In 2007, the FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER started a new ongoing film series called GREEN SCREENS in order to increase awareness about climate change and global warming, and to draw attention to possible solutions. Due to voluntary efforts by Film Society staffers Isa Cucinotta, Marian Masone and Sharon Bahus, GREEN SCREENS has since established itself as a successful addition to the Society’s monthly program. Cinema Without Borders spoke with former curator Sharon Bahus to learn more about this innovative, informative, and inspiring screening series. CWB: How did it all get started?Sharon Bahus: I realized the need of taking action…
Author: Tanja Meding
With 12 full length documentary films in the WORLD DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION, 5 out of the 8 films in the ESPN SPORTS FILM FESTIVAL plus numerous documentaries peppered throughout the other sections of the festival, documentaries have secured a solid place at the Tribeca Film Festival. Right after its successful premiere at the Berlinale earlier this year, Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padilha brought his charged/ powerful/ hard-to-swollow documentary GARAPA to New York. In this black and white verite work, the filmmaker spends time with three Brazilian families struggling to feed their children and barely staying alive. It’s a devastating portrait that makes…
Academy award-winning German filmmaker Caroline Link’s latest work, A YEAR AGO IN WINTER, is a compelling, evenly-paced psycho-gramme of a family struggling to come to terms with death. In the opening scene Lilli, a 21-year-old theater student, observes her brother Alex dancing in the snow while their mother, Eliane, films him. 9 months later, Eliane visits Max Hollander, a painter, to commission a portrait of her two children, Alex and Lilli. As she talks about her son and daughter, she reluctantly discloses to Max that Alex has passed away. Eliane never discusses why she wants this painting, but it is…
The motto of this year’s 36th Siggraph in New Orleans was NETWORK YOUR SENSES.And for a newbie like myself, it indeed was a feast for the senses – with lots of inspiring talks, lecture-demonstrations, stimulating art shows, and intriguing new inventions.This 5 day-immersion in computer graphics and animation offered a comprehensive overview on new technologies that I am now eager to explore further.SIGGRAPH is the world’s preeminent annual conference and exhibition for computer graphics and animation. The event is produced by ACM SIGGRAPH: the Association of Computer Machinery’s Special Interest Group Graphics—i.e. professionals, educators, artists and academics working in computer…
Germany, 1942 – David Silberstein and Heinrich Meissner are best friends—they practice the piano and play together in the neighborhood. However, there is a dark cloud hanging over their friendship.To protect Herman from the horrors of the Holocaust, everyone, including his own mother and best friend David, never talk about the pending deportation of the Silbersteins. Instead, Heinrich is told the Silbersteins are going on a long trip to TOYLAND – and so Heinrich wants to join them. With his little suitcase all packed, he is ready to go…The film effortlessly jumps back and forth in time, telling of the…
A first in Europe is DOKU.ARTS – an international film festival entirely dedicated to documentaries about art and artist – portraying, surveying and contemplating the artistic process – whether in visual arts, music, dance, literature film, photography, design or architecture. Back in 2006, Andreas Lewin, festival founder and artistic director, premiered the festival in Berlin – and in 2008 moved to Amsterdam – at the invitation of Sandra den Hame, former festival director of the acclaimed audience favorite Rotterdam International Film Festival and now director of the Amsterdam Filmmuseum.DOKU.ARTS is only matched in North America by the Montreal based FIFA…
30 years ago, in 1979, Adrienne Mancia together with Laurence Kardish curated the first work show of new German cinema at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. And ever since every year, MoMA presents an overview of noteworthy German film productions. This year, in time for its 30th anniversary, the series titled KINO! NEW CINEMA FROM GERMANY was moved from its annual dark and dreary November slot to a spring loaded April date. The work show opened on April 22nd with a cocktail reception at the elegant MoMA sculpture garden, followed by the US premiere of DEUTSCHLAND 09 – 13…
Now in its’ 8th year, the Tribeca Film Festival has established itself as a landmark not only in New York’s cultural calender – but also in the world film festival circuit. Although leaner than in previous years (with less films at fewer locations) the program included 85 feature length films and 46 shorts, and there was still more than enough to choose from. Following is a selection of what was offered during the 2009 festival. As there are just too many films to cover in one report, this article will start with the feature films and part two will focus…
Every year during the Berlinale, INTERFILM BERLIN presents GOLDEN SHORTS – 12 audience favorites selected from the monthly 2008 SHORT ATTACKS screenings. This years’ selection played to a packed audience at Berlin’s famous VOLKSBUEHNE theater. After presenting an exquisite slate of shorts, the audience was invited to vote for the ultimate 2008 short film. And the winner is: Klaus Morschheuser’s animation, THE STORK, a charming short that sets the record straight about the stork delivering babies.Another favorite of mine was British filmmaker, Johnny Kelly’s animated film titled PROCRASTINATION. A far too well known activity for many of us: doing anything…
A few weeks back, Berlin was the focus of a series of events at the New Museum in New York’s East Village. Opened the end of 2007 in its present location, The New Museum is yet another addition to the gentrification of the Bowery – a street that used to be known for its soup kitchens, homeless missions and the famous music club, CBGB’s, which closed at the end of 2006 and now houses designer John Varvatos’ fashion store. Slowly but surely, the Bowery is making way to new apartment buildings, restaurants, bars, fashion shops and high culture, like the…