Don’t Let Me Drown
Directed by Cruz Angeles (United States, 2008)
A love affair set amid the ruins of post-9/11 New York powers this strong feature debut by UC Berkeley graduate Cruz Angeles, who adapts a street-level, neorealist aesthetic to capture the vibrancy and frictions of communities rarely portrayed realistically onscreen. Merging a cinema verité portrait of the city’s Mexican and Dominican populations with a romantic lyricism, “Don’t Let Me Drown” possesses both the toughness of its New York setting and the sorrow of its specific time but is, at heart, a love story. 105 minutes. English and Spanish with English subtitles.
“Don't Let Me Drown” is one of the best film portraits yet of New York City in the aftermath of 9/11…” — The Hollywood Reporter
This film is not yet rated.
Monday, October 5, 7:00 pm
Pacific Film Archive Theater
Crónica de una fuga
Directed by Israel Adrián Caetano (Argentina, 2006)
In 1977, Claudio Tamburrini, goalkeeper of a B-league soccer team, is kidnapped by Argentine government forces and taken to a clandestine detention center. There, he enters a living hell of interrogation, humiliation and betrayal. After four months of imprisonment, with execution looking certain, Claudio and three other prisoners make a desperate move. Forcing open a window in the middle of a thunderstorm, completely naked, they jump into the void and begin their flight. 102 minutes. Spanish with English subtitles.
“This film is both a warning about abuse of government power and a reassurance that justice will sometimes triumph.” — New York Post
Rated R for brutality, torture, nudity and language.
Wednesday, October 21, 7:00 pm
Location: TBD
La Nana
Directed by Sebastián Silva (Chile, 2009)
A live-in maid, Raquel, has served the Valdés family for 23 years. Neither truly a member of the family nor simply a servant, she inhabits a precarious space somewhere in between. Threatened when her employers decide to bring in extra help, she engages in a series of increasingly frantic acts to hold on to her position in this sharp comedic drama about family, class and self-discovery. 95 minutes. Spanish with English subtitles.
Winner of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize in World Cinema for Best Film and the Special Jury Prize for Best Actress.
This film is not yet rated.
Monday, November 9, 7:00 pm
Pacific Film Archive Theater
Leonera
Directed by Pablo Trapero (Argentina, 2008)
Julia doesn’t remember how her boyfriend Nahuel ended up dead, his lover Ramiro badly wounded and herself bloodied in her Buenos Aires apartment. Her shock continues when she is found to be pregnant and confined to the “lion’s den,” a prison ward for mothers and young children. When her son turns four, he must go to live with a family member or be given up for adoption. As the date approaches, outside forces begin to close in on Julia, and she must fight to find a way to keep her son. 113 minutes. Spanish with English subtitles.
“…a terrifically engaging story about a woman who is damaged, angry, beautiful and indomitable, who loves her son and who remains a mystery to us, and to herself, right to the end.” — Salon.com
This film is not yet rated.
Wednesday, December 2, 7:00 pm
Location: TBD |
