WD | Culture | Film
Cinema Listings *Unless specific times are listed, please check the theater for times. Theater locations are subject to change.
AMHARIC Anbessa
Directed by Mo Scarpelli (Ethiopia/Italy/U.S., 2019, 85 min.)
Ten-year-old Asalif and his mother have already been displaced from their homestead to the outskirts of sprawling capital Addis Ababa, and it seems looming cranes are closing in on them again. With little to do, Asalif scavenges wires and bulbs from sprawling construction sites to literally keep the lights on in their makeshift house. Pushed around by new kids in the neighborhood, the sensitive child retreats into his imagination — the only place where he can rage like a lion against the forces he can’t control (NAFF and EFF). AFI SILVER THEATRE MON., MARCH 16, 7:15 P.M.
ARABIC Abou Leila
Directed by Amin Sidi-Boumédiène (Algeria/France/Qatar, 2019, 135 min.) In 1994, amid the turmoil of the Algerian civil war, childhood friends and police officers S. and Lotfi embark on an odyssey through the desert in the north of the country as they search for an elusive terrorist named Abou Leila (NAFF). AFI SILVER THEATRE SUN., MARCH 8, 7:15 P.M.
Khartoum Offside
Directed by Marwa Zein (Sudan/Denmark, 2019, 75 min.)
Sara is a remarkable and entrepreneurial young Sudanese woman whose dream is to have a soccer team that will one day compete in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Joined by her teammates, their love of sports, strong bond and street smarts challenge the standards and stereotypical perceptions of their country (NAFF). AFI SILVER THEATRE SAT., MARCH 7, 1 P.M., TUE., MARCH 10, 5:30 P.M.
The Unknown Saint
Directed by Alaa Eddine Aljem (Morocco/France/Qatar, 2019, 100 min.)
When a recently released bandit returns to the place he buried the stolen loot, he is surprised to find a new shrine — that of the “Unknown Saint” — perched atop his once-ingenious hiding place. In the years since his arrest, a bustling village has grown next to the much-visited holy site, which is now a valuable tourist attraction relentlessly guarded by an array of quirky locals and a beloved guard dog (NAFF). AFI SILVER THEATRE THU., MARCH 12, 7:30 P.M., SAT., MARCH 14, 9:15 P.M.
ENGLISH 2 Weeks in Lagos
Directed by Kathryn Fasegha (Nigeria, 2019, color, 115 min.)
Ejikeme, an investment banker, comes home from the United States to invest in Nigerian
businesses and falls in love with his partner’s sister Lola. But Ejikeme and Lola first must contend with the political ambitions of Ejikeme’s mother, who has arranged a marriage between him and the daughter of a powerful politician who is considering Ejikeme’s father as his running mate for the Nigerian presidency (NAFF). AFI SILVER THEATRE SAT., MARCH 7, 7:15 P.M., TUE., MARCH 10, 9:15 P.M.
Atlantics
Directed by Mati Diop (France/Senegal/Belgium, 2019, 104 min.)
Set in Dakar, Senegal, this supernatural romantic drama ostensibly centers on a secret, star-crossed romance between the newly betrothed Ada and construction worker Souleiman. When Souleiman and his coworkers head out to sea in hopes of finding a better life in Spain, Ada and the other women left behind mourn the men’s absence. After a mysterious arson attempt on Ada’s wedding day, however, a young investigator becomes convinced that Souleiman has returned and is somehow responsible (English, Wolof, French and Arabic). AFI SILVER THEATRE MARCH 21 TO 25
Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War Directed by Kerry David (U.S., 2019, 110 min.)
The complex world of wildlife trafficking is viewed through a feminine lens in this thorough exploration of the emotional toll that poaching and wildlife crime are having on the courageous women fighting on the front lines (EFF). NATIONAL ZOO SAT., MARCH 14, 1 P.M.
The Burnt Orange Heresy
Directed by Giuseppe Capotondi (U.K./Italy, 2020, 99 min.)
Hired to steal a rare painting from one of most enigmatic painters of all time, an ambitious art dealer becomes consumed by his own greed and insecurity as the operation spins out of control. ANGELIKA MOSAIC OPENS FRI., MARCH 13
Caméra d’Afrique
Directed by Férid Boughedir (Tunisia/France, 1983, 95 min.)
This new 2K restoration of Tunisian director Férid Boughedir’s landmark survey of African cinema features rare footage and in-depth interviews with pioneering African filmmakers and demonstrates how, despite a lack of funds and support, these filmmakers overcame many obstacles to bring inspiring African stories to the screen (NAFF; English and French). AFI SILVER THEATRE THU., MARCH 19, 7 P.M.
Camille
Directed by Boris Lojkine (France, 2019, 92 min.)
In a rare look at the Central African Republic on film, Boris Lojkine explores the last months in the life of French photojournalist Camille Lepage, who was killed in 2014 at age 26 while covering the country’s ongoing civil war (NAFF; English, French and Sango).
30 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | MARCH 2020
The Washington Diplomat
*EFF = Environmental Film Festival **NAFF = New African Film Festival AFI SILVER THEATRE SAT., MARCH 14, 5 P.M., MON., MARCH 16, 5:15 P.M.
The Cave
Directed by Feras Fayyad (Syria/Denmark/Germany/Qatar/ U.S., 2019, 107 min.)
Under the war-torn streets of Ghouta, Syria, is a hospital known as “The Cave,” where pediatrician and managing physician Dr. Amani Ballour and her female colleagues attend to countless wounded civilians and victims of battle (English and Arabic). AFI SILVER THEATRE MON., MARCH 2, 7:20 P.M., WED., MARCH 4, 7:20 P.M.
Current Sea
Directed by Christopher Smith (U.S./Malaysia/Cambodia, 2020, 87 min.)
This environmental thriller follows investigative journalist Matt Blomberg and ocean activist Paul Ferber in their dangerous efforts to create a marine conservation area and combat the relentless tide of illegal fishing. Along the way a new generation of Cambodian environmentalists are inspired to create a better life for their people (EFF). NAVAL HERITAGE CENTER SUN., MARCH 15, 7 P.M.
Dying for Gold
Directed by Catherine Meyburgh (South Africa/Lesotho/Mozambique/Swaziland, 2018, 98 min.)
In 2004, in the biggest class-action lawsuit the country had ever seen, South Africa’s largest gold mining companies were accused of knowingly exposing miners to deadly dust and disease. Through a rich archive of footage from the colonial and Apartheid eras and intimate interviews with miners and their families, this film tells the untold story of the making of South Africa (NAFF; English, Xhosa and Southern Sotho). AFI SILVER THEATRE SUN., MARCH 15, 9:30 P.M.
Earth
Directed by Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Austria, 2019, 115 min.) Several billion tons of earth are moved annually by humans — with shovels, excavators, or dynamite. Nikolaus Geyrhalter observes people in mines, in quarries, and at large construction sites, engaged in a constant struggle to take possession of the planet (EFF). NAVAL HERITAGE CENTER TUE., MARCH 17, 7 P.M. EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA WED., MARCH 18, 7 P.M.
Emma
Directed by Autumn de Wilde (U.K., 2020)
Handsome, clever and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along. ANGELIKA MOSAIC
LANDMARK’S BETHESDA ROW CINEMA
LANDMARK’S E STREET CINEMA
Etched in Bone
Directed by Béatrice Bijon (Australia, 2018, 73 min.)
Jacob Nayinggul, an Aboriginal elder from Australia, knows that bones of his ancestors were stolen by scientists in 1948. For 60 years, they were held by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. When the Smithsonian finally agrees to repatriate the bones, Nayinggul creates a new form of ceremony (EFF). NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY SAT., MARCH 14, 4 P.M.
Everything Must Fall
Directed by Rehad Desai (South Africa, 2018, 85 min.)
When South Africa’s universities raised their fees in 2015, a wave of students took to the streets in opposition. Quickly gaining momentum and scope, the battle cry #FeesMustFall burst onto the political landscape and became a national conversation, bringing attention to the exclusion of poorer black South Africans from higher education (NAFF; English and Zulu). AFI SILVER THEATRE MARCH 7 TO 12
Freedom Fields
Directed by Naziha Arebi (Multiple countries, 2018, 97 min.)
British-Libyan filmmaker Naziha Arebi’s debut documentary offers an intimate look at post-revolution Libya through the eyes of an aspiring all-female soccer team, whose struggle to gain mainstream acceptance mirrors the broader challenges facing women in contemporary Libyan society (NAFF; English and Arabic). AFI SILVER THEATRE TUE., MARCH 17, 7:10 P.M.
Greed
Directed by Michael Winterbottom (U.K., 2020, 104 min.) In this satire on the gross inequality of wealth in the fashion industry, a self-made British billionaire finds his retail empire is in crisis after a damaging public inquiry tarnishes his image. To save his reputation, he decides to bounce back with a highly publicized and extravagant party celebrating his 60th birthday on the Greek island of Mykonos. ANGELIKA MOSAIC
LANDMARK’S E STREET CINEMA OPENS FRI., MARCH 6
The Hidden Kingdoms of China Directed by Emma Fraser (U.K., 2020, 88 min.)
China is the world’s most populated country with more than 1.4 billion people inhabiting its vast, extreme wild lands alongside creatures seen nowhere else in the world. Some of its secrets are still undiscovered…until now (EFF). THE AVALON THEATRE SAT., MARCH 21, 10 A.M.
Hope Gap
Directed by William Nicholson (U.K., 2020, 101 min.) Grace (Annette Bening) is shocked to learn her husband (Bill Nighy) is leaving her for another after 29 years of marriage, which causes an ensuing emotional fallout on their only grown son. Unraveled and feeling displaced in her small seaside town, Grace ultimately regains her footing and discovers a new, powerful voice. ANGELIKA MOSAIC
LANDMARK’S BETHESDA ROW CINEMA
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March 2020
This lyrical, kaleidoscopic picture of the city of Kolkata, India, is seen through the prism of four outsiders and the neglected street dogs they love (EFF). LANDMARK’S E STREET CINEMA SAT., MARCH 14, 9:30 P.M.
Mulan
Directed by Niki Caro (U.S., 2020)
A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father in this live-action feature film based on Disney’s “Mulan.”
OPENS FRI., MARCH 6
ANGELIKA MOSAIC
Kifaru
OPENS FRI., MARCH 27
Directed by David Hambridge (U.S., 2019, 79 min.)
Two young Kenyan rangers knowingly take on the hopeless mission of caring for the world’s last male northern white rhino as they commit to provide care, comfort and compassion for a creature living on borrowed time (EFF). NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FRI., MARCH 20, 7 P.M.
The Last Tree
Directed by Shola Amoo (Nigeria, 2019, 98 min.) A British boy of Nigerian heritage enjoys a happy childhood in Lincolnshire, where he is raised by a doting foster mother and surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends — until his real mom reclaims him and deposits him into a much different life in her small, inner-London flat (NAFF). AFI SILVER THEATRE FRI., MARCH 13, 5:25 P.M., WED., MARCH 18, 5:15 P.M.
Lost Warrior
Directed by Nasib Farah, Søren Steen Jespersen (Denmark/Sweden, 2018, 81 min.) Mohammed grew up in England, but was deported at age 19 to Somalia, where he was radicalized and recruited by al-Shabab. After witnessing the damage the terror organization was wreaking on innocent civilians, Mohammed defects and marries Fathi. When Fathi returns to her native London and discovers she’s pregnant, the couple must navigate global politics and personal relationships to build a better future for their son (NAFF; English and Somali). AFI SILVER THEATRE WED., MARCH 18, 7:20 P.M.
Ordinary Love
Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn (U.K., 2020, 92 min.)
Joan and Tom have been married for many years. There is an ease to their relationship that only comes from spending a life time together and a depth of love that expresses itself through tenderness and humor in equal part. When Joan is unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer, the course of her treatment shines a light on their relationship as they are faced with the challenges that lie ahead and the prospect of what might happen if something were to happen to Joan. ANGELIKA MOSAIC
LANDMARK’S BETHESDA ROW CINEMA
Pariah Dog
Directed by Jessie Alk (U.S., 2019, 77 min.)
ANGELIKA POP-UP
A Reindeer’s Journey
Directed by Guillaume Maidatchevsky (France/Finland, 2018, 86 min.)
Vulnerable newborn reindeer Ailo must overcome the challenges that stand in the way of his first year of life in the stunning landscapes of Lapland (EFF; English and Finnish). EMBASSY OF FINLAND SAT., MARCH 21, 3 P.M.
The Roads Not Taken
Directed by Sally Potter (U.K./U.S./Sweden, 2020, 85 min.)
This film follows a day in the life of Leo (Javier Bardem) and his daughter, Molly (Elle Fanning), as he floats through alternate lives he could have lived, leading Molly to wrestle with her own path as she considers her future. ANGELIKA MOSAIC OPENS FRI., MARCH 20
Sea of Shadows
Directed by Richard Ladkani (Austria, 2019, 104 min.)
When Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers join forces to poach the rare totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez, their deadly methods threaten to destroy virtually all marine life in the region. “Sea of Shadows” follows a team of scientists, conservationists, investigative journalists, and courageous undercover agents as well as the Mexican navy as they put their lives on the line to save the marine life and bring the vicious international crime syndicate to justice (EFF). CARNEGIE INSTITUTION FOR SCIENCE FRI., MARCH 13, 7 P.M., SUN., MARCH 22, 4 P.M.
Sorry We Missed You
Directed by Ken Loach (U.K./France/Belgium, 2020, 101 min.)
Hoping that self-employment through the gig economy can solve their financial woes, a hardup U.K. delivery driver and his wife struggling to raise a family end up trapped in the vicious circle of this modern-day form of labor exploitation. LANDMARK’S THEATRES OPENS FRI., MARCH 27
The Story of Plastic
Directed by Deia Schlosberg (U.S., 2019, 93 min.)
Unlike any other plastic documentary you’ve seen, “The Story Of Plastic” presents a cohesive timeline of how we got to our current global plastic pollution crisis and how the oil and gas industry
