Author: Team Sbarge

Inside the Arthouse: Don’t Let’s Go To the Dogs Tonight

Posted on by Team Sbarge

As part of producing Inside the Arthouse, we see a lot of movies. And while many are compelling and well-made, naturally some of them stand out. Of all the films we’ve seen so far this year, DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT has definitely moved to the top of the list.  

Based on a memoir of the same name by Alexandra Fuller, this powerful film has been brought to the screen by first-time director Embeth Davidtz. An actress who has worked with filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, and Sam Raimi, Ms. Davidtz draws from her own experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa to bring striking authenticity to the story of a family of white farmers in Zimbabwe.

The film is told through the eyes of young Bobo — played with extraordinary depth by newcomer Lexi Venter — as she witnesses the political upheaval in a land on the brink of change.

A hit at the prestigious Telluride and Toronto International film festivals, DON’T LET’S GO THE DOGS TONIGHT is opening on July 11 in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out nationally.

You won’t want to miss our conversation with Ms. Davidtz where we discuss her journey from actor to filmmaker and the challenges of adapting this beloved memoir — on Inside the Arthouse, starting now…

Inside the Arthouse: FAMILIAR TOUCH

Posted on by Team Sbarge

As the new luminous film FAMILIAR TOUCH opens, we meet Ruth, an independent and self-assured octogenarian who is embarking on a journey of both mind and body. Her body is moving into a memory care facility. Her mind is evolving in ways that are hard for her family to understand. But as played by acclaimed actress Kathleen Chalfant, we vividly experience this journey through Ruth’s eyes. And Ruth is never lost. She just is where she is: in the moment.

Inspired by her experiences as a caretaker, writer-director Sarah Friedland has made a “coming of age story” and imbued FAMILIAR TOUCH with a spirit and depth that avoids the usual tropes that we associate with films about cognitive decline. Filmed almost entirely at a retirement community, which involved members and staff of the facility both behind and in front of the camera, FAMILIAR TOUCH feels “real” in a way that most films can only hope to achieve.

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it was awarded the Best Director and Best Actress prizes, and it is now opening in theatres across the U.S.

We love this movie and are so happy that writer-director Sarah Friedland and actress Kathleen Chalfant were able to join us to talk about making FAMILIAR TOUCH. So sit back and join us for our conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE,starting now…

Inside the Arthouse: TATAMI

Posted on by Team Sbarge

In a strange and sad twist of fate, TATAMI arrives in theaters as Israel and Iran are engaged in armed struggle. And yet this film, the first to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker, makes the compelling point that we as individuals are not bound by the political positions of our rulers.  

TATAMI is co-directted by Zar Amir and Guy Nattiv and follows the story of Leila, an Iranian judo athlete who is forced into a compromising situation when she is told by government officials that she should pull out of a world championship competition by faking an injury to avoid facing an Israeli rival in the final round.

With the clock ticking, we see how pressure is applied to Leila, her family, and her coach, and the moral decay that happens when individual expression is crushed by autocratic control.

Beautifully shot in black and white, the film features a fierce lead performance by Arienne Mandi as Leila. Co-director Zar Amir, a winner of the Best Actress prize at Cannes for her role in THE HOLY SPIDER, is also terrific in the role of Leila’s coach.

Join us as we sit down with the co-directors, Zar Amir and Guy Nattiv, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

 

Inside the Arthouse: A Photographic Memory

Posted on by Team Sbarge

What happens when a photograph, a home movie, or an audio tape is your only link to a family member you never knew?

This is the question at the heart of A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY, a deeply personal documentary that follows journalist Rachel Seed on a multi-year journey to connect with her mother, Sheila Turner-Seed, who died when Rachel was just 18 months old.

The discovery of a rich archive of her mother’s work becomes the catalyst for Rachel’s investigation. Sheila was a trailblazing photojournalist whose work not only stands on its own but is also preserved in her recorded interviews with photography legends like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Cecil Beaton, and Gordon Parks.

 

As Rachel delves into this treasure trove of images and sounds, a conversation between mother and daughter begins to unfold across time. A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY is a poignant exploration of universal themes like memory, grief, and the enduring power of legacy. This genre-bending film offers a haunting and delightful look at how we piece together the stories of those we’ve lost.

 

To learn more about the decade-long journey to create this remarkable film, join our conversation with filmmaker Rachel Seed on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

Inside the Arthouse Ghost Trail

Posted on by Team Sbarge

Every Spring in New York City, Lincoln Center hosts Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. An eagerly awaited festival for lovers of French film. Of the films we saw, Jonathan Millet’s GHOST TRAIL, stood out as haunting, immersive and truly memorable.  

Millet has been a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker up till now, and this, his feature film debut is a spy thriller, based entirely on true events.  The filmmaking is remarkable, visceral, suspenseful–  a political thriller that seethes with tension.  

With a plot that recalls the best spy fiction of Graham Greene and John le Carre, GHOST TRAIL is that rare film that combines the thoughtfulness of an arthouse film with the dramatic tension of a Hollywood thriller.  

Add extraordinary performances from Adam Bessa and Tawfeek Barhom, makes GHOST TRAIL something you won’t  want to miss as it opens in theaters across the US.  

Join us, “on the road” at Lincoln Center, as we sit down for a conversation with Johnathan Millet, in INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.  

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: NORTHERN LIGHTS

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In the late 1970’s, when there was nothing like the indie film scene that we now take for granted, the film NORTHERN LIGHTS surprised the cinema world by winning the coveted Camera d’Or Award at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.  

NORTHERN LIGHTS has the feel of an old black and white photograph discovered in an attic. The bitter-sweet story of young lovers caught up in a political struggle waged by farmers against the grain trade, the banks and the railroads, NORTHERN LIGHTS brings back a forgotten era of American history and evokes the austere beauty of the Northern Plains. 

Called “The greatest movie you will never see,” this rare and remarkable film has been lovingly revived by a team lead by IndieCollect for a gorgeous 4K restoration, and is now being brought back to North American arthouses by Kino Lorber.

In support of this re-release, we are very happy to welcome co-director Rob Nilsson for a discussion about this landmark film. Join us on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now. 

Inside the Arthouse: Jane Austen Wrecked my Life

Posted on by Team Sbarge

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen has inspired some of our favorite movies.  

There are the faithful adaptations: Oscar-nominated PRIDE & PREJUDICE, Oscar-winning SENSE & SENSIBILITY.  

You also have more fanciful adaptations like the EMMA-inspired CLUELESS.

And then you have the Jane Austen “adjacent” films like THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, the hilarious AUSTENLAND, and a personal favorite – COLD COMFORT FARM.

Laura Piani’s JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is squarely in this last category. And it is a most welcome addition to the club.

A beguiling Camille Rutherford stars as a desperately single Parisian bookseller, who feels that she has lost her chance at love. But when she is invited to participate in a writer’s retreat in England, she finds herself tossed into an Austen-esque situation, juggling the affection of two suitors, and trying to find a way to stay true to herself.

A hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is now opening in theatres across the US.

Join us for a discussion with the film’s writer and director, Laura Piani, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

Inside the Arthouse: Most People Die On Sundays

Posted on by Team Sbarge

 

MOST PEOPLE DIE ON SUNDAYS may be the quirkiest film you see this year …or any year.

Directed and starring Iair Said, and asking the big question: when “ordinary people’’– not extraordinary– die? What happens to those of us who stay here on earth without them? 

Funny, outrageous, surprising and utterly unique, MOST PEOPLE DIE ON SUNDAYS, has a deadpan tone that recalls the early films of Jim Jarmusch. 

We follow the protagonist David as he returns home to Argentina to attend the funeral of his uncle. This is a story about how people go through a “mourning moment” as they try to survive, with a pain that will transform their lives forever. 

As an actor, Said has a sad sack quality of classic screen comics like Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati. And the rest of the cast plays off of Said perfectly.

A sensation when it premiered in the Acid Section at Cannes, MOST PEOPLE DIE ON SUNDAYS is a comic gem that is truly worth searching out.

Join us for a conversation with filmmaker Iair Said, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

 

Inside the Arthouse: Bonjour Tristesse

Posted on by Team Sbarge

With a spectacular cast, stunning costumes and set design, beautiful cinematography and gorgeous locations— BONJOUR TRISTESSE shares all the hallmarks of the Merchant Ivory classics that delighted audiences for years.

Originally published in 1954, Francoise Sagan’s novel, BONJOUR TRISTESSE was an overnight sensation. But for every rave review, there were an equal number of critics shocked by a casual attitude toward a young woman’s sexual awakening.

In Otto Preminger’s 1958 film adaptation, the focus was on the sensational.

But thankfully, visionary producers pushing for a new adaptation, recognized the need for a woman’s voice and recruited Canadian writer Durga Chew-Bose to work on the screenplay. Having found someone with just the right approach to bring this new version to life, Chew-Bose was asked to stay on board and direct the film as well. 

The result is a debut film of remarkable depth and sensitivity that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is opening in theaters everywhere. 

Please join our conversation with first-time screenwriter and director Durga Chew-Bose, about her remarkable film, BONJOUR TRISTESSE, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

Inside the Arthouse: Blue Sun Palace

Posted on by Team Sbarge

Immigration is at the top of the headlines these days.

But stepping back from the issues of policy and legality, it is helpful to remember that America has always been a country of immigrants– trying to make the best of their new lives in the US, and dealing with all the opportunities and challenges that come with living in a new and unfamiliar environment.

In her debut feature, BLUE SUN PALACE, filmmaker Constance Tsang, presents us with an intimate tale of Chinese immigrants, centered around a massage parlor in Flushing, New York.

Avoiding the sensationalism that one might expect from this setting, the film instead shows the joy, pain, guilt, and growth of a connected trio of characters.

The film is anchored by the sensitive performances of relative newcomers Ke-Xi Wu and Haipeng Xu, and the veteran actor Lee Kang Sheng, all of whom create characters that are incredibly real and memorable.

A prize winner at Cannes and a sensation at the Recent New Directors/New Films Festival in New York, BLUE SUN PALACE is opening at theatres in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to the rest of the country.

You won’t want to miss this film. And you won’t want to miss our conversation with filmmaker Constance Tsang, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…