Traverse City Film Festival Schedule

Anvil! The Story of Anvil 2008/USA/NR/90 min.
Director Sacha Gervasi’s amazing documentary follows the criminally overlooked Canadian metal band Anvil -- a group whose core members started playing together in high school and are still going strong 35 years later. After nearly making it big in 1984 (when they shared the stage with acts like Whitesnake and Bon Jovi), the band has continually fallen just short of stardom, but hasn’t given up on the rock n roll dream. A touching portrait of this real-life Spinal Tap that focuses equal attention on music, friendship, and the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into keeping this duo together for decades. Winner of the audience award for Best Documentary at the L.A. Film Festival. Following Friday’s screening at Lars Hockstad, the band will perform a live set!

Baghdad High 2007/USA-UK-France/NR/82 min.
Filmmakers Ivan O’Mahoney and Laura Winter made this movie based on a simple but intriguing idea: find four typical teens in Baghdad, give them video cameras and have them document a year of their lives. The results are truly remarkable. Living in Iraq’s war-torn capital, these four middle-class, religiously diverse teens aren’t so different from teens in America -- they worry about getting into college, listen to pop music, and send text messages to their girlfriends. But they also have to avoid roadside bombs on the way to school, and weigh the option of abandoning their hometown. An intimate look into the lives of ordinary teens living in truly extraordinary conditions.

Body of War 2007/USA/NR/81 min.
This transfixing, emotionally charged documentary follows Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, a 25-year-old soldier who was shot after only five days in Iraq. Left paralyzed from the legs down by the bullet wound, Young goes on to campaign against the failures of government as a member of Iraqi Veterans Against the War. The body in the title of this documentary from Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro refers not only to Tomas, but also to the U.S. Congress -- the body whose decisions got Young into the war. An impassioned documentary about a truly remarkable American. Television legend Phil Donahue will be in attendance for our screenings of this film, his first documentary.

CSNY: Déjà Vu 2008/USA/R/96 min.
Following Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 2006 Freedom of Speech tour, this documentary offers a look at an unabashedly political band whose activism never takes a back seat to the music. Though thoroughly committed to the anti-war movement, the band nevertheless provides an entertaining show both onstage and off -- the group’s in top form, performing CSNY standards and some of Young’s new material. Your hope for America will be lifted after seeing this incredible movie.

Dust 2007/Germany/NR/90 min.
A ninety-minute movie about – dust? Therein lies the genius of this docu-mentary. Ever-present but hardly ever noticed, the titular subject of veteran filmmaker Hartmut Bitomsky’s fascinating documentary isn’t something most would think twice about. Unless, one was dealing with Sahara sandstorms, the Oklahoma dustbowl that devastated countless lives in the thirties, or the toxic dust at the World Trace Center site after 9/11. From the mundane to the majestic, “from scientific to philosophical, this all-encompassing documentary about “what is left of what is left” focuses both on the particles themselves and the people who study them -- scientists, artists, professional cleaners, and even astronomers. You’ll never see dust the same way again.

Encounters at the End of the World 2007/USA/G/99 min.
In this breathtaking new documentary, visionary director Werner Herzog (who has now earned the distinction of being the only director to have shot a film on every continent) trains his lens on the hauntingly beautiful landscape of Antarctica, offering a look at a small community of scientists, researchers and adventurers who call the South Pole their home. Herzog promises that his documentary (follow-up to TCFF-fave “Grizzly Man”) will not be “another movie about penguins,” and he mostly stays true to his word -- his focus on the frozen continent is certainly more on its human than animal inhabitants. An awe-inspiring achievement from one of modern cinema’s true masters.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
2008/USA/NR/118 min.
Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (whose films “Taxi to the Dark Side” and “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” were smash hits at previous TCFFs) brings this lovingly crafted biography of Hunter S. Thompson to this year’s festival. Gibney presents material on Thompson’s life, including never-before-seen home movies, archival footage, and interviews with figures such as Jimmy Carter, George McGovern, Pat Buchanan, Jimmy Buffet, Tom Wolfe, and Thompson’s illustrator Ralph Steadman. This thoroughly absorbing documentary charts Thompson’s rise and fall from fame, exploring the life of this counterculture hero and unlikely patriot. As the election season draws near, Gibney’s look at passionate reporting offers the perfect antidote to the mainstream media.

Helvetica 2007/UK/NR/80 min.
The first documentary for director Gary Hustwit shows an innovative, remarkably assured hand behind the camera, weaving together a fascinating tale about visual culture on a global scale with the titular ubiquitous typeface. From the font’s origin in 1950s Switzerland to its current position as the typeface of choice for many corporations, this sleek documentary moves around the globe, tracking the font’s prominence on countless billboards, subway graphics, storefronts, and warning signs. A stylish, intelligent film, “Helvetica” opens a surprising world within a seemingly mundane topic.

Man On Wire 2008/UK/PG-13/89 min.
Winner of both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for best foreign documentary at Sundance, this dizzying, death-defying film recounts French wirewalker Philippe Petit’s 1974 high-wire crossing between New York’s Twin Towers (which were then the world’s tallest buildings). A poetic look at this daredevil and the crew who helped him smuggle equipment to the top of the Towers and rig the wire, with no safety net to separate Petit and the ground 1350 feet below. Acclaimed as one of the year’s best documentaries.

Miss Gulag 2007/Russia-USA/NR/80 min.
Celebrating beauty in the least likely of places, “Miss Gulag” centers on three inmates in an all-female Siberia prison who enter the jail’s annual beauty pageant. Director Maria Yatskova’s film documents life both inside and out of prison, offering a portrait of the challenges of life for young women in post-Soviet Russia. Both tragic and beautiful, “Miss Gulag” weaves the stories of these women’s lives on both sides of the fence, revealing the hardships they face both in and out of jail.

The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
2006/Germany-USA/PG-13/72 min.
The subject of this poignant documentary is Yunis Khatayer Abbas, an Iraqi journalist accused of taking part in a plot to kill British Prime Minister Tony Blair and imprisoned at Abu Ghraib for nine months. Abbas gives a candid portrait of the military installation, revealed to be both sinister and comically inept. A personal film that doesn’t try to cover the whole scope of the Iraq war, this tightly focused doc gives an intimate look at life inside Abu Ghraib.

Profit motive and the whispering wind 2008/USA/NR/58 min.
Inspired by historian Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States,” filmmaker John Gianvito creates a portrait of American history by documenting grave sites that commemorate our nation’s activist heroes. A mesmerizing film, that offers a unique, minimalist travelogue through our nation’s past, and paying respects to figures like César Chávez, Sojourner Truth, Mother Jones and Malcolm X, as well as some lesser-known activists. This perfectly paced, elegiac film stands as a poetic testament to the fallen radicals who helped shape our nation.

Religulous 2008//NR/
Director Larry Charles (“Borat,” “Seinfeld,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) showed a glimpse of his new project with Bill Maher to captivated audiences at last year’s festival, and now it’s here! An hilariously irreverent film that follows Maher as he investigates the current state of religion around the globe. In the movie that’s destined to be one of the most controversial of the year, Maher confronts everybody he meets about their beliefs. As with “Borat,” get a sneak peak at Charles’ new movie here in TC before the rest of the world gets a chance!

Song Sung Blue 2008/USA/NR/85 min.
This down-to-earth documentary follows the life of Neil Diamond impersonator Mike Sardina, whose voice is a dead ringer for the singer-songwriter. Mike goes on to form a Neil Diamond/Patsy Cline tribute act ‘Thunder & Lightning’ in Milwaukee with wife Claire. Filmmaker Greg Kohs presents the couple’s personal and professional highs and lows from their twenty-plus years together, from their brush with fame performing “Forever in Blue Jeans” onstage with Eddie Veder, to the tragic aftermath of a car crash that left Claire disabled. Both heartbreaking and inspirational, this is an American story of a couple with a dream.

Theater of War 2008/USA/NR/95 min.
Filmmaker John Walter offers an insightful exploration of the 2006 Central Park staging of Bertolt Brecht’s masterful antiwar play “Mother Courage and Her Child” - a project that attracted actors Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline as well as famed theater director George C. Wolfe. Walter gives an in-depth look at the preparations for the staging of Tony Kushner’s adaptation of this play, featuring a never-before-seen glimpse into Maryl Streep’s preparation for performance. A must-see for fans of theater, offers more than just a backstage pass: Walter’s examination of the complex relationship between war and capitalism should prove insightful for everyone. Few films this year will move you as much as this one.

Up the Yangtze 2008/Canada/NR/98 min.
Chinese-Canadian director Yung Chang returns to his homeland for this aston-ishing documentary about the ongoing Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze, China’s longest river. Aboard a luxury ship on a cruise along the transformed Yangtze River, Yung follows two characters representing old and new China. ‘Cindy’ (Yu Shui) washes dishes on the cruise ship to support her family, poor farmers who were among the two million displaced by the dam. ‘Jerry’ (Chen Bo Yu) is the ship’s lounge singer, a young man from a middle-class family who can’t wait for the progress promised by the project. A fascinating study of national identity and the cost of progress, “Up the Yangtze” was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance - the perfect film to see before the Beijing Olympics.

U.S. INDIES - The Deal 2008/USA-Canada/NR/98 min.
Screwball Hollywood satire starring William H. Macy as Charlie Berns, a down-on-his-luck (OK, suicidal) producer who throws caution to the wind and pitches his nephew’s script-a period piece about England’s only Jewish prime minister Benjamin Disraeli-to studio execs. He enlists Bobby Mason (LL Cool J), newly-converted Jewish action star to play the lead as long as the script gets a little action added to the plot. The supporting cast in this hilarious film includes Meg Ryan as a savvy studio exec, Jason Ritter as Charlie’s scriptwriting nephew, and Elliot Gould as a high-profile Rabbi turned credits-hungry producer.

Frozen River 2008/USA/R/97 min.
Remarkable debut from writer/director Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River” presents the story of Ray, a working-class mother of two living near a Mohawk reservation in upstate New York. After her gambling-addicted husband runs off with the family’s savings, Ray sets off to track him down, but instead she finds a Mohawk woman named Lila driving his car. The two form an unlikely bond out of necessity after Ray learns that Lila runs an illegal smuggling ring, earning big bucks for transporting illegal immigrants into the U.S. by driving over the frozen St. Lawrence River. Equal parts gripping drama and a character study of women struggling to survive, “Frozen River” won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Film at Sundance.

The Last Winter 2006/USA-Iceland/NR/101 min.
So you want to drill in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. What if what you found below the surface wasn’t oil? From indie-horror master Larry Fessenden (“Habit,” “Wendigo”) comes a tale of terror, set in the frozen tundra of the Arctic. “The Last Winter” follows a team of oil-company workers establishing a drilling station in northern Alaska. Gung-ho boss Ed Pollack (Ron Perlman) is set to keep the project on track in spite of numerous ‘accidents’ suffered by his crew, but he has trouble keeping control, and rising temperatures in the north add to the crew’s suspicion that something’s not right. An environmental horror film, this atmospheric flick is one of the best American additions to the horror genre in recent memory.

Man in the Chair 2007/USA/PG-13/107 min.
This lovingly crafted film is a moving examination of our country’s neglect of our elders. Michael Angarano (“Almost Famous”, “Sky High”) stars as Cameron Kincaid, a troubled, movie-loving L.A. high schooler who dreams of winning a short film contest. While watching the classic “Touch of Evil” at an old movie theater, Cameron meets an old curmudgeon named Flash Madden (Christopher Plummer), who just happens to have worked as a gaffer on “Citizen Kane.” Flash grudgingly agrees to work on Cameron’s movie, and enlists the help of other film industry retirees to assist. Plummer steals the show as the old gaffer who worked with just about everyone in Hollywood’s heyday, including Welles and Capra.

THE OBJECTIVE (2008, Morocco, NR, 90 min.)
Set in the bleak deserts of Afghanistan two months after 9/11, this supernatural thriller from Daniel Myrick (co-creator of “The Blair Witch Project”) tracks a group of Special Ops soldiers on a mission to discover the source of some strange radioactive energy in the mountains. The film follows CIA agent Ben Keynes (Jonas Ball) as he leads their covert mission into the heart of the desert, but things start going wrong as the team nears their destination… The hauntingly beautiful barren landscape makes the perfect stage for this wartime horror film, a chilling journey into the realm of the unknown.

Redacted 2007/USA-Canada/R/90 min.
Director Brian De Palma (“Scarface,” “Casualties of War”) trains his lens on the war in Iraq in this confrontational story about a group of soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in Samarra. Worn down by monotony and terror of guarding station, the soldiers kill a pregnant woman as she races through the checkpoint on the way to the hospital. This sets off a harrowing, unforgettable chain of events in the desert. De Palma’s low-budget film combines footage from surveillance cameras, video diaries and a faux-documentary to create a sense of immediacy to the story, and a group of relatively unknown actors perform well to add to the realism of this film - all the more terrifying for being based on a true story. One of the most controversial films of the year, we urge caution for anyone under eighteen planning to watch this.

War, Inc. 2008/USA/R/107 min.
A quick-witted political satire, “War, Inc.” follows hot sauce-addicted hit man Brand Hauser (John Cusack, who co-wrote the script) on a mission to assassinate an oil minister in the fictional country of Turaqistan - a country in the Mid East controlled by a huge corporation run by former U.S. Vice President (Dan Aykroyd). A hilarious take on U.S. policy, corporate greed featuring standout supporting cast-Marisa Tomei, liberal reporter Natalie Hegalhuzen; Joan Cusack, public relations whiz for a military-corporate tradeshow; Hillary Duff, Turaqi pop star Yonica Babyyeah (Brittany Spears of the Middle East).

Yonkers Joe 2008/USA/NR/100 min.
In this suspenseful, touching film, tough-guy Chazz Palminteri (Oscar nominee for “Bullets over Broadway”) stars as a small-time conman who frequents East Coast casinos with girlfriend Janice (Oscar winner Christine Lahti), trying to find ways to outwit security cameras. When Joe gets word that his mentally disabled son Joe Jr. (a terrific performance by Tom Guiry) is being kicked out of his special school, he has to come up with the perfect scam in hopes of paying his son’s expenses for years to come. Joe, Janice and Joe Jr. head to Las Vegas for one huge score. “Yonkers Joe” manages to balance between gritty and heart-warming, bolstered by masterful performances by its three seasoned leads.

DANGEROUS DOCS
Kenny 2006/Australia/R/100 min.
Director Clayton Jacobson delivers a heartwarming character study about -- ready for it? -- a port-a-potty deliveryman named Kenny. The film starts with a rather thorough tour of Kenny’s professional life, where he works for Splashdown, a company that supplies portable toilets to major events in Melbourne. Clever toilet humor aside (and there’s quite a bit to wade through), Jacobson shows Kenny to be a decent chap as we follow his troubled relationship with his disapproving father (who calls him “a glorified turd burglar”) and his charming courting of an airline stewardess on the way to the port-a-john convention in Nashville. A huge success in its native Australia and one of the funniest films of the year, “Kenny” is an endearing, upbeat portrait of a truly uncommon common man.

NEW FOREIGN CINEMA
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days** 2007/Romania/NR/113 min.
Set against a stark, urban backdrop in late-80’s Romania (two years before revolution removed communist leader Ceausescu from power), this masterful film follows college student Otilia (in an Oscar-worthy performance by Anamaria Marinca) as she helps her roommate Gabita procure an abortion from the black market. A brilliantly discomforting and artfully made film about abortion that’s more interested in the people involved than in taking a stand on the issue, this second feature film from Romanian writer-director Christian Mungiu/ /took home the Palm d’Or for best film at Cannes in 2007. One of the year’s most powerful films.

Absurdistan 2008/Germany/NR/88 min.
Welcome to Absurdistan, a small, arid village in an imaginary former-Easter-bloc country. The town faces a water shortage, but the men are too lazy to fix the rickety pipeline. The women are getting fed up with their virility-proud husbands’ apathy. Led by young Aya (Kristyna Malerova), the women make a simple vow: “No water, no sex.” The men’s only hope is Temelko (Maximilian Mauff), whose promised wedding (and honeymoon) with Aya is put on hold until he finds a solution to the water problem. A hilarious refiguring of the Lysistrata fable, this absurdist battle of the sexes story unfolds as a perfectly pitched lyrical comedy.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 2007/France-USA/PG-13/112 min.
Artist-turned-director Julian Schnabel (“Before Night Falls,” “Basquiat”) adapts the memoirs of paralyzed writer Jean-Dominic Bauby. Breathtaking biopic puts the audience behind the eyes of Bauby, a youthful editor of “Elle” magazine who suffers a massive stroke and is left with ‘locked-in syndrome,’ only capable of controlling one eye. With a paralyzed body but fully functional mind, he writes an entire book documenting his life, communicating solely through blinking. Cinema at its best - a testament of the power of film to give the audience a new perspective on the world. One of the year’s best films, it was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Director and Best Cinematography.

Goodbye Bafana 2007/Ger-France-Belgium-S.Africa-Italy-UK-Lux/R/118 min.
This engaging, powerful drama tells the story of prison guard James Gregory (Joseph Fiennes), the man who was Nelson Mandela’s (Dennis Haysberth) jailor for twenty-one years. The two men develop an unlikely friendship over the decades they spend together (from 1968 to Mandela’s release in 1990), as Gregory gains an intimate understanding of Mandela through his letters and their daily contact. Fiennes gives in his best turn since “Shakespeare in Love,” and Haysberth (“Far From Heaven”) turns in a standout performance as the famous prisoner. A captivating, beautifully shot film.

The Grocer’s Son 2007/France/NR/96 min.
An intoxicating valentine to rural life, the film follows thirty-year-old Antoine (Nicolas Cazalé, nominated for the César, French Oscar, for Most Promising Actor for this role) as he reluctantly leaves the city to fill in for his father as a grocer in his home in rural Provence, while his father recuperates. Antoine’s vibrant neighbor Claire tags along, hoping for a quiet spot to study for exams. Tensions mount between family members upon Antoine’s return, and Antoine’s attraction to Claire blossoms. A skillfully told story of life and romance in the French countryside.

Let the Right One In 2008/Sweden/NR/114 min.
A huge hit at its Tribeca premiere (winner of award for Best Narrative), this genre-bending romance/vampire film from Swedish director Tomas Alfredson tells the story of a relationship between twelve-year-old misfit Oskar and his new neighbor Eli, a wide-eyed girl who lives with her reclusive father. One of the strangest coming-of-age stories ever put to film evolves as Eli and Oskar grow close -- but Eli must keep her true identity secret, which proves more and more difficult as the body count rises around their frigid Swedish suburbs. Visually stunning, perfectly paced, a novel take on the vampire genre combines gore and puppy-love in a sincere portrait of an adolescent coming into his own.

Mongol 2007/Germany-Kazakhstan/Russia/R/126 min.
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign film, a stunning epic action film by acclaimed Russian director Sergei Bodrov recounts the formative years of a young Genghis Khan. Breathtaking, gorgeously photographed landscapes and a rich, almost ethnographic look at the life of this legendary 12th-century nomad, “Mongol” succeeds where so many recent Hollywood epics fail, extending beyond the realm of pulp adventure into a convincing (albeit bloody) take on ancient history. A truly great cinematic experience that deserves to be seen on the big screen in all its epic splendor.

Paraiso Travel 2008/Colombia-USA/NR 110 min.
A box-office hit in its native Colombia, “Paraiso Travel” follows the harrowing, unforgettable journey of college-aged Marlon as his girlfriend Reina uses her seductive powers to convince him to cross illegally into the US, with dreams of a new life in New York. After Marlon loses his queen in Queens, he has to make it in this uncompromising new world on his own. Featuring an impressive performance by John Leguizamo as a stuttering S&M photographer who shares a rundown apartment with Marlon, this second feature from Colombian native Simon Brand offers a fresh perspective on the tough life of undocumented immigrants.
Persepolis 2007/France-USA/PG-13/95 min.
Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi adapts her autobiographical graphic novel in this highly lauded animated feature. “Persepolis” explores the impact of the Iranian revolution on Marjane, following her as a young girl in Tehran, through her rebellious adolescence, to her experiences as an expatriate in Europe and eventual return to Iran. Both a touchingly personal coming of age story and a tale of life under a religious dictatorship, this stylish black-and-white animated film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The Pope’s Toilet 2007/Uruguay-Brazil-France/NR/90 min.
Based in part on true events, this film tells the story of the small
Uruguayan town of Melo, where Pope John Paul II made a visit in 1988 as part of his tour of Latin America. Swept into a frenzy by media reports of tens of thousands of potential visitors, the poor townsfolk of Melo decide the Pope’s visit could benefit them financially as well as spiritually, so they put their money into making thousands of chorizos and hamburgers to feed hungry travelers. Small-time smuggler Beto thinks he’s got the best plan of all -- he sets about building “The Pope’s Toilet”, where all the visitors can find relief. Fascinating both for its story and its cultural documentation, this touching, humorous and poignant film was Uruguay’s foreign-language Oscar submission in 2007.

Sleep Dealer 2008/Mexico-USA/NR/90 min.
This amazingly inventive lo-fi science fiction debut from writer-director Alex Rivera investigates the issue of illegal immigration in the not-so-distant future -- a future in which corporations control the water supply and the U.S.-Mexico border is truly airtight. But the need for cheap labor remains, so Americans have set up a sweatshop-like factory in Mexico where workers plug their nervous systems into a global network to control robots across the border - as one character puts it, “You get Mexican labor without the Meixcans.” Rivera’s dystopian concept is ambitious and he pulls it off in spite of a very low budget, delivering a thrilling, ingenious and topical film that was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

The Substitute 2007/Denmark/NR/93 min.
Substitute teachers always feel like they’re from another planet. Well, what if that feeling was true? The Danish box-office hit of summer ‘07, “The Substitute” -- billed as a ‘children’s thriller’ -- tells the story of a sixth grade class whose new ruthless substitute teacher Ulla Harms (Paprika Sheen) can read minds. And freeze time. When her class finds out their field trip to Paris is actually something more sinister, they decide to take action – but their parents think they’re just fibbing to get out of schoolwork. Delivering equal part drama, black comedy, and sci-fi thrills, this new film from writer/director Ole Bornedal (“Nightwatch”, “I Am Dina”) is a welcome addition to the youth horror genre that should appeal to younger and older viewers alike.

Sympathy for the Lobster 2007/Italy/NR/90 min.
Italian actress/director Sabina Guzzanti is coming back to Traverse City! The director of 2006 fan fave “Viva Zapatero” returns with this new mockumentary, revisiting the crazy world Italian politics and television censorship. Guzzanti reunites with the cast of her former Saturday Night Live-type show “Avanzi” (a satirical show that stopped airing once Berlusconi came to power), and starts rehearsing for a benefit performance. Brimming with wit, this hilarious film offers insight into the world of Italian politics and also explores the role a comedian can play in the political realm.

Tell No One 2006/France/NR/125 min.
Winner of four César Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscars) and nominated for five more, the decade’s best thriller comes from Guillaume Canet and Philippe Lefebrve’s adaptation of American novelist Harlan Coben’s international best-seller. The film starts with Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet) and his wife Margot (Marie-Josée Croze) on a romantic trip to a remote lake, a spot the couple has visited since childhood. In a chilling scene Margot is murdered and Alex is knocked unconscious. Eight years later, Alex is still mourning his wife’s death. The discovery of two more bodies at the lake motivate the police to reopen his wife’s case. But everything changes when Alex receives an unexpected email on the eighth anniversary of Margot’s murder. An intricately plotted, edge-of-your-seat thriller, superbly acted by a supporting cast that includes Marina Hands, Andre Dussollier, Nathalie Baye, Gilles Lellouche, and Kristin Scott Thomas.

When Did You Last See Your Father? 2007/UK-Ireland/PG-13/92 min.
Two of England’s top actors - Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris”) and Colin Firth (“Then She Found Me”, “Love Actually”) - team up for this heartfelt exploration of a troubled father-son relationship. Broadbent plays Arthur Morrison, a self-absorbed doctor who ridicules his son Blake (Firth) for studying literature instead of medicine. When we first meet the pair, Arthur lies on his deathbed, stricken with cancer. It’s the late eighties in Yorkshire. Blake has come to visit his father in his last days, and tries to come to terms with his mixed-up feelings for his dad. Through a series of flashbacks, director Anand Tucker takes us deep inside Blake’s thoughts, offering a series of vivid episodes from his past which paint Arthur as a womanizing man, only occasionally a good father. From the best-selling memoirs of novelist Blake Morrison.

MIKE’S PEEPS – At one time, they worked for Michael Moore on his movies. These filmmakers return to TC with some of the years’ best documentaries: Winners of best documentary prizes at Sundance & Tribeca, one of the best-reviewed documentaries, and an exciting new film just in time for the election!

Bigger, Stronger, Faster: The Side-Effects of Being American 2008/USA/PG-13/106 min.
Director Chris Bell and his two brothers grew up in the ‘80s idolizing muscle-men like Sylvester Stalone, Hulk Hogan and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- but what would it take to become them? In this fascinating, no-nonsense documentary, Bell investigates the issue of steroids and America’s body-image obsession. Offering a balanced perspective on the charged topic of performance enhancing drugs, Bell’s documentary combines interviews, investigative journalism and personal stories (his brothers are both body builders who became steroid users) to offer a smart, fresh point of view on our country’s worship of brawny masculinity. The asterisk in the title says it all: what is the cost of living up to America’s inflated standards? Produced by Jim Czarnecki (producer of “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11”) and co-produced by Kurt Engfehr (Editor and co-producer for “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11”).

Pray the Devil Back to Hell 2008/USA/NR/72 min.
What if women around the world decided to rise up and say “enough?” A truly inspiring documentary from filmmaker Gini Reticker, “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” tells the story of the thousands of women in Liberia who came together to peacefully end their country’s second bloody civil war. At the fore of their non-violent protest was Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian woman who organized prayer meetings and started the Christian Women’s Peace Initiative, a group that eventually joined forces with a parallel Muslim women’s movement in nonviolent protest. Their effort to improve their country resulted in ending the war, arresting corrupt president Charles Taylor, and electing the first female president in Liberian history – a true testament to the power of a collective will to peace. Director Gini Reticker worked as an editorial consultant on “Roger and Me.”
Trouble the Water 2008/USA/NR/94 min.
With Hurricane Katrina looming, New Orleans resident Kim Roberts decided to buy a video camera to chronicle the storm. Along with her husband, she had a front-row seat for the catastrophe from their house in the devastated Ninth Ward. Filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin met the couple days after the levee broke. This amazing film is the result of their meeting. Deal and Lessin follow the couple as they try to recover from the aftermath of one of the most devastating disasters in American history, combining their own footage with Kim’s stunning videotapes. A first-hand encounter with the storm and a portrait of a couple’s arduous journey to make a better life for themselves in the aftermath. Carl Deal and Tia Lessin worked for Michael Moore for ten years from “TV Nation” through “Fahrenheit 9/11,” in positions ranging from Chief Archivist to Supervising Producer and a little of everything in between.

The Youngest Candidate 2008/USA/NR/
Jason Pollock was Michael Moore’s assistant and one of the key people responsible for getting the first TCFF off the ground, and now he returns to Traverse with his first documentary as a director. “The Youngest Candidate” follows the story of four teens that ran for public office in cities across America. Funny, inspiring, poignant, and ultimately uplifting, “The Youngest Candidate” is not just a film about running for office. It is the coming of age story of four idealistic young adults who dared to confront the corrupt political systems in America. These young candidates learn about fair play, leadership development, racism in politics, the importance of family, and many other lessons they will carry with them throughout their lives. In the face of great adversity, these four young adults braved all the odds to make it to Election Day to show that regardless of the outcome, it didn’t matter… It’s all about how you play the game.

FLASH OF GENIUS (2008, USA, PG-13)
Based on the inspirational true story of one man’s decades-long battle with the American auto industry, “Flash of Genius” stars Greg Kinnear as inventor Robert Kearns, a humble Midwest family man from Detroit. Denied recognition for inventing a device that would eventually be used in every car in the world, Kearns took on an impossible lawsuit against corporate giants that would eventually reach all the way to the Supreme Court. This modern David vs. Goliath story of a man obsessed with justice is sure to be an Oscar contender. Come see it first here in TC in a special sneak preview!

WHY VOTE WHEN YOU CAN GO TO THE MOVIES?
Idiocracy 2006/USA/R/84 min.
From the hilariously twisted mind of Mike Judge (“Office Space”) comes this brilliant piece of satire about average-guy Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) who, after taking part in a hibernation experiment gone awry, awakens 500 years in the future and find out he’s the smartest person alive. By a large margin. It seems that sometime in the 21st century, stupid people began procreating at a rate far exceeding the smart ones. In the devolved world of 2505, Joe is recruited by the White House to solve the world’s problems -- like the fact that plants need water, not Gatorade, to survive.

A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy 2008/USA/NR/85 min.
Cinema-vérité pioneer director Robert Drew revisits his own 1960s documentaries on Kennedy in this powerful film. Drawing material from his four ‘60s films, this newly-assembled documentary follows Kennedy on the campaign trail and through his presidency, to the widespread shock caused by his tragic assassination. Particularly relevant as a point of contrast to modern politics, this portrait of Kennedy shows a man whose actions and ideals resonate profoundly even today. Narrated by Alec Baldwin.

MOVIES FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KILL US – These six outstanding films from Muslim countries beg the question: do we really know who they are and what life is like over there?
Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame 2007/Iran/NR/81 min.
This stunning debut feature from 18-year-old Iranian director Hana Makhmalbaf follows a fable-like day in the life of a resourceful six-year-old girl who must overcome many obstacles simply to get to school. She goes to great lengths just to procure a notebook, and is attacked and kidnapped by a group of boys playing war games in no-man’s land. Set in Bamian, a small town in Afghanistan where the Taliban infamously destroyed giant Buddha statues in 2001, this epic film offers an incredible document of life in a war-torn nation.

Captain Abu Raed 2007/Jordan/NR/110 min.
The first independent film to come out of Jordan and the country’s first feature of any kind from the last fifty years, “Captain Abu Raed” tells the story of Abu, a loveable but lonely old janitor who finds an airplane captain’s hat in the trash, which convinces the kids in the neighborhood that he’s been around the world. Abu obliges the kids, telling stories of far-off lands he’s never seen and hoping to improve the lives of these urchins. Jordan-born, American-educated writer/director Amin Matalqa has a superb sense of the film medium -- with this, his debut feature, he won the audience award in the world cinema competition at Sundance. A touching, uplifting tale that you’d never seen in the multiplexes. This movie is what the film festival is all about.

Dinner with the President: A Nation’s Journey 2007/Pakistan/NR/82 min.
One day, Pakistani filmmakers Sabiha Sumar and Sachithanandam Sathananthan decided to call up their dictatorial president and invite him to dinner, and asked if they could film it. Astonishingly, he agreed. Part of the “Why Democracy?” project (which brought TCFF-fave “Please Vote for Me” to last year’s festival), this documentary explores Pakistan citizens’ relationships to their president, General Pervez Musharraf, who came to power following a military coup in 2001. Filmmakers Sabiha Sumar and Sachithanandam Sathananthan start at the top, discussing politics with Musharraf himself in an intimate, personal conversation over dinner. The documentary then ranges across Pakistan, gaining insight into the political state of the country from a diverse cross-section of individuals.

Head Wind 2008/Iran/NR/65 min.
A fascinating look at government censorship in Iran, this documentary from acclaimed director Mohammad Rasoulof (“Iron Island”) investigates how Iranians bend the rules in order to access media from the outside world. From installing rooftop satellite dishes to pirating DVDs to hacking internet access, the Iranian people show overwhelming desire for information. Rasoulaf offers a thorough guide to Iran’s information black market in this intriguing look at a country struggling with the transition to the digital age.

War, Love, God & Madness 2008/Iraq-UK/NR/72 min.
After Saddam Hussein was removed from power in 2004, filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji returned to his native Baghdad to make the feature film “Ahlaam.” This documentary captures the production of that award-winning feature. But this is more than just a ‘making-of’ documentary. It offers an unparalleled look at the horrifying conditions of a country descended into chaos, and the nightmares faced daily by the crew while making their feature. The crew was subjected to torture and interrogation, caught in the middle of battles, and yet never lost their vision. This film shows just how much collective determination is needed to make art in the most difficult surroundings.

DALTON TRUMBO TRIBUTE – One of Hollywood’s most celebrated screenwriters of all time, Dalton Trumbo was the writer behind classics like “The Brave One,” “Roman Holiday,” and “Sparticus.” He was also a member of the Hollywood Ten – ten writers and directors who refused to give testimony to the House Committee on Un-American Activities and were blacklisted from the entertainment industry. ((more?))

Trumbo 2007/USA/PG-13/96 min.
Dalton Trumbo was one of Hollywood’s most talented and celebrated screenwriters, responsible for indispensible classics like “Roman Holiday,” “Sparticus,” and “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.” He was also a member of the Hollywood Ten, accused of Communist sympathies and blacklisted from the film industry. “Trumbo” tells the story of this remarkable Hollywood figure, a man stood by his principles even when doing so cost him his livelihood. This documentary uses Trumbo’s poignant, personal letters to tell his story, read by Joan Allen, Michael Douglas, Paul Giamatti, Nathan Lane, Liam Neeson, Donald Sutherland and others. A remarkable portrait of a true Hollywood legend, “Trumbo” is based on a stage play writer by Dalton’s son Christopher.

Johnny Got His Gun 1971/USA/PG/111 min.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo adapts his own 1939 novel to the screen in this gripping antiwar film, his only directorial effort. The plot centers on Joe Bonham (Timothy Bottoms), an American soldier who is badly injured by a shell blast in WWI. Left with a fully functioning brain but without a working body, Joe is trapped, a prisoner of his own mind. The film delves deep into his thoughts, probing Joe’s dreams and flashbacks to examine his condition and meditate on the senselessness of war. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes on its release.

TRIBUTE TO STANLEY DONEN
On the Town 1949/USA/Approved/98 min.
The debut musical from the directorial team of Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, “On the Town” stars Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin as three sailors on 24-hour leave in the Big Apple. The first musical ever shot on location, this film offers a singing and dancing tour of New York as the sailors go sightseeing and pick up girls. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical. Part of our tribute to Stanley Donen, the legendary director will be on hand for the screening.

Singin’ in the Rain - see listing for Free Movies at the Open Space

FUNNY FACE (1957, USA, NR, 103 min.) A legendary collection of talent – Stanley Donen, Fred Astaire, and Audrey Hepburn – comes together for this satirical musical about 1950s intellectuals and life in the world of high fashion.

BERGMAN ANTONIONI Just one day before last year’s festival, the world lost two if its greatest filmmakers in Michelangelo Antoniono and Ingmar Bergman. This year, we at the TCFF are honoring our pledge to pay tribute to two men who helped change the face of modern cinema.
Blow Up 1966/UK-Italy-USA/NR/111 min.
Italian master Michelangelo Antonioni’s first English-language feature, “Blow-Up” follows a trendy fashion photographer (David Hemmings) in mod-era London who may have inadvertently photographed a murder. Both an erotic thriller (glamorous stars like Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles and Jane Birkin are never too far away) and a portrait of the joyless decadence, casual sex and ennui of life in London in the 60s, this artful, cinematic masterpiece unfolds as a captivating spectacle of sights and sounds. Nominated for two Oscars (Best Director, Best Original Screenplay). A true turning point in the history of cinema, “Blow-Up” helped pave the way for many of the great films films of the late 60s and 70s.

Wild Strawberries 1957/Sweden/NR/91 min.
A lyrical meditation on life through the lens of approaching death, Ingmar Bergman’s “Wild Strawberries” stands as one of the legendary filmmaker’s best works. Silent film director Victor Sjöström gives an unforgettable performance as Isak Borg, an elderly professor who relives his past while driving to receive an honorary award from Lund University. Through encounters with the professor’s memories and dreams, Bergman weaves past and present together seamlessly in this truly profound film.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS
Them 2006/France-Romania/R/77 min.
Two French directors (David Moreau and Xavier Palud) bring the horror genre back near its Transylvanian roots in this bone-chilling new thriller. While at their vacation home in Romania, Clementine and Lucas (Olivia Bonamy and Michael Cohen) are awoken by a strange noise in the night and see their car being stolen. Soon, they’re being pursued through their house by unseen assailants, terror at every turn. An edge-of-your seat ride, this super-creepy low budget marvel is sure to make your popcorn fly.

KIDS MATINEE
Terra 2007/USA/NR/80 min.
This dazzling, inventive animated sci-fi film takes place on the planet of Terra, where free-spirited Terrran teen Mala (Evan Rachel Wood) spends carefree days cruising the skies with her friend Sean (Justin Long) until news of invading aliens threatens the future of her species. The invading aliens happen to be the last surviving humans, searching for a planet to inhabit. Mala forms an unlikely friendship with crash-landed human pilot Lt. James Stanton (Luke Wilson) and his translating robot Giddy (David Cross). Together, they must form a plan to save their two species, as war breaks out around them. Along with breathtaking landscapes and an innovating story, “Terra”/ /also features the voices of Chris Evans, Dennis Quaid, Amanda Peet and Danny Glover.

NATIVE AMERICAN MATINEE
Older than America 2008/USA/NR/102 min.
A haunting look at the tragic legacy of Native Americans who were forced to attend Christian boarding schools, this contemporary thriller engages the issue of how Native American are treated by American culture. The film follows a teacher named Rain (played by Georgina Lightning, who also directed and co-wrote script) who has terrible visions connected to her mother’s experience at the town’s now-closed boarding school. The visions lead her to uncover a sinister plot by the town’s Catholic
priest. A gripping suspense film that also offers insight into the question of cultural identity.

The General 1927/USA/NR/75 min.
Buster Keaton wrote, directed, and starred in this silent comedy classic about an engineer who can’t join the Rebels because he’s needed on his train. His sweetheart thinks he’s a coward until Union spies capture “The General” with her on board, and he rescues both of his loves. This is truly a masterfully crafted film, featuring some of Keaton’s best stunts and cleverest gags. The film will be accompanied by live organ music performed by world-renowned silent film accompanist Steven Ball.

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