Virtual - dir. Thomas Stellmach & Maja Oschmann, Germany
Palmipédarium - dir. Jérémy Clapin, France Two Weeks - Two Minutes - dir. Judith Poirier, Canada
Ohayo Carotene - dir. Saki Iyori, Japan Lonely Bones - dir. Rosto, France, The Netherlands Bless You - dir. David Barlow-Krelina, Canada But Milk is Important - dirs. Eirik Grønmo Bjørnsen & Anna Mantzaris, Norway
Monday, July 28 at 7pm
EID
For the second year, IHP is pleased to host the Feast of EID. Eid al-Fitr (Arabic ) رطفلا ديعalso called Feast of Breaking the Fast, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). The religious Eid is a single day and Muslims are not permitted to fast that day. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the month of Ramadan. Free for Residents; $8 Members + Alumni; $10 general admission
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Le Petit Soldat Wednesday, July 30 at 7pm Early Godard! Rarely screened early works by Jean-Luc Godard, newly restored and on 35mm.
Le Petit Soldat
dir. Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1963, 35mm, b/w, French w/ English subtitles, 88 min.
Shot in 1960, Le Petit Soldat was Godard’s follow up to his now classic Breathless, though due to the film’s portrayal of torture in connection with the Algerian struggle for independence from France it was banned in France until 1963. Anna Karina began her stint as Godard’s muse and lead actress with this film; marrying the filmmaker shortly thereafter. The film is also notable for the appearance of the now famous quote “cinema is truth 24 times per second.” preceded by:
La Paresse
dir. Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1962, 35mm, b/w, French w/ English subtitles, 15 min.
From the omnibus film Seven Deadly Sins. and
Le Grand Escroq
dir. Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1963, 35mm, b/w, French w/ English subtitles, 25 min.
From the omnibus film The World’s Greatest Swindles.
They Die by Dawn Thursday, July 31 – Sunday, August 3
3rd Annual BlackStar Film Festival
Dubbed “the black Sundance” by Ebony Magazine, the BlackStar Film Festival is a unique gathering of filmmakers and cinéastes who participate in screenings and related programming illuminating the global black experience. The only event of its kind in Philadelphia—focusing on work from the African Diaspora—BlackStar provides a highly visible platform for independent black filmmakers and films about black people from around the world, providing genre-defying and beautifullycrafted works to a diverse audience thirsty for fresh perspectives. Join us for approximately 40 films, over four days, from four continents! This year’s festival will focus on music with the theme “Music is the Weapon” and offer exclusive Philadelphia premieres of international features and short films from a wide diversity of emerging and established directors and producers. In addition to special Q&As with several awardwinning directors and producers, other activities include panel discussions, workshops, a children’s program, a program of youth-produced media, and a special awards program. For more info visit www.blackstarfest.org. Follow us @blackstarfest and #BlackStar14. The 2014 BlackStar Film Festival is made possible by generous funding from the Knight Foundation, Philly 360°, Visit Philadelphia, and Red Bull, in partnership with the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, International House Philadelphia, Scribe Video Center, and World Café Live. Photo Credit: Erykah Badu as Stage Coach Mary in They Die By Dawn (dir. Jeymes Samuel).
International House Philadelphia
Friday, August 8 at 8pm One Night Stands
The Warriors
dir. Walter Hill, US, 1979, 35mm, 92 min.
A dystopian vision of New York City controlled by gangs with names like The Lizzies, The Rogues and The Baseball Furies sets the stage for one of the strangest cult films of all time. When Coney Island’s Warriors are framed for the murder of the most powerful gang leader in New York, an allnight chase begins to hunt them down. A series of violent confrontations unfolds until the gang finally makes it back to their home turf—where they must survive one more showdown. Hill’s film straddles the line between action/adventure and anachronistic farce. Nevertheless, The Warriors is a highly imaginative and infinitely quotable American film artifact. Print courtesy of Harry Guerro of Exhumed Films.
Saturday, August 9 at 2pm Family Matinee: Musicals
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
dir. Ken Hughes, USA, 1968, digital, color, 144 min.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls start your engines. You’re about to take an incredible ride with one of the most wonderful family films of all time! Now celebrating its 45th anniversary, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has never looked or sounded better. Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, who creates an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It not only drives but also flies and floats as it leads him, his two children, and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), into a magical world of pirates, castles, and endless adventure. Free to members; $5 adults + children
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Saturday, August 9 at 7pm Janus
Three Colors: White
dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski, France/Poland, 1994, 35mm, color, French & Polish w/English subtitles, 91 min.
The most playful and also the grittiest of Kieslowski’s Three Colors films follow the adventures of Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish immigrant living in France. The hapless hairdresser opts to leave Paris for his native Warsaw when his wife (Julie Delpy) sues him for divorce (her reason: their marriage was never consummated) and then frames him for arson after setting her own salon ablaze. White, which goes on to chronicle Karol Karol’s elaborate revenge plot, manages to be both a ticklish dark comedy about the economic inequalities of Eastern and Western Europe and a sublime reverie about twisted love.
International House Philadelphia
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Become a Member OF IHP!
As a member-supported organization, IHP depends upon member contributions to present our signature contemporary arts and cultural programs, and to continue providing a warm and welcoming environment for the thousands of people who come from around the world and call IHP home year after year. Please help IHP continue to serve its century-long mission by becoming a member today! Flip through the pages of this magazine, look at all the events taking place at IHP, and consider the variety of subjects covered, the ensuing conversations and dialogue, and the way in which this unique programming engages the local and international community. It only happens at International House Philadelphia. With your membership, you will receive free and discounted admission to films, concerts, and lectures in International House’s Ibrahim Theater, as well as discounts on language classes and other events and programs presented at IHP. Join today! Please use the enclosed envelope to become a member. FOR INFORMATION ON membership, visit www.ihousephilly.org/membership or call 215.387.5125 ext.2
International House Philadelphia
Wednesday, August 13 at 7pm Archive Fever! 6.0
GoodBye Dragon Inn
dir. Ming-Liang Tsai, Taiwan, 2003, 35mm, color, Mandarin w/ English subtitles, 82 min.
An achingly beautiful love letter to the fading of a movie-going era. On a dark, wet night in a movie palace that has seen better days, a sparse yet diverse audience has come one last time to be entranced by King Hu’s 1968 martial-arts classic, Dragon Inn. A nearly narrative-free series of tender vignettes, Tsai’s film is bittersweet, gently experimental, and transcendentally captivating.
Thursday, August 14 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
Eroica
dir. Andrzej Munk, Poland, 1957, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 85 min.
Andrzej Munk’s Eroica, a Heroic Symphony in two parts and masterpiece of the Polish Film School, puts a realist lens to the romantic idea of heroism. Based on a script by Jerzy Stefan Stawinski, Eroica draws on its author’s firsthand experience as a soldier in the September campaign against the invading German army in 1939. Imprisoned in a POW camp, Stawinski escaped, participated in the Warsaw Uprising, and upon its failure was returned to another POW camp. Eroica displays the futility of the armed struggle against both Germany and Russia, while exposing the idea of heroic suffering as preposterous. In the film, World War II era Poland is under Nazi occupation. Two stories offer an ambiguous image of war: the absurd life of an average bon-vivant who, against his better judgment, participates in the combat; and righteous Polish officers incarcerated in a German camp. Is there any place for glory in these perilous times of war?
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Ashes & Diamonds Friday, August 15 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
Saturday, August 16 at 2pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
dir. Andrzej Wajda, Poland, 1958, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 103 min.
dir. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Poland, 1959, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 98 min.
Ashes & Diamonds
Ashes and Diamonds is set on the last day of World War II and the first day of peace, and between them, a night that changes everything. Seen through the eyes of Maciek, a young Polish resistance soldier, the old is rapidly mixing with the new. In a few hours, dawn will end the Nazi slavery of the country, but will also bring a new communist regime to Poland. This is not the independence the idealistic young man and his brothers in arms have been fighting and dying for. Should Maciek continue his combat when he wants so badly to live a normal, peaceful life? An iconic portrait of the dilemma of a whole generation in Poland, rooted in the literary tradition of the great, tragic dramas of romanticism. followed by:
The Last Day of Summer dir. Tadeusz Konwicki, Poland, 1958, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 61 min.
A subtle, almost quasi-documentary tale of a confrontation between two lonely people — one from which true understanding cannot seemingly result, The Last Day of Summer was the least expensive feature film in the history of Polish cinema. The crew had only one Ariflex camera and 6,000 meters of black-and-white film to create this artistic masterpiece. The idea? Two people meet on an empty beach. They can’t communicate. A crew of five people took this ascetic screenplay and created an equally austere movie.
Night Train
An intimate psychological study and a poetic tale of loneliness, Night Train brings two voyagers together accidentally in a train compartment. The subtle game of emotions — changing from mutual aversion to closeness without hope — is played out against the background of a microcosm of the human experience. A coquette, bored with her husband, attempts to seduce every available man; a former prisoner of a concentration camp fights his insomnia; old women go on a pilgrimage; and a skirt-chaser seeks his prey. With the arrival of police searching for a murderer, everything changes. It soon turns out that this seemingly average community is able to behave in a most unforeseen manner. An artistic work of great subtlety, Night Train offers itself to various interpretations.
International House Philadelphia
Saturday, August 16 at 5pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
Mother Joan of the Angels
dir. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Poland, 1960, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 110 min.
Young, virtuous exorcist Father Suryn is assigned a difficult task: he must investigate a case of demonic possession after a local priest is burnt for tempting the nuns of a convent. Arriving at the nunnery, he meets its abbess, Mother Joan, thus embarking on a struggle against the forces of darkness to save her soul. Inevitably the priest must choose between sacrificing his own purity and saving the convent from evil. A visually sophisticated film, Mother Joan of the Angels is a study of faith, sin, and redemption.
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Saturday, August 16 at 8pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
Wednesday, August 20 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
dir. Tadeusz Konwicki, Poland, 1965, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 104 min.
dir. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Poland, 1966, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 152 min.
Jump
A western set in Poland of the 1960s. A man on the run jumps off a train. He seeks refuge in a scarcely populated settlement, nearly a ghost town. It is hard to tell what the place is, set halfway between dream and reality, inhabited by people in distress. Who is the mysterious Mr. Nobody? To some he seems to be a prophet; to others, a martyr or a common liar. This enigmatic role was played by Zbyszek Cybyluski, one of the most recognizable stars in the history of polish cinema.
Pharaoh
An epic production, including battle scenes featuring thousands and refined choreography, Pharaoh focuses on the young Egyptian ruler, Ramses XIII. With his young passions, love, and idealism he has to face the cold pragmatism of dealing with the country’s external enemies and internal struggles. His position reduced to but a figurehead, Ramses fights to regain power, ultimately falling to absolute control of knowledge by his priests. Riddled with psychological, moral, and philosophical questions on the nature of power, Pharaoh forgoes large battle scenes and romantic kisses in favor of a deeply meaningful artistic creation. Unfortunately, a German releasing firm that acquired the distribution rights to Pharaoh shortened the film for international release and then went bankrupt when there was little interest in the truncated version. Now restored to its original form, Pharaoh brandishes its heroism as a weapon — teaching all that noble defeat is better than silence in the face of morally corrupt politics.
International House Philadelphia
Thursday, August 21 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
The Saragossa Manuscript
dir. Wojciech Has, Poland, 1964, DCP, b/w, Polish w/ English subtitles, 182 min.
Introduced by Professor Paul Wright, Assistant Professor of English and Acting Director of the Honors program at Cabrini College. A favorite film of Jerry Garcia and Luis Buñuel, The Saragossa Manuscript is a brilliant adaptation of one of the greatest works of world literature. A Chinese box tale, a travel story about the supernatural and mystical opposed to humanist materialism. It is 1739 as Alphonse van Worden crosses the wild range of the Sierra Morena, a land said to be inhabited only by demons, evil spirits, and invisible hands that push travelers into chasms. Although he refuses to listen to those tales, his journey will be a sequence of supernatural and frightful events. But maybe they’re only illusions?
Friday, August 22 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
The Wedding
dir. Andrzej Wajda, Poland, 1972, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 107 min.
Academy Award winning director Andrzej Wajda takes us to a wedding party. People talk, drink, dance, and flirt. It is an unusual 19th-century wedding; the marriage of an intellectual from a big town with a simple country girl. Families and friends from both sides regard the alliance with skepticism and curiosity. The director uses this event as a pretext to expose a gallery of characters from various walks of life, including a priest, a poet, a farmhand, and wife of a counselor. The young and the old, the rich and the poor – all gather at the party. Unexpectedly, something uncanny begins to permeate the joyful celebrations. Some of the guests see mysterious ghosts and hidden grudges, complexes, and yearnings step out of the hidden corners of their souls... A brilliant film adaptation of one of the most important Polish plays – written by Stanislaw Wyspianski — set to lively country music.
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Dune Saturday, August 23 at 2pm Family Matinee
Babe
dir. Chris Noonan, USA, 1995, 35mm, color, 89 min.
Academy Award winner and Best Picture nominee, Babe is the inspirational story of a shy Yorkshire piglet who doesn’t quite know his place in the world. But when Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) wins him at the county fair, Babe discovers that he can be anything he wants to be - even an award-winning sheepdog! With the help of a delightful assortment of barnyard friends, the heroic little pig is headed for the challenge of his life in this endearing and fun-filled tale the whole family will love. Free to members; $5 adults + children
Saturday, August 23 at 8pm Exhumed Films presents a Double Feature of Underrated Sci-Fi Films!
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock – 30th anniversary screening!
dir. Leonard Nimoy, USA, 1984, 35mm, 105 min.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock focuses on Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Enterprise as they attempt to retrieve the body of their fallen comrade. However, they run afoul of a cruel Klingon commander (Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd) who plots to steal the rejuvenating secrets of the planet Genesis for his own nefarious purposes. While not as lucrative as either Star Trek II or the oddly light-hearted sequel Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, The Search for Spock is an intelligent, enjoyable, and underrated entry in the Trek film series. followed by:
Dune – 30th anniversary screening!
dir. David Lynch, USA, 1984, 35mm, 137 min.
Frank Herbert’s Dune was long considered unfilmable, though several directors—most famously, Alejandro Jodorowsky—tried to bring the classic to the screen during the 1970s, only to see their projects ultimately fall apart. But in 1984, David Lynch directed an ambitious, big budget adaptation of Herbert’s masterpiece. Lynch’s Dune is infamous in the realm of sci-fi films, one that fans either love or hate. Many of the film’s weaknesses can be traced to the films producer forcing Lynch to excise over 45 minutes of footage. Flawed or not, Dune’s story of political intrigue, galactic warfare, and religious allegory set in the far-off future is visually stunning and truly epic in score. $10 IHP members, $15 general admission
International House Philadelphia
Wednesday, August 27 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
The Illumination
dir. Krzysztof Zanussi, Poland, 1972, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 92 min.
In this classic bildungsroman, a young man from a provincial town comes to the capital to study physics, hoping that science can answer his questions. He explores the boundaries of knowledge while tackling universal life experiences — love, death, friendship, fatherhood, and work. The Illumination is a philosophical essay written with a camera, comprising animation, experimental techniques and documentary footage. Director Krzysztof Zanussi’s protagonist struggles against the futility of a life constantly overshadowed by death. However, in the face of defeat, he rejects nihilism and resignation to his fate in favor of a simplistic view of life: fragile but treasured. With the success of this philosophical masterpiece, Mr. Zanussi’s career blossomed into international renown, proving that philosophy could be translated into successful cinema.
Thursday, August 28 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
The Hourglass Sanatorium
dir. Wojciech Has, Poland, 1973, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 124 min.
Magic, dreams, a manor in decay. The Hourglass Sanatorium is one of the most original and beautiful films in Polish cinema — a visionary, artistic, poetic reflection on the nature of time and the irreversibility of death. The screenplay is an adaptation of the fantasy fiction of Jewish author Bruno Schulz, one of the most renowned Polish prose stylists of the 20th century. Reflections on the Holocaust were added to the movie, reading Schulz’s work through the prism of his death during World Word II.
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Friday, August 29 at 7pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
Saturday, August 30 at 2pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
dir. Andrzej Wajda, Poland, 1981, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 153 min.
dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski, Poland, 1987, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 122 min.
Man of Iron
A masterful story about the limitations of the press coupled with real footage of the Solidarity movement strikes, Man of Iron expands on the plot of its predecessor, Man of Marble. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and nominated for an Academy Award, the film examines the events leading to one of the most crucial historical events of the 20th century. The movie was produced in haste at the express wish of the shipyard workers with the use of their own archives to support the strike. It features, among others, future Nobel Prize Winner and Polish President Lech Wałesa as himself, and captures the passion, tragedy, and anxiety of the times.
Blind Chance
One moment, one train — three completely different outcomes. From Director Krzysztof Kieslowski comes a film examining the effects of even the smallest of choices. Twenty-year-old Witek Dlugosz rushes to make a train to Warsaw, his hometown, after the death of his father. Crashing into a man drinking beer, Witek is barely able to pull himself aboard by the final car’s handrail. On the train, he encounters an old communist, who convinces him to join the Communist Party. All seems fine until his beautiful lover Czuszka is arrested by the same party with which his allegiance lies. Their love falters, she rejects him, and Witek is left alone. Back in the station, Witek crashes hard into the man drinking beer, delaying him enough to miss his train. On the railway, he smacks into a guard and is arrested. Angry, he joins the anti-Communist resistance, thus launching another sequence of events that leaves him alone and distrusted. Finally, in the station again, Witek misses the train because he gets slowed down by the man with the beer, but stops to catch his breath, avoiding the guard from the second scenario. He sees Olga at the platform, the two return to her apartment, make a child, and get married. Witek finds the motivation to finish medical school, and with newfound responsibilities, he refuses to associate with any political party, avoiding the Communists completely and forging a happy life for himself.
International House Philadelphia
Saturday, August 30 at 5pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
The Constant Factor dir. Krzysztof Zanussi, Poland, 1980, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 90 min.
Warmly received at the Cannes Festival and winner of several international awards, Krzysztof Zanussi’s film portrays a naïve but honest young man, Witold, dealing with the truths of his world. He dreams of climbing the Himalayas, just as his father had done before him. His skill in mathematics earns him a job in an international trade company, but he soon finds the position grating and is constantly thwarted by his own candidness. Confronting the death of his mother, the illusion of choice, and the realities of his world, Witold continues forward in this frightening but powerful film.
Saturday, August 30 at 8pm Martin Scorsese presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema
A Short Film About Killing
dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski, Poland, 1987, DCP, color, Polish w/ English subtitles, 85 min.
On a somber March day, the paths of three men cross: the cabbie Marian cleans his car, the lawyer Piotr celebrates passing his bar exam while in the same café, 20-year-old Jacek prepares his murder weapon. The film is a psychological and ethical study of murder. A sensation at the Cannes film festival and recipient of numerous awards, A Short Film About Killing opened the door to an international career for director, Krzysztof Kieslowski.
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L’eclisse Tuesday, September 9 at 7pm Scribe Video Center Producers’ Forum
Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm City of Signs Film Series
dir. Rea Tajiri, USA, 2014, 67 min.
dir. Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy, 1962, 16mm, b/w, Italian with English subtitles, 126 min.
Lordville
Director Rea Tajiri in attendance Lordville is an experiential, sense-driven film - a reading of landscape and culture through the lens of historiography. In this hybrid documentary, director Rea Tajiri asks “what does it mean to own the land?” Particularly in Lordville - a small, now-fading American town founded in the 1800s on a complex and problematic exchange between Native American and settler communities. Privileging the landscape itself over human testimony, the film precariously balances between resident accounts of histories and depictions of the literal forces of nature. The resulting film introduces the presence of historical ghosts that wander between the underwater world of the Delaware, and a memorable cast of characters from the past and present. Rivers move. People disappear. In the process we are reminded how complicated ownership is, how slender the threads of known history can be and how ephemeral is the land. Rea Tajiri is a filmmaker, visual artist, and educator whose groundbreaking and awardwinning films have screened at venues and film festivals throughout the world. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Film Media Arts and Theatre Department at Temple University. $5 Scribe + IHP Members; $7 Students + Seniors; $10 general admission Scribe’s Producers’ Forums are supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
L’eclisse
The concluding chapter of Michelangelo Antonioni’s informal trilogy on contemporary malaise (following L’avventura and La notte), L’eclisse tells the story of a young woman (Monica Vitti) who leaves one lover (Francisco Rabal) and drifts into a relationship with another (Alain Delon). Using the architecture of Rome as a backdrop for the doomed affair, Antonioni achieves the apotheosis of his style in this return to the theme that preoccupied him the most: the difficulty of connection in an alienating modern world. Print provide by the Museum of Modern Art. followed by:
La ciudad de los signos dir. Samuel Alarcón, Spain, 2009, digital, color & b/w, Spanish with English subtitles, 63 min.
In March 1980, César Alarcón traveled to Pompeii to carry out an ambitious project; to collect psycho-phonic samples of the great eruption of Vesuvius that had destroyed the city in 79 AD. Upon reviewing all his recordings, none of them seems to contain sounds from the Pompeian disaster. Instead, recorded unexpectedly on one of the tapes was a strange phrase captured that Alarcón remembers hearing much more recently. La ciudad de los signos is a journey through the films of the Italian director Roberto Rossellini. Rossellini’s cinema was a stiletto that opened the breach through which all modern cinema now passes. The landscapes used as locations for Rossellini’s film shoot still retain signals. Signs that are part of a vast city built on the backs of the living and the dead.
International House Philadelphia
Friday, September 12 at 7pm
White Elephant
dir. Pablo Trapero, Argentina, 2012, DCP, Spanish w/ English subtitles, 105 min.
Introduction by Beatriz Urraca and Gary M. Kramer, co-editors of Directory of World Cinema: Argentina. A discussion will follow the film. In this Buenos Aires blockbuster, Argentine superstar Ricardo Darín (The Secret in Their Eyes) stars as Father Julián, a shantytown priest facing the end of his career. White Elephant begins when Julián recruits Father Nicolas (Jérémie Renier of In Bruges), a young Belgian priest, to do social work in the slums of Buenos Aires. However, Nicolas’s unorthodox methods get him involved in dangerous drug gang wars and an ill-advised relationship with Luciana (Martina Gusman), a fellow social worker. Director Pablo Trapero (Carancho, Lion’s Den) creates an epic and authentic portrayal of the Argentine slum that joins films like City of God and Slumdog Millionaire in its use of dynamic visuals to present harsh social realities. From its mesmerizing tracking shots through a half-built hospital to a riveting sequence shot in the back alleys of the slum, Trapero’s film is gripping. But it is Darín’s assured, dignified performance that elevates White Elephant, imbuing his character with the actors’ personal charisma. Father Julián is a conflicted man battling his own demons, yet he bravely soldiers on as an all-toohuman saintly character that pays homage to the real-life shantytown priest Carlos Mugica. Presented in conjunction with the publication of Directory of World Cinema: Argentina (Intellect, 2014)
Saturday, September 13 at 2pm Family Matinee
Fly Away Home
dir. Carroll Ballard, 1996, USA, 35mm, color, 107 min.
Fly Away Home is a poignant, inspiring film about a 13-year-old girl from New Zealand sent to live with her father in Canada after her mother dies in a car accident. The soaring adventure of Amy and her estranged father Tom, who learn what family is all about when they adopt an orphaned flock of geese and teach them to fly. Fly Away Home’s message of concern and protection of Canadian geese and their habitats, and the inventive ways Amy and Tom Alden work together to save them, should delight animal lovers of all ages. Free to members; $5 adults + children
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Saturday, September 13 at 7pm The Janus collection
City Lights
dir. Charlie Chaplin, United States, 1931, 35mm, b/w, 86 min.
City Lights, the most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin, is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (a magical Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.
International House Philadelphia
Wednesday, September 17 at 7pm
The Illiac Passion
dir. Gregory Markopoulos, US, 1964-67, 16mm, 92 min.
Introduced by Robert Beavers & Mark Webber Co-presented with Cinema Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Throughout his life, Markopoulos remained closely connected to his heritage and ultimately saw the Greek landscape as the ideal setting for viewing his films. The Illiac Passion, one of his most highly acclaimed films, is a visionary interpretation of ‘Prometheus Bound’ starring mythical beings from the 1960s underground. The soundtrack of this contemporary re-imagining of the classical realm features a reading of Thoreau’s translation of the Aeschylus text and excerpts from Bartok. “The Illiac Passion, which features chiaroscuro passages reminiscent of Anger’s Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome of 1954, and incorporates 25 characters, is loosely based on Aeschylus’ ‘Prometheus Bound’. For a viewer seeing this extravagant ode to creation some thirty years after its making, the film’s most plangent moments involve Markopoulos’ affectionate casting of friends as mythical figures - Andy Warhol’s Poseidon pumping on an Exercycle above a sea of plastic, Taylor Mead’s Demon leaping, grimacing, and streaming vermilion fringes, and Jack Smith’s bohemian Orpheus, spending a quiet afternoon at home with Eurydice.” – Kristin M. Jones, Artforum Screened in conjunction with the publication of: Film as Film: The Collected Writings of Gregory J. Markopoulos Edited by Mark Webber, with a foreword by P. Adams Sitney The Visible Press, Spring 2014
Thursday, September 18 at 7pm Wayfaring: Conversations on travel, art, & Culture
Stephen Powers
Moderated by Anthony Smyrski of Random Embassy and Megawords Artist Stephen Powers will talk about his ongoing project A Love Letter to the City. Stretched across city walls and along rooftops, his colorful large-scale murals sneak up on you. “Open your eyes / I see the sunrise,” “If you were here I’d be home,” “Forever begins when you say yes.” What at first looks like nothing so much as an advertisement, suddenly becomes something grander and more mysterious—a hand-painted love letter at billboard size. Combining community activism and public art, Powers and his team of sign mechanics collaborate with a neighborhood’s residents to create visual jingles— sincere and often poignant affirmations and confessions that reflect the collective hopes and dreams of the host community. A Love Letter to the City includes murals on the walls and rooftops of Brooklyn and Syracuse, Tokyo, New York; Philadelphia; Dublin and Belfast, Ireland; São Paolo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Copies of his book A Love Letter to the City will also be available. $5 IHP Members; $8 Students + Seniors; $10 general admission
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Saturday, September 20 at 7pm David Lynch Selects
Sunset Boulevard
dir. Billy Wilder, US, 1950, 35mm, b/w, 110 min.
“I want to live in this world” – David Lynch Billy Wilder’s Academy Award winning Sunset Boulevard is perhaps the greatest film about the motion picture industry ever made. A film noir set in the center of the dream factory, Sunset Boulevard uses our fascination with Hollywood scandals to tell a dark tale of murder, deception and fading glory. The tragic figure of aging silent film star Norman Desmond is played to perfection by Gloria Swanson and the film includes cameos from such film greats as Cecile B. DeMille and Buster Keaton. Few films have achieved such iconic status in the history of cinema; Sunset Boulevard endures as a true classic.
Monday, September 22 at 7pm Swarthmore College & The Cinema Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania presents: A filmmaker visit: Xiaolu Guo Introduction and Q&A by Xiaolu Guo Xiaolu Guo is a prolific and provocative member of China’s “sixth generation” of film directors and a distinctive voice in Chinese and English contemporary literature. Based in London, Guo has published ten books, including A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers and the new novel I Am China. In her fiction and her documentary and feature films, Guo explores themes ofalienation, memory, and translation and develops her own vision of China’s past and its future in a global environment. Her films have shown widely at festivals including Locarno (where She, A Chinese won the top prize), Toronto, and New Directors/New Films. She will also lecture on September 23 at Swarthmore College (email filmandmedia@swarthmore.edu for details).
UFO In Her Eyes
dir. Xiaolu Gou, 2011, Germany, digi-beta, Mandarin w/ English subtitles, color, b/w, 110 min.
Adapted from Guo’s own novel, her most recent feature UFO In Her Eyes is a satirical political allegory exploring the effects of rapid globalization in post-Maoist China. The film tracks the phantasmagoric transformation of a small Chinese village after an alleged UFO sighting by a peasant woman (Shi Ke) and a visit from a mysterious stranger (Udo Kier). Inspired by Soviet cinema, Guo dedicated this film to Mikhail Kalatozov’s Soy Cuba (1964). The movie was produced by Fatih Akin and the Somali-Canadian musician Mocky composed the score.
International House Philadelphia
Holy Ghost People Friday, September 26 at 7pm Ekstasis: Two Films in Search of Transcendence
Saturday, September 27 at 2pm Family Matinee
From the extreme spiritual gatherings of rural Appalachia to a convergence of hippie rock fans in upstate New York, these two films offer portraits of communities seeking different pathways to the ultimate ecstatic human experience.
dir. Carroll Ballard, USA, 1979, digital, color, 118 min.
Holy Ghost People
dir. Peter Adair, US, 1967, 16mm, b/w, 56 min.
Holy Ghost People documents the religious practices of a Pentecostal church in Scrabble Creek, West Virginia. These include snakehandling, speaking in tongues, and drinking strychnine. Despite the extreme nature of the rituals performed in the film, Holy Ghost People presents its subjects with an honesty and humanity that never feels like exploitation. followed by:
Aquarian Rushes
dir. Jud Yalkut, US, 1969, 16mm, b/w & color, 47 min.
Originally presented as a silent film to accompany an expanded cinema performance, Aquarian Rushes is shown here as a 47-minute explosion of sound, color, and psychedelia. Jud Yalkut, member of the multimedia collective USCO, was asked to document an Aquarian Festival of Art & Music (better known as Woodstock) in 1969. Yalkut uses the then-newly released Sony Portapack along with conventional 16mm film to produce a dizzying survey of one of rock music’s most celebrated “happenings.”
The Black Stallion
From its turbulent beginning in a storm-swept sea to its unforgettable horse race finale, The Black Stallion is a modern-day movie landmark. When a shipwreck leaves Alec (Kelly Reno) a courageous young boy and Black, a wild Arabian stallion stranded on a desolate island, the two share a frightening adventure of survival that forges a lasting bond of friendship between them. Upon their rescue, Alec and the magnificent horse continue their adventures when they join forces with ex-jockey and horse trainer Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney). Recognizing the winning combination of Black’s remarkable spirit and Alec’s unwavering devotion to his friend, Dailey takes both under his wing and prepares them to go head to head with the world’s best thoroughbreds in “the race of the century.” One of the most highly praised productions of 1979, it is “a wonderful experience...for adults and for kids” Roger Ebert. Free to members; $5 adults + children
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Saturday, September 27 at 8pm Le Revelateur with live soundtrack by Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler
Le Revelateur
dir. Philippe Garrel, France, 1968, video, b/w, 67 min.
Philippe Garrel’s visually arresting silent film is given a new score by Philadelphia’s own Mary Lattimore and Jeff Zeigler. Le Revelateur was one of the first films of the Zanzibar group (a coterie of mostly French artists and filmmakers who began making experimental films in the wake of the May 1968 student protests) which exemplified the radical approach of the new generation of French filmmakers. Shot in stark black and white Le Revelateur is a claustrophobic vision of escape both literally and metaphorically. Mary Lattimore is a classically trained harpist whose collaborations have seen her working with such esteemed luminaries as Kurt Vile, Meg Baird, Thurston Moore, Ed Askew, Fursaxa, Jarvis Cocker, and the Valerie Project. On her debut record, The Withdrawing Room, she found a worthy sideman in Philadelphia’s Jeff Zeigler, whose contemplative Korg echoes and holds a mood for Mary’s runs. Jeff Zeigler has amassed quite the resume in recent years, between his space-rock outfit Arc in Round and his production work for local luminaries Kurt Vile, Purling Hiss, and The War on Drugs. Zeigler’s also been expanding into the solo and collaborative experimental zone, playing solo shows with Lattimore and opening for English ambient artist Benoît Pioulard.
Tuesday, September 30 at 7pm Reelblack
Purple Rain
dir. Albert Magnoli, US, 1984, HD, 111 min.
Reelblack kicks off its 12th Season with a special 30th Anniversary screening of the 1984 classic, Purple Rain. There are lots of surprises in store as we pay tribute to the music of Prince Rogers Nelson. A special prize will go to the person wearing the best 80s fashion. When Prince’s dazzling and dynamic Purple Rain (movie and soundtrack album) and the hypnotic hit single “When Doves Cry” exploded onto the pop-culture scene in 1984, it seemed there was nothing the purple one couldn’t do. The film is basically a feature-length music video, but no musician has ever had a better big-screen showcase for his many talents. The plot is really just a theme (about the son of an abusive father struggling not to continue the pattern) upon which to hang some of Prince’s most dazzling songs (including “Let’s Go Crazy” and the title tune), and some sizzling live-concert numbers. Apollonia Kotero is ravishing as the romantic interest, and Morris Day and the Time provide some terrific musical competition. Purple Rain is an essential artifact of the mid-’80s pop Zeitgeist. Prince took home an Oscar for the song score. --Jim Emerson “The best rock film since Pink Floyd: The Wall... A skillfull, exicting, personal film...One of the best combinations I’ve ever seen of rock music and drama” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Summer Semester Registration Monday, June 30 – Thursday, July 10 (Monday - Friday 10am – 5pm) Summer Semester July 14 – August 29 To learn more contact us: 215.895.6592 • languages@ihphilly.org www.ihousephilly.org
Housing available FOr SUmmer & Fall Flexible short and long-term leases Apartments • Efficiencies • Single rooms • Private rooms Apply i n per son: i n ternat ional house phi l a de l phi a 3 701 ch estn u t st re e t or onli n e at www.ihouse phi l ly.org
International House Philadelphia:
A Unique Location for Your Next Event or Meeting! Whether you are planning a business conference, an intimate soiree, an executive meeting, or a large social event, International House Philadelphia has the space and services to meet your needs and make your event a success. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s University City, IHP has over 8,500 square feet of available space with the capacity to meet the needs of groups as small as 10, or as large as 600. To inquire about hosting your event in IHP’s Ibrahim Theater or any of our other wonderful event spaces, please email events@ihphilly.org or call 215.895.6539.
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getting here International House Philadelphia is located at 3701 Chestnut Street, in the University City neighborhood, one block south of Market Street and one block north of Walnut Street.
Public Transportation: It’s a short walk from either of the Green Line’s 36th Street stops or the Market-Frankford El’s 34th Street stop. From Center City, take the 21 bus west on Walnut Street to 37th Street. From West Philly, take the 21 bus east on Chestnut to 37th.
Parking: It’s easy to park in University City! Discounted parking for International House patrons is now available at the Science Center Parking Garage, located at 3665 Market Street. There is a special rate of $5.00 per vehicle when you bring your parking stub to the International House Box Office or Front Desk to be stamped when attending events. Monday–Friday: 6:00am – 8:00pm (discounted rate after 4:00pm) Saturday & Sunday: 6:00am – 3:00pm Any cars not retrieved by the end of parking hours will remain in the garage until the following morning. There are two other parking lots just a short distance away. These are located at 38th & Walnut, and 36th & Chestnut. Plenty of street parking is also available on Chestnut and Market Streets, as well as throughout University City. Street parking is free after 8pm.
Contact Us:
General Information
215.387.5125 or info@ihphilly.org
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Executive Office Tanya Steinberg, President + CEO Clara Fomich, Executive Assistant + Office Manager Institutional Advancement + Development Elina Cher, Manager of Individual Engagement Jessamyn Falcone, Development Services Manager Lauren Fenimore, Foundations Research Manager Bryan Leib, Corporate Relations Manager Arts, Communications + Events William Parker, Director of Arts, Communications + Events Robert Cargni-Mitchell, Associate Director of Arts + Senior Curator Sarah Christy, Conference Center Manager Sasha Dages, Marketing + Communications Manager Patrick DiGiacomo, Box Office + Membership Manager Cory Espinosa, Junior Graphic Designer Jim Fraatz, Production and House Manager Justin Miller, Graphic Designer Jesse Pires, Program Curator Herb Shellenberger, Office Manager Farah Siah, Language Program Manager Admissions, Resident + Alumni Services Glenn D. Martin, Director of Admissions + Resident Life Michael T. Beachem IV, Associate Director of Resident Life Edwin Garcia, Admissions Coordinator Emily Martin, Admissions Coordinator Yun Joon Park, Front Desk Coordinator Marlon Patton, Cashier + Front Desk Manager Business Office Lina Yankelevich, Director of Finance Angela Bachman, Finance Manager Anna Wang, HR + Finance Coordinator Human Resources & Services Scott Drinnan, Director of HR + Services Moshe Caspi, Security Services + Systems Manager Deborah Sara Houda, Customer Service + Facilities Manager Larry Moore, Lead Security Guard Raj Persad, Building Operations Manager Alexander Rivkin, Information Systems + Technology Manager Althelson Towns, Facilities Supervisor Facilities, Maintenance + Security Services Mirjana Janic Ronald Persaud George Azvolinsky Yefim Klurfeld Ronald Smith Reginald Brown Vipin Maxwell Linda Stanton Phillip Carter Violeta Mehmeti Emmanuel Williams Joseph Clinton Jr. Lulzim Myrtaj Robert Wooten David Kodzo Gasonu Amar Persad Sylvie Hoeto
International House Philadelphia
International House Philadelphia:
THE NEXUS BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL CULTURE AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
The generous support of our Members, Friends, and Benefactors allows International House Philadelphia to continue the tradition of offering lifelong learning through Arts, Culture, and Humanities to an increasing number of people each year. Alpin W Cameron Foundation, Arcadia University, Berwind Fund LLC, CETRA Language Solutions, Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation, Dilworth Paxson, LLP, Dole Food Company, Drexel University, Drexel University Office of International Programs, Elliott-Lewis Corporation, eXude Benefits Group, Inc., Graboyes Commercial Window Company, Independence Blue Cross, Institute of Contemporary Art, International House New York, Joesph S. Smith Roofing, Inc., Laura Solomon and Associates, Moore College of Art & Design, Morgan Stanley, National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Petrobras, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, PNC Bank, Progressive Business Publications, Prometrics, Inc., Provincial Foundation, Samuelle and Company, Inc., The Jerome M. and Anne Zaslow Family Fund, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, Tiagha & Associates Ltd., University of Pennsylvania, University of the Sciences, Wells Fargo Bank, Windstream, Zipcar We are also thankful for the support of our in-kind donors and our many generous members and annual donors.
ADVERTISE WITH IHP
p u rc h a s e a n a d i n o u r m ag a z i n e AND h e l p s u sta i n International House Phil adelphia’s a rts a n d h u m a n i t i e s pro g r a m m i ng. For more information about print, digital, and on-screen advertising opportunities at IHP call Sasha Dages, Marketing + Communications Manager, at 215.387.2215 or email sashad@ihphilly.org
JOIN TODAY! International House Philadelphia is a multicultural residential center, a source of distinctive programming, and the embodiment of an ideal. It has a critical three-fold mission: to maintain a diverse and welcoming community for scholars from around the world, while introducing them to the American experience; to broaden the horizons of its residents and the Greater Philadelphia community through high quality international arts and humanities programs; and to encourage understanding, respect, and cooperation among the people of all nations.
IHP is an independent, member supported non-profit.