07/10/2007

2007 Traverse City Film Festival

2007 Roster of Films

Once
2006/Ireland/R/85 min.
This modern-day musical set in Dublin tells the story of a street musician and a Czech immigrant as they combine talents to break into the music business. From director John Carney. Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Audience Award.

CLOSING NIGHT

Molière
2007/France/PG-13/120 min.
This fictional biopic makes its Midwest premiere as the closing night film at the Traverse City Film Festival. Writer/director Laurent Tirard speculates on the life of a 22-year-old Molière in this comedy featuring a lead performance by Romain Duris as the youthful author. The Audience Award winner at this year's Moscow International Film Festival.

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA

Blue State
2007/USA-Canada/Not Rated/90 min.
The feature debut from director Marshall Lewy, "Blue State” follows John Kerry supporter/political activist John (Breckin Meyer) as he makes good on a vow to move to Canada if Bush wins the 2004 election. John recruits Chloe (Anna Paquin) for companionship on the trip north.

Day Night Day Night
2007/USA-Germany-France/Not Rated/94 min.
This debut feature from director Julia Loktev examines a day in the life of a young woman who plans to blow herself up in Times Square. Winner of the Prix Regards Jeune at Cannes.

Grace is Gone
2007/USA/Not Rated/90 min.
James C. Strouse's directorial debut is one of the first films to offer a look at the impact of the war in Iraq on the home front. Stanley (John Cusack) finds out that his wife, a U.S. Army staff sergeant, was killed while fighting in Iraq. The film follows Stanley as he comes to terms with the news and tries to find a way to tell his daughters. Winner of the Audience Award at Sundance.

Rocket Science
2007/USA/R/98 min.
Jeffrey Blitz follows up his Oscar-nominated documentary "Spellbound” with this fictional tale following a stuttering, insecure high-schooler who joins the debate team after falling for a brainy female classmate. A funny and partly autobiographical story that offers insights into the world of children and parents, "Rocket Science” was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Talk to Me
2007/USA/R/118 min.
"Talk to Me” stars Don Cheadle in a telling of the real-life story of charismatic radio DJ Petey Greene whose "tell it like it is” style ruled the airwaves in late-'60s D.C. The film shows Petey as he emerges as the voice of the city, taking on social controversy with passion and quick wit. A look at the issues of race and fame in the late 1960s and early '70s, "Talk to Me” has an all-star cast including Martin Sheen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mike Epps and Cedric the Entertainer.

The Ten
2007/USA/R/95 min.
David Wain (director of "Wet Hot American Summer” and an actor in "The Baxter,” a favorite from TC's first film fest) offers this new comedy, with 10 vignettes/sketches based on the Ten Commandments. Absurd, irreverent and R-rated, "The Ten” features performances from an expansive cast including Paul Rudd, Jessica Alba, Gretchen Mol, Winona Ryder, Adam Brody, Justin Theroux, Liev Schreiber and Diane Wiest.

Trainwreck: My Life As An Idiot
2007/USA/R/95 min.
Based on the memoir of New York comic Jeff Nichols, this new black comedy from Tod Harrison Williams features a performance by Seann William Scott as a recovering alcoholic who has attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia and a mild case of Tourette syndrome. His life lacks direction until he meets a woman (Gretchen Mol) who tries to help clean up his act.

Uncensored Borat and Beyond: An Evening with Larry Charles
The director of "Borat,” the highest grossing comedy of 2006 and a fan favorite at last year's festival, gives an inside look at his life as a director. In addition to showing never-before-seen footage, Charles will offer a peek at his latest project.

Waitress
2007/USA/PG-13/107 min.
Keri Russell as the expert pie-maker in a small-town Southern diner who is forced into some tough decisions after being impregnated by her abusive husband. From writer/director Adrienne Shelly, "Waitress” includes supporting performances from Cheryl Hines, Shelly, Nathan Fillion and Andy Griffith.

NEW FOREIGN CINEMA

Away from Her
2006/Canada/PG-13/110 min.
Canadian actress-turned-director Sarah Polley faithfully adapts Alice Munro's short story, "The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” in her directorial debut. Gordon Pinsent plays Grant, a husband whose long marriage is tested when his wife (Julie Christie) begins to lose her memory to Alzheimer's. Also starring Olympia Dukakis and Michael Murphy.

Black Butterfly
2006/Spain-Peru/Not Rated/116 min.
A political thriller from Peruvian auteur Francisco J. Lombardi, "Black Butterfly” is about naive schoolteacher Gabriela (Melania Urbina), who is forced to confront the realities of a corrupt political regime after her fiancé is killed in his sleep. With the help of a tabloid journalist (Magdyel Ugaz), Gabriela sets out to avenge her fiancé's murder. Nominated for the Grand Prix des Amériques at the Montréal World Film Festival.

Blame it on Fidel
2006/France-Italy/Not Rated/99 min.
Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, this film from director Julie Gavras follows the political turmoil in France in the early 1970s through the eyes of 9-year-old Anna, a member of a comfortable bourgeois family in Paris. Anna travels to Chile with her parents (Julie Depardieu and Stefano Accorsi), who return with renewed revolutionary passions.

Curse of the Golden Flower
2006/Hong Kong-China/R/114 min.
Director Zhang Yimou ("Hero,” "Raise the Red Lantern”) offers lush visuals and gracefully choreographed martial arts action in this Oscar-nominated feature. Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li star as a royal couple whose union is so corrupt that each is plotting the other's demise.

Eleven Men Out
2005/Iceland-Finland-UK/Not Rated/85 min.
Icelandic director Robert I. Douglas makes his debut in this quirky misfit-sports-team comedy about a professional soccer team whose star player is banned from the league after telling a journalist that he is gay.

Fireworks Wednesday
2006/Iran/Not Rated/102 min.
Asghar Farhadi's drama examines the complexities of contemporary life in Iran. The story is told through the eyes of Rouhi, a young bride-to-be who finds employment as a maid for a middle-class couple in Tehran. Rouhi begins to have doubts about her upcoming marriage as she observes constant conflict between her employers. Winner of Best Feature at the Chicago International Film Festival; co-written by Mani Haghighi.

The Lives of Others
2006/Germany/R/137 min.
Winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Feature, this film, set in East Berlin five years before the collapse of the Wall, offers a gripping look at paranoia and surveillance in East Germany. The film hinges around Stasi Capt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muehe), a wiretapper for the state. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, making his debut feature, interweaves the lives of his characters in this psychological drama.

My Best Friend
2006/France/PG-13/94 min.
Daniel Auteuil stars in this film from director Patrice Leconte ("Man on the Train”) about a successful art dealer who realizes that he has no true friends and, motivated by a bet, sets out to find one. A light comedy from director Patrice Leconte.

Paprika
2006/Japan/R/90 min.
The Traverse City Film Festival's first animated feature — but strictly for teens and adults — "Paprika” is sophisticated, in the vein of Miyazaki. Satoshi Kon's psychedelic film follows Dr. Atsuko Chiba, a reserved research psychotherapist by day, fearless dream detective by night, probing the distinctions between man and machine and blurring the line between reality and dreams. Nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Paris, je t'aime
2006/France-Germany- Switzerland-Liechtenstein/R/120 min.
Producers Emmanuel Benhiby and Claudie Ossard pay tribute to the city of Paris in this collection of shorts. Directed by international talents such as Gus Van Sant, Tom Tykwer, Alfonso Cuarón and Wes Craven, highlights include the Coen brothers' "Tuileries” and Christopher Doyle's "Porte de Choisy.”

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman
2005/UK/R/90 min.
Director Adrian Shergold recounts the life of Albert Pierrepoint, the man chosen to execute the Nazis convicted of war crimes at Nuremburg. Featuring a lead performance by Timothy Spall, the film follows Pierrepoint's career from his beginning in 1934 through his resignation in 1956.

Tuya's Marriage
2006/China/Not Rated/96 min.
Winner of the top prize at this year's Berlin Film Festival, this film from Quanan Wang ("Lunar Eclipse”) tells the story of Tuya, a stubborn nomadic shepherd on the Mongolian steppe who lives with her two children and disabled husband. When Tuya falls ill, she is forced to divorce Bater and marry a man who can take care of her family. A tale of love and loyalty.

The Valet
2007/France-Italy-Belgium/PG-13/85 min.
Comedy writer/director Francis Veber ("La Cage aux folles,” "The Dinner Game”) offers up this farce about a billionaire (Daniel Auteuil) photographed with his supermodel mistress Elena (Alice Taglioni). He must convince his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) that Elena is really dating the parking valet (Gad Elmaleh), who just happened to be in the picture when it was taken.

West Bank Story
2005/USA/Not Rated/21 min.
Winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Live Action Short, this musical comedy tells the story of forbidden love between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian woman. Their romantic interests are blocked by their families, who own rival fast food restaurants (Hummus Hut and Kosher King) and are constantly at odds. Musical numbers include a parody of the finger-snapping gangs in "West Side Story.” Screens with "Please Vote for Me.”

DOCUMENTARIES

9 Star Hotel
2007/Israel/Not Rated/78 min.
Ido Haar tracks the lives of a group of Palestinians working illegally as construction workers inside Israel. Using raw, handheld footage, the filmmakers present the perils faced by these workers as they make their daily trek from a shantytown near the border to their construction site amid elegant housing complexes. Winner of the Best Documentary at the Jerusalem International Film Festival.

Chicago 10
2007/USA/Not Rated/103 min.
Brett Morgen ("The Kid Stays in the Picture”) directs this political documentary about the trial following protests of the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention. Morgen combines archival footage with motion-capture animation to create an original retelling of this moment in American political history. Featuring the voices of Mark Ruffalo, Nick Nolte, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber and Hank Azaria. Selected as the opening night film of this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Deliver Us from Evil
2006/USA/Not Rated/101 min.
This Oscar-nominated documentary presents the story of Father Oliver O'Grady, the most notorious pedophile in the history of the modern Catholic Church. Filmmaker Amy Berg interviews victims, their families and even Oliver O'Grady himself.

Everything's Cool
2007/USA/Not Rated/100 min.
Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand's activist documentary keeps a lighthearted feel while investigating the politics surrounding global warming. The filmmakers offer a range of perspectives, interviewing scientists, artists and average Americans. A Grand Jury Prize nominee at the Sundance Festival.

The Fever of '57
2007/USA/Not Rated/92 min.
Released on the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik (the world's first artificial satellite), "The Fever of '57" recounts the beginning of the space and arms races and the political scare tactics of the 1950s. Combining archival footage with fresh interviews, filmmaker David Hoffman sheds new light on the beginning of the Cold War, revealing secret meetings between Eisenhower and Khrushchev and capturing the political climate of the United States in the late 1950s.

I Am an American Soldier: One Year in Iraq with the 101st Airborne
2007/USA-UK/Not Rated/100 min.
Filmmaker John Laurence offers an inside look at the war in Iraq as he follows the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division for 14 months, from preparation in the U.S. through deployment and back again. Lawrence's film shows the struggles of these soldiers through a mix of candid footage and personal testimonials.

In the Shadow of the Moon
2006/UK/PG/100 min.
Winner of the Audience Award at Sundance, where it was nominated for Grand Jury Prize, this new documentary from David Sington offers an intimate look at the Apollo space program. Sington mixes his own recent interviews with astronauts with never-before-seen archival footage to give a fresh perspective on the achievements of a country which once believed it could move humanity forward — and did.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
2007/USA/PG-13/79 min.
Seth Gordon offers a comic look at arcade gamers in this documentary about a competition to find the world's greatest Donkey Kong player. Billy Mitchell, longtime DK record-holder (currently a hot-sauce mogul in Florida), receives the first challenge to his record from 35-year-old Steve Wiebe, a mild-mannered Washington state schoolteacher.

Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
2006/USA/Not Rated/90 min.
The first feature from business-school-educated director James D. Scurlock examines the growing problem of credit card debt and its effect on a broad cross-section of Americans. Scurlock takes a hard look at the nightmare of debt that is all too real for many Americans, offering tales regarding credit card companies and predatory lenders. Winner of the Special Jury Prize, SXSW Film Festival.

Nimrod Nation I
2007/USA/Not Rated/108 min.
A new documentary from director Brett Morgen, "Nimrod Nation" offers a look at the residents of Watersmeet, a small town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where residents spend winter months occupied by two things: hunting and the Nimrods, the local high school basketball team. Observe the Nimrods' season opening game against the Speedboys, the tensions between the white and Native American communities and other highlights of life in Watersmeet.

Nimrod Nation II
2007/USA/Not Rated/108 min.
Brett Morgen continues his look at the U.P. community of Watersmeet by following the town's basketball team, the Nimrods, through the regular season. The team also receives visits from a motivational speaker and gears up for homecoming week activities.

No End in Sight
2007/USA/Not Rated/101 min.
Charles Ferguson's debut documentary offers a look at the history of the war in Iraq. Ferguson combines existing footage and interviews with the actual architects of the war. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance this year.

Our Daily Bread
2005/Germany-Austria/Not Rated/92 min.
Filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter examines mechanized farming, offering a detailed look at the depersonalized nature of modern agriculture. An unblinking look at how food gets to our table, this is not a film for the squeamish. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Amsterdam International Film Festival.

Please Vote for Me
2007/China/Not Rated/55 min.
Winner of the Sterling Feature Award at Silverdocs, "Please Vote for Me” offers a look at contemporary Chinese culture through the lens of a third-grade classroom. In this small-scale experiment with democracy in the world's largest Communist country, three candidates (all 8 years old) campaign for Class Monitor, and learn to run a successful campaign. Screens with "West Bank Story.”

A Slim Peace
2007/UK/Not Rated/70 min.
In this debut documentary from Yael Luttwak, 14 women — Israelis, Palestinians, Bedouin Arabs and American settlers — come together with the common goal of losing weight, and come to realize they have more in common than they initially believed.

Taxi to the Dark Side
2007/USA/Not Rated/105 min.
Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”) returns to the Traverse City Film Festival with this documentary about the Bush administration's policy on torture. Gibney frames his film around the murder mystery of an Afghan taxi driver at Bagram Air Base who died from injuries inflicted by U.S. soldiers.

War/Dance
2007/USA/Not Rated/105 min.
"War/Dance” documents the unlikely journey of three Ugandan children from their lives in a refugee camp to their war-torn country's national music and dance competition in the capital city. A moving documentary about the power of the human spirit.

'OVERLOOKED AND OUTSTANDING'

Little Children
2006/USA/R/130 min.
Patrick Wilson, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelly star in this dark drama set around a suburban playground and the events that occur after a convicted pedophile moves back to the neighborhood. From writer/director Todd Field ("In the Bedroom”), adapted from a novel by Tom Perrotta ("Election”). Nominated for three Academy Awards.

Notes on a Scandal
2006/UK/R/92 min.
Richard Eyre's twisted story about Barbara, a spinster schoolteacher (Judi Dench) who falls for a younger colleague named Sheba (Cate Blanchett). Nominated for four Oscars.

Sherrybaby
2006/USA/R/96 min.
Maggie Gyllenhaal was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sherry Swanson, a 22-year-old reformed heroin addict who tries to take control of her life and her daughter after three years in prison. Laurie Collyer makes her directorial debut.

The Situation
2006/USA/R/106 min.
Philip Haas re-creates the chaos of life in a war zone in Iraq in this labyrinthine drama. The story follows Anna (Connie Nielson), a burka-clad American reporter in Baghdad investigating the drowning death of an Iraqi teen caused by an American soldier.

CHILDREN'S MATINEE

Arctic Tale
2007/USA/G/85 min.
From the people who brought you "March of the Penguins” comes this documentary about wildlife in the Arctic. "Arctic Tale” follows the lives of a young polar bear and a baby walrus as they experience life in the Arctic — an environment threatened by global warming. Featuring narration by Queen Latifah.

NATIVE AMERICAN MATINEE

Miss Navajo
2007/USA/Not Rated/60 min.
Director Billy Luther offers an affectionate look at tribal tradition in this documentary about the Miss Navajo Nation pageant. Luther, whose own mother was crowned Miss Navajo in 1966, provides a glimpse into this beauty pageant that emphasizes Navajo cultural values.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957/UK-USA/PG/161 min.
This lavish epic by the director of "Lawrence of Arabia” tells the story of a WWII prisoner-of-war camp in Japan, charged with the task of building a bridge across the river Kwai. Alec Guiness stars, alongside Sessue Hayakawa. Winner of seven Oscars.

The Graduate
1967/USA/PG/95 min.
The 40th anniversary screening of Mike Nichols' ground-breaking satire.

In a Lonely Place
1950/USA/Approved/94 min.
Humphrey Bogart stars as a screenwriter-turned-murder suspect in Nicholas Ray's dark drama painting an unglamorous picture of Hollywood in the '50s.

Mephisto
1981/West Germany-Hungary-Austria/Unrated/144 min.
Klaus Maria Brandauer plays a stage actor who decides he'd rather pursue fame than follow his ideals in Nazi Germany. Istvan Szabó's "Mephisto” won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Nashville
1975/USA/R/159 min.
Widely hailed as one of the greatest films of the 1970s, "Nashville” seamlessly follows the lives of 24 characters over five days in the country music capital of the world. Part musical, part docu-drama, part political parable, Robert Altman's classic stars Lily Tomlin, Ned Beatty, Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, Scott Glenn and a young Jeff Goldblum.

Slaughterhouse-Five
1972/USA/R/104 min.
Set in 1945 Dresden, Germany, "Slaughterhouse-Five” is about the Allies' secret firebomb of a city of civilians over two nights, killing more people than those who died in Hiroshima. From Kurt Vonnegut, the antiwar black comedy follows Billy Pilgrim, "a man unstuck in time,” through three intertwined story lines. Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS

Black Sheep
2006/New Zealand/PG-13/87 min.
A breed of vampire sheep is created on a remote farm in New Zealand following experiments with genetic engineering.

The Host
2006/South Korea/R/119 min.
This monster movie from director Bong Joon-ho delivers horror and black comedy through a series of B-movie thrills, playful comedy and artistic eccentricity.

MIKE'S SURPRISE

Mike's Surprise
Festival founder Michael Moore shows up with ... a sneak review of a big Hollywood movie? A buried treasure that the public hasn't seen in years? Some of his home movies? Nobody knows until the last day of the festival.

PENNEBAKER/HEGEDUS TRIBUTE

Al Franken: God Spoke
2006/USA/Not Rated/90 min.
Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob's new vérité documentary follows former "Saturday Night Live” performer Al Franken from the controversy surrounding his best-selling novel "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,” through the founding of radio network Air America, to his tears at John Kerry's 2004 election defeat. Executive Producer ­is D.A. Pennebaker.

Don't Look Back
1967/USA/Not Rated/95 min.
A youthful Bob Dylan takes center stage in D.A. Pennebaker's groundbreaking documentary, originally released 40 years ago, following Dylan on his '65 tour in the U.K.