May 17 -May 23

From Up on Poppy Hill

Fri 5/17 6:30; Sat 5/18 9:00; Sun 5/19 2:30 & 7:30; Mon 5/20 6:30; Tue 5/21 9:00; Wed 5/22 6:30; Thur 5/23 4:00 & 9:00

Dir.: Goro Miyazaki / 2013 / Japan / in English / 91 min / 35mm film

Studio Ghibli scores with another attractive animated feature, this one the second effort from Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary studio’s founder and driving creative force, Hayao Miyazaki, who also co-wrote this screenplay. The story, which provides certain parallels and contact points with the Hong Kong classic In the Mood for Love, takes place in 1963, as all Japan is beginning to feverishly prepare for the 1964 Olympics, hosted by Tokyo, a historically key transition point for postwar Japan. Umi (voiced by Sarah Bolger) is a 16-year-old whose father, a former sea captain, is dead. Her mother is studying medicine in the U.S. And Umi has been left to operate a boarding house that promises to be extremely busy when the Olympics arrives. Then she meets a boy. Complications ensue. Studio Ghibli authority Timothy Brayton of Antagony & Ecstasy says “it’s got a good heart, and likable characters [who are] easy to root for [It’s] a pleasant enough, airy kind of anime that there’s not much to complain about, for fans of the form.”

May 17 – May 23 beer/wine in mezzanine on May 17th

No

Fri 5/17 9:00 w/ beer/wine in mezzanine; Sat 5/18 6:30; Sun 5/19 5:00; Mon 5/20 9:00; Tue 5/21 6:30; Wed 5/22 9:00; Thur 5/23 6:30

Dir.: Pablo Larraín / 2013 / Chile / France / US / Spanish w/ English subtitles

118 min / 35mm film

An Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, a Cannes Film Festival award winner, and a popular selection at many international film festivals, No takes a wickedly gleeful look at the end of the dictatorship in Chile in the late 80s. It is, in fact, the third film in a loosely knit trilogy from director Pablo Larraín examining life in Chile under the Pinochet regime, following the surprising and excellent Tony Manero (2008) and Post Mortem (2010). Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Y Tu Mama Tambien) plays René Saavedra, a hustling businessman who has embraced Chile’s move to market-driven economics. Based on true events, the action centers on the 1988 plebiscite in Chile, a national election to decide, on a yes or no up-and-down basis, whether or not Pinochet’s regime would remain in power. Activists who had been working for years to overturn the repressive regime turn to Saavedra, who tells them in plain terms that a campaign focused on the misery Pinochet caused would not work. Instead, he put together a campaign filled with upbeat jingles, comedy, and other tools of advertising—and won the election by some 10 points.

May 24 – May 30

The Company You Keep

Fri 5/24 6:30; Sat 5/25 4:00 & 9:00; Sun 5/26 5:00; Mon 5/27 9:00; Tue 5/28 6:30; Wed 5/29 9:00; Thur 5/30 6:30

Dir.: Robert Redford / 2013 / US / 121 min /  35 mm film

The Company You Keep is a throwback to political thrillers of the 1970s. Jim Grant (Redford) is an established lawyer with a secret. What people do not know is that he’s a former 60’s radical. Once a member of the notorious Weather Underground, he’s been in hiding since a robbery gone terribly wrong. Now, decades later, a fellow member of the group has turned herself in. This tips off an inquisitive reporter (Shia LeBeouf), who begins to investigate. With the threat of discovery becoming reality, Jim decides to run for it. Along the way, he meets up with former members of the Underground who have managed to integrate back into society, and some who have not. The stellar cast includes Susan Sarandon, Richard Jenkins, Nick Nolte, and Julie Christie. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says, “Redford builds a riveting, resonant political thriller that values the complexity of its characters and the intelligence of its audience.”

May  24 – May 30 beer/wine in mezzanine on May 24th

Stoker

Fri 5/24 9:00 w/ beer/wine in mezzanine; Sat 5/25 6:30; Sun 5/26 2:30 & 7:30; Mon 5/27 6:30; Tue 5/28 9:00; Wed 5/29 6:30; Thur 5/30 4:00 & 9:00

Dir.: Park Chan-wook / 2013 / US/UK / 99 min / 35 mm film

From the innovative director of Oldboy comes Stoker, a measured study in the art of the bizarre in the guise of a family drama. India (Mia Wasikowska) is a stoic teenaged girl in mourning for her late father. With his recent passing, she and her mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), feel adrift in their new lives. That’s why they’ve let Uncle Charlie move in. He’s come to offer comfort to the grieving pair, but with his arrival comes an unsettling feeling of unease. With his presence comes unearthed secrets and buried lies. There’s a sense of history between Evie and Charlie, and India must find out why. Meanwhile, she plays a sly game of cat-and-mouse with the new tenant that may result in her own demise. Dripping with a grim sense of expectation and wonder, Stoker is surely in the running to become a modern cult classic. Richard Roper of The Chicago Sun Times says, “It’s disturbingly good.”

May 31 – June 5

The Sapphires

Fri 5/31 6:30; Sat 6/1 4:00 & 9:00; Sun 6/2 5:00; Mon 6/3 9:00; Tue 6/4 6:30; Wed 6/5 9:00

Dir.: Wayne Blair / 2013 / Australia / 103 min / 35mm film

This award-winning film festival favorite from Australia takes us back to the 60’s and the era of girl groups in popular music. Earning comparisons with Dreamgirls for its musicality and rags-to-riches theme, The Sapphires follows the adventures of a four-piece aboriginal soul quartet trying to make it at a time when racism was even worse and the Vietnam War kept intruding on everyone’s experience, a time when, somehow, everyone was ready for something new. The four girls in The Sapphires meet up with a manager who really believes in them and then take their lively act to Vietnam to entertain the troops, hoping to make it big. It may be a tried and true formula for crazy kids trying to make it in show biz, but along the way it finds any number of ways to endear itself. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone enthuses, “Even falling bombs… can’t detract from The Sapphires as they stride onstage in sequins singing Motown classics. What glory abides in their voices. And what a treat awaits you watching their dreams play out.”

May 31 – June 5 beer/wine in mezzanine on May 31

Barbara

Fri 5/31 9:00 w/ beer/wine in mezzanine; Sat 6/1 6:30; Sun 6/2 2:30 & 7:30; Mon 6/3 6:30; Tue 6/4 9:00; Wed 6/5 6:30

Dir.: Christian Petzold / 2013 / Germany / 105 min / German w/ English subtitles / 35 mm film

The winner of several international awards including The Golden Lion at the Berlin Film Festival, Barbara is a portrait of one woman’s perilous life behind the Iron Curtain. Set in 1980, the barrier between East and West Germany is fully ingrained. Barbara is a doctor in the East, who has been banished to a remote clinic for unspecified reasons. As she resumes her practice, Barbara must suffer many hardships. These include being under constant surveillance, which entails tolerating humiliating searches that can occur at any time. No one can be trusted, though some try to forge a connection. Andre, a fellow doctor, shows an interest, but her suspicion surrounding his motivation may be justified. All the while, Barbara holds an enduring affinity for the West, which may contain the secret to her yearned-for happiness. Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times says, “It’s one terrific film, … smart, thoughtful and emotionally involving.”

June 7 – June 13

The Place Beyond the Pines

Fri 6/7 6:30; Sat 6/8 4:00 & 9:00; Sun 6/9 2:30; Mon 6/10 9:00; Tue 6/11 6:30; Wed 6/12 9:00 Thur 6/13 6:30

Dir.: Derek Cianfrance / 2013 / US / 140 min / 35 mm film

The Place Beyond the Pines is a dramatic meditation on the relationship between fathers and sons, from the director of the acclaimed Blue Valentine. In this story, told in three parts, Ryan Gosling plays Luke, a loner who rides his motorcycle in stunt shows. Strong and silent, Luke is alone but not lonely, that is, until he finds out he’s become a father, the result of a one-night stand. He sees this as an opportunity: a chance to settle down and do well by his newfound son. Unfortunately, Luke decides to gather the funds to support his child by robbing banks. On an intersecting path is Avery (Bradley Cooper), a low-ranking police officer, who is the son of a powerful judge. Avery sees the recent spate of bank robberies as an opportunity: a chance to get on the good side of his father and a bullying sergeant. But his plan can succeed only if he can manage to catch the thief.  Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times says this film is “moving, evocative, and even a little hopeful.”

June 7 – June 13 beer/wine in mezzanine on June 7th

Blancanieves

Fri 6/7 9:00 w/ beer/wine in mezzanine; Sat 6/8 6:30; Sun 6/9 7:30; Mon 6/10 6:30; Tue 6/11 9:00; Wed 6/12 6:30; Thur 6/13 4:00 & 9:00

Dir.: Pablo Berger / 2013 / Spain / France / Spanish w/ English subtitles 104 min / 35mm film

A couple of years ago, the Academy Award-winning bonanza of The Artist demonstrated there could well be interest, appreciation, and even potentially a market once again for the aesthetics of silent film. Blancanieves (Spanish for “Snow White”) tests the theory. Taking a page out of the surreal work of Guy Maddin (Keyhole, The Saddest Music in the World), and maybe Pedro Almodovar too (Talk to Her), it reimagines the fairy tale heroine as a matador. Pretty much everything you know from the story is here one way or another—the vain and cruel stepmother, even seven dwarves—but this is Snow White as you’ve never seen it before. “Moving between swirling montages set to flamenco guitar and high contrast interior shots of well-manicured mansions, director Pablo Berger’s film is lush, dynamic and engaging,” writes Jordan Hoffman of Film.com. “This gorgeous, silent, black and white European production is an unexpected gift from the gods of pure cinema – a bottomless carafe of dessert wine with increasingly dizzying effects. Should you be so lucky as to live near an arthouse theater, please, for the love of all that’s holy, justify the higher taxes of the area and see it.”

Sunday June 9 only at 5:00 p.m.  SAGE Olympia sponsored 

The Sons of Tennessee Williams

Dir: Tim Wolf / 2011 / US / 80 min /high definition digital

In The Sons of Tennessee Williams, the progress of the gay rights movement is explored through the annual celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Being gay in the South in the 1950s was a futile existence, except for one day a year. In 1959, under the guise of the slightly relaxed laws that accompanied Mardi Gras, a movement of culture and freedom was spurred. “Krews” were joyous events that gave the gay community an opportunity to free themselves from confinement and strict laws. As the decades have passed, this tradition has grown into an exhilarating event including parades, parties, and elaborate drag shows featuring ornate costumes—the flashier the better. In this documentary, this tradition is explored through archival footage that ranges from its beginning to modern day, revealing how what started as a party became a boon for civil rights.

June 16 – June 20

Ginger & Rosa

Sun 6/16 2:30 & 7:30; Mon 6/17 6:30; Tue 6/18 9:00; Wed 6/19 6:30; Thur 6/20 4:00 & 9:00

Dir.: Sally Potter / 2013 / UK / Denmark / Canada / Croatia / in English / 90 min / 35 mm film

Ginger and Rosa are best friends who are growing up during one of the most dramatic times in recent history. It is 1962, and both girls are 17. Rosa is the overtly rebellious of the two, as she skips school and purposely ignores any rule an adult puts before her. Ginger (Elle Fanning), on the other hand, is more introspective, preferring to act out at protest rallies     , marching against the threat of nuclear annihilation. Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the threat of nuclear war was all too real, the drama of the young women’s lives unfurls, merging the emotional turmoil of being a teenager with the violent era that surrounds them. Featuring an acclaimed performance by Elle Fanning, Ginger & Rosa is a portrait of young rebellion in a confused world. A.O. Scott of The New York Times calls Ginger & Rosa “remarkable coming of age story.”