nov 10-14 2010 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society

From paperback to celluloid, one of the best-selling
books of the past decade debuts on the big screen in one
of this year’s most highly anticipated documentaries.
The book, Freakonomics, by economist Steven D. Levitt
and author Stephen J. Dubner, famously applied
statistics and incentives to analyze human behaviors,
which yielded surprising and controversial conclusions
that years of psychology and moral philosophy had yet
to reveal. Now a team of celebrated documentarians
has turned the acclaimed book into a riveting cinematic
experience. Alex Gibney (Taxi To The Dark Side) looks
behind the fragile façade of sumo wrestling and exposes
uncomfortable truths about this ancient and revered
sport. Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) examines the
consequences of a name, and whether being dubbed
Every spring, major cities in China convulse with the New
Year exodus. Over 130 million peasants-turned-factory
workers jam train stations in a desperate attempt to
go home for this, their only holiday. Filmed vérité style,
Last Train Home’s tight focus on a single family allows
emotional access to the grueling epic journey between
city and countryside. Sixteen years ago, the Zhang
family left the poverty of their village for the wages of
the urban factory, but had to leave behind their infant
daughter Qin. Now middle-aged, the couple sews jeans
in dimly lit garment shops—boxes marked “Made in
China” spell their contribution to the global economy.
Meanwhile, they assuage their grief with the idea that
their sacrifice means better lives for their children.
FreaKonoMics
Sponsored by:
Thurs Nov 11 12:40 PM-2:10 PM
FrI Nov 12 9:05 PM-10:35 PM Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant
sAT Nov 13 9:35 PM-11:05 PM Sussex Country Association
of Realtors
Sheniqua, Tripp or Moon Unit has any effect on one’s future prospects.
Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp) explore whether money
can be used to incentivize underachieving kids to pull up their grades
in school. Finally, Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight) investigates Levitt’s
provocative theory as to why crime rates dramatically dropped in the
early ’90s. Seth Gordon (The King of Kong) weaves the pieces together
with playful animation and commentary from the authors. Like the
book, Freakonomics, the film encourages us to reexamine the world we
know in order to reveal hidden truths lurking beneath the surface.
[dirs. alex gibney, Rachel grady, Eugene Jarecki, Heidi Ewing, Seth
gordon, morgan Spurlock, 2010, uS, 35mm, 86 mins]
Website: www.magpictures.com
last train hoMe
Best Documentary, Amsterdam International Sponsored by:
Documentary Film Festival, Best Documentary,
San Francisco International Film Festival
sAT Nov 13 7:00 PM-8:30 PM Rita Reimer
suN Nov 14 2:55 PM-4:25 PM Coast Press/Beachcomber/
delmarvanow!com
Finally reunited for the New Year holiday, they find teenaged Qin angry
over her abandonment. In a bitter blow to her parents, she drops out of
school—lured by wages and the excitement of the city—and rejects their
attempts to change her course. Qin’s path provides a visual allegory of
rapid change within China. What happens if Qin shrugs off sacrifice
along with rural life? Visually stunning, intimate and unsettling, Last
Train Home is the fruit of an extraordinary collaboration with the
Zhangs, who present us with the real price of capitalist prosperity—in
generational chasms and social dissolution.
[dir lixin Fan, 2010, canada/china, 35mm 87 mins. in mandarin and
Sichuan with English subtitles]
Website: www.zeitgeistfilms.com/lasttrainhome
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doCumenTaRIes