52nd SF International Film Festival

I always get excited when the annual SF International Film Festival rolls around. This year marks SFIFF's 52nd year, and the selections are as exciting as ever. This year's star-studded appearances include Robert Redford, Francis Ford Coppola, Evan Rachel Wood, and Elijah Wood. I'm looking forward to watching "500 Days of Summer" (starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, "Rudo Y Cursi" (Gael Garcia Bernal - drool!), and "La Mission" (with Benjamin Bratt).

Here are a few films to check out:

Versailles (France) - "Versailles" is a heartbreaking look at 'les marginaux' in France. Damien (Guillaume Depardieu) is a homeless man living in the woods caring for Enzo, a five-year-old child left behind by his mother. This is one of Depardieu's last performances, and it's one you shouldn't miss. I liked how director Pierre Schoeller refused to show sentiment between man and child, and instead hones in on the brutal hardships of extreme poverty. Fighting cold, illness, and hunger, the two form a bond that's as real as a father-son bond. Despite the grave nature of the film, it's also an uplifting look of survival.

Guillaume Depardieu and Max Baissette de Malglaive in Versailles

35 Shots of Rum (France) - Claire Denis's finely wrought narrative of a small circle of Parisian friends is a thoughtful mediation on the many different forms of love. This tight 'family' of friends and relatives center around Lionel (Alex Descas), a train engineer, who lives with his daughter Jo (Mati Diop). A taxi driver (Nicole Dogue) lives in the same building, along with Noe, a brooding young man. It's not obvious in the beginning, but we get to piece each relationship together as the film goes along. I love how the small moments (Descas's strong, silent gazes are so elegant and deliver such power) create such an emotional impact on the overall feel of the film. Agnes Godard's delicate cinematography is meant to enjoyed slowly and thoroughly.

Mati Diop and Alex Descas in 35 Shots of Rum

Artemisia (Taiwan) - First-time director Chiang Hsiu Chiung worked with New Wave master Hou Hsiao-hsien, and her gentle and leisurely paced film is centered around a conservative widow coming to terms with her son's homosexuality and her daughter's out-of-wedlock child. Actress Pan Li Li's performance is a solid portrayal of an older generation trying to understand the modern realities of their children.

Pan Li Li and Mo Tzu-Yi in Artemisia

French Girl (France/Morocco) - National and self identities are deeply questioned for young French-born Sofia in Souad El-Bouhati's wonderful first feature. After her father loses his job, the entire family relocates back to their homeland of Morocco. Trying to retain her proud Gallic origins, Sofia toils away in her university studies while her traditional parents try to reign in her headstrong personality. Longing to return to her beloved France, she declares, "If I stay here, I'll die." Cesar Award-winning actress Hafsia Herzi lends the character of Sofia a passionate and maturity to the character, making this film thoroughly enjoyable.

Hafsia Herzi in French Girl

The SFIFF runs April 23 to May 7. Tickets are on sale at: fest09.sffs.org/info/box_office.php.