In Part Three of our World Cinema Showcase 2012 Preview we bring you all the films from the ‘Arts and Music’ section of the programme, complete with trailers and our picks…
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CINEMAS
Auckland: March 29 – April 11
Rialto Newmarket, Bridgeway Cinemas, Event Newmarket (click here for full schedule)
Wellington: April 5 – April 22
Paramount, Embassy (click here for full schedule)
Dunedin: April 19 – May 2
Regent Theatre, Rialto Cinemas (click here for full schedule)
Christchurch: April 26 – May 9
Hollywood 3 (click here for full schedule)
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FILMS: ARTS AND MUSIC
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ANDA UNION: FROM THE STEPPES TO THE CITY
UK | 2011 | 94 MINUTES
AnDa Union: From the Steppes to the City follows a band of young Inner Mongolian musicians as they traverse 10,000 km to perform for each of the ten members far flung families.
(No trailer available)
Directors: Tim Pearce, Sophie Lascelles, Marc Tiley. Featured: Nars, Chinggel, Saikannakaa, Biligbaatar, Otgonbayar, Urgen, Monkhjayaa, Hadanbaatar.
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AUTOLUMINESCENT (ADMIT ONE PICK)
Australia | 2011 | 110 MINUTES
From myth to legend Rowland Howard appeared on the early Melbourne punk scene like a phantom out of Kafkaesque Prague or Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A beautifully gaunt and gothic aristocrat, the unique distinctive fury of his guitar style shot him directly into the imagination of a generation. He was impeccable, the austerity of his artistry embodied in his finely wrought form, his obscure tastes and his intelligently wry wit. He radiated a searing personal integrity that never seemed to tarnish. Despite the trials and tribulations of his career, in an age of makeover and reinvention, Rowland Howard never ‘sold out’. With recent and moving interviews, archival interviews and other fascinating and original footage, Autoluminescent traces the life of Rowland S Howard. Capturing moments with the man himself and intimate missives from those who knew him behind closed doors; words and images etch light into what has always been the mysterious dark.
Directors: Lynn-Maree Milburn, Richard Lowenstein. Featured: Rowland S. Howard, Nick Cave, Katy Beale, Janet Austin, Genevieve McGuckin, Greg Perano, Mick Harvey, Ian “Ollie” Olsen, Marie Hoy, Pierre Sutcliffe, Bronwyn Adams, Bruce Milne.
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BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (ADMIT ONE PICK)
USA | 2011 | 98 MINUTES
A documentary about A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most influential and groundbreaking musical groups in hip-hop history. After five golg and platinum albums in with eight years, the band’s sudden break up in 1998 shocked the industry and fans. Director Michael Rapaport sets out on tour with the band in 2008, when they reunite to perform sold-out concerts across America. As he travels with the band members, Rapaport captures the story of how tenuous their relationship has become; how their personal differences and unresolved conflicts continue to be a threat to their creative cohesion.
Director: Michael Rapaport. Featured: Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Mohammed, Jarobi White, Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Pharrell Williams, DJ Red Alert, Prince Paul, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Barry Weiss, Common, Busta Rhymes, Mary J. Blige.
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CHICO & RITA
SPAIN/UK | 2010 | 94 MINUTES
Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love.
http://youtu.be/t82kD4oEoZU
Directors: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal. Cast: Bebo Valdes, Idania Valdes, Estrella Morente, Freddy Cole, Jimmy Heath, Pedrito Martinez, Michael Phillip Mossman, Amadito Valdes, German Velazco, Yaroldi Abreu, Rolando Luna.
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EAMES: THE ARCHITECT AND THE PAINTER
USA | 2011 | 83 MINUTES
The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames were America’s most influential and important industrial designers. Admired for their creations and fascinating as individuals, they have risen to iconic status in American culture. Eames: The Architect & The Painter draws from a treasure trove of archival material, as well as new interviews with friends, colleague, and experts to capture the personal story of Charles and Ray while placing them firmly in the context of their fascinating times.
Directors: Jason Cohn, Bill Jersey. Narrator: James Franco. Featured: Lucia Eames, Eames Demetrios, Paul Schrader, Rochard Saul Wurman, Kevin Roche, Jeanne Oppewall, Deborah Sussman, Gordon Ashby.
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THE SWELL SEASON (ADMIT ONE PICK)
USA | 2011 | 91 MINUTES
The world fell in love with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová when their songwriting collaboration in the film Once culminated in a jubilant Oscar win. But behind the scenes, where Glen and Mar’s on-screen romance became reality, a grueling two-year world tour threatens to fracture their fated bond. Gorgeously filmed in black and white, this music-filled documentary is an intimate look at the exhilaration and turmoil created by both love and fame.
Directors: Nick August-Perna, Carlo Mirabella-Davis, Chris Dapkins. Featured: Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Rob Bochnik, Graham Hopkins, Joe Doyle.
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THIS IS NOT A FILM
IRAN | 2011 | 75 MINUTES
Renowned Iranian director, Jafar Panahi, received a 6-year prison sentence and a 20-year ban from filmmaking and conducting interviews with foreign press due to his open support of the opposition party in Iran’s 2009 election. In this documentary, which was secretly shot on an iPhone and a modest DV camera by Panahi’s close friend Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and smuggled into France in a cake for a last-minute submission to Cannes, Panahi shares his day-to-day life as he waits for a decision on his appeal.
Directors: Jafar Panahi, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb. Featured: Jafar Panahi, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb.
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UNDER AFRICAN SKIES
USA | 2012 | 102 MINUTES
Twenty-five years ago, Paul Simon’s Graceland album brought international attention to South African music while the country’s black populace still suffered under apartheid. By recording in South Africa, Simon defied the United Nations cultural boycott and became embroiled in controversy. Director Joe Berlinger follows Simon as he travels back to South Africa for a reunion concert with the Graceland band members.
http://youtu.be/JPFESqwh0ks
Director: Joe Berlinger. Featured: Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela, Dr Wally Serote, Dali Tambo, John Selolwane, Bakithi Kumalo, Sonti Mndebele, Albert Mazibuko, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, David Byrne, Miriam Makeba.
(View Session Times)
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WOODY ALLEN – A DOCUMENTARY (ADMIT ONE PICK)
USA | 2011 | 110 MINUTES
Beginning with Allen’s childhood, Woody Allen: A Documentary chronicles the trajectory and longevity of Allen’s career, from his work as a TV scribe, standup comedian and frequent TV talk show guest, to a writer-director averaging one film-per-year for more than 40 years.
Director: Robert B. Weide. Featured: Woody Allen, Letty Aronson, Marshall Brickman, Dick Cavett, Larry David, Scarlett Johansson, Diane Keaton, Louise Lasser, Tony Roberts, Martin Scorcese, Diane West.
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View WCS 2012 PREVIEW PART ONE – FEATURES or WCS 2012 PREVIEW PART TWO – DOCUMENTARIES
