Collection of seven films from iconic Black, gay filmmaker Marlon Riggs (1957-1994) now includes TONGUES UNTIED, AFFIRMATIONS, ANTHEM, and NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN (NO REGRET).
For cinephiles into archival footage there’s the gripping LET THE FIRE BURN which echoes confrontations between citizens and the police today as well as THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU, which tracks the rise and fall of the infamous Romanian dictator through his own propaganda footage.
They’ve also released CINEMA OF TEARS, a personal view of Latin American cinema, Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain’s “brilliantly clammy and unnerving piece of work,” TONY MANERO, and the Brazilian feature on new forms of family-making, THE CITY OF THE FUTURE.
There are also two new African films: HISSEIN HABRE, A CHADIAN TRAGEDY and WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL, a story on William Kamkwamba who as a 14 y/o built a windmill in his Malawian village with only a library book as his guide.
| And last but not least, they have one of the foundational films on animal liberation—THE ANIMALS FILM—which features an interview with the moral philosopher Peter Singer. Read on for more details on these new releases: |
| Directed by Marlon Riggs: Tongues Untied (55 minutes, 1989) A landmark and controversial personal documentary essay on experiences of black gay men and the search for identity. It has been critically acclaimed as one of the most important documentaries of the 20th century. “A black male warrior fighting for the right to love other black men, Marlon Riggs affirms what was nearly lost, newly found; the certainty that black male lives are utterly precious.” —Alice Walker |
Affirmations (10 minutes, 1990)
Explores black male dreams and desires and is framed by the poetry of Essex Hemphill.
Anthem (8 minutes, 1991)
An experimental music video asserting a defiant homoeroticism of African American male sexuality.
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (No Regret) (38 minutes, 1992)
A poetic and intimate film presenting moving testimonials and portraits of five black gay men. They each disclose their HIV+ status and how they fiercely combat the stigma around the disease.
Cinema of Tears: A Century of Latin American Cinema (1995)
Directed by Nelson Pereira Dos Santos; BFI, Documentary
U.K.
Personal view of the Latin American cinema by Brazilian director Nelson Pereira dos Santos, based on an adaptation of a novel by Silvia Oroz. In this way, using two protagonists, a 65-year-old and a 25-year-old, a wide cross-section of Latin American cinema is shown, especially those turning on the subject of different stories of love and melodrama.
Tony Manero
Directed by Pablo Larraín; Kino Lorber, Feature
On weekends, 50-something Raul Peralta (Alfredo Castro) goes to the same bar outside his native Santiago, Chile, and, with friends, dances to the hits from his favorite film, “Saturday Night Fever.” When he gets wind of a TV contest seeking the best imitation of Tony Manero, the main character from the film, he becomes fixated on winning. But as Raul becomes involved in nefarious activities—including murder—to complete his Tony Manero transition, he puts his friends and himself at risk.
OFFICIAL SELECTION CANNES / NEW YORK / TORONTO
The City of the Future
Directed by Maríllia Hughes and Cláudio Marques; PRAGDA, Narrative
In Serra do Ramalho, Brazil, young teacher Milla finds herself pregnant by her colleague Gilmar. Gilmar is in a relationship with Igor, but Milla asserts that the baby will belong to all three of them. Despite some initial conflict between the three, and in defiance to their community’s reaction, they form an unconventional but remarkably uncomplicated family. Billed as the ‘city of the future’, Serra do Ramalho was constructed in the 1970s in order to rehouse thousands of citizens that had been forcefully relocated. The location forms an important backdrop for this elegant, gentle film which is full of hope for a new generation building their own family of the future.
BEST LATIN AMERICAN FILM, BUENOS AIRES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
Hissein Habre, A Chadian Tragedy
Directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun; Icarus Films, Documentary
In 2013, former Chadian dictator Hissein Habre’s arrest in Senegal marked the end of a long combat for the survivors of his regime. Accompanied by the Chairman of the Association of the Victims of the Hissein Habre Regime, Mahamat Saleh Haroun goes to meet those who survived this tragedy and who still bear the scars of the horror in their flesh and in their souls. Through their courage and determination, the victims accomplish an unprecedented feat in the history of Africa: that of bringing a Head of State to trial.
2016 Cannes Film Festival
William and the Windmill
Directed by Ben Nabors; Passion River, Documentary
With only a library book as his guide, 14-year-old William Kamkwamba builds a windmill in his Malawian village that changes his life forever. Using junk parts and an inexhaustible imagination, he harnesses enough energy to power a generator that saves his family from famine and resuscitates his dying farming community.
An instant media sensation, the teen soon has the ability to chart a previously unimaginable future of Ivy League schools and speaking tours. But despite the support of an American entrepreneur who helps him navigate his success, some changes threaten to capsize him. He was once just a kid back home, but suddenly he’s a village leader. Away at school, the famous boy inventor struggles on a steep learning curve.
Winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary
The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
Directed by Andrei Ujica; Kino Lorber, Documentary
A monumental achievement, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU tracks the rise and fall of the infamous Romanian dictator through his own propaganda footage. Writer and director Andrei Ujica, along with editor Dana Bunescu, crafted over 1,000 hours of official state broadcasts and intimate home movies into a three-hour tour-de-force that depicts how Ceausescu created the country in his own image, regardless of the cost to its citizens. His rapid ascent to power is aided by rubber stamp parliamentary meetings and celebrated in garish visits to Communist allies including North Korea. A hero in his mind, Ceausescu is combative, vain, and unquestioningly in control.
Let the Fire Burn
Directed by Jason Osder; Kino Lorber, Documentary
In the astonishingly gripping Let the Fire Burn, director Jason Osder has crafted that rarest of cinematic objects: a found-footage film that unfurls with the tension of a great thriller. On May 13, 1985, a longtime feud between the city of Philadelphia and controversial radical urban group MOVE came to a deadly climax. By order of local authorities, police dropped military-grade explosives onto a MOVE-occupied rowhouse. TV cameras captured the conflagration that quickly escalated—and resulted in the tragic deaths of eleven people (including five children) and the destruction of 61 homes. It was only later discovered that authorities decided to “…let the fire burn.” Using only archival news coverage and interviews, first-time filmmaker Osder has brought to life one of the most tumultuous and largely forgotten clashes between government and citizens in modern American history.
Winner – Best Editing in a Documentary Feature – Tribeca Film Festival
Special Jury Mention – Best New Documentary Director – Tribeca Film Festival
The Animals Film (1982)
Directed by Victor Schonfeld & Myriam Alaux ; BFI, Documentary
Controversial, confrontational and riveting, this unique work received worldwide critical acclaim for its filmic power, questioning how and why modern societies exploit animals for food, fur, sport, entertainment and science. Features interview with Peter Singer.
