Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center - California Film Institute

Christopher B.
Welcome
Smith Rafael Film Center
The first quarter of 2013 at the Christopher B.
Smith Rafael Film Center brings some favorite
programs back into the limelight. This year
represents our tenth offering of “For Your Consideration,”
a selection of films submitted by countries for Foreign
Language eligibility in the Academy Award process. It has
also become a tradition for us to show the short films
nominated for the Oscar.
Another short film program that we present this time of
year is a curated selection from the Sundance Film Festival.
This Sundance project is an outgrowth of our participation
in the Art House Convergence, a network of independent
film theaters across the United States.
Through the support of the Marin Community
Foundation, we have organized our second “Film Club,”
which is part of an initiative to deepen our relationship with
our audience through education and social connection.
Last year our first six-week series was extremely popular,
and the limited spaces for participants were quickly filled.
Certainly this is one program for which the participants will
strongly influence its future directions and activities.
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Thanks to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences, Robby the Robot was teleported from Altair
IV to astound the Rafael audience with its profound
intelligence and wry wit.
With Robby onstage: his caretaker William Malone
and Oscar-winners Craig Barron and Ben Burtt, who
offered a presentation on Forbidden Planet.
Keira Knightley and director Joe Wright presented an
advance screening of Anna Karenina. Wright has visited
the Rafael and Mill Valley Film Festival several times.
Actor/writer/producer John Krasinski came to the
Rafael for a screening of Promised Land and brought
wife Emily Blunt.
Writer John Gatins and director Robert Zemeckis
discuss their film Flight with executive director Mark
Fishkin at a CFI members’ screening.
All photos: Tommy Lau
LAURA
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CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER
The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center is owned and operated by the California Film Institute,
a 501 (C)(3) non-profit arts organization.
FOR ADMISSION PRICES PLEASE CHECK cafilm.org or call 415.454.1222
We also continue our ongoing series “Science on
Screen,” made possible by a grant from the Coolidge Corner
Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and inspiring
entirely new approaches for combining film and education.
And we welcome back our friends at the Buddhist Film
Foundation, with the Rafael’s second presentation of the
International Buddhist Film Showcase, in celebration of its
tenth season.
The film industry’s digital transition continues apace.
While most independent filmmakers working with low
budgets had long ago turned to digital means, it is a fact
that all distributors, large and small, are actively phasing
out their 35mm feature film releases, and the labs that
make film prints are ceasing mass production. As we’ve
often promised, we won’t abandon our 35mm capabilities,
but the reality is that the means of film exhibition are
transforming. At the Rafael and all the programs of the
California Film Institute, including the Mill Valley Film
Festival and CFI Education, we remain dedicated to the
finest possible presentation of films and ideas.
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- RICHARD PETERSON
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
RAFAEL
AT A GLANCE
SHORT FILMS FROM THE
2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Opens Friday, January 4
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
A SELECTION OF OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
January 11 to January 17
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Royal Ballet
January 13 & 15
AMOUR
Opens Friday, January 18
THE RABBI’S CAT- 3D
Opens Friday, January 18
PUCCINI’S GIRL OF THE GOLDEN
WEST FOR FAMILIES
Sunday, January 27, 11am
SPARROWS Thursday, January 31, 7:00
OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2013
Opens Friday, February 1
AN EVENING WITH SOL LEON AND PAUL
LIGHTFOOT Netherlands Dance Theater
February 3 & 5
ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH FORUM
February 11 & 12
56 UP
Opens Friday, February 15
LA BAYADERE Bolshoi Ballet
February 17 & 19
SCIENCE ON SCREEN: WATER, WATER,
EVERYWHERE…?
Thursday, February 21, 7:00
CFI FILM CLUB
February 21 to March 28
HAPPY PEOPLE: A YEAR IN THE TAIGA
Opens Friday, February 22
STILL MOVING: PILOBOLUS AT FORTY
Saturday, February 23, 4:30
A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND
OF CHARLES SWAN III
Opens in February
INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST
FILM FESTIVAL SHOWCASE
March 1 to 3
AN EVENING WITH CRYSTAL PITE
March 3 & 5
NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS La Scala Ballet
March 10 & 12
A FIERCE GREEN FIRE
Opens Friday, March 15
NO
Opens in March
GINGER & ROSA
Opens in March
YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX GALA
March 31 & April 2
All programs listed here are subject to
change, including their opening dates. Other
programs will open that do not appear on
this schedule. For up-to-date information:
Sign-up for our weekly e-mail at cafilm.
org, check your daily newspaper or call
415.454.1222.
RAFAEL CALENDAR STAFF
RICHARD PETERSON
Director of Programming/Editor
DAN ZASTROW
Rafael General Manager
KEVIN HEVERIN
Marketing & Communications Manager
BRIAN LEHMAN / WORDWELDER.COM
Calendar Design / Layout
JAN KLINGELHOFER
Program Consultant
MELANIE NICHOLS
Special Projects
COVER PHOTO
GINGER & ROSA
OPENS IN MARCH

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
A SELECTION OF OSCAR ® SUBMISSIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
U.S Premiere
Keep Smiling (Gaigimet)
GEORGIA
Friday January 11, 6:30 / Saturday, January 12, 3:00
This hilarious satire from female writer-director Rusudan
Chkonia follows ten highly desperate housewives who
enter a beauty contest in the hopes of nabbing a coveted
apartment and $25,000 prize. But dreams are quick to
vanish as realization dawns that the competition is a
complete farce, and they are subjected to media hounds,
chauvinist pigs and their own domestic nightmares. 94 min.
Blancanieves
SPAIN
Friday, January 11, 8:30
A gorgeous, black-and-white homage to the Golden Age
of Europe’s silent cinema, the intoxicating Blancanieves
relocates the tale of Snow White to a sweepingly romantic
vision of 1920s Spain, where young Carmen escapes from
her wicked stepmother to find fame as a matador, joining a
traveling troupe of bullfighting dwarves and rising to fame
under the stage name Blancanieves. 104 min.
Our Children (À perdre la raison)
BELGIUM
Saturday, January 12, 6:00
Émilie Dequenne won an award at Cannes for her
stunning performance as a lonely and isolated young
mother caught in a strange and increasingly stultifying
love triangle between her husband (Tahar Rahim) and a
wealthy physician (Niels Arestrup). Director Joachim
Lafosse deftly tackles the tough subjects of immigration,
cross-cultural relations and “green-card marriage” in this
expertly-crafted suspense drama. 111 min.
Pieta
SOUTH KOREA
Saturday, January 12, 8:30
Overlord of a small ramshackle industrial district in Seoul,
young loan-shark Kang-do (Lee Jung-jin) exacts his pound
of flesh – literally – from those who will not pay up with
interest. When a beautiful and mysterious woman (Cho
Min-soo) appears claiming to be his mother, Kang-do’s
transformation brings shocking results. Director Kim
Ki-duk won top prize at the 2012 Venice Film Festival for
this electrifying commentary on loneliness, alienation and
greed. 104 min.
The Delay
URUGUAY
Sunday, January 13, 4:30
Harried single mom María barely has a moment to herself
between working in a garment factory, taking sewing jobs
on the side, and caring for her three young children and her
80-year-old father Agustin, who is senile and increasingly
fragile. Unable to get Agustin placed in a proper facility,
María makes a desperate move, in Rodrigo Pia’s sensitive
exploration of family bonds pushed to the point of breaking.
94 min.
Nairobi Half Life
KENYA
Sunday, January 13, 6:30
Despite his parents’ wishes, Mwas leaves his small village
and embarks on a journey to Kenya’s capital to pursue
a career in acting, but he quickly learns why the city is
nicknamed “Nairobbery.” A few innocent mistakes land
him in jail, then in a gang, and as he learns how to survive,
Mwas is torn between his new lifestyle of theft and his
dream of becoming an actor. 99 min.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 TO THURSDAY, JANUARY 17
Each year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invites dozens of countries to submit a single film for consideration in the category of Foreign
Language Film. This year 71 films have been accepted for competition and for the tenth consecutive year, the Smith Rafael Film Center presents a choice
sampling. This is a rare opportunity to view some of the most distinguished works in international cinema, many of which are film festival prizewinners.
Sponsored by the
Consulate General of Spain
Kauwboy
War Witch (Rebelle)
CANADA
Sunday, January 13, 8:30
This vibrant saga of a child soldier locates humanity and
hope in a brutal world. Fourteen-year-old Komona finds
her childhood abruptly, interrupted as soldiers take
her away with other adolescents for training in guerilla
warfare. Visually transporting, especially in surreal dream
sequences, the film grounds its humane core in a deep
appreciation of African myth and culture. 90 min.
Special CFI Members’ Screening
Kon-Tiki
NORWAY
Monday, January 14, 6:30
Invitation Only - Join CFI Today!
Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg’s Golden
Globe-nominated epic dramatizes the amazing adventures
of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who crossed the
Pacific in 1947 with five men on a balsa wood raft, relying
solely on the stars, currents and a simple radio to guide
them from Peru to Polynesia. Beautiful cinematography
complements this tale of courage, conviction and bravado.
118 min.
The Intouchables
FRANCE
Monday, January 14, 9:00
In this sidesplitting and poignant comedy of manners,
directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano cast two of
France’s top contemporary actors. When quadriplegic
aristocrat Philippe (François Cluzet) hires Driss (Omar Sy),
a ne’er-do-well from the wrong side of the Métro tracks as
his live-in caregiver, all hell breaks loose in this delightful
odd-couple tale. 112 min.
When Day Breaks
(Kad svane dan)
SERBIA
Tuesday, January 15, 6:30
A discovery at the site of a Nazi death camp leads a retired
music professor to find out the secret of his true origins, in
this moving drama from director Goran Paskaljevi. What
do you do when you find out you’re not who you thought you
were? Shock soon gives way to a determination to fulfill
the shattered dreams that he has inherited- an iron resolve
that infuses him with new purpose and a second lease on
life. 90 min.
SERIES PROGRAMMED BY KAREN DAVIS AND JANIS PLOTKIN
The Third Half (Treto poluvreme)
MACEDONIA
Tuesday, January 15, 8:30
Director Darko Mitrevski’s beautiful and haunting love
story begins on the eve of Nazi invasion, when star soccer
forward Kosta falls for the stunning Rebecca, and the
young lovers suffer the scorn of their religious and class
differences, especially from Rebecca’s father, a prominent
Sephardic Jewish banker. Kosta dreams of taking the
Macedonian Football Club to the Olympics until Nazi tanks
roll in and the game changes for everyone. 113 min.
Clandestine Childhood
(Infancia clandestina)
ARGENTINA
Wednesday, January 16, 6:30
Thursday, January 17, 8:15
Set in 1979 during Argentina’s military dictatorship,
Benjamín Ávila’s mesmerizing, semi-autobiographical
story follows the travails of a fifth-grader who is forced
to live under an assumed identity in order to protect
his passionate resistance-fighter parents. Clandestine
Childhood is a gripping, intensely personal account of a
turbulent time and a meditation on the skewed perceptions
of memory. 108 min.
The Deep (Djúpi)
ICELAND
Wednesday, January 16, 8:30
On March 11, 1984, a fishing boat sailing from the Westmann
Islands sank in the frigid waters off the south coast of
Iceland. Director Baltasar Kormákur’s gripping tale of one
man’s incredible determination to survive is taken directly
from the accounts of the lone survivor of the disaster, who
swam nearly seven kilometers across the freezing water to
shore, where his journey did not end. 91 min.
Kauwboy
NETHERLANDS
Thursday, January 17, 6:30
The Deep Our Children
Blancanieves
Ten-year-old Jojo lives with his sometimes erratic father,
a security guard of few words. Missing his absent mother,
a country singer, he finds an unexpected friend in an
abandoned baby bird. A tender portrait of a boy trying to
come to terms with a family that isn’t what it once was,
this bittersweet but ultimately joyful portrait of acceptance
and love was awarded Best First Feature at the 2012 Berlin
Film Festival. 77 min.

Short Films from the 2012
Sundance Film Festival
Opens Friday, January 4
This rich program of 10 shorts from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival includes: The Arm,
a “texting” comedy by Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos and Jessie Ennis; Bear from Australian
filmmaker Nash Edgerton; Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared by English directors Joseph Pelling and
Rebecca Sloan; First Birthday (dir. Andrew Ahn) about a gay Korean-American; Fishing Without
Nets (dir. Cutter Hodierne, Short Film Grand Jury Prize), a story of Somali pirates, from the
pirates’ perspective; Fungus (dir. Charlotta Miller) a romantic breakup tale from Sweden;
Meaning of Robots, Matt Lenski’s short documentary about a truly obsessed filmmaker; The
Return (dir. Blerta Zeqiri, Short Film Jury Prize- International Fiction), about a man who
returns to his wife and son from a Serb prison; Robots of Brixton (dir. Kibwe Tavares, Short
Film Special Jury Prize-Animation Direction), a British animation about young robots in the
inner city; and Song of the Spindle, Drew Christie’s humorous animated conversation between
a sperm whale and a man. Program 95 min.
This exclusive Bay Area presentation reflects the Rafael’s participation in Sundance Institute Art
House Project, a national alliance of independent cinemas supporting Sundance Institute’s mission
to develop film culture, independent artists and audiences.
Amour
Opens Friday, January 18
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Amour recently swept the European
Film Awards, and in the United States it has already become one of the most acclaimed foreign
films of the year. Michael Haneke’s intense and intimate film stars veteran French actors
Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva as Georges and Anne, retired music teachers
in their 80s who are dedicated to each other. When Anne is debilitated by strokes, Georges
honors her request to stay in their Parisian apartment, even over the objections of their
daughter (Isabelle Huppert). Working with remarkable actors, Haneke powerfully depicts
love’s greatest challenges in a stark yet tender drama. With William Shimell. In French with
English subtitles. Writer/Director: Michael Haneke. (France/Austria 2012) 127 min.
The Rabbi’s Cat
Opens Friday, January 18
Presented in Digital 3D- Special admission charge
Robots of Brixton
French filmmaker Joann Sfar (Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life) adapted his own bestselling graphic
novel for this clever animated film set in 1930s Algeria at the intersection of Jewish, Arab
and French culture. A cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter eats the
family parrot and gains the ability to speak. Along with speech comes a sardonic wit, and
the cat’s (and the filmmaker’s) words skewer faith, tradition and authority in a provocative
exploration of God, love, religious intolerance and the search for truth. Rich with the colors,
textures and music of Mediterranean Africa, this 3D odyssey crosses the tiled terraces of
colonial Algiers through tent camps and deep Saharan nights in search of a lost Ethiopian
city. In French with English subtitles. (Recommended for ages 13+) Directors: Joan Sfar,
Antoine Delesvaux. (France 2011) 89 min.
The Sleeping Beauty
World Ballet
on the Big Screen
California Film Institute continues its partnership with Emerging Pictures
presenting world-class performances filmed live in High Definition. Since
many of these performances have not yet taken place at press time, there
could be changes in casting and length. (Please note Rafael matinee prices
are not applicable.)
The Sleeping Beauty
From the Royal Ballet, London
Sunday, January 13, 1:00 / Tuesday, January 15, 6:30
$15 (CFI members and children $12)
The Royal Ballet’s signature work (and the pinnacle of classical ballet) features
Tchaikovsky’s opulent music and choreography by Marius Petipa, Anthony Dowell,
Christopher Wheeldon and Frederick Ashton, and stars Lauren Cuthbertson and
Sergei Polunin. 170 min. plus intermission.
An Evening with
Sol León and Paul Lightfoot
From the Netherlands Dance Theater
Sunday, February 3, 6:30 / Tuesday, February 5, 6:30
$15 (CFI members $12)
The Netherland Dance Theater’s successful Spanish-British choreographer
duo transport you to their artistic universe with the humorous SH-Boom and the
powerfully theatrical Same Difference and Shoot the Moon, both set to music by Philip
Glass. 145 min.
La Bayadère
From the Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow
Sunday, February 17, 1:00 / Tuesday, February 19, 6:30
$15 (CFI members and children $12)
Set in lush, exotic India, this exquisite scenic version by Marius Petipa and Yuri
Grigorovich tells the story of impossible love between the temple dancer Nikiya and
the warrior Solor. (New production- cast to be announced.) 210 min.
An Evening with
Crystal Pite
From the Netherlands Dance Theater
Sunday, March 3, 6:30 / Tuesday, March 5, 6:30
$15 (CFI members $12)
Renowned for her flowing, organic and poetic style, Crystal Pite has succeeded in
bringing her surprising and innovative approach to a wide audience, with familiar
storylines of love and conflict. (New production- running time to be determined.)
Notre-Dame de Paris
From La Scala Ballet
Sunday, March 10, 1:00 / Tuesday, March 12, 6:30
$15 (CFI members and children $12)
Inspired by Victor Hugo’s novel, the story of the Hunchback returns with music by
Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia), sets by René Allio, costumes by Yves Saint-
Laurent and choreography by Roland Petit, with two of ballet’s brightest stars, Roberto
Bolle and Natalia Osipova. (New production- anticipated running time 120 min.)
Youth America Grand Prix Gala
Sunday, March 31, 1:00 / Tuesday, April 2, 6:30
$15 (CFI members and children $12)
Youth American Grand Prix is renowned as the world’s largest student ballet
scholarship competition. This gala performance of “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” brings
together stars from Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre,
San Francisco Ballet and other companies. (New performance- running time to be
determined.)
Puccini’s Girl of the Golden West
Sunday, January 27, 11am
Free Admission - Presented by CFI Education
For
Families
Created from San Francisco Opera’s 2010 production of Girl of the Golden
West, this one-hour movie is a perfect way for families to learn about the
magic of opera. Puccini’s opera is set during the California Gold Rush with
a tough frontier woman with a tender heart at its center. Preceded by a live
introduction, the film is in the opera’s original Italian with English subtitles and
is recommended for ages 8 and up. Bring the children and grandchildren for a
fun opera experience! Program approximately 75 min.

Mary Pickford’s
Sparrows
With Live Piano Accompaniment
Thursday, January 31, 7:00
$12 (CFI members $9)
Film scholar Christel Schmidt will introduce a special screening of screen idol Mary
Pickford’s penultimate silent film, presented in a beautiful 35mm restoration from the
Library of Congress. Considered by business partner Charlie Chaplin to be her finest film,
Sparrows is a “full-blooded melodrama about an intrepid girl who struggles to protect a band
of younger orphans from their wicked captor (Leonard Maltin).” This Dickensian tale boasts
highly stylized sets, including an ominous-looking swamp, and atmospheric cinematography
influenced by German cinema. Screened with live piano
accompaniment, the film will be preceded by the film’s
original trailer and rare outtakes, also from the collection
of the Library of Congress. Director: William Beaudine.
(US 1926) Films approx. 100 min.
Christel Schmidt is the editor of the
newly released Mary Pickford: Queen of
the Movies (co-published by the Library
of Congress and the University Press of
Kentucky). Following the screening she
will sign copies of her book, which will be
available.
2013 Oscar Nominated Short Films
Opens Friday, February 1
Once again the Rafael participates in the national release of short films nominated
for the upcoming Academy Awards. Audiences will have the opportunity to see
the nominated live action and animated shorts prior to the 85th Academy Awards
ceremony on Sunday, February 24, 2013. While we have no indication of the titles
at press time, it‘s likely that several of the films will have already won awards at
international film festivals. Each category will be screened in a separate program,
each requiring separate admission.
Valley of Saints
56 Up
Opens Friday, February 15
Besides his large-scale feature films, director Michael Apted has been the steward of a
remarkable British television series, filming the same 14 individuals (from diverse socioeconomic
English backgrounds) every seven years. The UP series began in 1964, when the
subjects were seven years old, and now Apted revisits them at 56. Every UP film subsumes
the previous ones, therefore contemporary footage of the participants is juxtaposed here
with significant moments from years past. From success to disappointment, from marriage
and childbirth to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life is discussed with them. Roger
Ebert has called the “UP” series “an inspired, almost noble use of the film medium.” (UK
2012) 144 min.
Happy People:
A Year in the Taiga
Opens Friday, February 22
Co-director Werner Herzog takes us on another unforgettable journey into remote and
extreme landscapes with this visually stunning documentary about the lives of indigenous
people in the heart of the Siberian Taiga. There are only two ways to reach the small village of
Bakhtia at the river Yenisei: by helicopter or by boat. There are no telephones, running water
or medical aid, and the locals’ daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries.
Narrated in English by Herzog, the film follows one of the Siberian trappers through all four
seasons of the year to tell the story of a culture virtually untouched by modernity. Directors:
Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov. (Germany/Russia 2011) 94 min.
Still Moving: Pilobolus at Forty
In Person: Jun Kuribayashi, Dance Captain of Pilobolus
Saturday, February 23, 4:30
Fresh from the recent Mill Valley Film Festival, and screened in
conjunction with the Marin Center performance by Pilobolus Dance
Theatre on February 22, Still Moving: Pilobolus at Forty is a fascinating
documentary on the company that transformed modern dance with
its innovative dance vocabulary. Based in rural Connecticut, Pilobolus
has been a dominant force on the international dance scene amusing,
amazing and astonishing audiences with its breathtaking physicality
that defies what is humanly possible. Jun Kuribayashi, dancer and
Dance Captain of Pilobolus, will answer questions following the
screening. Producer/Director: Jeffrey Ruoff. (US 2012) Film 40 min.
plus discussion.
Presentation by Peter Gleick
Screening: Valley of Saints
Thursday, February 21, 7:00
$12 (CFI members $9)
Peter Gleick, internationally recognized
water expert, will deliver an illustrated
presentation on world water issues,
followed by a screening of the awardwinning
feature film Valley of Saints.
Dr. Peter H. Gleick is co-founder and
president of the Pacific Institute for
Studies in Development, Environment,
and Security in Oakland. His research and
writings address the critical connections
between water and human health,
sustainable water use and international
conflicts over water resources. In 2003
he was named a MacArthur Fellow for
his work, and in 2006 he was elected to
the National Academy of Sciences.
Hailed by critic Anne Thompson as “a
lyrical, beautiful, and satisfying journey
of self-discovery,” Valley of Saints is
a tender drama about Gulzar, a ferry
pilot on Dal Lake in India’s beautiful
Kashmir valley,
who becomes
enlightened about
water pollution
when he meets Asifa, a young woman
conducting environmental research on
the lake. Writer-director Musa Syeed’s
compelling and poetic story was awarded
the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature
Film Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film
Festival, as well as Sundance’s World
Cinema Audience Award. In Kashmiri
with English subtitles. (India 2012) Film
82 min. plus discussion.
This program is part of Science
on Screen, a program pairing film
screenings with lively presentations
by scientific experts. This series is
made possible by a grant from the
Coolidge Corner Theatre and the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

CFI FILM CLUB
Screenings, Talks and Refreshments at Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
With the support of the Marin Community
Foundation, and building on last year’s
successful series, California Film Institute
offers the CFI Film Club, a weekly afternoon
social activity combining education and
entertainment in a comfortable setting.
DESIGN FOR LIVING
Presented by Richard Peterson
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1:00
By no means a faithful adaptation of Noël
Coward’s original play, this Pre-Code
gem, written by Ben Hecht and directed by
comedy maestro Ernst Lubitsch, remains
captivating and sexy cinema, starring
Gary Cooper, Fredric March and Miriam
Hopkins as a trio of Americans in Paris
who embark on a very adult “gentlemen’s agreement.” (US 1933) Film 91 min. plus
discussion. Presenter Richard Peterson is Director of Programming for the Christopher
B. Smith Rafael Film Center.
RASHOMON
Presented by John Morrison
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1:00
Akira Kurosawa adapted stories by the
Japanese writer Atukagawa for this
landmark film, starring Toshiro Mifune,
about a crime and the participants’ wildly
different recollections. This award-winner
introduced Japanese film to Western
audiences and brought a new term to our
vocabulary- the “Rashomon effect.” In Japanese with English subtitles. (Japan 1950)
Film 88 min. plus discussion. John Morrison is Director of Education for California Film
Institute.
PICNIC AT
HANGING ROCK
Presented by Maureen Galliani
THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1:00
Peter Weir’s haunting drama was one of the
hallmark productions of the New Australian
Cinema of the 1970s. This beautiful film,
about a mysterious disappearance during a
schoolgirls’ Valentine’s Day picnic in 1900,
was adapted from a novel by Joan Lindsay and bears a surprising relation to its source
material. (Australia 1975) Film 102 min. plus discussion. Maureen Galliani is Executive
Assistant, California Film Institute.
This program is made possible with generous support from
A Glimpse Inside the Mind
of Charles Swan III
Opens in February
Six Thursday Afternoons at 1:00 – 4:00 with reception following
FEBRUARY 21 TO MARCH 28
Roman Coppola’s new film is a surreal, kaleidoscopic portrait of a 1970s graphic designer
in Los Angeles’ fast lane, starring Charlie Sheen as the Proustian namesake whose life
skids out of control when his girlfriend (Katheryn Winnick) walks out on him. As Swan dives
in and out of elaborate fantasy sequences, he gets pulled back to earth by his friends: his
closest pal (Jason Schwartzman), his business manager (Bill Murray), his sister (Patricia
Arquette) and his office manager (Aubrey Plaza). Employing the whimsical tone he shared
in his script collaborations with Wes Anderson, filmmaker Coppola assembles a rich cast
and suffuses his comic psychodrama with pop-period visuals inspired by such 70s movies
as All That Jazz. Music: Liam Hayes. Writer/Director: Roman Coppola. (US 2012) 86 min.
Admission by series subscription only: $90 (CFI members $75)
The theme of this six-week series is “Great Adaptations,” with
discussions around films that were adapted from literature or
theater. Presenters are staff members of California Film Institute.
Each presenter introduces a feature film, and following the screening,
leads a discussion with the group. Participants are encouraged to
exchange questions and ideas.
TO PAY BY CHECK:
Rafael Film Club
California Film Institute
1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220
San Rafael, Ca. 94901
Make check payable to
“California Film Institute”
MOBY DICK
Presented by Dan Zastrow
THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1:00
Can you adapt Herman Melville’s epic for a
conventional-length film? Maybe you can’t,
but director John Huston and screenwriter
Ray Bradbury gave it a great try with their
intelligent distillation. Gregory Peck stars
as Ahab, with Richard Basehart as Ishmael,
in this beautiful and eerily atmospheric
adventure also starring Leo Genn and Orson Welles. (UK/US 1956) Film 116 min. plus
discussion. Dan Zastrow is General Manager of the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film
Center.
“SURPRISE” FILM
Presented by Zoë Elton
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1:00
This session features a surprise screening, and it will also explore adaptations from
page to screen through a short creative exercise. Please bring a notebook or paper, your
imagination and something to write with. Presenter Zoë Elton is Director of Programming
for the Mill Valley Film Festival.
BEING THERE
Presented by Mark Fishkin
THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1:00
Jerzy Kosinski adapted his own novel
for director Hal Ashby with this superb
comedy-drama starring Peter Sellers in
his penultimate role as Chance, a simpleminded
gardener who becomes a star of
media and politics when his TV-inspired
statements are mistaken for profundity.
With Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas. (US 1979) Film 130 min. plus discussion. Mark
Fishkin is Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival and Executive Director of California
Film Institute.
A Fierce Green Fire
Opens Friday, March 15
Depending on a film’s length, a session
may last up to 3 hours, followed by a
private reception with complimentary
refreshments. Places are limited- Please
note that the first Film Club sold out in a
few days!
PAYMENT OPTIONS TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SERIES
Please add “CFI Film Club” to the memo line
TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD:
go to cfifilmclub.eventbrite.com
Questions?
Call: (415) 526-5835 or Email: cfifilmclub@cafilm.org
Bay Area filmmaker Mark Kitchell’s long-awaited documentary is the first big-picture
exploration of the environmental movement, on grassroots and global activism spanning
50 years from conservation to climate change. Environmentalism is one of the great causes
of the 20th century, as well as a key to the 21st, when humans rival nature as a power
determining the fate of the earth. Rich with archival footage, the film focuses on activism
and on movements, including: David Brower and the Sierra Club; Lois Gibbs and the Love
Canal; Paul Watson, Greenpeace and the whales and seals; Chico Mendes and the Amazon
workers; Bill McKibben and climate change. Narrators include Ashley Judd, Robert
Redford and Meryl Streep. Writer/Director: Mark Kitchell. (US 2012) 110 min.

When the Iron Bird Flies
In Person: Director Victress Hitchcock
and special guest Anam Thubten
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 7:00
In 1959 a great migration from Tibet was violently set in motion. The Dalai Lama was
joined in exile by thousands of refugees, among them important Tibetan Buddhist
teachers, opening a window on what had been a hidden realm. Interviews and rare
archival footage offer an insider’s view of Tibetan Buddhism made manifest beyond its
original home. (US 2012) 96 min. plus discussion. Bay Area Premiere
Olo, The Boy From Tibet
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1:30
Six-year-old Olo is sent from Tibet to India by his mother to get an education. Now a
student at the famed Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala (founded by Jetsun Pema,
sister of the Dalai Lama), he has to make his way in a world quite different from his own.
Director Hisaya Iwasa takes a creative and intimate approach to this true story. (Japan
2012) 108 min. US Premiere
Karma
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 4:00
In a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery a revered
abbess dies. Prayers and rituals must be
performed, but there’s no money, so one
of the nuns, Karma, must journey to find
the man who may owe a debt. Filmed in
the remote Himalayan region of Mustang,
we follow Karma to Kathmandu, where she
discovers that many things are not what she
thought. (Nepal 2006) 90 min. US Premiere
Digital Dharma
Invited Guest: Director Dafna Yachin
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 6:15
The late Gene Smith was amazing–a Mormon, a pacifist and a Buddhist who, against
all odds, managed to organize the successful mission to rescue the written legacy of
the Tibetan culture from destruction and loss. The film documents his epic efforts
toward an ongoing project to preserve, digitize and translate 20,000 volumes of Tibetan
literature, from medicine and history to poetry and Buddhist texts. (US 2012) 90 min. plus
discussion. Bay Area Premiere
Mindfulness and Murder
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 8:45
Thai-English director Tom Waller takes on
one of the popular Father Ananda mysteries.
Former cop Ananda is now a senior monk
and is asked by the abbot to solve a murder
inside his monastery because the police
don’t want to get involved. Not everything in
the monastery is what it should be…(Thailand
2011) 90 min. US Premiere
NO
Opens in March
INTERNATIONAL
BUDDHIST FILM FESTIVAL
Chile’s official selection for Academy Award consideration, this riveting historical drama
takes place in 1988, when military dictator Augusto Pinochet, under international pressure,
calls for a referendum on his presidency, so that the country would vote YES or NO on
extending his rule for another eight years. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as René Saavedra,
a brash young advertising executive approached by Opposition leaders to spearhead the
NO campaign. With scant resources, and under close scrutiny by the despot’s minions,
Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan, using advertising techniques, to win the
election and set their country free. Rated R for language. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Writer: Pedro Peirano. Director: Pablo Larrain. (Chile 2012) 110 min.
SHOWCASE 2013
Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3
Presented by Buddhist Film Foundation and California Film Institute
To celebrate the 10th anniversary season of the International Buddhist Film Festival, we present nine premieres from
seven countries- rare screenings, global diversity and guest filmmakers. Berkeley-based Buddhist Film Foundation
is the world’s leading resource for Buddhist-themed and Buddhist-inspired cinema, serving audiences, educators and
filmmakers. www.buddhistfilmfoundation.org
The Great Pilgrim
SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 1:30
One of the most celebrated journeys in history
is that of Tang dynasty Chinese monk Xuanzang,
who traveled to India and brought back essential
Buddhist texts and teachings. This compelling
film uses reenactments, stunning locations and
animation to introduce a truly legendary figure
(the inspiration for the many Journey to the West
and Monkey stories and films). (China 2009) 98
min. US Premiere
The Mourning Forest (Mogari no mori)
SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 4:00
Set in tea country near Kyoto, Japan, this Cannes Grand Prix award-winner is a
masterful meditation on loss and love and happiness...on what it is to be alive. Intimately
directed by prolific artist/filmmaker Naomi Kawase with astonishing, nearly wordless
performances. And the bright Buddhist priest doesn’t get the last word... “There are no
formal rules...” (Japan/France 2007) 97 min. Bay Area Premiere
KanZeOn
Invited Guest: Co-Director Neil Cantwell
SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 6:15
A mysterious and engaging journey through
sound, song, story, ritual, performance, nature,
tradition and Japanese Buddhism... A fearless
merging of medieval and modern, beautifully
filmed on location in Japan with a variety
of techniques. “Kanzeon” is another way of
saying “Kannon” (Chinese: “Kuanyin”), the
embodiment of compassion, and can also be
written in Japanese as “to see sounds.” (UK/
Japan 2011) 86 min. plus discussion. Bay Area
Premiere
Thangka
SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 8:45
In this surprising and fresh feature from China, a Tibetan thangka painting master needs
to identify his successor from among his students, his talented son, or the possible
reincarnation of his own teacher. Tradition, family, talent and difference are all colorfully
explored with compassion and humor. Beautifully filmed on location in Tibet. (China
2011) 112 min. US Premiere
Ticket prices for each program:
$12 general, $10 seniors, $8 for CFI members.
(Please note that Rafael passes and matinee prices are not applicable.)
Ginger & Rosa
Opens in March
Sally Potter’s beautiful, stylish new film is set in 1962 London, at the height of the Cold War,
and focuses on two teenage girls, born on the same day in 1945 and best friends all their
lives. Ginger (Elle Fanning, in a riveting performance) and Rosa (newcomer Alice Englert,
daughter of Jane Campion) are inseparable. From a family of intellectuals, Ginger channels
her adolescent insecurity into fierce anti-nuclear activism, and Rosa, with a working class
background, comes along to the rallies, at least until a major betrayal of trust. Potter’s
camera vividly captures the heady energy of her teenage protagonists as well as the temper
of the changing times, in a compelling drama that also features strong performances by
Christina Hendricks, Alessandro Nivola, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt and Annette Bening,
Writer/Director: Sally Potter. (UK 2012) 90 min.

California Film Institute is a 501c3 non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of its community to thrive. Your support enables CFI to continue to
offer quality programming and events you love. For more information on how to be involved, please e-mail LBender@cafilm.org, or call 415.526.5838.
CFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS CFI THANKS THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS
FOUNDER /
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mark Fishkin
CFI BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Kenneth Broad
(Co-Vice President)
Douglas Dolton
Michael Dyett
Lynne Hale
Richard J. Idell
(Secretary)
Bruce Katz
Amy Keroes
Jennifer Coslett
MacCready
(President)
Cathy Nourafshan
Jonathan Parker
Susan Schwartz
Dr. Joel Sklar
Christopher B. Smith
(Co-Vice President)
Jann Stanley
Evelyn Topper
Zach Zeisler
(Treasurer)
EMERITUS BOARD
Ann Brebner
Rita Cahill
Sid Ganis
Gary Meyer
Gordon Radley
Henry Timnick
FOUNDING BOARD
Rita Cahill
Mark Fishkin
Lois Kohl Shore
HONORARY ADVISORY
BOARD
Barbara Boxer
Stewart Boxer
Drusie Davis
Jim Davis
Jeff Fisher
Peter Flaxman
Robert Greber
Linda Gruber
Peggy Haas
Michael Klein
Roxanne Klein
KC Lauck
Andrew McGuire
Mary Poland
Eric Schwartz
Michael Schwartz
Skip Whitney
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Christopher B. and
Jeannie Meg Smith
Jennifer Coslett
MacCready
Jackie and Ken Broad
INVESTOR CIRCLE
Gruber Family
Foundation
Drusie and Jim Davis,
Drusie Davis Family Fund
Margaret E. Haas
PLATINUM CIRCLE
Michael and Roxanne
Klein
Macquarie Group
Foundation
The Jay Pritzker
Foundation
Nancy and Rich Robbins
Michael and
Susan Schwartz Fund
Lois and Mel Tukman
Christine Zecca
Foundation
GOLD CIRCLE
Anonymous
Katz Family Foundation
Monahan Parker, Inc.
Eric Schwartz, EAS Fund
Marjorie Swig
Saul Zaentz Trust
SILVER CIRCLE
Elizabeth and Alex Aal
Anonymous (3)
The Allen Family Fund
Jean Bedecarrax
Kamala Geroux-Berry
and David Berry
Sheryle Bolton and Steve
Shane
Beverly and Michael
Butler
Joe and Sue Carlomagno
Nancy and Gary Carlston
Brian and Marie Collins
Alice Corning
Gail and Doug Dolton
Joanne Dunn
Tedi Dunn and William
Svabek
Dennis P. Fisco and
Pamela Polite Fisco
Sharon A. Fox
Amy Keroes and Jeff
Fisher
Eliza Koeppel and Judy
Webb
K.C. and Steve Lauck
Fred M. Levin and
Nancy Livingston, The
Shenson Foundation
Karen and Gregg Lund
Cindy and John McCauley
Bobbie Meyer
Stephen and Mary
Mizroch
Cathy and Robert
Nourafshan
Maggie O’Donnell Floum
Terese and Robert Payne
Gordon Radley
Heidi Richardson and
Michael Dyett
Carolyn Cavalier
Rosenberg, Sanford
Rosenberg and Media
Research Associates
Susan and Joel Sklar
Jann Stanley
Henry Timnick
Richard Torretto
Peggy and Peter
Trethewey
Paul Violich and Ana
Maria Delgado
BRONZE CIRCLE
Suzette DeVogelaere
Julie Erickson and Art
Rothstein
Melanie Farkas
Catherine and Peter
Flaxman
Lisa Graeber
Lynne Hale
Ann-Eve Hazen Family
Fund
Susan and Richard Idell
Lisa Lord
Arch & Stella Rowan
Foundation
Deborah Santana
Elliott and Shayna Stein
The Whitney Family
MAJOR FOUNDATION
SUPPORT
The Bernard Osher
Foundation
Marin Community
Foundation
Fenwick Foundation
Horace W. Goldsmith
Foundation
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
County of Marin

JANUARY - MARCH 2013
NON PROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #27
MILL VALLEY CA
CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE 1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220 San Rafael, CA 94901
www.cafilm.org www.mvff.com
IT’S COMING... 02/24/2013
5 TH ANNUAL
ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH FORUM
Engage / Connect / Act / Lead
Monday, February 11 (grades 1 – 8)
Tuesday, February 12 (grades 9 – 12)
The Environmental Youth Forum (EYF), produced by CFI Education, will feature more than 13
films with premieres, speakers, and workshops on all three of the screens at the Smith Rafael Film
Center. We will also have an active cinema room where students can talk with national and local
groups who will be represented. One of the Brower Youth Award winners from 2012 will be the
keynote speaker. Last year, the EYF was attended by more than 600 students from all over the Bay
Area. Our program for Elementary and Middle Schools has been expanded this year.
Free. Open to all Bay Area Schools. Limited free buses available.
Keep up-to-date at cafilm.wordpress.com as we build this program
SIX DOLLARMOVIE TICKETS
Only with
CFI Membership
cafilm.org/membership
cafilm.org 415.454.1222
1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael
MEMBERSHIP
SPONSOR