Wednesday 1 – Thursday 2 September
Le Concert (15) – Dir.
Radu Mihaileanu
France 2009, 2h, subtitles
This heart-warming comedy drama is a certified crowd
pleaser. Andrei Filipov lost his position as conductor of the
Bolshoi Orchestra because of his refusal to fire the orchestra’s
Jewish musicians. 25 years later, he still works at the Bolshoi,
but as a cleaner. One day he intercepts an invitation for the
orchestra to play at the prestigious Theatre du Chatelet - and
the former leader hatches a plan to play alongside his old
musicians posing as the real orchestra.
Witty, uplifting and
full of humanity, the tear-jerking finale where the ragtag
musicians play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major is a
sublime musical miracle worth the ticket price alone
Beautiful Kate (15) – Dir. Rachel Ward
Australia 2010, 1h40m
A writer visits his isolated family home to say goodbye
to his dying father, but memories of his beautiful twin
sister awaken long buried secrets from their past.
Actress Rachel Ward’s debut feature is a handsome and
intense love story, a gothic tale of buried guilt and family
dysfunction set in the sparse and spectacular Flinders
Ranges of South Australia. Mesmerising.
Friday 3 – Tuesday 7 September (7.30)
Gainsbourg (15) – Dir. Joann Sfar
France 2010, 2h10m, subtitles
Visionary graphic artist Sfar makes his directorial debut
with this inventive take on one of France's greatest
mavericks, the illustrious Serge Gainsbourg. It traces
Gainsbourg's (an uncanny Eric Elmosnino) life from
Nazi-occupied Paris through to his heyday as a songwriter
in the 60s until his death in 1991. He juggled women
(France Gall, Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin), provoked
the establishment and wrestled with his demons - literally
running from an enormous, frightening, invisible anti-
Semitic alter ego that haunts him throughout his life. It is
these flourishes of surrealist fantasy - mixing actors with
animation, puppets and flashbacks - that put the film head
and shoulders above your average biopic. Lavishly original.
Monday 6 September (6.30)
The Fall of the House of Usher
With live music by The Southwell Collective
Jean Epstein’s 1928 masterpiece of this
gripping classic story by Edgar Alan Poe is
full of suspense and as with all Epstein’s
films is visually stunning.
Screening with
short film ‘Ghosts Before Breakfast’,
by Hans Richter, in which ordinary objects behave in
unusual, unexpected ways.
The new score for this performance is written and
performed by The Southwell Collective
www.thesouthwellcollective.co.uk.
Film Club, 6.30pm on Monday 6th September
Wednesday 8 September (7.30)
Frozen (18) – Dir. Shivajee Chandrabhushan
India 2007, 1h50m, subtitles
Set in Ladakh in a sensitive border area of India, ‘Frozen’ depicts the life of a family whose dream–like existence is
interrupted when the army moves in on their doorstep.
This visually stunning film shot in black and white has
a contemporary music score, punctuated by elements of
traditional culture.
Screening with two rare films from
the Tibet Film Archive showing Tibetans adjusting to their
new lives in the early days of exile in India, Tashi Writes a
Letter Home (15m) and A Home Away from Home (16m).
Tibet Film Festival
The RBC is excited to host a small selection of inspiring films from the Tibet Film Festival that celebrate Tibetan art and
culture, whilst offering an in-depth and timely critical insight into the Tibet issue.
Thursday 9 September (7.30)
Daughters of Wisdom (PG) – Dir. Bari Pearlman
USA 2007, 1h10m, subtitles
A moving portrait of the nuns of the Kala Rongo
Monastery in Nangchen in Kham, Tibet, offering a
glimpse into their vibrant community and an insight into
their extraordinary lives.
Screening with short film ‘History of Momos’ (Dir. Tsetan
Choklay, 11m) about the making of the much–loved
Tibetan delicacy, momos.
Tibet Film Festival
The RBC is excited to host a small selection of inspiring films from the Tibet Film Festival that celebrate Tibetan art and
culture, whilst offering an in-depth and timely critical insight into the Tibet issue.
Friday 10 – Thursday 16 September
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (15) – Dir. Jan Kounen
France 2009, 2h, subtitles
Paris 1913, and composer Igor Stravinsky’s (Mads
Mikkelson) revolutionary The Rite of Spring causes a riot
at its premiere, its audience deeming it too modern, too
radical. At least one person in the audience, however,
is enthralled: designer Coco Chanel (Anna Mouglalis).
Seven years later the pair meet again and their attraction
is immediate. Chanel invites the penniless Stravinsky, his
sick wife and four children to live in her villa, where they
embark on a barely concealed tempestuous affair. Sexy,
elegant and packed with gorgeous Art Deco flourishes,
this is a lavish depiction of the brief affair enjoyed by two
creative giants of the 20th Century.
Coffee Club - 10.45am on Thursday 16 September
DIRECTOR
FOCUS Course
Join film lecturer
Darren Connor over two Saturdays to discuss Inception’s
Christopher Nolan’s back catalogue and debate whether
he can be called a true ‘auteur’ of cinema.
> 11 Sept: ‘Following’ (1998, 1h9m) + discussion
> 18 Sept: ‘Memento’ (2000, 1h53m) + discussion
Start time 11am. Course price for both screenings £12,
includes light lunch.
Monday 13 September (6.30)
Skeletons (15) – Dir. Nick Whitfield
UK 2009, 1h33m
Inventive British black comedy about a couple of closet
skeleton-chasing exorcists and the secrets that lie
beneath their curious professions. Winner of the Michael
Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film at this
year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
We are delighted to welcome the film’s producer Paul
Welsh and production designer James Lapsley who will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A session after
the screening.
Film Club, 6.30pm on Monday 13th September
Tuesday 14 – Wednesday 15 September
Leaving /
Partir (15) – Dir. Catherine Corsini
France 2009, 1h25m, subtitles
Kristin Scott Thomas (‘I’ve Loved You So Long’) takes on
another demanding role as Suzanne, a repressed, bored
housewife and mother of two teenagers who finds her
comfortable middle-class life shattered by her mutual
attraction to Spanish builder. When she finally makes the
decision to leave her husband the desolate man begins
a vengeful campaign to make life as difficult as possible
for the adulterous pair, who quickly find themselves being
crushed by the economic reality of life on the breadline.
Emotionally engrossing, stunningly acted and brimming with
tense, raw energy, this is compellingly mature cinema.
Friday 17 – Thursday 23 September
The Secret in Their Eyes /
El secreto de sus ojos (18) – Dir. Juan José Campanella
Argentina Spain 2009, 2h9m,
subtitles
Careworn ex-detective Benjamin is trying to write
his novel. Instead, he keeps being drawn back to an
unsolved case from his earlier career: the horrible rape
and murder of a young woman. Something in the original investigation just didn't add up…
Beautifully performed
and directed, with twists and turns that grip the nerves
and the imagination, this is a glossy, thoroughly satisfying
whodunnit – winner of the 2010 Foreign Language
Oscar.
Coffee Club - 10.45am on Thursday 23 September
Monday 20 September (6.30)
The Disappearance of Alice Creed (18) – Dir. J Blakeson
UK 2009, 1h38m
Brisk, brutal and effective – that describes the shocker
opening of ‘The Disappearance of Alice Creed’. Two men
fortify a nondescript British apartment so it can serve
as a prison, and then kidnap a woman and tie her to a
bed. Before there’s even time to react, we’re plunged
into a very nasty situation – but not a simple one. This is
a thriller that is both frightening and deeply satisfying.
At the heart of its twists and jolts is an understanding of
how real people act in desperate situations.
“Twist after twist… a proper nail-biter” Empire
Film Club, 6.30pm on Monday 20th September
Tuesday 21 September (7.30)
Milenge Milenge (PG) – Dir. Satish Kaushik
India 2010, 2h, Hindi
A charming romantic comedy. Amit (Shahid Kapoor) and
Priya (Kareena Kapoor) meet at a youth festival in Bangkok.
The attraction is instant and they spend days together
exploring the city. But when they are preparing to return
to Delhi, Amit loses Priya's trust and she decides to end
the relationship right there. Amit tries to tell her they are
destined to be together and Priya decides that if that's so
then they will find each other in Delhi - even though neither
of them knows where the other lives. Years go by and both
Amit and Priya are about to be married, but both of them
still have the nagging doubt that they missed out on the
true love of their life. That's when the hand of fate intervenes
to bring them back together - but only after lots of very
interesting near misses!
Wednesday 22 September (7.30)
Ajami (15) – Dir. Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani
Israel 2009, 2h5m, subtitles
Scandar Copti is a Palestinian. Yaron Shani is an Israeli.
Together they have collaborated on an extraordinary crime
drama set on the mean streets of Ajami. Weaving together
stories of violence and vendettas, illegal refugees and
conscience-stricken cops, dreams of escape and hopes of
sanctuary, ‘Ajami’ offers a startling insight into the tensions, resentments and misunderstandings that are part of
everyday life in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Jaffa.
Friday 24 – Saturday 25 September (7.30)
Salt (12A) – Dir. Phillip Noyce
USA 2010, 1h40m
Tough-as-nails CIA officer Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie)
watches her life get turned upside down when a Russian
defector visits her office to announce that Salt’s a double
agent for the Russians. Salt goes on the run, using all
her skills and years of experience as a covert operative
to elude capture. Salt’s efforts to prove her innocence
only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to
uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the
question remains: “Who is Salt?”
Phillip Noyce’s return to major-studio filmmaking after a
decade of smaller dramas, such as ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’.
1pm on Wednesday 29th September
Writers’ Factory: Introduction to Screenwriting Course
Develop your ideas into stories on this intensive double weekend course during the Wigtown Book Festival.
The UK Film Council commissioned the Writers Factory syllabus to provide writers with foundation skills in screenwriting, and it's now a well established part of Scotland's creative writing landscape.
The course takes place over 2 weekends and encourages you to explore more fully your storytelling instincts, study the craft of screenwriting, workshop with your peers, and develop and write a commercial ten minute film. The course has been running successfully throughout the UK since 2004, and this is the third time that it will take place in Dumfries & Galloway.
- DATES: Weekends 25/26 September and 2/3 October, 10am – 6pm
- COST: £250
- VENUE: Hillcrest House, Maidland Place, Station Road, Wigtown, Wigtownshire, DG8 9EU
To book your place on the course,
please complete the application form and send to Alice.Stilgoe@dumgal.gov.uk
>> Application Form in Word Format (61kb) | Application Form in PDF Format (37kb) <<
Writers’ Factory is funded
by Creative Scotland and is
coordinated by the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland. www.writersfactory.co.uk
Doors Open
Days -
2 – 4pm An opportunity to see
behind the scenes of the smallest cinema in Scotland and
rare insight into the life and work of a projectionist!
POSTER SALE
To prepare for Doors Open Day, we are clearing out our
cupboards – come along and see what bargains (or
rarities!) you can find.
Monday 27 & Thursday 30 September
The Illusionist /
L'Illusionniste (PG) – Dir. Sylvain Chomet
Scotland 2010, 1h20m, subtitles
Chomet follows up ‘Belleville Rendez-Vous’ with this
gorgeous hand-drawn animation adapted from an
unrealised script by the French comic genius, Jacques Tati.
Conjurer Monsieur Tatischeff is one of a dying breed of
stage entertainers in the late 1950s. Forever searching
for paid gigs, he and his grumpy, obese rabbit trek from
Paris to London, Edinburgh to the Western Isles, where he
meets Alice. Believing his tricks to be real, Alice follows
him to Edinburgh, where he is forced to take on menial
jobs to keep up the illusion of magically appearing
new gifts: can he keep the facade up?
Bittersweet and
beautiful, this is a wonderfully inventive ode to Scotland,
Tati, and old-fashioned filmmaking.
Film Club, 6.30pm on Monday 27th September
Coffee Club - 10.45am on Thursday 30 September
Tuesday 28 – Wednesday 29 September
London River (12A) – Dir. Rachid Bouchareb
UK France Algeria 2009, 1h30m,
some subtitles
Elizabeth (Brenda Blethyn) is a church-going widow who
leaves her Guernsey home to search for her daughter in
the aftermath of the London bombings. While she visits the
emergency rooms and hospital morgues, her path crosses
with that Ousmane (a dignified Sotigui Kouyaté), a North
African Muslim whose son, also missing, was involved with
Elizabeth’s daughter. The tender observation of the strangers’ growing friendship and shared distress cannot help but move
Tuesday 28 September (8.00)
The White Ribbon /
Das Weiße Band (15) – Dir. Michael Haneke
Germany Austria 2009, 2h24m, b/w, subtitles
Period drama about a village in Protestant northern
Germany on the eve of World War I that is plagued
by strange accidents. At first they are passed off as
coincidence, but as these misdeeds turn into genuine
atrocities, the residents begin to mistrust one another.
Shot in stark black and white with no musical score,
acclaimed auteur Michael Haneke (‘Hidden’, ‘Funny
Games’) returns to his classic themes of guilt, denial and
violence in this haunting and provocative feature which
was awarded the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film
Festival.
Now in its seventh year, the BBC FOUR World Cinema
Awards are the foremost foreign language film honours
in the UK. Each year, some 200 UK-wide film writers
are invited to select their favourite movie from the
films released in the previous 12 months. The five films
which polled highest are then shortlisted for the BBC
FOUR World Cinema Award 2010. Here is one from the
shortlist. To see who wins, watch the Awards when they
are broadcast on BBC FOUR on October 9.
|