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Grace Is Gone
Special thanks to The City of Aspen
USA, 90 min.
There was a time when Stanley Phillips (John Cusack) could see his entire life clearly. Dreaming of patriotic service, he was destined for a military career. But that's not how things worked out. Now stuck in a boring job, he plays Mr. Mom to two young daughters while his wife serves in Iraq. Equally awkward in both roles, Stanley's very core is abruptly shaken by news from the front. Distraught, this loving but emotionally subterranean parent finds himself at a loss as to how to tell Heidi and Dawn. Delaying the inevitable, he spontaneously bundles them into the car and hits the road. The farther they drive, the closer they become, yet Stanley is haunted by what he must do. Cusack's achingly poignant performance forms the backbone of this Sundance Audience Award winner. In his feature debut, writer-director James Strouse has fashioned a decidedly unflashy but deeply effecting story for our times. (USA, 2007, 90 min. Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)
Souvenirs
Special thanks to Ellen & Bill Hunt
Israel, 75 min.
With humor and compassion, this award-winning documentary examines the complex relationship between Israeli filmmaker Shahar Cohen and his father, a WWII veteran of the British Army's Jewish Brigade. At a reunion of Israeli brigade veterans, Shahar is intrigued to hear jokes that some of them (including his dad) may have left behind fl esh-and-blood "souvenirs" while stationed in postwar Amsterdam. Shahar and Sleiman, now 82, retrace the elder Cohen's wartime route on a road trip that leads them through Italy, Germany and finally Holland, where Shahar is determined to discover if he has any half-siblings. Along the way, their evolving relationship becomes the film's focus as father and son bicker, tease, laugh and cry, discovering unexpected connections, as well as newfound acceptance of each other. By turns comic and touching, this involving personal film raises universal questions about the tension between myth and reality, memory and historical truth. (Israel, 2006, 75 min. Courtesy of Sirocco Productions) HS+
Across the Universe
Special thanks to Sam & Peter Louras
USA, 134 min.
At once gritty, whimsical and highly theatrical, Across the Universe is an original movie musical from renowned director Julie Taymor (Frida, Titus, and the Broadway smash hit The Lion King) and writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (The Commitments). Told through over 30 Beatles' songs and traveling from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the battle fields of Vietnam, this coming-of-age tale is set against the social and creative ferment of the 1960s. Star-crossed lovers, Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up in the tumult, with Dr. Robert (Bono) and Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard) as their guides. As they journey from innocence to awareness, Jude and Lucy are torn apart, forcing the young lovers - against all odds - to find their own way back to each other. (USA, 2007, 134 min. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing) HS+
Starting Out in the Evening
Special thanks to Pamela Levy & Rick Crandall
With quiet intensity, Andrew Wagner's smartly realized New York drama traces the relationship between Schiller (a superb Frank Langella) and Heather (a luminous Lauren Ambrose), a graduate student who wants to write her thesis about the elderly, reclusive novelist. While the erudite author initially rejects Heather’s brash entreaties for an interview, he eventually succumbs. What follows is a fascinating pas de deux brimming with conflicting ambitions and desires that compels each to make unexpected choices. Meanwhile, Schiller's daughter, Ariel (Lili Taylor), is nearing 40 and intent on having a child. Like her father, she invites a distraction that seems to divert her from her primary purpose. In this intelligently sensitive exploration of generational conflict, romantic complexity, and personal choice, the value of an examined life is put to the test for three characters at very different crossroads in their lives. (USA, 2007, 110 min. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions)
Sleuth
Special thanks to Stella Artois
USA/UK, 86 min.
The all-star team of director Kenneth Branagh, screenwriter Harold Pinter, actors Michael Caine and Jude Law boldly updates Sleuth, the 1972 classic tale of jealousy and revenge. Applying their prodigious talents, the foursome have extracted the original's juicy plot and transported it to the 21st century, creating a fresh and wickedly delectable cinematic treat. This time around Oscar-winner Michael Caine stars as the richly successful author Andrew Wyke, whose wife has left him for a lover, Milo Tindle (Jude Law, assuming Caine's role in the earlier version). Wyke, a master of control in life, as in his detective novels, invites the young rival to his secluded mansion to discuss the affair. Upon Milo's arrival at Wyke’s opulent lair, a convoluted game of deception ensues. As the clever crime writer sets a real-life suspense story in motion, the men become locked in a devious, and deadly, duel of wits. (USA/UK, 2007, 86 min. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)
Eye of the Leopard
Botswana, 93 min.
Anticipating our special Friday presentation Living with Big Cats with Beverly and Dereck Joubert in person, we're delighted to add this wonderful wildlife portrait narrated by Jeremy Irons. National Geographic filmmakers and Explorers-in-Residence, the Jouberts first found Legadema when she was just an eight-day old leopard; they spent the next three years following and documenting her as she grew from a small cub into an adult female. This story is about her life, her home in the beautiful forests in Botswana's Okavango delta and the intricacies of leopard life, but mostly it is the story of triumph as this little cat dodges dangers including her most menacing of enemies. Eye of the Leopard is a stunning testament to the way the Jouberts work, slowly, methodically, and with a documentary integrity rarely seen. (93 min.)(photograph by Beverly Joubert)
War/Dance
Special thanks to Marcy & Howard Gross
USA, 106 min.
The beautifully shot and captivating War/Dance takes us to Northern Uganda, a country ravaged by more than two decades of civil war, to discover a remarkable tale of the transformative power of art. The film follows the improbable journey of three children, Dominic, Rose and Nancy, as they and their schoolmates in the remote and desolate Patonga Refugee Camp prepare for a national music and dance competition. Despite daunting personal histories, they raise their voices in hope, singing and dancing to the rhythms of their ancestors. Against all odds, the students qualify to compete in the annual Kampala Music Festival. If their bus can make it safely through rebel territory, they’ll take the stage and give it their all. Filmmakers Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine (who won a well-deserved directing award at Sundance for this film) craft a profoundly moving story of the astounding resilience of the human spirit. (USA, 2007, 106 min. Courtesy of THINKFilm) HS+
JULIE CHRISTIE TRIBUTE
Away from Her
Canada, 110 min. FREE
As part of our Saturday tribute to actress Julie Christie, this year's Independent by Nature Award honoree, we are pleased to present a free community screening of her most recent feature, Away from Her. One of the year's most critically acclaimed films, this cinematic poem of love and loss focuses on a couple who, after 45 years together, must come to grips with the onset of memory loss. Julie Christie gives a beautifully nuanced performance as Fiona, who takes deliberate and unconventional steps to release her husband (a marvelous Gordon Pinsent) from the fate of becoming her caregiver. In an unusual love story, the couple begins working through the complex transition from lovers to strangers. Creating a character that is, by turns, brave, fragile, dignified and increasingly confused, Julie Christie continues to enthrall audiences with her screen presence. Making an insightful and eloquent filmmaking debut, actress Sarah Polley wrote and directed the film from an Alice Munro story. Michael Murphy and Olympia Dukakis also star. (Canada, 2006, 110 min. Courtesy of Lionsgate Films)
Son of Rambow
Special thanks to Paulette & Mel Blumenthal
UK/France, 95 min.
In this subversively funny British homage to childhood, home movies and action-adventure flicks, two boys set out to make the ultimate prequel to First Blood. It's the early 1980s and Carter, the school terror, has obtained a pirated copy of the first Rambo movie, which he shows to the sheltered but imaginative Will, whose strict religious upbringing prohibits TV, music and movies. And so begins a sweetly raucous adventure as this unlikely duo decides to create their own epic, with Will as the up-for-anything stuntman. As their escapades mount, a charismatic French exchange student and a meddlesome minister threaten the boys’ unique friendship, and their movie. Writer-director Garth Jennings and his collaborator Nick Goldsmith, the team behind The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, use a creative array of visual techniques to capture that moment in childhood when anything is possible and dreams can be recreated with a home video camera, a few props and a ton of imagination. (UK/France, 2007, 95 min. Courtesy of Paramount Vantage) 12+
The Violin
Special thanks to Film Movement
Mexico, 98 min.
Filmed in striking black-and-white, Francisco Vargas' finely crafted first feature blends a lyric view of Mexico inspired by its cinema of the 40s and 50s with the stark social realism of Luis Buñuel and early Latin American filmmakers. Set during the peasant revolts of the mid-1970s, The Violin begins with a brutal interrogation (getting the ugliest moment out of the way at the outset while highlighting the grim stakes the rebels face) and then segues to a family headed by grizzled farmer Don Plutarco. When an army raid forces them to flee their village, a dangerous game of cat and mouse unfolds as Don Plutarco's son joins the guerillas and Plutarco himself tends his crops in exchange for playing his violin for the troops. In his acting debut as the heroic violinist, 81-year-old Don Angel Tavira (Cannes Best Actor award winner) inspires real admiration. A surprise hit in Mexico earlier this year, The Violin explores the basic humanity that moves ordinary people to fight oppression. (Mexico, 2006, 98 min. Courtesy of Film Movement)
Small Engine Repair
Ireland, 98 min.
Vividly drawn characters, a strong sense of place and engaging performances by a talented ensemble cast make Small Engine Repair a gem of a film. Set in a tiny Irish backwoods lumber town, it centers on Doug, a 40-something guitar teacher, and his small circle of friends, who are watching youthful dreams slip between their fingers as they reluctantly approach middle age. Doug noodles away at composing country/western tunes, though no one, not even himself, believes in his heartbreaking voice and musical talent. When a string of bad luck - like one of the CW songs he loves so much - goads him to act on his dreams, he and his friends must finally break free. Directing from his own richly layered script, Niall Heery paces this character-driven story like a bittersweet ballad. Taking time to linger on revealing details and intriguing quirks, he deftly creates, with humor and insight, a group portrait of men whose lives haven't worked out the way they’d hoped. (Ireland, 2006, 98 min. Courtesy of Subotica Entertainment Ltd.) F HS+
The Monastery
Special thanks to The Aspen Times
Denmark, 84 min.
This award-winning documentary tells the story of two very different people and the dream that brings them into an unlikely partnership. Mr. Vig, a shy, 82-year-old retired priest and librarian, presides like an eccentric character from Wind in the Willows over a dilapidated Danish country estate. He has long dreamed of converting his moldering castle into a Russian Orthodox monastery to leave behind after his death. When the Russian patriarchate fi nally agrees to send a delegation to appraise the site, the otherworldly Mr. Vig is woefully unprepared for the arrival of young, practical, headstrong Sister Amvrosija, and his quiet existence is disrupted in ways both humorous and exasperating. A compassionate study in transformation and letting go, and in faith and its side effects, Pernille Rose Grønkjaer's film leaves us pondering what is the better measure of our time on earth – how we live or what we leave behind. (Denmark, 2006, 84 min. Courtesy of Koch Lorber Entertainment) HS+
Beauty in Trouble
Special thanks to Juliet Shield-Taylor & J. David Taylor
Czech Republic, 110 min.
Fate, love and family reside at the heart of this masterful multi-character feature from Czech director-writer team, Jan Hrebejk and Petr Jarchovsky (Divided We Fall). When the devastating Prague floods of 2002 leave Marcela (Ana Geislerová) and her mechanic husband Jarda (Roman Luknár) in dire financial straits, Jarda resorts to desperate measures. Fed up, Marcela takes their two kids and moves in with her mother and abrasive stepfather. Through a comical series of circumstances involving prison and a stolen car, Marcela meets Evzen (Josef Abrhám), a gentle, generous, and wealthy older man. Despite differences (he likes fine wine, she prefers hers mixed with Coke), the two develop a surprising friendship that eventually morphs into something more. Mixing humor and drama to great effect, this smartly observed, emotionally evocative film examines the forces that drive all of our lives, and how even the most final decisions aren't necessarily final. (Czech Republic, 2006, 110 min. Courtesy of Menemsha Films)
Living with Big Cats
Special thanks to The Danny Kaye & Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation
Botswana, 120 min.
Beverly & Dereck Joubert in person
Join us for this special evening as celebrated wildlife filmmakers and ardent conservationists, Dereck and Beverly Joubert share their latest film and talk about life in the bush. For almost three decades, the Jouberts have been documenting, researching and exploring Africa, revealing a side of the natural world that is usually hidden from us. Their mission is the preservation and understanding of Africa's large predators and other key wildlife species. Based in Botswana, the Jouberts have made important contributions to conservation policy and our knowledge of animal behavior including 20 films, six books and numerous magazine articles. With four Emmys and a Peabody to their credit, they were recently named National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, an elite group whose ranks number only thirteen worldwide. In their newest documentary, Living with Big Cats, narrated by Jeremy Irons, the Jouberts provide an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at how they work and how their philosophy infl uences the choices they make in the wild. (Botswana, 2007, program 120 min. Courtesy of Wildlife Films Botswana) F 12+
Save Me
Special thanks to Esther Pearlstone
USA, 96 min.
Judith Light, Robert Cary, Robert Desiderio and producer Herb Hamsher in person.
Based on a screenplay by Craig Chester, Alan Hines and Robert Desiderio, director Robert Cary (Ira and Abby) sensitively dramatizes one of the most polarizing religious and sexual debates in America, the "ex-gay" movement. Striving for complexity rather than polemics, Save Me explores how personal definitions of love, faith and truth can shape and change character. Mark (Chad Allen) is a troubled young man whose latest sex-and-drugs binge places him at the mercy of a disapproving family. Their solution? Check him into a Christian ministry run by Gayle (a superb Judith Light), who believes she can help cure young men of their 'gay affliction' through spiritual guidance. Initially resistant to the efforts of Gayle and her loving husband (Stephen Lang), Mark soon finds solace and brotherhood with other residents, including Scott (Robert Gant), who is battling his own family demons. When their friendship develops in unexpected ways, both are forced to confront their truth, and Gayle finds the values she holds as absolute threatened. (USA, 2007, 96 min. Courtesy of Save Me Holdings, LLC.) F
Control
Special thanks to Filmfest's Media Sponsors
U.K./Australia/Japan, 119 min.
Control is exactly what Ian Curtis, lead singer of the British band Joy Division, sought and never found, but it is what photographer-music video director Anton Corbijn brings to his feature debut in this riveting, visually arresting portrait of a tormented soul. Curtis, as a teenager in 1970s Manchester, aspires to escape his small-town existence with dreams of emulating his hero, David Bowie. He teams up with a fledgling band, Joy Division, and becomes a rock legend. But musical success isn't enough to quell his demons and, on the eve of a much-anticipated U.S. tour, Curtis bows out for good. Cinematically stylish, with period music including a fantastic score by New Order, Control's greatest strength is outstanding performances, led by Oscar-nominee Samantha Morton as Curtis' wife Debbie, and especially Sam Riley, stunning as the troubled, unpredictable genius. A refreshing departure from the usual hyperbolic rock biopic, this film was a critical hit when it premiered at Cannes in May. (U.K./Australia/Japan, 2007, 119 min. Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)
The Rules of the Game
Special thanks to Reel People: The Friends of Aspen Film
France, 115 min.
Though reviled upon its initial release, Jean Renoir's masterpiece is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. Francois Truffaut called it "the Film of Films." Robert Altman said, "The Rules of the Game taught me the rules of the game." Audacious in form yet imbued with Renoir's clear-eyed humanism, this sharp critique of 1930s French society is cloaked as a comedy of manners, the original Upstairs, Downstairs. At a weekend hunting party, amorous escapades abound among the aristocratic guests and are mirrored by the activities of the servants. The refusal of one guest to play by society's rules sets off a chain of events that ends in tragedy. Thanks to a new digital restoration, we can finally see the film as Renoir intended. Program includes an extended introduction to enhance appreciation of a film whose style and storytelling were ahead of their time and which inspired subsequent generations of filmmakers. (France, 1939, program runs 115 min. Courtesy of Janus Films) HS+
Hula Girls
Special thanks to Melva Bucksbaum & Raymond Learsy
Japan, 110 min.
Hula Girls charmingly depicts the true story of a Japanese town's valiant effort to save itself. It's 1965 and the giant Joban coal mine is on the verge of closing. Desperate to avoid becoming a ghost town, community leaders concoct a scheme to build a Hawaiian-themed resort "paradise" complete with hula shows, despite its location on Japan"s chilly northeastern coast. Since no one exactly knows how to hula, an instructor is brought in from Tokyo to teach the coal miners' daughters. Loaded with underdog heroics and youthful enthusiasm, the film enlivens the tried but true overcoming-impossible-odds storyline with wry humor and a keen eye for human nature. Director Lee Sang-il adroitly captures how the naïve boosterism of town leaders, the dour skepticism of hard-bitten miners and the perky earnestness of the would-be hula girls combine to surpass all expectations. This affecting comedy was Japan's entry for the Academy Awards. (Japan, 2006, 110 min. Courtesy of VIZ Pictures, Inc.) HS+
Half Moon
Special thanks to Aspen Film Volunteers
Iran/Iraq/France/Austria, 107 min.
This moving new film from acclaimed Kurdish director Bahman Ghobadi (Turtles Can Fly) tells the story of Mamo, a famous, aging musician who is determined to perform in Iraqi Kurdistan for the first time in 35 years. The concert will celebrate the fall of Saddam Hussein and, thus, the public resurrection of Kurdish music. But first Mamo must collect his 12 musician sons, as well as the singer Hesho, from around the country and cross the border between Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan. Undeterred by the dire prediction of a village elder, he borrows an old bus and embarks on a long, winding journey of haunting beauty, magical imagery and calamity. The cast of nonprofessional actors embodies the passion, emotion and warm humor of the Kurdish people. With stunning cinematography and an evocative soundtrack, Ghobadi spins a mesmerizing allegory of the history and current affairs of his people and homeland. (Iran/Iraq/France/Austria, 2006, 107 min. Courtesy of Strand Releasing) HS+
Starting Out in the Evening
USA, 110 min.
With quiet intensity, Andrew Wagner's smartly realized New York drama traces the relationship between Schiller (a superb Frank Langella) and Heather (a luminous Lauren Ambrose), a graduate student who wants to write her thesis about the elderly, reclusive novelist. While the erudite author initially rejects Heather’s brash entreaties for an interview, he eventually succumbs. What follows is a fascinating pas de deux brimming with confl icting ambitions and desires that compels each to make unexpected choices. Meanwhile, Schiller's daughter, Ariel (Lili Taylor), is nearing 40 and intent on having a child. Like her father, she invites a distraction that seems to divert her from her primary purpose. In this intelligently sensitive exploration of generational conflict, romantic complexity, and personal choice, the value of an examined life is put to the test for three characters at very different crossroads in their lives. (USA, 2007, 110 min. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions)
Into the Wild
Special thanks to Marty Flug
USA, 140 min.
Fresh from college with a promising future ahead, 22 year-old Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) walks out of his privileged life and into a quest. Along the way, he experiences adventure and encounters colorful characters who shape his understanding of life and whose lives he, in turn, changes. Ultimately, he tests himself by hitchhiking to Alaska, where everything he sees, learns and feels comes to a head in unexpected ways. Heroic adventurer or a naïve idealist? Rebellious modern Thoreau or another lost American son? Each strand of McCandless's journey is woven into director Sean Penn's screen adaptation of Jon Krakauer's bestseller, Into the Wild starring William Hurt, Catherine Keener, Hal Holbrook and Vince Vaughn. With eloquent restraint, Penn juxtaposes the vast splendor of wilderness against the intricate workings of the human soul, shaping an unsettling epic that is as much about the yearning for family, home and connection as it is the search for truth and happiness. (USA, 2007, 140 min. Courtesy of Paramount Vantage) HS+
Chicago 10
Special thanks to Adam Lewis
USA, 103 min.
The 1968 Democratic Convention was a watershed moment in the 1960s, a political event marked by street upheaval broadcast live on national television. In the aftermath, eight activists, including Abbie Hoffman and Black Panther Bobby Seale, were charged with conspiracy to incite violence and tried a year later. Filmmaker Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture) takes an innovative look at this seminal chapter in contemporary American history, boldly mixing animation with extraordinary archival footage to explore the buildup to and unraveling of the case against the protesters. Hank Azaria, Mark Ruffalo, and Roy Scheider are among the voiceover actors for the animated trial, which became a circus. A fascinating account of young people attempting to confront an oppressive and armed government - their own. With a soundtrack featuring Rage Against the Machine, Eminem, and the Beastie Boys, this story of political activism is as potent today as it was 40 years ago. (USA, 2006, 103 min. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions) HS+
Buddha's Lost Children
Special thanks to Town of Snowmass Village
Netherlands/France, 96 min.
In the remote borderlands of Thailand's Golden Triangle, a rugged terrain of drug smuggling and impoverished hill tribes, an atypical monk has devoted himself to the welfare of the region's children. This true story profiles Phra Khru Bah Neua Chai Kositto, a.k.a. the Tiger Monk, a former Thai boxing champion turned devout Buddhist. He travels to villages on horseback, often risking his life, to offer prayers, health care, and education. And at his Golden Horse Temple - which includes an orphanage, school and clinic - Khru Bah imparts the teachings of Buddha to his young charges, guiding them to take responsibility and live their lives with purpose. In this beautifully crafted film, director Mark Verkerk creates an intimate portrayal of a monk who has translated the Buddhist ideals of infinite compassion and unconditional love into measurable action, and the boys who benefi t from Khru Bah's brand of tough love. (Netherlands/France, 2006, 96 min. Courtesy of Fortissimo Films) 12+
My Kid Could Paint That
Special thanks to Karen & Bayard Hollins
USA, 83 min.
In the span of a few months, 4-year-old Marla Olmstead rocketed from obscurity into the international spotlight - and sold over $300,000 worth of paintings. Compared to Kandinsky, Pollock, even Picasso, she captured the attention of the art world and media from The New York Times to The Today Show. Intrigued, filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev received permission from her parents to film a documentary. Five months into Marla’s new life, 60 Minutes II dropped a bombshell: Who was the real painter? The embattled Olmsteads turned to Bar-Lev to clear their name. Torn between journalistic responsibility and the family's wishes, he suddenly found himself with a very different film. Bar-Lev scrutinizes our obsession with child prodigies, explores the complex debate of what makes art, questions the media's creation and destruction of "everyday celebrity," and even examines the ethics of documentary storytelling. This portrait of an artist as a little girl is an absorbing and thoughtful piece. (USA, 2006, 83 min. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics) HS+
The Savages
Special thanks to The Little Nell
USA, 113 min.
In her consummately executed, irreverent new drama, Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills) achieves a rare storytelling feat: to make us laugh and cry at once. In what may evolve into a new genre, the coming-of-middle-age story, she has captured the misgivings and mixed emotions that can befall adult children faced with an aging parent. Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver marvelously calibrated performances as siblings, Wendy and Jon Savage, who are suddenly plucked from their self-absorbed lives and forced to care for a father (Philip Bosco) who never much bothered to care for them. Through sharp, witty dialogue and telling details, Jenkins avoids the slippery slope of melodrama and instead treats her characters and their situation with remarkable evenhandedness and integrity. Via subtle shifts in tone, The Savages transforms what could be an uncomfortable scenario into a brilliantly humane examination of family at a point in life usually ignored in films. It’s no wonder that The Savages was enthusiastically embraced as one of the highlights of the Sundance Film Festival. (USA, 2007, 113 min. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight
Other Filmfest Programs
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Living with Big Cats
Special thanks to The Danny Kaye & Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation
Botswana, 120 min.
Beverly & Dereck Joubert in person
Join us for this special evening as celebrated wildlife filmmakers and ardent conservationists, Dereck and Beverly Joubert share their latest film and talk about life in the bush. For almost three decades, the Jouberts have been documenting, researching and exploring Africa, revealing a side of the natural world that is usually hidden from us. Their mission is the preservation and understanding of Africa's large predators and other key wildlife species. Based in Botswana, the Jouberts have made important contributions to conservation policy and our knowledge of animal behavior including 20 films, six books and numerous magazine articles. With four Emmys and a Peabody to their credit, they were recently named National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, an elite group whose ranks number only thirteen worldwide. In their newest documentary, Living with Big Cats, narrated by Jeremy Irons, the Jouberts provide an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at how they work and how their philosophy infl uences the choices they make in the wild. (Botswana, 2007, program 120 min. Courtesy of Wildlife Films Botswana)
Eye of the Leopard
Botswana, 93 min.
Anticipating our special Friday presentation Living with Big Cats with Beverly and Dereck Joubert in person, we're delighted to add this wonderful wildlife portrait narrated by Jeremy Irons. National Geographic filmmakers and Explorers-in-Residence, the Jouberts first found Legadema when she was just an eight-day old leopard; they spent the next three years following and documenting her as she grew from a small cub into an adult female. This story is about her life, her home in the beautiful forests in Botswana's Okavango delta and the intricacies of leopard life, but mostly it is the story of triumph as this little cat dodges dangers including her most menacing of enemies. Eye of the Leopard is a stunning testament to the way the Jouberts work, slowly, methodically, and with a documentary integrity rarely seen. (93 min.)(photograph by Beverly Joubert)
INDEPENDENT BY NATURE AWARD
An Evening with Julie Christie
Special thanks to Susan & Neil Karbank
This evening we honor Julie Christie, whose legendary acting career spans more than 40 years. One of the most intelligent and nuanced performers of our time, Ms. Christie has created enduring characters in nearly 50 films. She first received acclaim in John Schlesinger's Billy Liar (1963), becoming a symbol of the New British Cinema. Her portrayal of a swinging socialite in Schlesinger's Darling two years later earned her an Oscar. She has inhabited an astounding diversity of roles, appearing in David Lean's Dr. Zhivago, Joseph Losey's The Go-Between, Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now, Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and Warren Beatty's Shampoo. Most recently, she's made an indelible impression as Fiona, a woman stricken with Alzheimer's, in the critically acclaimed Away from Her (screens Thursday, Sept. 27). Ms. Christie joins us for a selection of clips from her films and an on-stage conversation, moderated by noted television interviewer and journalist Charlie Rose.
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