New Italian Cinema--San Francisco Nov. 14-21, 2010

[Chris Knipp]

NEW ITALIAN CINEMA 2010

San Francisco Nov. 14-21, 2010

The series presented by the San Francisco Film Society includes a celebration of the films of the Turkish-born Italian director Ferzan Özpotek. Opening night features his new one, Loose Canons (2010). Also to be shown are his Steam: Stea: The Turkish Bath/Hamam: il bagno turco (1997) on Monday, November 15, 8:45 pm, Facing Windows/La finestra di fronte, (2003) on Monday, November 15, 6:00 pm , and A Perfect Day/Un giorno perfetto (2008), on Sunday, November 14, 9:15 pm and Saturday, November 20, 1:00 pm . The new film program:

Loose Cannons
(Mine vaganti, Ferzan Özpetek 2010)
OPENING NIGHT FILM Ozpetek’s latest dissection of family, love and personal liberation gently satirizes a large bourgeois household while creating a memorable panoply of characters.
Sunday, November 14, 6:15 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

A Perfect Day
(Un giorno perfetto, Ferzan Özpetek 2008)
Sunday, November 14, 6:15 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema
In this tense drama, Özpetek presents an engaging cross-section of Roman society, portraying two families from different classes over a shattering 24-hour period.

Facing Windows
(La finestra di fronte, Ferzan Özpetek 2003)
This award-winning drama tells the story of Giovanna, a woman unhappy in her marriage and job who fantasizes about the man living in the building across from her.

Steam: The Turkish Bath
(Hamam, Ferzan Özpetek 1997)
Ozpetek’s rich and poignant debut feature depicts the self-discovery of a married Italian businessman who inherits a Turkish hamam.

Ten Winters
(Dieci inverni, Valerio Mieli 2009)
Over the course of a decade, a man and a woman remain in contact but never have the chance to fall in love.
Tuesday, November 16, 6:00 pm & Saturday, November 20, 9:15 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

I Am Glad You Are Here
(Meno male che ci sei, Luis Prieto 2009)
Luis Prieto’s surprising and touching drama takes a turn when a young woman befriends her recently deceased father’s former mistress.
Tuesday, November 16, 8:45 pm & Saturday, November 20, 3:45 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

Clash of Civilization over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
(Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a Piazza Vittorio, Isotta Toso 2010)
In an apartment building in Rome, a surly young man named Lorenzo is involved in a crime, and the residents must piece together what happened in this wide-ranging study of clashing cultures.
Wednesday, November 17, 6:00 pm & Sunday, November 21, 12:15 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

Raise Your Head
(Alza la testa, Alessandro Angelini 2009)
Antonio is a shipyard worker training his beloved teenaged son Lorenzo in boxing. When an accident befalls the boy, Antonio is forced to confront his harsh nature and various prejudices.
Wednesday, November 17, 8:45 pm & Friday, November 19, 6:30 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

18 Years Later
(18 anni dopo, Edoardo Leo 2010)
In this winning road movie, two estranged brothers traveling in a classically restored Morgan convertible are obliged to deliver their father’s ashes to his hometown in Calabria.
Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm & Sunday, November 21, 3:00 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

Weddings and Other Disasters
(Matrimoni e altri disastri, Nina di Majo 2010)
A middle-aged single woman gets caught up in her younger sister’s impending nuptials in this delightful romantic comedy.
Thursday, November 18, 8:45 pm & Saturday, November 20, 6:30 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

The Double Hour
(La doppia ora, Giuseppe Capotondi 2009)
A hotel maid working in Turin finds herself involved in a series of increasingly strange events in this dreamlike thriller from director Giuseppe Capotondi.
Friday, November 19, 9:00 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema

The First Beautiful Thing
(La prima cosa bella, Paolo Virzì 2010)
CLOSING NIGHT FILM What does it mean to have a beautiful, frivolous and embarrassing mother? This is the problem confronting Bruno, the protagonist of Paolo Virzì’s moving new film.
Sunday, November 21, 6:00 & 9:15 pm
Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema