100 Years of Polish Cinema
Synopsis
The Polish entry in the BFI’s Century of Cinema series of documentaries
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To celebrate the release of Elvis, here are a few more Music Films and Docs to keep the spirit alive!
Films of the week
A Bright Light: Karen and the Process
SynopsisIn the footsteps of cult singer Karen Dalton, A Bright Light - Karen and the Process takes us on a frantic and mesmerizing road trip across the United States. In search of one of the sixties' most astonishing voices, adulated by her peers, but unknown from the general public, A Bright Light is a documentary made of music and art that questions the creative process. On a wild and enchanted journey from Colorado to Woodstock, three women search for this once upon a time muse. Along the way, they encounter those who knew her as well as those whom she still haunts and influences today. The film draws the portrait of this exceptional artist, furiously free, who refused the system and its compromises. Through this iconic figure, we follow the quest of a certain freedom of life and expression and an independence for better or worse.
Docs on Cinema
2 x 50 Years of French Cinema
Synopsis
At a lakeside hotel, Michel Piccoli discusses the centennial of cinema with Jean-Luc Godard. Godard asks why should cinema's birthday be celebrated when the history of film is a forgotten subject. Through the remainder of his hotel stay, Piccoli tests Godard's hypothesis.
A Concrete Cinema
Synopsis
How do we measure our passion? A Concrete Cinema draws close to the intangible spell that is implied by the need to somehow belong to the cinema, to give something back to it, even if we feel it is impossible. The film tells the story of Omar, a construction worker from a small town in the province of Entre Ríos (Argentina) who rejects the idea that big screens may disappear. He will do anything he can to preserve that which he has held on to since he was a child, even though he has to build it with the remnants of what was.
All the Colors of Giallo
Synopsis
'Giallo' is Italian for 'yellow', the color of the lurid pulp novels that inspired one of the most intense, extreme and influential genres in movie history. In this unprecedented collection, experience the full chronological evolution of giallo with more than 100 rare and classic trailers from such masters as Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Antonio Margheriti, Umberto Lenzi and many more. Then slip on black leather gloves and set the mood with a Bonus CD of legendary soundtrack music from composers that include Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani, Bruno Nicolai, Stelvio Cipriani and others, along with all-new featurettes that thrust even deeper into the genre. "But be warned," says Gizmodo.com, "Once you start going down the blood- slicked giallo rabbit hole, you may become dangerously obsessed."
Cuéntame de Bia
Synopsis
The film explores the life and work of the film maker's late grandfather, himself a pioneering Peruvian filmmaker of the 1970s. She captures his life through conversations with her grandmother, her mother and their domestic workers, interwoven with footage from his film archive.
Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema
Synopsis
This highly personal film essay demonstrates that Chinese cinema has dealt with questions of gender and sexuality more frankly and provocatively than any other national cinema. Yang ± Yin examines male bonding and phallic imagery in the swordplay and kung fu movies of the '60s and '70s; homosexuality; same-sex bonding and physical intimacy; the continuing emphasis on women's grievances in melodramas; and the phenomenon of Yam Kim-Fai, a Hong Kong actress who spent her life portraying men on and off the screen.
