A charming and intriguing kids’ film from India, “Gattu” is about an orphan being raised by a strict uncle constantly frustrated by his nephew’s inability to focus on work. Gattu is obsessed instead with kite-flying, and in particular with defeating the mysterious Kali, a black kite that rules the skies. To do this, Gattu is prepared to steal, lie, and even go to school! The only problem—he is illiterate. Nonetheless, our hero takes up the challenge, proving anything might be possible when the will is strong enough. Nominated for Best Children’s Feature Film at the 2012 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
The fifth-grade chorus of PS22 on Staten Island, N.Y., became a YouTube sensation when their teacher started posting videos of them singing. Their rousing renditions of pop songs soon earned them a national legion of fans, as well as the attention of Academy Awards producers. This joyous documentary follows the talented and diverse group of kids and their energetic instructor, as together they tackle creative differences, lost voices, and homesickness on their way to appearing in the finale of the 2011 Academy Awards ceremony. The transformative power of music shines throughout.
This fascinating documentary charts the adventure of Laura Dekker, a 14-year-old Dutch sailor, who set out alone on a two-year voyage to fulfill her dream of becoming the youngest person ever to sail around the world. The journey was not without controversy, but “Maidentrip” is pleasantly free from the hysteria that surrounded Laura for more than a year. It presents her trip in a judgment-free manner. It neither suggests (as it understandably could) that 14 is an alarmingly young age to traverse the mightily unforgiving Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, nor takes a blindly positive “Ra! Ra! Go Laura!” position (as would be tempting, given that Laura proves herself an admirable rebel in many ways).
Laura is portrayed as an independent outsider, at once open-hearted, enviably confident and a bit prickly, sick of what she sees as daily life in Holland—which she sums up succinctly: “Get money, get a house, get a husband, get a baby, then die.” She pines for a truly outsized adventure. While other young record-holding sailors completed the round-world trip without lengthy stops at ports, Laura gives herself two years for the excursion, so that she can soak in the land-bound culture of the different climes where she alights (among them French Polynesia, Australia, the Galapagos Islands and South Africa). Low-key yet lyrical, “Maidentrip” illustrates in vivid colors the mundane as well as the magnificent moments at sea and underscores the courage of one young woman, battling the elements—and the courts—and enjoying every minute of it.
Ten-year-old Wadjda challenges deep-rooted Saudi traditions in a determined quest to buy a bicycle. When everything goes against her plans, she sees one last chance in her school’s Koran recitation competition and the large cash prize for first place. The first film ever shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, “Wadjda” is the story of a girl determined to fight for her dreams.
REVIEWS:
“A sharply observed, deceptively gentle film, reportedly the first feature ever directed by a Saudi woman. The movie presents the facts of its heroine’s life with calm authority and devastating effectiveness. With impressive agility, WADJDA finds room to maneuver between harsh realism and a more hopeful kind of storytelling. There is warmth as well as austerity in Wadjda’s world, kindness as well as cruelty, and the possibility, modestly sketched and ardently desired, of change. Buoyant.” -AO Scott, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“The film marks a huge triumph for its female director…a remarkable film twice over.” -Kenneth Turan, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
“It’s always fascinating to discover what can make us happy, both as moviegoers and citizens of the world. WADJDA does the trick…funny and touching in equal measure.” -Joe Morgenstern, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
One of the most famous shots in silent comedy: a man in a straw hat and horn-rimmed glasses, hanging from the minute hand of a clock 12 stories above the street – and yet not many people have seen “Safety Last!” The comic genius of silent star Harold Lloyd is eternal. Chaplin is the innocent Tramp, Keaton the stoic outsider, but Lloyd—the modern guy striving for success—is us. With its torrent of perfectly executed gags and astonishing stunts, “Safety Last!” is the perfect introduction to this luminary of the silent era.
Fearing the possibility of being split up because of their grandmother’s illness, a young brother and sister embark on an unforgettable journey through breathtaking landscapes of rural Scotland. SIDE BY SIDE is a rare and genuinely heartfelt story about two very different siblings growing closer because they must depend on one another during an unsettling time.
Lauren and her younger brother, Harvey, live with their elderly grandmother who needs constant care. When the old woman is sent to a nursing home, Lauren accepts a scholarship to a prestigious sports academy believing that she and Harvey will stay together and live with Janice, Lauren’s calculating and deceitful sports agent. It soon becomes clear, however, that Janice’s real intention is to split the pair up to better exploit Lauren’s athletic talent. When Harvey runs away to fulfill the promise he made to Grandma to find their long-lost grandfather, Lauren follows after him. En route, brother and sister discover that, despite all their differences, when they are side by side they are strong enough to deal with anything, even their biggest fears. As we follow their journey across the beautiful British countryside, we slowly come to realize that it is the journey, not the destination that really matters.
Part road movie, part Bildungsroman, part family drama and part children’s escapade, Arthur Landon’s endearing feature-film debut explores the solid bond between a sister and brother, and celebrates the importance of coming together.
** USA PREMIERE**
While attending a super-cool summer camp where campers compete to build the highest multi-story, self-standing structure possible using scrap wood, a best friendship between two adolescent boys is greatly tested. A series of misunderstandings and hurtful slights, some intentional and some not, creates a building tension that grips the viewer’s attention—and empathy—to the end. Director Marien Rogaar has constructed a film with an amazingly caring hand. Don’t miss this USA PREMIERE!
Patema is a precocious teen who loves to explore the caverns and tunnels of her subterranean world until she falls into the DANGER ZONE! In her inverted gravity world, she falls upwards to the Earth’s surface and risks falling into the sky. Saved by an equally rebellious young man who is charmed by this upside-down girl, they fight to save her from the totalitarian surface government that seeks to annihilate her subterranean civilization and the freethinking people they represent. A dizzying, suspenseful animé.
This documentary follows three girls and their lives at the martial arts school Shaolin Tagou, China’s largest Kung Fu School. Far from their families, they fight an everyday battle of discipline, rules and hard physical training. Kung Fu provides them a chance to provide for their parents in the future and lead a better life—but at what cost?
The Shaolin Tagu Kung Fu School, located next to the Shaolin Temple Monastery—the birthplace of Kung Fu—is home to some 26,000 students. In a breathtaking display of skill and precision, the entire student body practices their discipline en masse and in perfect unison, captured beautifully by Inigo Westmeier’s camera. DRAGON GIRLS follows three young female students living far from their homes and families. They sacrifice the luxuries of childhood, like days off, playtime and seeing their parents, for the honor and success they will gain from their training. The physical and mental exhaustion and constant drive for perfection weigh heavily on the young warriors in training, yet it’s hoped that by graduation the gain will have been worth the struggle.
** Rhode Island Premiere **
From the director of one of the first PCFF films ever brought to Providence (Academy Award-nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS), this film is a captivating animated adventure inspired by the ancient Irish legend of the selkies, magical beings who live as seals in the water and as humans on land. A young brother and sister must unlock the magical secrets of their ancestry in order to find their way home.
Director Tomm Moore’s follow-up to the Oscar-nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS is a beautiful and seamlessly crafted animated feature. A similarly haunting score matches haunting visuals. The fluid animation is emphasized by striking watercolor backgrounds that enable the beautifully realized hand-drawn characters to pop from the screen. The variety of the textures, shadows and forms that appear on screen is entrancing. Much like Kells, Moore’s second feature reinforces or underscores his reputation as a champion of Irish culture, language and mythology. While it’s a children’s film first and foremost, it will also delight adults and animation lovers alike. The predominant themes of loss and love in writer William Collins’ story are joined by several particularly interesting metaphors, including the importance of the perpetuation of Irish language, culture and mythology. SONG OF THE SEA is a touching story of loss on a multitude of levels; the loss of innocence, the loss of a loved one, and the loss of a rich and deep culture that the film ultimately celebrates.