Sunday, September 30, 2007

La vie sans Brahim

13:00
Ciné Ramadan
Pemutaran film ramadan setiap Sabtu 13.00

CCF Salemba | 15 September 2007
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25
T 390 8580 | F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id

CCF Wijaya | 29 September 2007
Jl Wijaya 1, no.48
Kebayoran Baru
T 724-7064 | F 720-6961

2002, 90 minutes, versi Prancis teks inggris
karya Laurent Chevallier

Di Soissy-sur-Ecole, daerah Essonne, provinsi Ile-de-France, dengan populasi 2000. Di sebuah desa tinggal dua warga Arab, Brahim dan Mustapha, yang berusaha keluar dari permasalahan mereka : Brahim sedang sekarat dan Mustapha harus berusaha hidup mandiri tanpa Brahim.

Documentary about Brahim, the only Arab in a village, Soisy sur Ecole, in France, who has lived a quiet and isolated life there for the past twenty years. When fellow Morroccan Mostafa El Affi arrives, he encourages Brahim to come out of obscurity and to help run the local shop, to revisit his family, and to blossom into a well-liked, integral man of the village.

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Nynke

14:00
Erasmus Huis
Jl. HR. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3
T 524-1069

Karya : Pieter Verhoeff, 2001, 110 menit
Pemain : Monique Hendrickx; Jeroen Willems; Peter Tuinman; Rients Gratema; Carine Crutzen; Joke Tjalsma; Porgy Franssen

Nynke adalah sebuah film tentang Sjoukje, penulis & istri seorang penyair, pengacara politisi Belanda terkenal Peiter Jelles Troelstra dan tentang kehidupan mereka yang membingungkan. Bagaimana seorang perempuan berjuang untuk kemandiriannya & dapat membuktikan bakatnya sebagai penulis.

The strong face and character of Dutch thesp Monic Hendrickx as a famed Dutch children's author bolsters the rather predictable script of costumer "Nynke," 2001's Dutch entry for the foreign film Academy Award. Shot in the historically correct but little-spoken lingo of Friesland, northern Holland, from whence veteran director Pieter Verhoeff ("Sunday Boy") hails, pic has been doing solid business since its Sept. 6 release, despite being subtitled even for Dutch viewers. Beyond home territory, its crinoline feminism could pique the interest of art venues and pubcasters.

Set a century ago, narrative is propelled by its feminist angle, as Nynke van Hichtum (Hendrickx) -- pen name of Sjoukje Bokma de Boer -- impulsively falls in love with Pieter Jelles Troelstra (Jeroen Willems), an otherwise idealistic socialist politician-poet. She marries him, only to find her talent and independence quashed by his old-fashioned ideas about women.

As Pieter's career soars, Nynke is tied down by the births of two children, which does nothing to placate her yearning to make a mark in life. Hendrickx, who resembles Julia Roberts, portrays a woman with the high-strung temperament of a racehorse and a keen intellect that is systematically dismissed by society, even by some other successful women.

Overcome by contradictory feelings toward her family, she thrusts her hands into burning coals, signaling a nervous breakdown. She's then committed to a fancy institution where psychiatrists tell her husband that she's permanently unbalanced. But through the encouragement of some enlightened women of the time, Nynke perseveres in her writing ambitions.

Verhoeff's script follows the biographical facts closely, but more poetic license might have given the heroine more scope for action. Given the expectations raised from the beginning, Nynke's final self-liberation from her faithless spouse feels like too little too late. Still, Verhoeff turns her painful wrenching away from a bad marriage into a heroic act with which many women will identify.

Paul van den Bos' lighting recalls period paintings, and Anne Winterink's graceful sets give the film a strong historical ambience.

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Zaïna, la cavalière de l'atlas

13.00
Ciné Ramadan
Pemutaran film ramadan setiap Sabtu 13.00

CCF Salemba | 29 September 2007
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25
T 390 8580 | F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id

CCF Wijaya | 20 Oktober 2007
Jl Wijaya 1, no.48
Kebayoran Baru
T 724-7064 | F 720-6961

karya Bourlem Guerdjou
menampilkan Aziza Nadir, Sami Bouajila, Simon Abkarian
2004, 100 minutes, versi Prancis

Untuk lepas dari kekuasaan Omar, Zaina mengikuti ayahnya bersama warga lain dari sukunya menuju pacuan kuda di Agdal. Selama perjalanan panjang yang melelahkan di pegunungan Atlas, kedua ayah-anak itu memperdalam persahabatan mereka dan rasa cinta mereka.

Comment from gert-32 from Brussels, Belgium:

Europe is a continent which lends itself easily for starting up co-productions. Zaïna, Rider of the Atlas is another proof of it. France, Morocco and Germany joined forces to produce this movie, which story takes place a long time ago somewhere in North-Africa. This results in the strange fact that, during that time period, all the inhabitants seemed to speak French. Oh, well, we'll forgive the producers because this clearly is a decision made from a commercial point of view.

Zaïna is an 11-year-old girl whose mother just died. According to Zaïna, her stepfather, Omar, was responsible for this incident. Then her real father, Mustapha, shows up. Until recently he didn't know of Zaïna's existence. She is entrusted to Mustapha and must accompany him during a 20-day-long voyage to Marrakech. There Mustapha will join the most prestigious horse-race of North-Africa. Omar, being very displeased with all this, starts to pursue them. During their difficult journey through the inhospitable Atlas-mountains father and daughter slowly grow towards each other.

This movie promises us adventure and excitement. Sadly it results in a movie lacking those elements. The only (not very spectacular) action-scenes are a sword-fight between the gangs of Omar and Mustapha, a nightly encounter with horse-thieves and the horse-race in the end (which is not so prestigious after all). The three sword-fights you can find in the movie are always over before they really started. And the blue/green-screen effects during the scene were our protagonists cross a ridge in the mountains are painfully obvious. I admit, this is not an American big-budget production, so you can forgive the effects being a bit transparent, but you can't forgive the Hollywoodian ending of this movie. Further more, this movie tries to make a statement about the place of women in society as portrayed during that time-period the movie takes place in, only to deny that statement at the end.

The dialogues are rather scarce and not really fluent. And it doesn't help that most of the actors give a fairly wooden performance. Though the three main characters do shed some tears at one point or another, all the actors seem kind of emotionless (except for the cheering ladies in the end).

So are there any reasons to see this movie? Most certainly. The settings and photography of the landscapes are astonishingly beautiful. From the desolate, rocky desert over the snowy mountain-ranges to the idyllic green oasis with a gentle rippling little stream running through it. Aziza Nadir, though very young, gives a decent performance as Zaïna and keeps strong between all the male testosterone. The way Mustapha and Zaïna start to appreciate each other more and more is beautiful to behold. And, of course, there's so many horses (not to mention the extol of them) that any horse-lover would want to see this movie.

ZAÏNA, CAVALIÈRE DE L'ATLAS is probably not Oscar-material (though it tries hard), but it is worth a watch. If only for the magnificent landscapes supported by an adequate soundtrack.

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Thursday, September 27, 2007

Torajiro yuuyake koyake

15:00
The Japan Foundation
Summitmas 1 Lt. 3
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61 - 62
T 520-1266 # 120
Gratis, tiket dapat diambil di kantor JF satu minggu sebelum pemutaran

karya Yoji Yamada, 1976, 109 menit
Pemain: Chieko Baisho, Kiyoshi Atsumi
Genre: Serial Comedy Drama, Family Drama

Tora iba pada Seikan yang tampak miskin tetapi sombong dan menawari laki-laki itu untuk menginap. Sebagai tanda terima kasih Seikan memberinya lukisan yang ternyata bernilai tinggi. Suatu hari Tora meminta tolong pada Seikan untuk membantu Botan, seorang geisha yang kena tipu. Seikan menolak dan Tora pun marah.

This is the first Tora-San film I've seen, and it did not feel like this was the 17th film in a series of 48. The plot, character development, and story were complete on their own. The film centers on Tora-San, an affable lomanesque salesman who returns to the home of his loving sister and brother-in-law. Following a light-hearted family argument, he goes out, gets drunk, and befriends and brings home an elderly drinking friend. The old souse awakes believing he is in a hotel, and begins ordering the "help" around.

After putting up with his condescension for two days, Tora-San confronts the guest on behalf of his family. Now sober, the guest, Ikenouchi, is abashed at his behavior, and makes amends by doodling a sketch and instructing Tora-San where he can go cash-in the artwork for money. As it turns out, Tora-San's new friend is one of Japan's most famous artists and the doodle sells for 70,000 Yen. Ikenouchi returns to his cushy home, and when the two meet again on a trip to Tokyo, the tables are turned, with Ikenouchi playing host and Tora-San over-stepping his bounds as guest (which is again met with minimal protest in the apparently overly-hospitable Japanese culture).

While in Tokyo with Ikenouchi and the Mayor of Tokyo, Tora-San runs into Botan, a geisha and old friend. Upon returning to his family home, Tora-San is visited by her and learns that she has come in an attempt to recover 2 Million Yen that a Tokyo businessman swindled from her. Empathetic and eager to battle inequity, Tora-San sets out to rectify the situation.

The highlight of the film is the subsequent exchange where Tora-San asks Ikenouchi to paint a piece that he can sell to recover 2Million Yen for Botan. Ikenouchi struggles to make Tora-San understand his unwillingness to use his art as currency and Tora-San feels his friend is selfishly placing this unfamiliar and seemingly petty artistic dogma ahead of the more obvious ideals of friendship and justice. Rejected and angry, Tora-San vows to never speak to his friend again.

In the end, Tora-San reunites with Botan, who proudly shows Tora-San the "Ikenouchi Original" she received in the mail. Unsure why it was sent, Botan explains that she refuses to sell the piece for 2Million Yen, as the letter which accompanied the painting suggested, but instead, chooses to treasure it forever.

Great writing, characters, humor, and pacing that can easily keep the attention of modern audiences, this film was an absolute treat. If you have the opportunity to see it, don't pass it up. — tony@deproduction.org from Denver


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Le Conseguenze dell 'Amore

19:00
Pusat Kebudayaan Italia
Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto No. 117
Menteng
T 392-7531

Karya : Paolo Sorrentino, 2002, 99 menit
Pemain : Olivia Magnani, Toni Servillo
Versi : DVD, Italia/Inggris

Tita di Girolamo adalah seorang laki-laki dari selatan berusia 50 tahun. Bertahun-tahun ia hidup di sebuah hotel entah berantah di sebuah desa tak dikenal di negara-negara Swiss, ia menyembunyikan identitas pribadi, masa lalu dan pekerjaannya.

This is a very visual film. By that I mean that the dialog is sparse, almost to the point of being a silent movie for some very long takes, beginning with the opening shot.

The silences, however, are broken by a stunning sound track that ranges from discordant, staccato beats to a haunting mix of violins, and interspersed with vocals that sound like dreams. It's a feast for the ears as much as for the eyes, one of the early visuals being a man walking along a street, so preoccupied with his interest in a shapely woman, that he walks into a lamppost: one of the consequences of love and a metaphor for what lies in store...

A long time ago, another movie – Love Story (1970) -- said that love is never having to say you're sorry. This narrative turns that idea on its head in a number of ways, beginning with the main character, Titta (Toni Sevillo), a seemingly innocuous long-term resident in a plush hotel somewhere in Switzerland. Everyday, week in, week out, he sits at the same coffee table, enjoying the passing world, his cigarettes, his coffee, his solitude – and he's been doing it for ten years. He sits, he observes, and once a week he engages in three very surprising activities that you'll find out about when you see this little masterpiece...

Love is explored in another way, in a direct counterpoint to Titta's solitude and reserved nature: two older residents of the hotel are still much in love, but the man wants to die in a spectacular manner when his time comes, while his long suffering wife berates him for cheating at cards with the other guests, one of whom is Titta. Now, Titta knows about their squabbles, their love, the man's cheating, his apologies to his wife, and his whining. How? In a surprising and black-comedic manner...one of those surprise activities I mentioned.

But, this is no comedy, in reality, although it does touch upon the idea of the human comedy in a Balzacian sense: the irony of life and what to do with it. That decision had been made for Titta ten years earlier when he left his wife and began to live in the hotel. He keeps in touch occasionally, and it is clear that he still loves his children (now grown up) and the sorrow in his voice speaks volumes. But, there's something more than just sorrow...

Such a life as Titta's would obviously seem to be utterly boring, and it actually is from many perspectives. It is only when we learn what lies beneath his almost death-like countenance, however, that the horror of his situation hits the viewer between the eyes. But not before we know that the female bartender, Sofia (Olivia Magnani), is very interested in Titta and goes out of her way to pique Titta's interest in her.

And that's when things start to unravel for Titta: he eventually succumbs to her femininity and in doing so discovers, once again, the consequences of love. Ironically, in doing so, he finally realizes what he must finally do with his life, and in a most spectacular fashion.

I know that all of the above is somewhat cryptic; but, to say more would spoil the film and story for you. If you like Italian cinema – I love it! – I urge you to see this one. The acting is superb; the sound track chills the spine; the camera work is truly innovative; the direction shows the maturity of a true artist.

I know I'll see this movie again, and again...

Roger Burke (mayapan1942@yahoo.com) from Australia

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Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Getting Any? - Minnâ-yatteruka!?

19:30
Ruang Rupa
Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam No. 6
T 830-4420
Kapasitas 50 orang
Gratis

Karya : Takeshi Kitano, 1995, 110 menit
Pemain : Dankan; Moeko Ezawa; Hakuryu; Tokie Hidari; Sonomanma Higashi

Ketika Takeshi Kitano mendapat penghargaan sebagai salah satu sutradara paling orisinil di Eropa, sebaliknya penonton di negerinya, Jepang, masih belum bisa menerima karya-karyanya. Hal ini membuatnya geram, dan membuat dia memutuskan untuk memproduksi film komedi "Getting Any?"
Dalam sebuah interview, Takeshi Kitano mengatakan jika yang mereka inginkan adalah seorang komedian, maka Ia akan berikan mereka sebuah komedi yang sangat keterlaluan, yang akan membuat mereka ketawa sampai mati.

Film ini berfokus pada karakter utama bernama Asao. Asao adalah seorang pemimpi, yang hanya punya satu hal dalam kepalanya yaitu bersetubuh. Saat terbangun dari tidurnya, Ia melihat dalam mimpinya seorang wanita cantik berhubungan seks dengan seorang lelaki di dalam mobil sport yang keren. Karena itu, Asao kemudian, pergi ke dealer mobil, dan mencari sebuah mobil "that is great to have sex in". Tapi karena kondisi keuangannya tidak mencukupi baginya untuk bisa membeli mobil yang keren, membuatnya selalu gagal untuk bisa menarik wanita.

Dan sejak itu dimulailah seri petualangan slapstick Asao. Dimulai dari menjual organ tubuh kakeknya untuk membeli mobil, merampok bank, mencoba jadi aktor di film Zatoichi, masuk jadi anggota Yakuza, semuanya itu dilakukannya hanya untuk satu tujuan; bersetubuh. Dan kisah petualangan Asao ini-pun mengalir ngelantur penuh kejutan hingga akhir yang sangat tragis.

Walaupun tidak seperti film Kitano lainnya, yang biasanya penuh adegan kekerasan, "Getting Any?" bisa dibilang sebagai film yang dapat merepresentasikan Takeshi Kitano, yang mana mungkin banyak orang sudah melupakan dia sebagai seorang stand-up comedian yang memiliki spesialisasi akan humor-humor yang kasar dengan aksi komedi berselera buruk. Salah satu film komedi terbaik sepanjang masa.

Getting Any? is a 1995 film, written, directed, edited, and starring, Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano. Minnā yatteru ka!?, literally: "Is everyone doing it?". Yatteru is coming from the Japanese verb yaru, which is an informal word meaning 'to do', and has become slang for sexual intercourse.

Getting Any? is best described as a sex comedy movie. It showed Beat Takeshi, originally a very popular manzai performer, returning to his comedic roots. The movie features an Airplane!-like assemblage of comedic scenes centering around a Walter Mitty-type character whose obsession is to have sex.

The film met with little acclaim in Japan where its release was barely noticed. However the film maker confessed in 2003 (while in production for Zatoichi), that Getting Any? was one of his three favourite movies among the ten he had directed by that time. According to him, this work is the basis for all his upcoming movies (including the acclaimed HANA-BI) as it features all his recurrent themes and it gets his part of violence, and even its part of sadness (i.e. all efforts deployed by Asao to have sex).

According to an interview, Kitano's purpose in this movie was to laugh at his own gags, to make a mockery of them. He also wanted to laugh at the young Japanese men, those born after World War II who are simple-minded and much too direct and simplistic when it comes to talk with girls about having sex. Kitano denied satirizing Japanese society, and claimed that his aim in this movie was to make the audience laugh.
[from wikipedia]

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Tabi no Onna to Torajiro

15:00
The Japan Foundation
Summitmas 1 Lt. 3
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61 - 62
T 520-1266 # 120
Gratis, tiket dapat diambil di kantor JF satu minggu sebelum pemutaran

karya Yoji Yamada, 1983, 101 menit
Pemain: Chieko Baisho, Kiyoshi Atsumi
Genre: Serial Comedy Drama, Family Drama

Kali ini Tora-san berpetualang ke Pulau Sado. Diperjalanan ia bertemu dengan wanita berwajah melankolis. Tentu saja, Tora pun jatuh cinta. Tora tidak sadar bila wanita itu adalah Harumi, penyanyi yang sangat terkenal di Jepang. Mereka berkenalan.

Kiyoshi Atsumi (Tora-san)
Chieko Baisho (Sakura, Torajiro's sister)
Hidetaka Yoshioka (Mitsuo, Sakura's son)
Chishu Ryu (Priest)
Chieko Misaki (Tsune, Torajiro's Aunt)
Hisao Dazai (Umetaro, Hiroshi's Boss)
Masami Shimojo (Uncle)
Gin Maeda (Hiroshi, Sakura's husband)


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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Torajiro ajisai no koi

15:00
The Japan Foundation
Summitmas 1 Lt. 3
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61 - 62
T 520-1266 # 120
Gratis, tiket dapat diambil di kantor JF satu minggu sebelum pemutaran

karya Yoji Yamada, 1982, 110 menit
Pemain: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baisho, Ayumi Ishida
Genre: Serial Comedy Drama, Family Drama

Tora-san tinggal di rumah Kano, seniman keramik senior. Di sana ia bertemu dengan Kagari, pelayan rumah di sana. Namun, Kagari pulang kampung setelah gagal menikah dengan laki-laki yang dijodohkan Kano. Kepergian kagari membuat Tora merasa kehilangan. Tora yang jatuh cinta menemui Kagari di Kamakura ditemani Mitsuo, keponakannya. Kagari kecewa karena Tora datang berdua.

In this episode of the long-running Tora-san series, Torasan falls in love, this time with a woman named Kagari works as maid for a famous ceramic artist who is a living national treasure.

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Sunday, September 23, 2007

Lady and the Tramp

11:00
Pusat Kebudayaan Italia
Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto No. 117
Menteng
T 392-7531

Karya Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geromini
Walt Disney 1955, 74 menit
Versi : DVD Italia/Inggris

Cerita tentang Lady, seekor anjing bangsawan yang cantik, dan Tramp, seekor anjing dengan karakter yang kasar tetapi memiliki hati emas. Lady, mempunyai sahabat-sahabat diantaranya Jock, Trusty dan sepasang kucing lucu Si dan Am. Mereka bersama berpetualang dan Lady pun menyadari arti sesungguhnya dari kebebasan.

It's still one of the sweetest kisses onscreen, up there with Bergman and Grant, Bogey and Bacall: the moment when pampered purebred Lady and streetwise mongrel Tramp, sharing a moonlit plate of spaghetti in an alley behind an Italian café, unknowingly slurp the same strand, and suddenly find their mouths meeting in surprise and tenderness. Ah, puppy love.

Lady and the Tramp is a delight of animation and surprisingly deep character development, given that the stars are all dogs. Lady, an adorable Cocker Spaniel, feels neglected when her owners become distracted by the pending birth of a baby. But the last straw is clueless Aunt Sarah's appearance with her conniving Siamese cats (among Disney's most creatively evil villains), who wreak havoc on Lady's blissful home life. Soon Lady is off on an adventure in the streets, where the savvy Tramp takes her under his paw. The lessons of friendship and loyalty, of integrity--not to mention trusting in the kindness of strangers--ring true to delighted children and adults alike.

And unlike many Disney films, there's no real violence, only challenges that smart dogs (including a tough-talking vamp named Peg, voiced sublimely by Peggy Lee, who also wrote the songs), banding together, can tackle. The animation is terrific; the scene where we first meet Tramp shows him rinsing off under a pipe, and his subsequent shaking-off of the water follows the detailed rippling up and down his back that any dog lover will recognize. And is there any song more romantic than "Bella Notte"? Bellissima! --A.T. Hurley

Description
Walt Disney's LADY AND THE TRAMP, filled with memorable music and purebred fun, now shines like never before with an all-new digital restoration! Embark on a thrilling adventure with the most unforgettable characters: Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel; Tramp, a mutt from across the tracks with a heart of gold; Jock and Trusty, Lady's best friends; and Si and Am, two of the most devious cats to prowl across the screen. The happiest of endings takes place on a lovely bella notte as Lady learns what it means to be footloose and leash-free. Unleash all the fun and excitement in this 2-Disc Special Edition, including never-before-seen deleted scenes, 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, all-new games, making-of secrets, and much more!

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La Haine

13:00
Ciné Ramadan
Pemutaran film ramadan setiap Sabtu 13.00

CCF Wijaya | 22 September 2007
Jl Wijaya 1, no.48
Kebayoran Baru
T 724-7064
F 720-6961

CCF Salemba | 8 September 2007
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25
T 390 8580
F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id

1995, 95 minutes, versi Prancis
karya Mathieu Kassovitz
menampilkan Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui

Untuk mengusir rasa bosan dan menghabiskan waktu, tiga pemuda berjalan-jalan. Kerusuhan terjadi setelah Abdel Ichah dipukuli polisi waktu sedang diinterogasi. Malam itu merupakan malam terpenting dalam hidup mereka.

When a film called La Haine was released in France in 1995 it caused something of a stir. A sucess at the French box office, with around 500,000 viewers in the first six weeks of its release, as well as with the critics (it won the Best Director Award at Cannes), it became one of the most controversial and talked about French films in recent years.

The interest was unusual as the film was written and directed by a largely unknown young filmmaker and actor. Moreover, it was filmed in black and white, with no big name stars on a small budget (an estimated FF15 million). In Kassovitz, France, it seemed, had produced a young, talented and provocative filmmaker to rival American directors like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarrantino or even Britain's Danny Boyle.

The stir La Haine caused was, in part, due to its controversial subject matter - les banlieues (the suburbs) - which had, since the 1980s, become synonymous with France's major problems of unemployment, social exclusion, racial conflict, (sub)urban decay, criminality and violence. It was also due, in part, to its negative portrayal of the police who, with the exception of one officer of North African descent, are represented as violent, racist and uncomprehending. It was also due in part to its sympathetic, some might say indulgent, representation of an excluded and multi-ethnic suburban youth.

The initial story for La Haine came from a real-life fait divers: the shooting of a sixteen-year-old Zairean youth called Makomé Bowole in police custody in 1993. Unlike the Rodney King affair (a black man beaten by LAPD police officers was caught on videotape) which received wider public attention, Makomé's death went relatively unreported and unnoticed.

La Haine follows one day in the lives of three young banlieusards: Vinz, of Jewish descent, Saïd, a Beur, and Hubert, of African origin. Kassovitz replaces the bleu, blanc, rouge of the tricolore with the beur, blanc, `black' of the banlieues. The three friends are shown living by their wits, surviving on petty crime and small-time drug deals on a low income housing estate outside Paris. It's no ordinary day for them however, as a riot has just taken place on their estate, a friend has been assaulted in police custody and lies in hospital in a coma. To make things more explosive, Vinz finds a police revolver (une flingue) dropped, or stolen, during the rioting. As the three hang out together, picking over the aftermath of the riot and discussing the condition of their comatose friend, the tension mounts

The film is about the interracial solidarity of a small gang (une bande) of friends, divided by race, religion and ethnicity but joined by the common bonds of geographical and economic isolation. Living a life far removed from the far away from affluence of middle-class or tourist Paris, the three eke out a living by dodging and diving, working small-scale scams like dealing dope and handling stolen goods. Kassovitz is not so much interested in inter-racial violence - this is only touched upon briefly as part of a broader antagonism between young banlieusards and the police - but on a specific class (or underclass) and generation.
| Tony McNeill, The University of Sunderland

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L’Esquive - The Game of Love and Chance

13:00
Ciné Ramadan
Pemutaran film ramadan setiap Sabtu 13.00

CCF Wijaya | 6 Oktober 2007
Jl Wijaya 1, no.48
Kebayoran Baru
T 724-7064
F 720-6961

CCF Salemba | 22 September 2007
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25
T 390 8580
F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id

karya Abdellatif Kechiche
menampilkan Osman Elkharraz, Sara Forestier, Sabrina Ouazani
2002, 113 minutes, versi Prancis

Abdelkrim atau Krimo, 15 tahun, tinggal di sebuah RSS di pinggiran Paris bersama ibunya yang bekerja di supermarket sementara ayahnya di penjara. Ia bermimpi pergi ke ujung dunia dengan perahu layar. Sambil menunggu mimpi itu terwujud, ia menghabiskan waktu bersama sahabatnya, Eric, dan sekumpulan kawan-kawannya. Saat itu musim semi dan Krimo jatuh cinta pada Lydia, gadis ceriwis dan cerdik di kelasnya…

An angel passes through the high-rise housing projects on the outskirts of Paris, enthusiastically reciting dialog from Marivaux. Her name is Lydia and she’s rehearsing “The Game of Love and Chance,” her class show for the school festival. Abdelkrim, known as Krimo, 15-years strong, falls for his classmate. He’s used to hanging out in the maze of the projects, loitering with his buddies, when suddenly he’s in love. But Krimo isn’t one for talk and he has a reputation to uphold: just how is he going to declare his love to Lydia without losing face? There’s only one solution: bribe his friend Rachid, Lydia's stage partner, and take his place in the role of Arlequin. Marivaux’s words will say what Krimo dares not avow. But this smart idea becomes a major battle for Krimo, who’s horrified to discover the amount of text he must learn by heart and by his French teacher’s implacable demands. Will Krimo find the words he needs to say before rumor, jealousy and enmity make things go sour? | Tony McNeill, The University of Sunderland

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L'Avventura

14:15
Kineforum Studio 1
Studio 21 TIM
Jl. Cikini Raya No. 73
T 316-2780
Gratis (donasi Rp. 5.000)

Karya Michelangelo Antonioni
Pemain : Gabrielle Ferzetti, Monica Vitti, Dominique Blanchar, Renzo Ricci
Drama 1959, 145 menit
Juri Special Prize, Cannes Film Festival 1960

Seorang perempuan hilang saat berlayar di Mediterania. Dalam pencarian, kekasihnya dan sahabatnya mulai saling tertarik.

L'Avventura deals ostensibly with the disappearance of an affluent young woman, Anna, during a yachting trip and the fruitless search conducted by her lover, Sandro, and best friend, Claudia. The two become drawn to one another and, after initial hesitation from Claudia, develop a romantic relationship. Following a hotel party, Claudia catches Sandro with another woman and runs outside. Sandro follows and begins to cry, and Claudia puts her hand on his head to comfort him.

Commentary
L'Avventura made its debut at the 1960 Cannes film festival to the jeers and irritation of its initial viewing audience. With its deliberate pace, elliptical story, and lack of conventional drama, one can imagine a similar reaction from a modern audience. However, once one becomes accustomed to the rhythm and visual style, the film provides a rare and meaningful experience. L'Avventura went on to win a special jury prize at Cannes and established Michelangelo Antonioni as an important and influential filmmaker.

The entire stucture of the film remains loose and unhurried. This stylistic choice reflects the idle nature of the characters and also provides a calculated rhythm in which to observe their behavior and study the images. These black and white images give the viewer much to look at, in terms of their striking beauty and composition. Sound is used in subtle ways that add to the realism: the ocean running through the coves of the island, the footsteps of Claudia in the hotel. Music is seldom employed, but this makes its appearances all the more effective.

One of the more striking aspects of the film is its relative lack of dialogue. Words are sparsely used and mainly serve as signposts for the characters' psyches. Occasionally, a line of dialogue will explain the transition from one setting to the next, but the film prefers to let images guide its story and not to be weighed down with detailed plot descriptions. The general absence of dialogue also serves as insight into the characters' general isolation and loneliness. They seem unable to fully understand, much less effectively communicate, their feelings and thoughts; it's an accurate presentation of the confusion and insecurity associated with modern life.

The film also examines the characters' shifting morality but arrives at no definite conclusion. Claudia initially resists Sandro's advances out of hope that Anna will soon be discovered and their original relationship will be restored. However, at the end of the film, Claudia is shown walking around her and Sandro's hotel room, waiting for him to return. In a long take, she approaches the hotel window and stares out at the ocean. The view of the sea gradually dominates the shot until the viewer and Claudia are reminded of Anna's disappearance. She becomes frantic at the thought of Anna's return and runs to find Sandro. These thoughts and the entire mood is conveyed solely through images and sound. The final image of Claudia comforting Sandro is powerful and ambiguous. She has compassion for the disloyal and confused Sandro--but where do they go from here? L'Avventura offers no direct answers but provides the psychological components needed to pose the question.

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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Inch'Allah dimanche

Ciné Ramadan
Pemutaran film ramadan setiap Sabtu 13.00

CCF Salemba | 20 Oktober 2007
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25
T 390 8580 | F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id

CCF Wijaya | 15 September 2007
Jl Wijaya 1, no.48
Kebayoran Baru
T 724-7064 | F 720-6961

2001, 98 minutes, versi Prancis
karya Yamina Benguigui
menampilkan Fejria Deliba, Zinedine Soualem, Marie-France Pisier
FIPRESCI International Critics' Award (2001 Toronto International Film Festival)

Tahun 1974, Zouina seorang magribi berumur tigapuluhan tiba dari Aljazair bersama tiga anaknya untuk menetap di Saint-Quentin di bawah pengawasan ketat dari ibu mertuanya. Dia datang untuk tinggal bersama Ahmed suaminya, buruh di pabrik tekstil, yang hampir tidak ia kenali lagi. Zouina tinggal bertetangga dengan sepasang pensiunan tua. Kehadiran keluarga ini membawa persoalan besar bagi keluarga Donze dan berbagai masalah pun bermunculan.

In the aftermath of World War 2, France attempted to replenish its weakened work force by recruiting men from North Africa. In the mid-1970's, the French government relaxed its immigration policy to allow the families of Algerian men to join them. Inch'Allah Dimanche provides us with a deeply moving memoir of the sense of isolation and vulnerability that the immigrant family experienced upon their arrival at a time when racial integration was virtually non-existent.

Zouina (Fejria Deliba in a richly emotional performance) is a woman who is torn from her home in Algeria. With her three children and her abrupt mother-in-law, Aicha (Rabia Modedem), she rejoins her husband in a foreign and unaccommodating land. She finds herself feeling imprisoned between a distant husband who scorns her, a hostile mother-in-law and a neighbor (a comedic France Darry) who is afraid of Fejria's otherness. But Zouina's finally begins to feel a sense of acceptance when she meets a cosmetics factory worker who sparks in Zouina an interest in French culture and her new world. This curiosity, and her longing for freedom and experience, drives Zouina to take secret excursions with her children on Sundays, the one day that her husband and mother-in-law are out of the house. Through these little adventures, she comes to terms with the difficulties of immigration, change, and adaptation to a new culture.

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Sunday, September 9, 2007

Le Petit lieutenant

Ciné Ramadan
Pemutaran film ramadan setiap Sabtu 13.00

CCF Salemba | 6 Oktober 2007
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25
T 390 8580 | F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id

CCF Wijaya | 8 September 2007
Jl Wijaya 1, no.48
Kebayoran Baru
T 724-7064 | F 720-6961

2005, 110 minutes, versi Prancis
karya Xavier Beauvois
menampilkan Nathalie Baye, Jalil Lespert, Roschdy Zem

Begitu lulus dari akademi kepolisian, Antoine berangkat ke Paris untuk bergabung bersama divisi kedua polisi pengadilan. Caroline Vaudieu memilih letnan kecil ini untuk masuk dalam timnya. Dia segera terikat dengan pria muda yang seusia anaknya yang hilang…

"Le Petit Lieutenant" is a quiet powerhouse of a film, an implacable, uncompromising French police drama, both old-fashioned and modern, that underlines the reasons impeccably made crime stories do so well on screen.
Nominated for six Césars, including best picture and deservedly winning best actress for the great veteran Nathalie Baye, "Le Petit Lieutenant" is successful on two parallel levels.

"Le Petit Lieutenant" is an involving character drama before it is anything else, a film that is determined to give us a real sense of what the lives of a group of elite Parisian police officers are like on the most intimate level.

But because the police do what they do, "Le Petit Lieutenant" inevitably deals as well with death and crimes that have to be solved, with human behavior at moments of extreme and painful crisis.

That Beauvois' film adroitly combines both strands is due to the filmmaker's determination, in his own words, "to be scrupulously faithful to the reality of a police investigation and to use all I had seen" in several months spent following a French police captain through his daily life.

What this means specifically is that "Le Petit Lieutenant" has been shot in a crisp, purposeful style and that the director has insisted on low-key, unforced acting from all his players. This is filmmaking that indicates more than overemphasizes, that understands the value of naturalism above all things.

Just as welcome, and just as rare, "Le Petit Lieutenant" is in no kind of rush or hurry. Beauvois is sure enough of his story to let things play out on their own terms. Given how deliberately this film moves, how moving it turns out to be may seem surprising, but it is the former that has led to the latter.

The film begins with Antoine, the young lieutenant of the title, graduating from the national police academy in his native Normandy. He gets the posting he wants, as a plainclothes detective in exciting Paris, though it means leaving his young teacher wife behind.

Jalil Lespert, who made a memorable debut as the star of Laurent Cantet's "Human Resources," is an excellent choice for Antoine. He gives us a well-mannered young man who seems plenty capable as a police officer but also has a likability, even a naive sweetness that we don't always see behind a badge.

"Le Petit Lieutenant" concentrates first on immersing us in the dailiness of Antoine's life as the new guy at the Paris station, trying to fit in. We go with him as he's assigned his weapon and rents a single-guy room to live in. And we meet the other people in his unit, in effect his family away from home.

There is Solo (Roschdy Zem, Cannes best actor winner for "Indigènes"), a Moroccan who's had trouble being accepted. There's the right-wing Morbe (the director himself) and Mallet (Antoine Chappey), who's always looking for an easy way out. And then there is his boss, Chief Inspector Caroline Vaudieu (Baye), who is a film all by herself.

An extremely experienced officer who really knows her job, the inspector is a recovering alcoholic who is just returning to life on the street but still bears the scars of the experiences that led her to drink. With her careworn face and eyes that have seen more than anyone should, Baye brings this complex, distraught character to exceptionally vivid and moving life.

Gradually, as Antoine gets his footing under the inspector's sympathetic but watchful eyes, "Le Petit Lieutenant" shifts its focus to the cases to which he and the unit are assigned, specifically the murder of a homeless man whose body is found in the Seine.

Here, once again, director Beauvois emphasizes the minutiae of police work, the boredom-inducing checking and rechecking of facts, the ever-so-slow accumulation of evidence that leads the police to feel the futility of their jobs.

But, always lurking behind the tedium is the sense of impending danger, the idea that it's in the nature of police work that things could explode at any moment. With its exceptional restraint and psychological complexity paying full dividends, "Le Petit Lieutenant" makes that contrast and its consequences unforgettable. | kenneth.turan@latimes.com

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Saturday, September 8, 2007

Ganbatte ikimasshoi

7 September 2007 | 16:30

Ayo Berjuang
1998/120 menit
Sutradara : Itsumichi Isomura
Pemain : Rena Tanaka, Mami Shimizu,Wakana Aoi

The Japan Foundation
Summitmas I, Lantai 2-3, Jend Sudirman 61-62 Jakarta 12190
T 520 1266 F 525 5159
pkj@jpf.or.id

Etsuko mendirikan klub mendayung di sekolahnya. Sayang, para anggotanya merasa minder. Mereka juga mereka tidak memiliki pelatih professional.Sulit rasanya untuk menandingi kelompok Boo yang sudah lama menjadi musuh bebuyutan Etsuko.

Swing Girls
7 September 2007 | 19:00

2004/105 menit
Sekelompok gadis terpaksa mengikuti bimbingan remedial untuk pelajaran matematika. Alih-alih belajar, para gadis ini justru sibuk mencari cara untuk kabur dari kelas dengan dalih mengirimkan rangsum makan siang bagi kelompok marching band yang tengah berlaga. Takuo yang jenuh dengan aktivitas marching band akhirnya tersemangati oleh kehadiran para gadis ini.

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Friday, September 7, 2007

Koisuru Onnatachi

6 September 2007 | 16:30

Gadis-gadis yang jatuh cinta
1986/98 menit | Sutradara : Kazuki Omori
Pemain : Yuki Saito,Maiko Takai,Haruko Sagara

The Japan Foundation
Summitmas I, Lantai 2-3, Jend Sudirman 61-62 Jakarta 12190
T 520 1266 F 525 5159
pkj@jpf.or.id

Takako dan 3 sahabatnya tengah berada di usia pubertas. Tingkah mereka terkadang aneh saat jatuh cinta, seperti Midoriko yang selalu mengadakan upacara pemakaman saat ia jatuh cinta. Ternyata pengalaman cinta membuat mereka sedikit lebih dewasa.

Kono Mado Wa Kimi No Mono
6 September 2007 | 19:00

Jendela ini Milikmu
1994/95 menit
Yoko akan pindah ke Hokkaido. Maeda yang menaruh hati padanya meminta izin untuk rebah di pangkuannya. Namun hati Yoko tertaut pada Taro yang ternyata diam-diam menyukainya. Kisah manis ini ditutup dengan pesta kembang api yang menerangi langit malam.

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Thursday, September 6, 2007

Italian Film Festival

5 September 2007 | 19:00

Multifunctional Room
Istituto Italiano di Cultura
Jl. HOS Cokroaminto 117 Menteng, Jakarta 10350
T 392 7531/2, F 310 1661
iicjakarta@esteri.it

Italian Film Festival on IIC Jakarta
Films for public, will be held on Wednesdays evening, at 19.00 PM onwards at the multi function hall of the Italian Institue of Culture (IIC) in Jakarta. The marathon of Italian films (subtitled in english) during this semester will present various genres, from classic movies, such as: Placido Rizzoto (Pasquale Scimeca, 2000), Da Zero a Dieci(Luciano Ligabue, 2002), and many other movies. No tickets or RSVP. For further informations, schedule, synopsis, etc, please contact our operator during working hours.

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Monday, September 3, 2007

Q! Festival | 25-2

25 August - 2 September 2007
This year Q! Festival presents films with coming-of-age and journey into adolescence under the theme umbrella called "Youth Revisited".

All the films have been selected in some pretigous festivals. Also a World Premiere of a short film "Twogether" by Singaporean director Victric Thng and a short documentary film "Paris Dreams Continued" by local director Dhani Agustinus.
There are also Q!Gossips where everyone can chat around with some filmmakers, novelists in depth. To answer some curiosity behind the making of a film, there will a behind-the-scene photo exhibition of a Japanese film called "First Love" at Japan Foundation during the festival.
Continuing the festival in Jakarta, 3 films will screen in Seminyak, Bali where people will watching film by the beach.

Film Screening Venues in Jakarta:

Blitz Megaplex - Grand Indonesia
Capacity: 144 seats
Jl. M. H. Thamrin 1, 8th Floor
T 2358 0200

Cemara 6 Gallery - Capacity: 60 seats
Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto 9 – 11
Menteng, Jakarta Pusat
T 3192 4505

Centre Culturel Francais (CCF) - Capacity: 43 seats
Jl. Salemba Raya 25
T 390 8585, 390 8580

Erasmus Huis - Capacity: 350 seats
Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3
Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan
T 524 1069

Goethe Haus - Capacity: 301 seats
Jl. Sam Ratulangi 9 – 15
Menteng, Jakarta Pusat
T 2355 0208

Japan Foundation - Capacity: 120 seats
Summitmas I, 2th – 3th Floor
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav 61 – 62
T 520 1266

Kineforum
TIM 21 Studio 1 - Capacity: 139 seats
Jl. Cikini Raya 73
T 3193 4720

Subtitles DVD
Pixel Theater - Capacity: 20 seats
Dharmawangsa Square - The City Walk
Jl. Dharmawangsa IX, Basement Floor
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan
T 7278 8337

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Sunday, September 2, 2007

Kenikmatan Rahasia

1 September 2007 | 15.00

Pemutaran 5 film pendek & diskusi
CCF Salemba
Jl. Salemba Raya No. 25, Jakarta 10440
T 390 8580
F 390 8586,
ecrire@ccfjakarta.or.id


à courts d’écran adalah sebuah program yang memfasilitasi pembuat film pendek Prancis dan Indonesia. Program pemutaran dilakukan sebulan sekali pada hari Sabtu minggu kedua sepanjang tahun 2007 di CCF Salemba. Pembuat film pendek Indonesia dapat mengirimkan karya mereka ke CCF Jakartadalam bentuk DVD atau VHS yang kemudian akan melalui proses kurasi untuk ditampilkan dalam satu program pemutaran.

Bulan September ini menampilkan film dengan tema yang berbicara mengenai godaan, gairah, pencarian kenikmatan, rahasia dibaliknya, serta kenikmatan dari rahasia itu sendiri. Film-film ini mengungkapkan intimasi tubuh dengan lingkup sosial yang mengelilinginya.

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