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SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2019 Check out all the great films coming to the Rafael in August and September, including our new Family Film Summer Series, lots of concert films and documentaries under our Movies & Music mantle, visiting filmmakers in person, premieres, and, as always, the best of international and independent film – there’s something for everyone to enjoy on our screens!
SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER
1118 FOURTH STREET, SAN RAFAEL
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@SMITHRAFAELFILMC ENTER1 | #SMITHRAFAEL Tickets, program updates, and added shows at RAFAELFILM.ORG This indicates programs with in-person guests. Programs subject to change, including opening dates. Cover photo: Linda Ronstadt: the Sound of My Voice (see p. 5)
Films marked with this logo are part of CFI’s gender equity initiative, Mind the Gap, launched at the 2015 Mill Valley Film Festival. CFI is dedicated to actively working towards closing the gender gap in Hollywood and the rest of the global film industry.
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CFI French Cinema Sponsor
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, DocLands Documentary Film Festival and CFI Education programs throughout the year. © Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. No portion of Rafael publications may be duplicated in any form without written consent from the Smith Rafael Film Center and/or the California Film Institute.
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ONE CHILD NATION OPENS AUGUST 16 From award-winning documentarian Nanfu Wang (Hooligan Sparrow, I Am Another You) and Jialing Zhang, the sweeping One Child Nation explores the ripple effect of China’s devastating One Child Policy, an extreme social experiment enacted in 1979 that made it illegal for couples to have more than one child. One Child Nation serves as a first-of-its-kind oral history of this collective tragedy. In English and Mandarin with English subtitles. Directors Nanfu Wang and Jailing Zhang. (China/US 2019) 85 min
RUSH: CINEMA STRANGIATO 2019 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 7:30 The Holy Trinity of Rock returns to the big screen on when the first “Annual Exercise in Fan Indulgence” Cinema Strangiato brings Rush fans together in movie theatres worldwide. Featuring R40+, this global fan event will give audiences a special look into some of the best performances from R40 LIVE, as well as unreleased backstage moments and candid footage. New interviews include Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, Taylor Hawkins, producer Nick Raskulinecz, violinist Jonathan Dinklage and more. (US 2019) 120 min MOVIES
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CINEMA STRANGIATO 2019 1
STOP MAKING SENSE THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 7:00 IN PERSON: JERRY HARRISON Energetic, iconic, and universally acclaimed as one of the greatest concert films ever made, Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense captures the kinetic groove of pop-punk-avant-garde band Talking Heads at the height of their live performance powers, shot at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre over four nights in 1983, featuring fan favorites such as Burning Down the House, Psycho Killer, Once in a Lifetime, Take Me to the River, and many more! Director Jonathan Demme (US 1984) 99 min $15 general, $13 seniors, $10 CFI members MOVIES
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ZZ TOP: THAT LITTLE OL’ BAND FROM TEXAS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 4:15 This rollicking musical documentary tells the story of how three oddball teenage bluesmen – Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard – became one of the biggest, most beloved bands on the planet, all while maintaining a surrealist mystique that continues to intrigue fans and entice onlookers 50 years after the band’s inception. Unravel the extraordinary tale of a band whose image we know, but whose story we don’t. Director: Sam Dunn (US 2019) 91 min MOVIES
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THE BREAKFAST CLUB THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 7:00 DOMINICAN NIGHT AT THE RAFAEL Selected by Dominican University students for our very first Dominican Night at the Rafael! Spend some quality time back in 1985 with a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal in John Hughes’ high school classic The Breakfast Club. This consortium of classmates from very different cliques gather for Saturday morning detention as virtual strangers, and become much more than that over the course of a rebellious afternoon spent outsmarting the assistant principal in the Barry Manilow wardrobe. Director & Writer: John Hughes (US 1985) 97 min
AQUARELA OPENS AUGUST 30 Aquarela is a spectacular, epic, raw, and thunderous journey around the globe to bear witness to the awesome power of water. Shot at an astonishingly high rate of 96 frames-per-second, the film is deeply cinematic, immersive, and experiential, dramatically illustrating water’s equal capacity for destruction and life force. Fiercely lyrical and sensory, the film is scored by Finnish cello-metal band Apocalyptica, showcasing the world’s water for its ecstatic, awe-inspiring, and precious nature. We fragile humans experience life and death, joy and despair in the face of its majestic power. Director Viktor Kossakovsky (US 2019) 89 min
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MY PLACE | MY STORY PREMIERE
Photo: Tommy Lau
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Come see the great work produced by our young filmmakers at the CFI Education My Place |My Story World Premiere! This week-long filmmaker workshop is an opportunity for teens to create personal short films while learning digital storytelling and basic filmmaking skills. Supervised and supported by professional media makers, students write and record personal video narratives about their own lives and experiences and the things they are most inspired by and care about. Free, but ticket required. Presented by CFI EDUCATION
BECOMING NOBODY OPENS SEPTEMBER 6 - US PREMIERE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 7:30 IN PERSON: FILMMAKER JAMIE CATTO 6:30 – Meet The Filmmaker Reception & Film: $25 General | $23 Senior/Youth | $20 CFI Members 7:30pm – Film Only: $15 General | $13 Senior & Youth | $10 CFI Members
In partnership with The Buddhist Film Foundation In Jamie Catto’s engaging documentary, the core arcs of Ram Dass’ life and teachings coalesce through historic clips and extensive interviews, manifesting the unique existence of Richard Alpert/Ram Dass, whose spiritual guidance has defined a generation of inner explorers and seekers of truth and wisdom. Director Jamie Catto (US 2019) 81 min
LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE OPENS SEPTEMBER 6 Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice is a musical biography of one of the most successful and versatile female singers of the 20th century — and one of the most successful recording artists of all time. This moving documentary tells Linda Ronstadt's story through her own words and music, as well as through the admiring testimonials of colleagues Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Aaron Neville, among many others. Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffery Friedman (US 2019) 95 min MOVIES
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DOUBLE FEATURE IN 35MM!
WITH SPECIAL GUEST ROB NILSSON
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 7:00
NORTHERN LIGHTS
HEAT AND SUNLIGHT
Winner of the Camera d’Or, for best first feature at the Cannes Film Festival, Northern Lights served an important role in the nascent independent feature movement of the 1970s. Filmmaker Rob Nilsson, who collaborated with John Hanson, will present this 35mm print of their drama about labor organizing among working farmers in North Dakota in 1915. With Robert Behling, Joe Spano, Susan Lynch, Marianne Astrom-De Fina. Camera: Judy Irola. Writers/Producers/Directors: John Hanson, Rob Nilsson. (US 1979) 90 min
Grand Jury Prize-winner at the 1988 Sundance Film Festival, this raw and funny drama from director Rob Nilsson casts the filmmaker as Mel Hurley, a photographer traumatized from covering the Biafran War who is overcome with jealousy of his dancer-girlfriend (Consuelo Faust). This is one of Nilsson’s first films in his improvisational “Direct Action” style. With Don Bajema, Ernie Fosselius. Camera: Steve and Hildy Burns. Music: David Byrne, Brian Eno. Director: Rob Nilsson. (US 1988) 97 min plus discussion
WILDER THAN WILD THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 7:00 IN PERSON: FILMMAKER KEVIN WHITE This illuminating documentary highlights issues facing our planet with regard to wildfires. Kevin White traces a journey from the Rim Fire of 2013 to the wine country wildfires of 2017, exploring the proactive use of prescribed fire to reduce reliance on reactive fire suppression, meeting with a California tribe who have renewed their tradition of cultural fire, and scientists and resource managers with innovative ideas about how to restore and manage the lands. Director: Kevin White (US 2018) 58 min Post-film discussion with filmmaker & experts Hosted by: 2019 Bioneers Conference in Marin
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SELECTED FILMS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 4:15
BLACK PANTHERS
UNCLE YANCO
Agnès Varda’s snapshot of the essential moment in Oakland when the BPP organized and rallied to free Huey Newton has become referential source material, highlighting the power of the political movement that offered leftist revolution for and by the black community. This film serves as a blueprint for resistance from the forebears of the fight that continues today. Director: Agnès Varda (US/ France 1968) 15 min
In her effervescent first California film, Agnès Varda delves into her own family history. The short documentary Uncle Yanco features Varda tracking down a Greek emigrant relative she’s never met, living in the ‘aquatic suburbs’ of San Francisco, and discovering a fellow artist and kindred soul leading a bohemian life on his houseboat in Sausalito. Director: Agnès Varda (US/France 1967) 22 min
ONE SINGS, THE OTHER DOESN'T SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 4:15 Agnès Varda’s enchanting ode to female friendship and liberation is part blissed-out bohemian musical, part revolutionary cri de coeur. Spanning more than a decade, it traces the ups and downs – abortion, heartbreak, marriage, motherhood – of two friends, Pauline (Valérie Mairesse) and Suzanne (Thérèse Liotard). Even as their lives radically diverge, they remain steadfastly devoted to one another while finding ways to empower other women: one as a traveling feminist folk singer, the other as a reproductive rights activist. Director: Agnès Varda (France 1977) 120 min
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A FAITHFUL MAN
CFI French Cinema Sponsor
OPENS SEPTEMBER 13 Actor-writer-director (and French cinema royalty) Louis Garrel (The Dreamers) offers a light-hearted feminist romantic comedy that re-imagines the familiar tropes of the French New Wave in A Faithful Man. Written in collaboration with illustrious screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière (Belle du Jour, The Unbearable Lightness of Being), the story cleverly shifts focus between the three characters involved in this unorthodox love triangle: Garrel as love-lorn Abel, Laetitia Casta as former flame Marianne and Lily-Rose Depp as ingenue Eve, traversing a journey that stretches a decade. In French with English subtitles. Director Louis Garrel (France 2018) 75 min
MEASURE FOR MEASURE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 7:00 A compelling look at abuses of power in a Vienna beset with brothels and loose morality, a young novice nun fears compromise by a corrupt official, who offers to save her imprisoned brother in exchange for sex. When she threatens to expose him, he comfortably insists no one will believe her word against his. Shakespeare’s 400-yearold work remains resonant and relevant today in this masterful production from director Gregory Doran starring Antony Byrne, James Cooney, Sandy Grierson, Lucy Phelps, and Joseph Arkley. Anticipated running time 137 min $15 General | $13 Senior & Youth | $10 CFI Members
BEYOND THE FEAR OF SINGING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 6:30 US PREMIERE IN PERSON: FILMMAKER MICHAEL STILLWATER & GUESTS Beyond the Fear of Singing explores the existential gap between ‘performers’ and ‘non-performers’ and a global grassroots return to appreciation for our natural voice and unique song. Across the globe, artists and lay people make the courageous journey to reclaim their voice in this third installment of the award-winning documentary series In Search of the Great Song, celebrating the music that lives in all of us. Director: Michael Stillwater (US 2019) 90 min FOLLOWED BY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SING!
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ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 7:30 A stunning sensory experience and cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive reengineering of the planet, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is a years-in-the-making documentary from the award-winning team behind Manufactured Landscapes (2006) and Watermark (2013) and narrated by Alicia Vikander. Anthropocene makes the case that we are witnessing a critical moment in geological history — and brings a provocative and unforgettable experience of our species’s breadth and impact. Directors Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Edward Burtynsky (US 2019) 87 min
CHULAS FRONTERAS & DEL MERO CORAZÓN
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 4:15 IN PERSON: FILMMAKERS MAUREEN GOSLING, CHRIS STRACHWITZ and HARROD BLANK CHULAS FRONTERAS From revered filmmaker Les Blank and El Cerrito-based Arhoolie Records’ Chris Strachwitz Chulas Fronteras (Beloved Borders), is a zesty introduction to Norteña music and the culture that exists along the Texas-Mexican border. (US 1976) 58 min DEL MERO CORAZÓN (Straight from the Heart) is a lyrical journey through the heart of Chicano culture as reflected in the love songs of the Tex-Mex Norteña music tradition. (US 1976, 79) 87 min MOVIES
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RAISE HELL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS OPENS IN SEPTEMBER With trademark razor-sharp wit, national political columnist and media firebrand Molly Ivins spoke truth to power and took on corruption within the political establishment wherever she uncovered it. Filmmaker Janice Engel crafts a highly entertaining watch that radiantly brings Ivins’s repartee and political wisdom back to life. Her messaging and brand of commentary strikes a particular chord in today’s hostile political climate. Director: Janice Engel (US 2018) 91 min
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FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING On 4th Street in front of the Smith Rafael Bring a chair or blanket!
THE IRON GIANT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 • SUNDOWN The Rafael presents Brad Bird’s animated Cold War fable in this beautifully remastered 2015 Signature Edition, projected outdoors for the whole family to enjoy!
FAVORITE FAMILY SHORTS FROM MVFF41
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1:30 We are proud to present a highlight of family short films from the 41st Mill Valley Film Festival, for our young and young at heart audience. The selections feature stories from feisty kids both real and fictional, expressing the joy and challenges of being a child and growing up. (US, UK, Australia 2017, 2018) 76 min
A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1:30 IN PERSON: GUESTS FROM CHARLES M. SCHULZ MUSEUM It’s the Peanuts gang on-screen again in the charming feature based on Charles Schulz’s classic comics! When Charlie Brown enters the school spelling bee, ever-cynical Lucy predicts his humiliation. With the help of best pal Linus and faithful Snoopy, Charlie faces his fears and succeeds beyond his wildest imagining. Director: Bill Melendez (US 1969) 86 min
SNOOPY COME HOME
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1:30 IN PERSON: GUESTS FROM CHARLES M. SCHULZ MUSEUM Snoopy, Come Home centers upon the adventures of Charlie Brown's beloved beagle, who receives a letter from his original owner, Lila, confined to a hospital with illness. With his bird friend Woodstock, Snoopy journeys to visit Lila. However, when Lila gets better, she asks Snoopy to live with her- which loving owner will he choose? Director: Bill Melendez (US 1972) 81 min
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MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL OPENS IN SEPTEMBER Horn player, bandleader, innovator: Miles Davis was a force of nature, the very embodiment of cool. Director Stanley Nelson’s (The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution) portrait reveals Davis’ restless determination to break boundaries and live life on his own terms. Never-before-seen footage, rare photos, and new interviews with Quincy Jones, Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Ron Carter tell the story of a truly singular talent. Director: Stanley Nelson (US 2019) 115 min MOVIES
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ROGER WATERS: US + THEM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 7:00 Roger Waters, co-founder, creative force and songwriter behind Pink Floyd, presents his highly anticipated film, Us+Them, featuring state-ofthe-art visual production and breath-taking sound in this unmissable cinema event. Waters collaborates once more with Sean Evans, visionary director of the highly acclaimed movie, Roger Waters The Wall, to deliver this creatively pioneering film that inspires with its powerful music and message of human rights, liberty, and love. Directors: Sean Evans, Roger Waters (US 2019) 135 min $15 General | $13 Senior & Youth MOVIES | $10 CFI Members
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after MVFF... METALLICA AND SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: S&M2 - OCTOBER 14 The hometown heavy-metal heroes of Metallica return to the Bay Area with Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&M2! CFI EDUCATION and CANAL ALLIANCE present WAKING DREAM - OCTOBER 17 Theo Rigby’s documentary weaves together the stories of undocumented young people as they sit in limbo between deportation and a path to citizenship. Panel discussion to follow. Learn what Canal Alliance is doing to support immigrants in Marin. PAIN AND GLORY - OPENS OCTOBER 18 Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film about a director reflecting on his life choices, starring Cannes Best Actor Antonio Banderas DECONSTRUCTING THE BEATLES - THE FULL SERIES! The Rafael brings back all nine films in the popular series, presented in album order Sunday afternoons October 20 through December 15! RAFAELFILM.ORG
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MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
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M V F F. C O M
CFI EDUCATION • • • • • •
Utilizes film as a powerful catalyst to educate, inspire, and entertain Teaches youth to be effective and informed media consumers and creators Builds global awareness through exposure to different cultures and worldviews Cultivates an appreciation for the artistry and craft of filmmaking Empowers young people and gives them a voice through film Nurtures aspiring filmmakers and provides a platform for their creative efforts
PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL EDUCATION SCREENINGS ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH FORUM FILMMAKERS GO TO SCHOOL MY PLACE | MY STORY SUMMERFILM COMMUNITY CINEMA TEEN WELLNESS FILM SERIES
Photos: Tommy Lau
cfieducation.org COMMUNITY CINEMA RETURNS! Join us for the new 2019-20 season of our free
weekday matinee documentary film series that brings people of all ages together for screenings and community-driven conversations around meaningful and urgent issues. UNSETTLED: SEEKING REFUGE IN AMERICA September 16 – 12:00pm The untold stories of LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers who have fled intense persecution in their home countries and are attempting to resettle in the U.S. Director Tom Shepard in person. THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE October 21 – 12:00pm Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and First Partner of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom aims to expose social and economic inequality, viewed through the lens of America’s RAFAELFILM.ORG gendered values. Guests TBA
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LEADERSHIP Christopher B. and Jeannie Meg Smith Jennifer Coslett MacCready Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation Vickie Soulier INVESTOR Jim Boyce Trust and Kris Otis Gruber Family Foundation Gordon Radley Resonance Philanthropies Christine A. Schantz Michael and Susan Schwartz Fund PLATINUM Ken and Jackie Broad Family Fund Kamala Geroux-Berry and David Berry Genuine Article Pictures Vivian Kaufman Fund Daniel Kenyon and Michelle Marchetta Kenyon Mobley Family Fund Maggie O’Donnell and Josh Floum Jonathan and Deborah Parker The Jay Pritzker Foundation SILVER Nancy Abodeely Kenneth Birdwell Susan Bolle Alice Corning Drusie and Jim Davis, Drusie Davis Family Fund Carol DiFeo Stephanie DiMarco Michael Dyett and Heidi Richardson Dennis P. Fisco and Pamela Polite Fisco Lorrie and Mark Fishkin The Gibbs Family Charitable Fund Linda Gomez Griswold Family Fund, Bob and Alex Griswold Maureen Groper Lynne Hale Tom and Barbara Harrison
Margaret E. Haas Andree and John Jansheski Willa Jefferson-Stokes Katz Family Foundation Pat Kendall Dr. Joe Keon Margaret Keon Marion Krott K.C. and Steve Lauck Kenneth and Vera Meislin Stephen and Mary Mizroch James Mochizuki Linda Morgan Cathy and Robert Nourafshan Paragon Energy Capital Gertrud Parker Mary and Bill Poland Eric Schwartz and Magda Wesslund Jann Stanley and Soren Dalsager Mona Steinberg Patricia Tanoury Laura Tauber Henry O. Timnick Sue and Steve Weinswig Paul Zaentz BRONZE Anonymous (4) Jane Bay Alletta Bayer Dave and Ann Peckenpaugh Becker Susan and William Beech Inez Brooks-Myers Marc and Robin Bussin Anthony Campodonico Jan Capper Joe and Sue Carlomagno Tom Cohen and Kristi Denton Cohen Joel and Justine Coopersmith Suzette deVogelaere Gayle Donsky and Morton J. Stein Julie Erickson and Art Rothstein Catherine and Peter Flaxman Janet Fox Gerald L. and Sheree A. Friedman Frank Gaipa Deborah Goldman RAFAELFILM.ORG
Michelle Griffin and Tom Parker Amy Miller Gross Julie Hauser Robin Hauser Richard J. Idell and Susan Kornblatt Idell Elisabeth and Howard Jaffe Amy Keroes and Jeff Fisher Thomas Koegel and Anne La Follette The Kustel Family Letty Ledbetter Dawn Lyon Cynthia Maram Cindy and John McCauley Catherine and Ted McKown Rosemary McNeely Monahan Parker, Inc. Suki and Russell Munsell Roberta O’Neale Lorne and Ilona Parker Tucky and John Pogue Mark and Dorian Polite Put and Pari Carolyn Cavalier Rosenberg, Dr. Sanford Rosenberg and Media Research Associates Karen and Harry Rosenbluth Jack and Judy Sherman Susan and Joel Sklar Elliott and Shayna Stein Carol Tabb Mel and Lois Tukman Karen Williams Kate Wilson Teresa Wolf Zach and Marlies Zeisler Mel and Patricia Ziegler MAJOR FOUNDATION SUPPORT The Bernard Osher Foundation The EACH Foundation Fenwick Foundation Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Marin Community Foundation GOVERNMENT SUPPORT County of Marin
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