THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora
Showing posts with label screening sighting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label screening sighting. Show all posts

SCREENING SIGHTING - A Dry White Season

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The first studio film directed by a black woman can now be screened for free via Hulu.com - Martinique-born Euzhan Palcy's A Dry White Season, which she also co-wrote.

The 1989 film stars Donald Sutherland as a white South African schoolteacher, ignorant about racism in his country, who becomes involved when his black gardener is killed. Marlon Brando and Susan Sarandon co-star.

Certainly not Palcy's best work - for that see her debut, Sugar Cane Alley - but, still worth a look, if only for its above significance.

Watch it in full below.

SCREENING SIGHTING - Hunger

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I've written about this film previously on this blog.

It's called Hunger - first-time "helmer," Steve McQueen's critically acclaimed feature about Irish Republican Army (IRA) member Bobby Sands' last six weeks of life during a hunger strike in prison in 1981.

Adjectives such as "riveting" and "spine-chilling," amongst many others, have already been daubed onto the film by critics, accompanied by countless servings of praise from audiences who have been lucky enough to see the completed feature at the festivals its screened.

The film first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year, where it went on to win the coveted Camera d'Or award (best first film), beginning a course on which it would later garner several more nominations and awards at other festivals and independent film organizations.

You're probably wondering why I'm bothering to mention a film about an IRA member who died almost 30 years ago, on this blog; I do so because the writer and director of the film (Steve McQueen) is black (that's his picture above).

This wasn't just some director-for-hire job for McQueen. It was very much a labor of love, and a story he really wanted to tell, and thus devoted quite a bit of his life to it - a feat that should be commended!

The film opens in New York at IFC Center on the 20th of this month. I plan to see it!

Here's the trailer as a reminder:

SCREENING SIGHTING - Examined Life

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“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Socrates spoke those words during his trial for heresy. He was charged with encouraging his students to question and challenge the accepted beliefs of the time, and to think for themselves.

As punishment, he was sentenced to death; however Socrates was given the choice of life in prison/exile, and could have avoided death, but he believed that these alternatives would rob him of the only thing that gave his life meaning: examining his life and the world around him, and developing ways he could improve on both. In his view, without his “examined life” there was no point in living. So of course, his Athenian persecutors were left with no choice but to sentence him to death.

I don't know if my convictions are that strong - I'd certainly like to think so, but facing death has a way of rapidly encouraging flexibility. But thankfully, I live in a time and place that doesn't require that I must choose between an examined life or death... or do I? Death doesn't have to be literal.

No matter... I can undoubtedly say that mine is a life constantly under a microscope!

Here's a documentary I just came across while looking for something worthwhile to occupy some of my free time with this weekend. It's called, naturally, Examined Life. The 88-minute film is by Astra Taylor, a writer, filmmaker and director who produces short-form documentaries for The Nation ezine.

Per the IFC Center website, where the film is currently screening, Examined Life, "takes philosophy out of the classroom and into the street, as filmmaker Astra Taylor accompanies a veritable who's who of contemporary thought on a series of brief, invigorating journeys."

Joining her for the ride are Cornel West, Kwame Anthony Appiah (Ghanaian philosopher and novelist), Slavoj Zizek (self-proclaimed Marxist, sociologist, philosopher), and several others.

IFC calls it "a celebration of intellectual discourse and its power to transform our understanding of the world and our place in it."

The subject matter is compelling enough to me; and with contributions from the likes of Cornel West, Kwame Anthony Appiah and Slavoj Zizek, count me in! I'll see it this weekend, undoubtedly.

Reading the above synopsis and watching the below trailer, I'm instantly reminded of Richard Linklater's Waking Life - minus the rotoscoping :o):

SCREENING SIGHTING - Mystery Team

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Hey New Yorkers! Isn't it just great to be one! Numerous perks abound, especially for fans of Le Cinema... including the one below.

I posted an entry about this film in January as one of a few "Black Face Alerts" at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which you can read HERE.

Despite the overwhelmingly rave reviews it received from the audiences who saw it at the festival, the film failed to attract a distributor, and, as far as I know, still remains unsold.

And, likely as a way to maintain some of the public interest the film garnered at Sundance in January, the producers have scheduled 2 FREE screenings of the film at the Cinema Village theatres on Manhattan's lower east half. That's right - FREE! Although tickets are available on a first-come/first-serve basis, so if you want to be guaranteed a seat, be sure to get in line early!

See the image above for all the specs (days and times), and then reacquaint yourself with the film that SlashFilm calls “One of the Most Marketable Films of Sundance 2009“ by reading my original post on it, and watching the trailer below:




via /FILM

SCREENING SIGHTING - Indie Film Bloggers Road Trip

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A documentary about bloggers who blog about cinema.

Guess what? I'm in it - within the first 15 minutes actually!

So, if you're in New York City, and are available tonight, at 8PM, head on over to the theatres at Anthology Film Archives, in lower Manhattan - 32 Second Avenue, exactly - on the corner of 2nd avenue and 2nd street. Take the F/V train to 2nd Avenue - the theatre is about 2 blocks from the subway station.

Tickets are $9.

The filmmaker (Sujewa Ekanayake) and the cast of characters will mostly be present.

Check out Sujewa's blog at DIYFilmmaker.Blogspot.com for much more!


SCREENING SIGHTINGS - Best Of The African Diaspora Film Festival @ BAM

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Attention New Yorkers:

A few screenings to fill your calendars with for the rest of the month... they're certainly on mine.

All are selections from last fall's African Diaspora Film Festival, and will be screening at BAM Cinematek. I've also written about some of these films previously on this blog.

Here they are, trailers included:

1. Gospel Hill (Read my post on this HERE)

Fri, Feb 20 at 9pm*
Sun, Feb 22 at 6:50pm*
Tue, Feb 24 at 9:40pm*
*Q&A with Giancarlo Esposito

Directed by Giancarlo Esposito
With Angela Bassett, Danny Glover, Julia Stiles

This powerful film captures the simmering tension and prejudice in the southern town of Julia on the eve of a memorial for assassinated civil rights activist Paul Malcolm. Glover brilliantly portrays Malcolm’s son, while Bassett is remarkable as his wife, who urges her husband to fight to stop developers in the Gospel Hill neighborhood intent on exploiting black homeowners.



2. Prince of Broadway (Read my post on this HERE)

Sat, Feb 21 at 4pm*
Tue, Feb 24 at 4:30 pm*
*Q&A with filmmakers

Directed by Sean Baker

Two men’s lives converge in New York City’s wholesale fashion district. Lucky, an illegal immigrant from Ghana, solicits street shoppers with knock-off merchandise, and Levon, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, operates an illegal storefront selling counterfeit goods. While Lucky’s world is turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life, Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. Winner of the Jury Award, Los Angeles Film Festival 2008.



3. Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation (Read my post on this HERE)

Wed, Feb 25 at 8:40pm

Directed by Charles Burnett
With Danny Glover, Carl Lumbly

Charles Burnett’s (Killer of Sheep) latest work depicts a major event in African history: Namibia’s struggle for independence from apartheid-era South Africa. The film focuses on the rise of Samuel Nujoma (Lumbly), a prominent leader in the fight for independence and the country’s first president.



4. Princess of Africa

Wed, Feb 25 at 4:30pm

Directed by Juan Laguna

This is the story of two dreams: Marem, a Senegalese dancer, dreams of visiting Europe, while Sonia, a Spanish dancer, is fascinated by the magic of Africa. Their interconnected lives become a bridge between two cultures as the women are exposed to new experiences and ways of thinking. In Spanish, French, and Wolof with English subtitles.



5. Naked Acts

Sat, Feb 21 at 9:30pm*
*Q&A with Bridgett Davis

Directed by Bridgett Davis

This is the story of Cicely, an actress who lost 57 pounds and landed her first role in a low-budget art film. She soon learns that the role requires a nude scene. How can she keep her clothes on and keep the part? Cicely’s journey unveils a secret she kept hidden beneath her girth, as she discovers that emotional nakedness is more revealing than taking her clothes off could ever be. Winner of the Audience Award for the Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color at ADFF 2008.




There are several others not listed above. Feel free to check them all out HERE.

SCREENING SIGHTING - "Push" At ND/NF!

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Looks like New Yorkers, like myself, will get to see Push: Based On A Novel By Sapphire, before the rest of humanity does... well, the rest of humanity who didn't see the film at Sundance last month.

The annual New Directors/New Films (ND/NF) event courtesy of The Film Society of Lincoln Center, unveiled its list of 25 films, representing 20 countries, in a program “dedicated to the discovery and support of emerging directors,” and Push is one of them.

The films will screen in their New York premieres or, in some cases, their United States and world premieres, at the MoMA, and The Film Society of Lincoln Center, from March 25 - April 5.

Push will be screened as the series’s closing night feature. And guess who will be there to take it all in? Yours truly! I'd guess that Lee Daniels might be present, along with some of the cast. That would be a coup!

So, as Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company continue their court battle for distribution rights to the film, Daniels and company clearly don't plan on letting that prevent them from running with it wherever and whenever they deem most advantageous.

Good for them!

Once tickets are available on March 13th, I'm certain they will sell out rapidly. My calendar is marked! And you can be sure that I'll post a review afterwards.

Check out the list of the other 24 films screening at the event HERE. As is the case every year at ND/NF, there's a nice, eclectic group of films that are guaranteed to challenge and please.

SCREENING SIGHTINGS - Youtube Hosts Independent Films To Celebrate Black History Month

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This month, in appreciation of Black History Month, Youtube and Grey Goose Vodka are working together to present four independent "black history" films. The films will be available from January 30th through February 12th on YouTube (Youtube Screening Room) - for FREE of course.

I guess I should be thankful to Grey Goose Vodka for its sponsorship; but, it would be nice to get sponsorship from somewhere other than a liquor company. It's practically a cliche now, where "black-themed" events are concerned!

The four films are:

Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony

Assembled over the course of nine years and originally released in 2002, Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony tells the tale of how South Africans used music as a source of strength in their fight against apartheid. Combining archival footage, present-day interviews, great cinematography, and a memorable soundtrack, Amandla! deftly attempts to convey a history of apartheid and the ensuing resistance through the moving stories of those who were involved.

Hungu

Inspired by an African legend, Hungu tells the tale of how a mother’s soul, resurrected by music, returns strength and life to her child. With a minimalist yet vivid animation style, Nicholas Brault crafts a sweeping, haunting tale of the creation of the Brazilian berimbau using very little in the way of animation and runtime. The sound design, crucial to making such a film effective, is excellent. At just 10 minutes long, Hungu won the “Best Animated Film” award at the 2008 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.

Electric Purgatory

Electric Purgatory examines the struggles of black rock musicians, who are forced to confront biases in both the culture and business of rock and roll. Director Raymond Gayle combines concert footage with interviews of prominent black rock and roll musicians, weaving a tale of the incongruity between the African-American origin of blues, and the current state of rock and roll. The film also explores the creation of the Black Rock Coalition.

The 13th Amendment

This 5-minute documentary short tells the story of a Helen Dennis, a 90-year old woman, and her trek to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 Pennsylvania Primary.

And remember, these films will be available on the Youtube Screening Room through February 12th.

I've seen the Amandla! and Electric Purgatory. Your interest in each one will obviously depend on how invested you are in the subject matter presented. But I recommend each.

Regarding Electric Purgatory, comparisons to Afro-punk, James Spooner's popular 2003 documentary which explored the world of black punk rock fans, are inevitable.

Check them all out at your leisure...

SCREENING SIGHTING - Indie Film Blogger Road Trip

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It's finally here...!



Of course, I'm referring to Sujewa Ekanayake's documentary, Indie Film Blogger Road Trip - a project I previously mentioned, which was produced last summer, and which I'm proud to have been a part of.

In the feature-length documentary, Sujewa, the self-described "Brooklyn based, ultra-indie/low-budget/superdelicious filmmaker, who generally rocks," interviews a cadre of bloggers (including yours truly) who blog about movies (mainstream, indie, underground, etc), the film scene/industry, and related matters. And the result is a medley of diverse and interesting portraits of each subject, as well as a revealing report on the varied states of the movie industry overall, as seen through the lenses of each blogger interviewed.

I certainly learned something participating in the project, and watching it after it was all done. And I think you will too... after you see it!

The 95-minute documentary will premiere in less than a month (February 17th) at the theatres at The Anthology Film Archives, in lower Manhattan, NYC, with its DVD available for purchase soon thereafter.

So, come watch me explode on screen on the 17th of February, along with a handful of other like minds. Or contact Sujewa about purchasing the DVD, for those unable to be present for the theatrical.

For more information and news about the project or the screening, see the poster above, or visit Sujewa's website for the film at: http://indiefilmbloggersmovie.blogspot.com/

Cheers!

Screening Sighting - "Story Of A Three-Day Pass"

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Screening this Saturday, the 6th, at 3PM, at the Museum of Modern Art, here in New York City, for all you New Yorkers, or anyone planning on being in New York this weekend.

The first of 2 feature films Melvin Van Peebles made before Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.

The film is called Story Of A Three-Day Pass, Van Peebles's very first feature film from 1968, and the first feature-length film (on record) directed by an African American since Oscar Micheaux's last effort in 1948, The Betrayal.

The story goes... at the time, Van Peebles couldn't get work in the film industry in the USA, so, like many other African American artists did in those days, he went to Europe (France specifically), and directed his first feature (aka Story Of A Three-Day Pass) in France, with French money. Cue critical acclaim (both abroad and in the USA) and, eventually, he landed a job in Hollywood, and made his first and only studio film in 1970, titled, Watermelon Man.

Here's the trailer for Story Of A Three-Day Pass (it's incomplete, but there's enough there to give you some idea of what it's like). And if you're curious enough, and live in New York, give it a go. It's certainly not what I'd call a great film. It has its flaws. But, it's worth a look, if only to experience a somewhat more "tender" side of Melvin.

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