THE ICA ANNOUNCE THEIR HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS SUMMER
Here are the films that will playing at the ICA Cinema this coming June and July.
THE 10TH DISTRICT COURT: MOMENTS OF TRIAL
(10e CHAMBRE: INSTANTS D'AUDIENCES)
Opens 16 June, 2006
'A more crisply spoken, Gallic version of Judge Judy... presides over a
microcosm of Parisian society' New York Times
The 10th District Court: Moments Of Trial (10e Chambre: Instants
D'audiences), a riveting pageant of human behaviour on both sides of the
law, does for the Parisian justice system what Etre et Avoir did for
education. From May to July 2003, the legendary photographer and
prolific documentarian Raymond Depardon was granted special permission
to film extensively inside a Paris courtroom, and become the first
filmmaker ever to record a unique insight into the workings of the
French judicial machine. From a straight drunk-driving summons to the
previous night's arrests, The 10th District Court - Moments of Trial
(10e Chambre: Instants D'audiences), is a new civic documentary that
plunges us into the everyday affairs of a busy local courtroom. Each of
the 12 depicted defendants (from the 169 filmed) pleads their case, and
then sentences are requested. Later, after deliberation, the verdict is
delivered. The suspense is unbearably palpable. The defendants, be they
contrite, defiant, confused or resigned, turn out to be more astonishing
characters than any seen in a fiction. Raymond Depardon is one of
France's most celebrated photographers. Represented by Magnum, he is
also a leading, award-winning director.
Dir. Raymond Depardon, France, 2004, 107 mins, Subs
**A season of Raymond Depardon films screens alongside this release from
16 June - 9 July.
**Profils Paysans: Le Quotidian screens from 28 July - 3 August. See
below for more info.
DUMPLINGS
Opens 16 June, 2006
Qing is not coping well with ageing. Her vanity leads her to seek
potions and powders to keep the wrinkles at bay, until desperation leads
her to downtown Kowloon and Mei (Bai Ling - Edmond, Southland Tales), a
trashy Chinese mainland woman who does a roaring trade in her 'special'
rejuvenation recipes with women visiting her shabby high-rise for a
weekly fix of the mysterious succulent, pink dumplings. But what is the
secret ingredient? When you make a meal-deal with the devil, it's better
not to ask what's in the filling. Directed by Fruit Chan, the
award-winning director of Made in Hong Kong, Dumplings is sumptuously
shot by Christopher Doyle whose gifted eye captures the grim visual
nuances of this macabre tale. The dough-wrapped delicacies at the
story's centre take on a sinister aspect when their true nature is
revealed in this deliciously dark fantasy.
Dumplings screened in competition at this year's Berlin Film Festival
and is based on a marvellous novella by Lillian Lee. Originally made as
one section of a three-part horror omnibus (alongside contributions by
Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike), Chan has expanded his nightmarish
vision to feature length, and the result is a richer, more complex
horror film.
Dir. Fruit Chan, Hong Kong, 2006, 91 mins, Subs
PRINCESS RACCOON
Opens 30 June, 2006
Internationally acclaimed director Seijun Suzuki brings the tale of
Princess Raccoon to life in a brilliantly conceived film based on the
hugely popular Tanukigoten musicals of the 1940s and 50s, beloved of
generations of Japanese audiences. Seijun remembers how this
extravaganza excited him in his youth and is delighted to bring his own
vision of it to the silver screen. Best known for his florid,
groundbreaking, highly stylized thrillers of the 1960s (Tokyo Drifter;
Branded to Kill; Gate of Flesh), the inimitable Seijun Suzuki has
crowned his long career with a dream project: a musical fantasia about a
prince abandoned by his father who falls in love with an incredibly
beautiful girl - who happens to be a raccoon spirit. With numbers
ranging in style from kabuki to operetta, and design to set the eyes on
fire, this is one of the year's most vibrant entertainments. Using
cutting-edge digital technology, Seijun fashions Princess Raccoon (originally titled Operetta Tanuki Goten) into a combination of Kabuki,
opera, Noh, traditional Asian visual arts, and modern rock 'n roll...
redefining Japanese cinema by integrating elements of world culture.
Dir. Seijun Suzuki, Japan, 2005, 119 mins, Subs
THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU
Opens 14 July, 2006
Winner - Prix Un Certain Regard - Cannes 2005
Having already prompted comparisons with everyone from Cassavetes to
Mike Leigh and Frederick Wiseman, this multiple award-winning second
feature from Romanian director Cristi Puiu, which screened at both this
year's Toronto and Cannes Film Festival, winning the Prix Un Certain
Regard, is undoubtedly one of the most affecting films of the year. Mr Lazarescu
is a 63-year-old widower who shares his apartment with his three cats.
Suffering from pains in his head and his stomach, he calls for an
ambulance, and whilst he's waiting, he asks his neighbours for some
pills. They try to help, though they disapprove of his drinking and the
state of his flat. Finally, the medics arrive to take him to hospital, an
even more difficult task than usual as a bus accident has the local
services at full stretch. As the night wears on, Mr Lazarescu is
shuttled from pillar to post, growing ever wearier and weaker in the
face of the medical profession's bureaucracy and casual inefficiency.
With colourful and recognizable characters, the fundamental seriousness
of the film's theme is judiciously leavened with a good deal of dry
humour.
Dir. Cristi Puiu, Romania, 2005, 153 mins, Subs
ELLIE PARKER
Opens 14 July, 2006
TLA Releasing and the ICA are pleased to announce the theatrical release
of the award-winning, low-budget American indie and 2005 Sundance Film
Festival favourite, Ellie Parker. Written and directed by Scott Coffey
(Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway), this delightfully satirical drama,
starring Naomi Watts, Chevy Chase and Keanu Reeves, is set to debut on
July 14, 2006 at the ICA. Ellie Parker follows Academy and BAFTA Award
nominee, Naomi Watts (King Kong, Mulholland Drive) as the struggling
actress of the title, as she stumbles from one audition to another.
Constantly transforming herself before each audition, usually in her
car, Ellie is on a comical quest to make it 'big' in Hollywood and
usually at the expense of her chaotic personal life. Developed into a
full-length feature from the short film Never Date an Actress, Ellie
Parker premiered to much enthusiasm at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
The film received a limited theatrical release in North America and has
found support with film fans who want an 'inside' peek into the world of
Hollywood.
Dir. Scott Coffey, USA, 2005, 95 mins
A LION IN THE HOUSE
Opens 28 July, 2006
In the late 1990s, the chief oncologist at Cincinnati Children's
Hospital contacted award-winning documentarians Steven Bognar and Julia
Reichert and invited them to follow five children and their families
navigating the ups and downs of cancer treatment. The result is a deeply
compassionate, moving story of hope, love and resilience. The strength
of this extraordinary documentary rests in the fact that, while
providing a comprehensive view of life on an oncology ward, including
profiles of the doctors, nurses and staff who become champions for the
children they care for, the film also ventures outside the hospital and
explores the unique personal life of each child - his or her hopes, fears
and relationships with siblings and other family members. As a result, a
complex portrait of each family's individual journey emerges.
Dir Steven Bognar /Julia Recihert, USA, 2005, 225 mins (+ 15-minute
interval)
We are pleased to welcome the film's directors to the ICA on Saturday
29th July to introduce screenings at 1pm and 6pm.
Premieres as part of the 2006 Britdoc Festival
www.britdoc.org
PROFILS PAYSANS: LE QUOTIDIAN (PROFILES OF FARMERS: DAILY LIFE)
Opens 28 July, 2006
Depardon returns to the farming region visited in the first chapter of
this series to find out how those working on the land are faring in the
face of continued social and economic change. As older farmers find it
hard to counteract the tide of luxury homes and larger agricultural
corporations changing the landscape, so aspiring younger farmers
struggle with the red tape that stands in the way of them establishing
themselves. In other areas, where farms have been passed down through
generations, family ties to the land are being broken for the first
time. A way of life may be disappearing for good, and Depardon - who has
his own personal connection to the land and the industry - makes sure
that it doesn't go unrecorded.
Dir Raymond Depardon, France 2004, 85 mins, subtitles
Screening with: What's New at Garet? A 10-minute 'prologue' to Profils
Paysans 2 in which director Depardon re-visists his old family home.
France 2004
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