The 55th SF International Film Festival
April 13, 2012 Cinephiles, prepare to be dazzled at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19–May 3). Featuring 174 films from 45 countries, the two-week festival will open with Farewell, My Queen (Les adieux à la reine, France 2012), Benoît Jacquot’s historical drama about the early days of the French revolution. Fans of the American rock band Journey won't want to miss the closing night film, Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (USA 2012).
Diane Kruger in Benoit Jacquot's "Farewell, My Queen," the Opening Night film at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival. Photo by Carole Bechuel, courtesy of San Francisco Film Society.
Here are a few previews from the extensive festival lineup:
Neighboring Sounds (Brazil, 2012): Set in the Brazilian city of Recife, Kleber Mendonça Filho's feature explores the anxieties of upper middle class families living on a quiet street. A wealthy patriarch hires a questionable security company after a few burglaries invade the neighborhood. Meanwhile, a stay at home mom attempts to fulfill her personal desires while another neighbor engages in a new romance. Themes of class, race and power rise to the surface as the intricate narrative unfolds in this ambitious debut.
Kleber Mendonça Filho's "Neighboring Sounds." Photo by Victor Juca, courtesy of San Francisco Film Society.
Back to Stay (Argentina/Switzerland/Netherlands, 2011): Three young sisters struggle with their grandmother's death in this quiet, understated film. Lost inside the late matriarch's home, each sibling deals with her own grief in different ways, often causing additional tension within the mourning household. A prize winner of last year’s Locarno Film Festival, first-time Argentine director Milagros Mumenthaler deftly weaves a tale of personal loss and the painful beginnings of adulthood.
A scene from Milagros Mumenthaler's "Back to Stay." Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society.
The Loneliest Planet (USA/Gemany, 2011): Two young lovers, Alex (Gael García Bernal) and Nica (Hani Furstenberg), embark on a backpacking adventure in the Caucasus, yet a quick, involuntary decision threatens to destroy their seemingly solid relationship. Director Julia Loktev's story of betrayal, forgiveness and societal concepts of masculinity is examined within the dramatic backdrop of the Georgian mountain range.
A scene from Julia Loktev's "The Loneliest Planet." Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society
To view screening schedules and to buy tickets: festival.sffs.org
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