independent film movement series

Independent Film Movement Series
Date: 02/16/2012 Start Time: 6:00 PM Visalia Library Blue Room QUEEN OF HEARTS Directed by Valérie DonzelliThirty-something Adele is devastated after a painful breakup. With no close friends or family, her distant cousin, Rachel, reluctantly takes her in and graciously attempts to salvage Adele's personal and professional lives. Rachel finds her a job and suggests that Adele sleep with other men to get over her heartbreak. Adele bounces from one lover to the next in search of her perfect companion but can't escape the visage of her ex. Finally, she recognizes the man who may just hold the answer to her broken heart. France \| 2009 \| Romantic Comedy \| French w/ English subtitles Running Time: 84 min
Previously Featured Films
Karen Cries on the Bus Karen has left her slimy but successful husband Mario after ten years of marriage. She needs a fresh start to find out who she is and who she could be, despite her husband's proclamation that she can do absolutely nothing. She walks out into Bogota with no job, no friends, and hardly any money, but catches a break when she meets a hairdresser named Patricia at a cheap flophouse. With her younger and seemingly stronger friend by her side, Karen takes her first steps towards independence and self-discovery. Directed by Gabriel Rojas Vera Colombia \| 2011 \| Drama \| Spanish w/ English subtitles Running Time: 98 min
The Piano in a Factory When Chen's estranged wife reappears asking for a divorce and custody of their daughter, the musician girl decides she will live with whoever can provide her with a piano. Chen's struggle thus begins. When efforts to borrow money and even steal a piano fail, Chen concocts a preposterous plan - he'll make a piano from scratch! He persuades a bunch of reluctant, but loyal, misfit friends to help him forge the instrument in a derelict factory from a heap of scrap steel. Though crude in design and tune, the factory piano awaits its first and final performance from his little girl. China \| 2010 \| Drama \| Mandarin w/ English subtitles		PROTEKTOR 1938, Prague. Emil, a radio reporter, is married to the beautiful Hana, an actress whose new film has catapulted her into fame. As the Nazis come to power, however, Hana's Jewish heritage precipitates her fall from stardom to the bottom of the social ladder. In order to protect her, Emil compromises himself collaborating with the new Nazi-controlled state radio station. But as Emil starts enjoying the attention and respect that had previously evaded him, his fidelity and loyalty towards his wife begin to falter. The assassination of the Third Reich Deputy Protector and a chance encounter on a bicycle bring their lingering marriage to a crisis, possibly sealing Hana's fate. Czech Republic \| 2009 \| Drama-Thriller \| in Czech w/ English subtitles

The Human Resources Manager Synopsis The Human Resources Manager of Jerusalem's largest bakery is in trouble. He is separated from his wife, distanced from his daughter, and stuck in a job he hates. When one of his employees, a foreign worker, is killed in a suicide bombing, the bakery is accused of indifference, and the HR Manager is sent to the victim's hometown in Romania to make amends. Far from home, on a mission to honor a woman he didn't even know but has somehow grown to admire, the HR Manager fights to regain his company's reputation - and possibly his own humanity. Israel, Germany, France, Romania \| 2010 \| Drama-Comedy\| Hebrew, English and Romanian w/ English subtitles\|103 min.		The Colors of the Mountain Synopsis Young Manuel lives with his hard-working farmer parents in the remote, mountainous region of the Colombian countryside. While the adults in their lives try to avoid both the armed military and the guerrilla rebels fighting each other in the area, Manuel and his friend Julián are obsessed with playing soccer any chance they get. Shortly after his birthday, the new ball Manuel received as a gift gets kicked off to a minefield, and he, Julián and their albino friend Poca Luz will do everything in their power to recover their prized belonging—an essential part of their everyday lives and dreams. Colombia \| 2010 \| Drama-Family \| Spanish w/ English subtitles\| 93 min.

If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle Synopsis: Silviu has only two weeks left before his release from a hostile juvenile detention center. But when his mother, who abandoned him long ago, returns to take his younger brother away - a brother Silviu raised like a son – those two weeks become an eternity. While his outcries for help fall on deaf ears, he finds himself mercilessly taunted and harassed by the other inmates. And just as Silviu's frustration evolves into full-throttled aggression, he is introduced to a beautiful social worker that he can only dream of being close to. Faced with a slew of conflicting emotions and wild with desperation, Silviu is driven to a surprising act of defiance as he makes a last grasp for freedom. Romania \| 2010 \| Thriller; Drama \| Romanian w/ English subtitles		A Screaming Man Synopsis: Adam, a former swimming champion in his sixties, is a pool attendant at a hotel in Chad. When the hotel gets taken over by new Chinese owners, he is forced to give up his job to his son, Abdel, leaving Adam humiliated and resentful. Meanwhile the country is in the throes of a civil war. Rebel forces are attacking the government and the authorities demand the people contribute to the "war effort" with money or volunteers old enough to fight. Adam is constantly harassed for his contribution, but he is penniless. In a moment of weakness, Adam makes a decision that he will forever regret. Chad, France, Belgium \| 2010 \| Drama \| French & Arabic w/ English subtitles

Illegal Synopsis: Tania is a former teacher from Russia, living illegally in Belgium with her 14-year-old son, Ivan. One day, they are stopped on the street for a routine check by the police; Tania is arrested and placed in an immigration detention center for women, while Ivan manages to escape. Threatened with imminent deportation and fearful for Ivan's fate, Tania embarks on a harrowing journey, determined to preserve her dignity and find her son. Belgium, Luxembourg, France \| 2010 \| Psychological Thriller \| French & Russian w/ English subtitles		Nurse. Fighter. Boy. Synopsis: Jude is a single mother who descends from a long line of Jamaican caregivers. Silence is a 'past his prime' boxer who fights illegally to survive. Ciel is a boy who delves into music, conjuring dreams for his mother. During the last week of summer, a late-night brawl finds the fighter in the nurse's care causing their three fates to be forever entwined. Canada \| 2009 \| Drama \| English

1981 Synopsis: This cheeky, coming-of-age comedy tells the story of 11-year-old Ricardo, who in 1981, struggles to fit in at his new school. With a flare for inventiveness and a desperate desire to impress his classmates, Ricardo weaves a web of untruths, which he must carefully maintain to keep up appearances for his new friends. But when reality finally catches up with him, Ricardo is forced to come to terms with his true self. - filmmovement.com Canada \| 2009 \| Comedy \| French w/ English subtitles		Bomber Synopsis: Alistar and Valerie have been planning a special trip to Germany for a very long time. When their son Ross stops by the house to send them off, happenstance turns into an impromptu family road trip of the most tortuous kind. Alistar berates Ross for all that he is not in life, while Valerie tries to keep the peace. It is soon discovered that Alistar's reason for the often comic, sometimes painful trip is to shed a guilt he's been carrying for years. Ultimately, the family learns they need each other more then they imagined. - filmmovement.com United Kingdom - USA \| 2009 \| Comedy-Drama \| English \| 85 min.

Alamar Synopsis: Jorge has only a few weeks with his five-year-old son Natan before he leaves to live with his mother in Rome. Intent on teaching Natan about their Mayan heritage, Jorge takes him to the pristine Chinchorro reef, and eases him into the rhythms of a fisherman's life. As the bond between father and son grows stronger, Natan learns to live in harmony with life above and below the surface of the sea. - filmmovement.com Mexico \| 2009 \| Family-Drama \| Spanish and Italian w/ English Subtitles \| 73 min.		Only When I Dance Synopsis: This feel-good documentary follows Irlan and Isabela, two teenagers from the violent favelas of Rio de Janeiro, as they pursue their dreams of becoming professional ballet dancers. This inspiring story takes us from Rio - where their communities must raise the funds to support their ambitions - to exhilarating ballet competitions in New York and Switzerland. It's a film about their determination to dance, and the price one must pay for talent, ambition and success. - filmmovement.com Brazil, United Kingdom \| 2009 Documentary \| English and Portuguese with English Subtitles \| 78 min.

Welcome Synopsis: Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the last three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend, who recently emigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped by authorities in Calais, on the French side of the Channel. Left with no other alternatives, he decides to swim across. Bilal goes to the local swimming pool to train, where he meets Simon, a middle-aged swimming instructor in turmoil over his imminent divorce. Simon agrees to help Bilal, hoping to win back the affection of his wife, who does volunteer work helping immigrants. But what begins as a relationship based on self interest, develops into something much bigger than Simon could ever have imagined, as he too will ultimately risk everything to reach happiness. - filmmovement.com France \| 2009 \| Drama \| French, English and Kurdish w/ English subtitles \|105 min.		Jaffa Synopsis: In the heart of the Israeli city of Jaffa, Reuven's garage is a family-run business. The garage workers consist of Reuven's beautiful daughter Mali, his aggressive and distant son Meir, as well as the young Palestinian man, Toufik. No one suspects that Mali and Toufik have been in love for years, and that Mali is pregnant with Toufik's child. As the two lovers secretly make their wedding arrangements, tension steadily builds between Toufik and Meir, who openly voices his disdain and prejudices about Arabs. As these relationships continue to intensify, emotions begin to boil, resulting in an astonishing conclusion. - filmmovement.com Israel \| 2009 \| Drama \| Hebrew w/ English subtitles \| 105 min.

Independent Film Movement Series