Santa Barbara International Film Festival Feature Films
What if everything in life happens by mere chance? What if the laws that rule our existence cannot be escaped nor conquered? What do Genesis, Galois, Bauhaus and The Unbearable Lightness of Being say about each other? What if the sweat of our brows cannot save us from the dust to which we will inevitably return? This beautifully told whimsical film asks these questions and many more. 3:19 is a story of profound loss, courage, and humor. It insists that life does not end with our final breath, that significance can be found in the gaze of a stranger. As a group of youngsters cope with the terminal cancer of their 26-year-old friend Ilan, abiding his ultimate requests, they discover in the process, life itself. By Ilana Dann Luna.
In the film, the unpleasant Everardo tells the camera, you can do anything…and BAIXO DAS BESTAS takes us on a journey to the depths of depravity, where cinema does just that. Anything. Acclaimed Brazilian director Claúdio Assis constructs a visually poetic exploration of the unraveling of a small town, the unraveling of a man, digging a cesspool and dancing Samba, and a girl, washing laundry in the river, and stripped naked for the world to see by her jealous grandfather, with no moralizing distance. The BOG OF BEASTS is a place of red earth, fire, cachaça and prostitution; a limitless pit of poverty, wasted youth, and mythological time, where the gaping maw of the sugar mill slowly devours everything, without distinction. By Ilana Dann Luna.
Vicente is a young man living with his grandmother in a small community in the Mexican State of Puebla. One day his uncles return from the US to visit the sick, old woman. Suspecting that she is near death, they try to sell her property without per permission. Trying to prevent the unauthorized sale, Vicente consults the mayor who suggests he seek help from the ministerial office in Mexico City. In the big city Vicente will face a new reality, estranged people, and an impenetrable legal system. Pereda’s debut feature shows an elegant and understated style here capturing the enormity of family conflicts without relying on familiar dramatic territory.
La edad de la peseta (a common Cuban phrase that refers to the period right before entering adolescence) is a quirky, surprising, coming-of-age film that will give lovers of Cuban cinema cause for celebration. Set in 1958 in Havana, the year that culminates the Revolution, ten-year-old Samuel has just arrived in town with his recently divorced mother. They take up residence in the house of his eccentric grandmother Violeta, and Samuel is introduced to a new, mysterious world where Samuel finds himself an adult in comparison to his child-like mother.
Julio César Chávez is the best boxer Mexico has ever known. JC CHAVEZ, Diego Luna’s directorial debut, pays homage to this 5-time world champion. This thoughtful, up-tempo documentary brilliantly combines music, media images and behind-the-scenes interviews, as well as archival footage of essential fights to give a multi-faceted view of the star. Chavez’s charisma belies his humble beginnings in Culiacán, Sinaloa. Luna seamlessly unfolds the story in the fighter’s own words, and those of his son, neighbors, promoters, cultural critics and politicians. Chavez’s rise to fame and fortune would be tempered by later setbacks in the boxing ring, the political arena, and at home, yet the film presents a very human image of this man whose legacy will live on in his sons. By Ilana Dann Luna
Teresa, a vivacious young woman of uncertain motivations, has journeyed from Mexico to Montreal in a blind search for her husband, Angel, who disappeared while trying to exact payment from a company that swindled him. Teresa casually enlists the aid of Fenton, a guileless English Canadian whose intentions are both noble and naively romantic. As they piece together Angel’s comic, chameleonic reinvention in Montreal, Teresa is slowly forced to reveal their carefully hidden past; revelations that threaten her new and fragile connection with Fenton. Graced with lush cinematography, Montreal cityscapes and a murky, mystical sensibility, Imitation is a harsh but ultimately romantic tale of lost and newfound love and the unburdening of past relationships. By Mahil Senathirajah. La antena (The Aerial) Mr. TV, the owner of the city’s only television channel, is carrying out a sinister secret plan to subject all of the city’s inhabitants to his will forever more. Styled as a “silent” film and an animated comic book, La Antena reminds us of all of the cinema’s attractions. Combining animation with German Expressionism, surrealism, and references to early filmmakers Fritz Lang and Georges Méliès, Esteban Sapir’s ode to early movie history is a fanciful feast for the imagination. The visual mastery is accompanied with a thrilling modern tango soundtrack from Juan Aguirre and Federico Rotstein. La misma luna (Under the Same Moon) Patricia Riggen’s debut feature is a tender meditation on the US-Mexico border, that underscores the humanity rather than the politics involved in every choice to cross that is made. In The Same Moon love is the only thing holding a family together, and it is the only thing keeping them apart. 9-year-old Carlitos was left in the care of his grandmother in Mexico so his mother could make a better life for them, and herself, in Los Angeles. Suddenly alone when his grandmother dies, he can wait no longer for his mother’s promises of one day. He bravely faces the bewildering border in the hope of finding her, and along the way discovers friendship, hope, and the meaning of family. By Ilana Dann Luna. The Labyrinths of Memory (Laberintos de la Memoria) Narrated by Angelica Aragon, this is a thoughtful, sensitive and moving story of two women whose disparate paths cross, and in the process they reconstruct what has been lost, to understand their future. Award winning director, Guita Schyfter, returns to documentary for a personal exploration of memory, origins, and the intersections of conflicting identities in Labyrinths of Memory. The film interweaves Schyfter’s story – a journey to Russia and Costa Rica to comprehend the lives of her parents, orphaned Jews displaced by the holocaust—and that of Maité Guiteras, the twice-adopted daughter of famous Cuban anthropologist Calixta Guiteras, as she returns to Chiapas, Mexico to find her birth mother. In their excavation of family geographies, these two women unearth rage, shame, horror, hope and forgiveness. Man of Two Havanas (El hombre de dos Habanas) Everything your parents never told you about US-Cuba relations growing up…Vivien Lesnik Weisman’s debut documentary, The Man of Two Havanas, is a sensitive, balanced and thoughtful examination of the life of polemic Cuban journalist, Max Lesnick, her father. It takes a deep and nostalgic look at the history of the trade embargo with Cuba and its ravaging effects on the Cuban people, the politics of Little Havana, and the pain of exile from both sides of the divide. This is a work filled with dignity and quiet outrage, hopefulness and reconciliation, that asks the very poignant and contemporary question: what is terrorism and who are the terrorists in a war that is waged over the course of decades, shrouded in epithets of fear. By Ilana Dann Luna. My Way 'Myway' tells the story of Marco, a small-time drug dealer, whose discovery of his . father's Alzheimer's makes things happen in a hasty and unpredictable way. Não por Acaso (Not by Chance) Two seconds don't make a difference? Until they do. Not By Chance tells a story of two men, plunged into the heart of tragedy, in an instant. In a single crash that neither Enio's meticulous traffic control, nor Pedro's careful plotting could foresee, they lose hope for the future. Both men struggle with their profound loss and loneliness, but the city itself seems to have other plans for them. Enio's orphaned daughter finds her way to him, forcing him to make a choice, and Pedro must learn to love and let go. Though nothing is ever simple, nothing happens merely by chance. Philippe Barcinski’s debut feature reveals unexpected beauty, and secret spaces of joy in the center of the alienating city, São Paulo. By Ilana Dann Luna. Serras da Desordem (Hills of Disorder) In the Maranhão jungle of western Brazil, native people still try to live according to their social norms, despite government protections that often hurt more than help. Serras da Desordem, Andrea Tonacci’s most recent documentary, is a poetic reflection on the clash of cultures that ripped apart the small Tupi-Guajá tribe, and separated Carapirú from his family and his way of life for over 10 years. Visually audacious, and self-reflective, playing with color, light and filming technique the film superimposes multiple eras. Through purposeful re-enactment and Tonacci’s respectful, self-conscious use of the very same technologies that threaten to destroy, Carapirú and his son tell their own story of loss, violence and survival. By Ilana Dann Luna. Soy Andina (I am Andean) After 15 years in New York, Nelida Silva returns to her birthplace in the Andes to fulfill a lifelong dream and host the fiesta patronal—an eight day celebration dance, music, and rituals from Incan times. What's it like to go back to the Andes when you've become a New Yorker? Meanwhile, Cynthia Paniagua, a Peruvian-American dancer raised in Queens, embarks on her own Peruvian journey after meeting Neli determined to quench her desire to know and unearth the mystery of its dances. Does she find what she's looking for? Soy Andina bursts with traditional music and dance rarely seen outside the country. But the core story is intimate and universal: a yearning for roots and connection in turbulent times. Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains The 1970s plane crash stranding 28 young Uruguayan soccer players in the Andes that was documented both in book form and in a dramatic feature now come really alive through the amazing narrative reports of the actual survivors of that crash. All of the 16 remaining survivors present the details of their tragedy and group efforts to band together to survive. With very few recreated moments this documentaries power lies in the great humanity of its narrators. We are set up with a clear sense of the tight friendship and strong faith that kept these young men going through impossible challenges. The film is made all the more poignant as the 16 travel back with their present families to the wreckage site to pay their respects to their friends. ¿Quién mató la llamita blanca? (Who Killed the White Llama?) XXY The dramatic story of a 15-year old hermaphrodite. She lives with her parents, who cope with the challenges of her medical condition. Alex, like most 15-year-olds, is having a difficult time discovering her sexuality, but her struggle is unique. Alex is a hermaphrodite. She has reached puberty and must determine her future, a decision that is made all the more difficult by parents who are utterly incapable of understanding the identity issues she is experiencing. Alex's life is further complicated by the arrival of family friends--plastic surgeon Ramiro, his wife Erika, and their son Alvaro. The unique issues handled in XXY, as well as the rich dialogue and windy-beach settings, create a spectacular atmosphere in which to tell an intrepid new coming of age story. Adapted from a short story written by Sergio Bizzio entitled "Cinismo" and directed by Lucía Puenzo, XXY skillfully addresses the sensitive topics of gender identity and sexual discovery in adolescence. Indigenous Program—Films from the Navajo Nation Fri, Jan 25 7:00 PM Center Stage Theater Horse You See Meet Ross, a horse from the Navajo Nation. Hear his story and share his thoughts as he explains the very essence of being a rez horse. Water Flowing Together A moving, intimate portrait of an internationally renowned artist, Jock Soto of the New York City Ballet, who is Navajo Indian, Puerto Rican, and openly gay. On the verge of retirement, one of ballet's most gifted and celebrated dancers is forced to contemplate life after dance. Exploring identity, family and transition, the film climaxes with his emotional departure from ballet at age 40 in 2005. A rich visual tapestry, the film is a journey through the disparate worlds that inform this artist. As Soto reflects on his uncertain future, he also attempts to connect with his past, revisiting the Navajo heritage to which he is at once detached and devoted. Shorts Program 5 Thu, Jan 31 4:00 PM Marjorie Luke Theatre Bloodlines Blood Lines is about a young Aboriginal man searching for his heritage in urban Australia, finding out exactly where his blood runs… Feathers to the Sky In a forgotten town in Latin America, Tamara, a nine-year-old girl, has to walk many miles a day selling feather dusters. As with many other working children, Tamara is destined to abandon her childhood, until she meets a teacher who will open the windows of education. Shorts Program 6 Sat, Feb 2 10:00 PM Marjorie Luke Theatre Primera Comunión (First Comunion) A young outsider is confronted with the harsh rituals of a rustic Mexican pueblo where cruelty underlies street life and Catholicism alike. Jackie Jackie Jinaali is a sweet, overweight Aboriginal checkout girl. Her boss, Mr. Chuck, is constantly on her back until Jinaali finds a voice of her own. Have you got your Jackie Jackie doll yet? Nana Nana’s granddaughter thinks Nana’s pretty special: she helps the old people, she’s a good painter and other people love her too. Nana’s got everyone under control. Shorts Program 1 Mon, Jan 28 10:15 PM Metro 4 Theatre IV HAWAIKII A beautiful story of a young girl’s attempt to find her identity in a new world and her father’s efforts to support her. Shorts Program 3 Fri, Jan 25 9:30 PM Center Stage Theater Nikamowin (Song) A stunning linguistic soundscape comprised of the deconstruction and reconstruction of Cree narration with various manipulated landscapes. This audio-visual experiment begs questions of how languages exist, emerge, and survive. Playing with J.C. Chavez The Colony Maytag, a reservation-displaced Mi’gMaq, latches onto the only other Indian within light years of the city only to have her snatched away by his drug dealer and friend. Playing with ¿Dónde están sus historias? 9-11/9-11 The story of TWO September 11s—a tale of two cities and a tragedy of two times. A tragic story of love and hope wrecked by overt and covert manipulations of power. Youth CineMedia Program Sat, Jan 26, 10:00am, Victorial Hall Originally founded in January 2003, as part of the Latino CineMedia Film Festival, Youth CineMedia (YCM) is one of the most visible and effective programs offered by Zona Seca, Inc. A nationally recognized program YCM uses state-of-the-art technology to introduce teenagers to production in a wide-range of media. With the goal of creating thought provoking work that inspires dialogue and social change, students experiment with everything from digital video and music composition, to photography and silk-screening merging audiovisual and folk-art with writing, music, and still images. They gain training, knowledge and relationships that foster expression and confidence. Outreach focuses on underserved communities, with an emphasis on youth from low-income or newly immigrated families, failing academic histories, substance abuse, or involvement in the juvenile justice system. YCM has already worked with over 400 youth throughout Santa Barbara County. Youth CineMedia is directed and founded by Osiris Castañeda. Nuestra Quinceañera My Baby Adrina Sprayed Waste Taking Advantage: The World Beyond the Creek Married with Children Holocaust Survivors Quit smoking and Drinking Soledad Bio-Swell Beneath the Belly H.R. 4437 My Life The Making of an M.C. Alaska to Panama: A Run for Peace and Dignity Murals de Califas / California Murals |
