SUMMER 2006
Cinema K presents
THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD: THREE FILMS FROM IRAN
JULY 21-27
In counterpoint to strained US-Iran relations, Cinema K offers family audiences a more humane and artistic perspective. Filmmakers in post-revolution Iran have crafted some of the most sensitive and magical films for children in the world. The three films in this series transport audiences on a whirlwind trip to Iran, where they will fi nd powerful and poetic reminders of our common hopes and dreams for our children's futures. All films in Farsi with English subtitles.
AUG 4-10 Fri-Thurs at 7, 8:30pm
Cinema K presents
BAZI (THE PLAY)
(Gholamreza Remezani, Iran, 2005, 35mm. 60 min.)
US THEATRICAL PREMIERE!
Child's play is serious business for the charming heroine of this film, a little girl named Saraya whose fondest dream is to find a playmate. She can hear children next door, and she begs to join them, but her mother says no for reasons no child should ever accept. Her persistence is rewarded when a bright blue beach ball comes flying over the courtyard wall. It is the beginning of a grand game that changes Soraya's life for the better. Official selection, Berlin International Film Festival. In Farsi with English subtitles.
AUG 4-6 Fri-Sun at 5pm (plus Sat & Sun at 3pm)
Cinema K presents
THE WHITE BALLOON
(Jafar Panehi, Iran, 1995, 16mm, 85 min.)
Abbas Kiarostami wrote the screenplay for this directorial debut by Jafar Panehi, one of his most devoted students. In typical Kiarostami fashion, the plot is deceptively simple: a little girl sets out through the streets of Tehran to buy a goldfish, but when she loses her money, she must rely on strangers to help her. As this story unfolds in real time, it grows ever more spellbinding, thanks to stunning cinematography, brilliant direction, and an unforgettable performance by young Aida Mohammadkhani. Winner of the Camera d'Or at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. In Farsi with English subtitles
"Panehi brings film back to its elemental magic." Tom Keogh, FILM.COM
AUG 11-13 Fri-Sun at 7, 9pm (plus Sat & Sun at 5pm)
Cinema K presents
WHERE IS THE FRIEND'S HOME?
(Abbas Kiarostami, Iran, 1987, 35mm, 83 min.)
The story of an 8-year-old boy's journey to return a notebook to his friend in rural northern Iran provides the framework for this beloved masterpiece of Iranian cinema. It's no wonder that filmmakers worldwide have declared it an inspiration, because Kiarostami's cinematic alchemy transmutes the film's seemingly simple plot into an intricate examination of the boy's inner life, the unyielding adults and harsh landscape surrounding him, and the incredible obstacles he must overcome to complete one small act of human compassion. In Farsi with English subtitles
"Kiarostami makes masterful use out of a complex landscape and winds up with a great, moving film." Jeffrey M. Anderson, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER