amherstcinema JUN - AUG 28 Amity St. Amherst, MA 01002 • www.amherstcinema.org • 413.253.2547 2019 SOUND VISION See something different! In addition to musicthe special in events film in seriesthis newsletter, Amherst Cinema shows current-release film on four screens every day. Visit amherstcinema.org and join our weekly e-newsletter for the latest offerings.
Our smash-hit summer series returns, featuring lyrical documentaries and narratives SOUND VISION from across the globe, spanning decades of music-in-film series filmmaking and myriad musical genres.
THE SOUND OF RIO: BRASILEIRINHO Wed, Jun 26, 7pm d. Mika Kaurismäki, 2006, 90 min, Portuguese w/subs Mika Kaurismäki (MAMA AFRICA: MIRIAM MAKEBA) explores choro, a Brazilian musical style that’s grown and evolved from its 19th century Rio roots. Presented in collaboration with Choro Camp New England. WOODSTOCK Wed, Jul 3, 7pm d. Michael Wadleigh, 1970, 216 min - Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock with the 216-minute Director’s Cut of this Oscar-winning documentary, SONIC YOUTH: 30 YEARS OF DAYDREAM NATION featuring Sly and the Family Stone, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, and many more. BABYLON THE STRANGE SOUND OF HAPPINESS Wed, Jul 24, 7pm Wed, Aug 7, 7pm d. Franco Rosso, 1980, 95 min - Raw and smoldering d. Diego Pascal Panarello, 2017, 90 min, Italian, English, (and never before released in the U.S.), this narrative Sakha, & Russian w/subs - At age 40, after years feature follows a young dancehall DJ (Brinsley Forde, of drifting, Diego returns to Sicily, his dreams of frontman of British reggae group Aswad) in South becoming a musician dashed. But then he discovers London as he pursues his musical ambitions, battling the mouth harp, which captivates him and propels him fiercely against racism and xenophobia. on a journey to the flatlands of Siberia. THAT PÄRT FEELING SONIC YOUTH: 30 YEARS OF Wed, Jul 31, 7pm DAYDREAM NATION d. Paul Hegeman, 2019, 75 min, English, Dutch, German, & Wed, Aug 14, 7pm WOODSTOCK French w/subs - Despite his fame, Arvo Pärt, the world’s In celebration of the 30th anniversary of their most-performed living composer has been rarely landmark album Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth HORN FROM THE HEART: documented on film – until now. presents a program of Daydream Nation-related THE PAUL BUTTERFIELD STORY films. The program includes PUT BLOOD IN THE MUSIC (Charles Atlas’s documentary on the 1989 Wed,SOUND Jul 10, 7pm VISION NYC music scene), rare and unseen gems from the d. John Anderson, 2018, 95 min - Discover the story of band’s personal archive, and 2007/2008 footage shot a man many call the greatest bluesmusic harmonica player in film series by Lance Bangs of the band performing Daydream of all time. Post-film Q&A with Tom Reney, host of Nation. Sonic Youth member Steve Shelley and NEPR’s Jazz à la Mode and consultant on the film. archivist Aaron Mullan in person.
ETHIOPIQUES: REVOLT OF THE SOUL Continued on page 2! Wed, Jul 17, 7pm d. Maciej Bochniak, 2018, 70 min, English & Amharic w/subs Learn the compelling story of a lost generation of The Sound & Vision series is brilliant Ethiopian musicians whose unique sounds presented with support from blended African and Western genres and influenced Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee. jazz and pop music in the late 20th Century. ETHIOPIQUES: REVOLT OF THE SOUL
June - August 2019 Page 1 MEMPHIS ‘69 UNKNOWN PASSAGE: Wed, Aug 21, 7pm THE DEAD MOON STORY d. Joe LaMattina, 2019, 72 min - This concert Wed, Sep 4, 7pm documentary, shot in June of 1969 on the occasion d. Kate Fix & Jason Summers, 2006, 98 min - of the 150th anniversary of Memphis, Tennessee, VISION UNKNOWN PASSAGE tells the history of Dead celebrates the blues with performances by Bukka Moon, DIY champions from Portland, Oregon, White, Furry Lewis, Fred McDowell, and more. through their decades-long career and various garage, psych, folk, and punk rock incarnations. CHULAS FRONTERAS Dead Moon member Toody Cole in person. d. Les Blank, 1976, 58 min DEL MERO CORAZÓN SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY d. Les Blank, 1979, 28 min Wed, Sep 11, 7pm Wed, Aug 28, 7pm d. George T. Nierenberg, 1983, 100 min - One of the SOUND & SOUND Don’t miss new restorations of two films by Les most acclaimed music docs of all time, this film Blank. This double bill acts as a lively introduction features the father of Gospel, Thomas A. Dorsey; its to Norteña music and culture that exists along matron, Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith; and earth- the Texas-Mexican border, a fusion of traditional shaking performances by the Barrett Sisters and Mexican harmonies, German dancehall rhythms, the O’Neal Twins. New 4K restoration! Presented and a little something extra. with W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies; Black Music & Democracy Project. SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY
REMBRANDT Sat, Jun 15, 11am Dance d. Kat Monssor, 2015, 90 min VERMEER AND MUSIC Films Sat, Jun 29, 12:30pm Sun, Jul 21, 11am d. Phil Grabsky, 2013, 85 min IF THE DANCER DANCES VAN GOGH & JAPAN RENOIR: REVERED AND REVILED Sat, Jul 6, 12:30pm NUREYEV VAN GOGH: OF WHEAT FIELDS Sat, Jul 27, 11am Tue, Jun 4, 7pm AND CLOUDED SKIES d. Phil Grabsky, 2013, 87 min d. David Morris & Jacqui Morris, 2019, 109 min Sun, Jun 2, 11am This striking documentary traces the extraordinary d. Giovanni Piscaglia, 2019, 90 min YOUNG PICASSO life of Rudolf Nureyev, who transcended fame in Sat, Jul 20, 12:30pm the dance world to become a pop culture icon KLIMT & SCHIELE - EROS & PSYCHE Sat, Aug 3, 11am of his time. The film charts his rise from humble Mon, Jun 3, 7pm d. Phil Grabsky, 2019, 85 min beginnings to his eventual defection to the West, d. Michele Mally, 2019, 90 min an event that shocked the world. GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING WATER LILIES OF MONET: AND OTHER TREASURES IF THE DANCER DANCES THE MAGIC OF WATER AND LIGHT Sat, Aug 17, 12:30pm Tue, Aug 20, 7pm Sat, Jun 8, 12:30pm Sun, Aug 25, 11am d. Maia Wechsler, 2019, 83 min - IF THE DANCER Sat, Jun 22, 11am d. David Bickerstaff, 2015, 90 min DANCES follows a group of New York City’s top d. Giovanni Troilo, 2019, 80 min modern dancers as they reconstruct an iconic VAN GOGH & JAPAN and mysterious work by the legendary Merce MICHELANGELO - LOVE & DEATH Sat, Aug 31, 12:30pm Cunningham, revealing what it takes to Mon, Jun 10, 7pm Sun, Sep 8, 11am keep a dance alive. d. David Bickerstaff, 2017, 91 min d. David Bickerstaff, 2019, 85 min
Thank you, and welcome! As a nonprofit, we are governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, who help sustain our theater. This year, we’re extending special thanks to Deborah Christakos, who is continuing on the Board but completing four years of service as our Board Chair. And we’re glad that our new Board Chair, Salman Hameed, will be taking on the leadership mantle. Deb worked for many years as a chef and is now the founder and operator of Pioneer Valley Food Tours. Salman earned his Ph.D. in astronomy and is Associate Professor of Integrated Science and Humanities, School of Cognitive Science, and Director of the Center for the Study of Science in Muslim Studies, Hampshire College.
Salman Hameed Deb Christakos Thank you to Deb and Salman, and to our entire Board!
June - August 2019 Page 2 Free-to-Member screenings
Our Bellwether series celebrates fresh NEW FILMS FROM GERMANY: approaches to fiction, non-fiction, and GUNDERMANN experimental cinema. Filmmakers are always Sun, Jun 30, 10:30am present for post-screening Q&As, and these d. Andreas Dresen, 2019, 127 min, German w/subs events are free to Amherst Cinema Members! Gerhard Gundermann, famous East German singer-songwriter, was a mining excavator COMBAT OBSCURA operator and a rock star, a caring family man Wed, Jun 19, 7pm and a clown, a spy and a rebel – everything d. Miles Lagoze, 2018, 70 min - A groundbreaking at the same time. This biopic garnered 10 look at daily life in a war zone as told by the nominations at the 2019 German Film Awards. Marines themselves. This film repurposes original footage, shot by Marines on the ground, to reveal GIFT the intensity and paradoxes of an ambiguous war Mon, Jul 29, 7pm from an unvarnished and uncensored perspective. d. Robin McKenna, 2019, 90 min - Based on Lewis Director Miles Lagoze in person. VISION PORTRAITS Hyde’s The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World, GIFT is an intimate exploration of VISION PORTRAITS real-life gift economies. It’s a reflection on the Thu, Jul 11, 7pm Mark your calendar for another Bellwether creative process, the reasons we labor in service d. Rodney Evans, 2019, 78 min - This documentary screening on August 15, title TBA. of our gifts, and a celebration of the imagination. chronicles the experiences of several visually impaired artists, including photographer John Dugdale and writer Ryan Knighton, focusing on the ways each The Bellwether series is Mark your calendar for another free Member artist (and their creative process) is impacted by loss presented with support from screening on August 26, title TBA. of vision. Director Rodney Evans in person. Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee.
NT LIVE: ALL ABOUT EVE NT LIVE: THE AUDIENCE Gardening Sat, Jun 1, 12:30pm Thu, Jul 4, 12:30 Wed, Jun 12, 7pm d. Stephen Daldry, 2013, 180 min - Helen Mirren Films d. Ivo van Hove, 2019, 130 min - Gillian Anderson and Lily reprises her award-winning role as Queen James lead in ALL ABOUT EVE, a new production from Elizabeth II in an encore screening of THE one of the world’s most innovative theatre directors, AUDIENCE, captured live in 2013. Ivo van Hove (NT LIVE: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE). NT LIVE: I’M NOT RUNNING THE GARDENER BOLSHOI BALLET: CARMEN SUITE / Sat, Jul 13, 12:30pm PETRUSHKA Tue, Aug 27, 7pm FIVE SEASONS: THE GARDENS OF Sun, Jun 23, 12:30pm d. Neil Armfield, 2019, 167 min - An explosive new music Georges Bizet, Rodion Shchedrin & Igor Stravinsky, political drama exploring personal choices and PIET OUDOLF choreography Alberto Alonso & Edward Clug, 2019, 140 min their public consequences, written by Academy Tue, Jun 11, 7pm CARMEN, the passionate one act ballet by Cuban Award®-nominated writer David Hare (THE d. Thomas Piper, 2018, 75 min, English & Dutch w/subs choreographer Alberto Alonso, will captivate READER, THE HOURS, NT LIVE: SKYLIGHT). This immersive doc follows Piet Oudolf, the most audiences alongside PETRUSHKA, a new creation by influential garden designer in a generation, to New contemporary choreographer Edward Clug. NT LIVE: HAMLET York, Chicago, the Netherlands, and beyond, giving Mon, Jul 15, 7pm viewers a rare and poetic look at his creative process. Sat, Sep 14, 12:30pm d. Lyndsey Turner, 2015, 210 min - Benedict GRAND CRU Cumberbatch plays the title role in Shakespeare’s Tue, Jul 16, 7pm great tragedy. Now seen by over 900,000 people d. David Eng, 2018, 80 min, English & French w/subs worldwide, the original broadcast from 2015 Burgundy’s winemaking legend Pascal Marchand returns to cinemas to mark NT Live’s 10th birthday. draws inspiration for his biodynamic vineyards from ancient techniques of the Cistercian monks. In this NT LIVE: KING LEAR documentary, he faces the challenge of his lifetime Sat, Aug 24, 12:30pm during the catastrophic 2016 season. Tue, Sep 3, 7pm d. Jonathan Munby, 2018, 220 min - Don’t miss Ian THE GARDENER World Stage McKellen’s extraordinary performance in encores Mon, Aug 19, 7pm of Shakespeare’s KING LEAR, originally broadcast d. Sébastien Chabot, 2018, 88 min, English & French w/subs on Screen in 2018. Considered by many to be the greatest THE GARDENER is a documentary about Frank tragedy ever written, KING LEAR sees two aging Cabot’s resplendent Les Quatre Vents, a private I’M NOT RUNNING fathers reject the children who love them. garden in the Charlevoix region near Quebec City.
June - August 2019 Page 3 June -August 2019 From Behind The Screen
CAROL M. JOHNSON Executive Director 28 AMITY STREET • AMHERST, MA01002
Friends – amherstcinema
It means the world to hear from you – our lively and adventuresome
patrons and supporters – that you cherish Amherst Cinema’s program offerings and the welcoming community we work hard to create. NEWSLETTER
We would like you to know that our programming decisions are made right here – over 275 different programs a year in more than amherstcinema 20 languages. As a nonprofit, we are not beholden to an owner BOARD OF DIRECTORS focused on the bottom line, or required by a corporate office to show SALMAN HAMEED chair and president particular programs, or pressured to represent a certain perspective. BARBARA J. LUCEY vice president and treasurer BARTON BYG vice president Members of Amherst Cinema are critical to our artistic independence! DEBORAH CHRISTAKOS vice president This is because grassroots support from YOU gives us financial DENNIS HELMUS stability and means we can make programming choices without the ELEANOR S. LASH JOANNE MARQUSEE pressure of an owner’s directive or point of view. JOHN NUNNELLY CHAIR EMERITA Our summer Membership drive is the perfect time to join or renew LUCY WILSON BENSON your Amherst Cinema Membership, too! When you join or renew your STAFF Amherst Cinema Membership, you support artistic freedom and you DAN BIEGNER technology manager help create community! HOLLY GREELEY business manager RACHEL HART outreach manager ALEX HORNBECK creative manager FINELY JANES education specialist CAROL M. JOHNSON Carol M. Johnson executive director MELISSA MCCLUNG [email protected] visual media developer GEORGE MYERS general manager NOELLE SERAFINO marketing & communications In this issue... coordinator EMILY WARD • Sound & Vision house manager music-in-film series BOX OFFICE • Art on Screen CLAIRE CREWS SCOTTI GOSS • World Stage on Screen VERONICA LAVIA ÉBUN NAZON-POWER • Free-to-Member events JEREMY PISANI NELLIE PRIOR • Gardening films KIAH RAYMOND ... and much more! Benedict Cumberbatch in HAMLET LILY SAROSI CASEY SHANAHAN NICK VERDI
FILM PROGRAMMING CONNIE WHITE CAROL M. JOHNSON
FILM BOOKING SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY CONNIE WHITE