CMJ and Little W will present the inaugural CMJIFF (CMJ International Film Festival). The festival will present six films shot on four continents and in languages as diverse as Mandarin, Mongolian, French, German and Lingala. Screenings will take place at Clearview Cinemas, NYU Cantor Film Center and the Florence Gould Hall on October 20 and 21.
18:00 – Oct. 20 – Wed – NYU Cantor Film Center – 36 East 8th. Street
NY Premiere
Kinshasa Symphony
Claus Wischmann, Martin Baer / 2010 / Germany / 95 min. / Color / Documentary
Language: Lingala, French
Synopsis:
Two hundred orchestral musicians are playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony as a power cut occurs just a few bars before the last movement. A problem like this is easily overcome for the only symphony orchestra in the Congo. For musicians who have survived two putsches and the effects of a decades-spanning war, a passion for music is inspiration to overcome mundane obstacles like a lack of electricity. Kinshasa Symphony paints a picture of a colorful and vibrant city and the courage of a community that demands a better tomorrow.
20:00 – Oct. 20 – Wed – NYU Cantor Film Center – 36 East 8th. Street
US Premiere
E Ji (Mother)
Ning Cai / 2010 / Inner Mongolia, China / 100 min. / Color / Feature
Language: Mongolian, Mandarin, Shanghainese
Cast: Renhua Na, Tumenbayaer, Batuwuliji
Synopsis:
During a widespread famine in the 1960’s China, more than 3,000 orphans from Shanghai and the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces were sent to Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, where they were adopted and raised by the local herding families. Years later, many parents came looking for their abandoned children to reunite the family and bring them back to the south…
18:00 – Oct. 21 – Thu – Clearview Cinemas – 260 West 23rd. Street
NY Premiere – Q&A w. director
Taipei Exchanges
Hsiao Ya-Chuan, 2010, Taiwan, 82 min. Color, Feature
Language: Mandarin
Executive Producer: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Cast: Lunmet Kwai, Zaizai Lin, Chang Han
Synopsis:
Doris’ Cafe is a homey space where people can relax and daydream, while enjoying the smooth afternoon sun. Aromas of coffee and home-baked desserts fill the air, and the environment is as elegant as its owner, Doris – until her sister, Josie, turns the place upside down by exchanging goods with customers in the shop. Soon, the two sisters, bound by expectation, learn to find value in themselves and the unknown.
19:50 – Oct. 21 – Thu – Clearview Cinemas – 260 West 23rd. Street
US Premiere – Q&A w. director
One Day
Hou Chi-Jan, 2010, Taiwan, 93 min. Color, Feature
Language: Mandarin
Executive Producer: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Cast: Nikki Hsin-Ying Hsieh, Bryan Shu-Hao Chang
Synopsis:
Hsin-Ying keeps having a recurring dream. She sees a boy shouting at her but she can neither see his face nor hear what he says. One night at sea on a ferry, she comes across a young soldier who claims to be her future love. The girl pays no attention to the soldier’s seemingly ridiculous story, but a series of mysterious incidents makes her begin to wonder if he might be telling the truth.
22:00 – Oct. 21 – Thu – Clearview Cinemas – 260 West 23rd. Street
NY Premiere
The Child Prodigy (L’enfant prodige)
Luc Dionne, 2010, Quebec, Canada, 99 min. feature
Language: French
Cast: Patrick Drolet, Marc Labr?che, Macha Grenon
Synopsis:
Based on a true story, 6 year old Andr? Mathieu won his audiences and fired up concerts halls in London, New York, Paris and around the world. Praised as the “Little Canadian Mozart”, the child prodigy was bound for great success. But Mathieu’s life became entangled with his music: A romantic and passionate composer wishing for happiness, his story is nevertheless played on tragic notes.
20:00 – Oct. 21 – Thu – FIAF – Florence Gould Hall – 55 East 59th. Street
US Premiere
Gainsbourg and His Girls (Gainsbourg, l’homme qui aimait les femmes)
Didier Varrod, Pascal Forneri, 2010, France, 105 min. documentary
Language: French
Cast: Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot, Vanessa Paradis, Fran?oise Hardy, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Synopsis:
Twenty years after his death, directors Didier Varrod and Pascal Forneri present an enlightening documentary of one of France’s most provocative and cherished figures, seen through the eyes of his many muses. Throughout his life, Serge Gainsbourg composed for some of the most beguiling songstresses including Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot, Francoise Hardy, Jane Birkin, Anna Karina and Vanessa Paradis.
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