MARCH–MAY 2017
µ˙The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet Street
Houston, Texas 77005
RECORDED FILM INFORMATION LINE
713-639-7515
MFAH STAFF
Gary Tinterow, Director
Malcolm Daniel, Curator in Charge,
Department of Photography and Special Projects
Marian Luntz, Curator, Film and Video
Tracy Stephenson, Coordinator, Film and Video
Ray Gomez, Assistant for Community Outreach
and Administration
Ralph Kaethner, Omar Al-Bochi, and Kirston Otis,
Projectionists
MFAH CALL CENTER
713-639-7771
Glassell
Junior
School
MFAH
Visitors
Center &
Parking
Garage
Lillie & Hugh
Roy Cullen
Sculpture
Garden
Go to mfah.org/film for updated schedules
and additional details.
Caroline
Wiess
Law
Building
Audrey
Jones
Beck
Building
fb.com/mfahfilms
MFAH
Visitors
Center
twitter.com/mfahfilms
COMING SOON
Get ready for hot nights and cool jazz! June brings the fifth year of the popular Jazz on Film
series. Guest curator Peter Lucas returns to round up a diverse, dynamic selection of classic and
contemporary films featuring noted jazz scores, as well as documentaries. This edition also
features reprises of audience favorites, including Louis Malle’s 1958 thriller Elevator to the Gallows,
starring Jeanne Moreau.
Pictured: Elevator to the Gallows (Rialto Pictures)
BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK
MOVIES HOUSTONIANS LOVE
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK
Directed by Daniel Petrie
(USA, 1961, 128 min.)
Monday, March 13, 7:00 p.m.
Presented by Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston
Directed by Ang Lee
(USA, 2016, 113 minutes)
Wednesday, March 29, 6:30 p.m.
Reception in the Museum galleries, 5:30 p.m.
Introduced by Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian,
Director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
This popular series brings Houston leaders from all walks of life to the Museum
to present a favorite film and share their love of cinema. Past presenters have
ranged from heart surgeon Dr. Billy Cohn and Houston Chronicle columnist
Ken Hoffman to Kam Franklin of The Suffers and hip-hop artist Willie D.
Next up, Mayor Sylvester Turner adds his name to this list of presenters. He’s
chosen the award-winning drama, A Raisin in the Sun, starring Sidney Poitier,
Claudia McNeil, and Ruby Dee, based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry.
Visit mfah.org/films/movies-houstonians-love to learn more about this classic
film and purchase tickets.
Movies Houstonians Love is generously underwritten by Gensler.
In partnership with Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the
Museum presents the latest film by Ang Lee, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime
Walk, based on Ben Fountain’s novel. Private Billy Lynn becomes a hero
after a harrowing Iraq battle. During a victory tour that culminates at the
halftime show of a football game, flashbacks reveal what really happened.
Post-film discussion with Ben Fountain. Film producer Stephen Cornwell
is invited.
Community partner: Inprint
TEA TIME
N E W F I L M S F R O M L AT I N A M E R I C A
April 27–30
JEFFREY
Plan to spend your weekend at the Museum during
the popular Latin Wave 12— you won’t want to miss
a moment of the hottest Latin American films and the
opportunity to meet the film industry professionals
involved! Artistic director Diana Sánchez lends her
talents to select a vibrant lineup of movies that have
been celebrated on the international festival circuit
over the past year. Confirmed at press time are the
suspenseful Aquarius from Brazil, starring iconic
actress Sonia Braga; the nuanced political drama
Santa y Andrés from Cuba; and esteemed Argentinian
filmmaker Daniel Burman’s latest, The Tenth Man,
set in the bustling Once district of Buenos Aires.
Documentary selections include Jeffrey, a portrait of
a young aspiring rapper in the Dominican Republic,
and two films by the talented Chilean filmmaker
Maite Alberdi: Tea Time and The Grown-Ups.
True fans of Latin Wave are encouraged to purchase the Latin Wave series pass, offering discount
admission to the festival. Festival admission is $10.
Museum members, students with ID, and seniors
(65+) receive $2 discount. Sunday’s films are free
for students with ID.
The Latin Wave brochure, with complete schedule
information, will be available mid-April. To receive
a copy, e-mail fi[email protected].
Organized by the MFAH in association with the
creative partner Fundación PROA, Buenos Aires.
Sponsored by Tenaris.
THE TENTH MAN
Get your tickets early for Five Funny French Films,
March 31–April 2.
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE (LA LOI DE LA JUNGLE)
NOW PLAYING
ADMISSION
SUPPORT
On the cover: The Brand New Testament
(Music Box)
Except where otherwise indicated, general admission is
$9. Museum members, students with ID, and seniors
(65+) receive a $2 discount. No other discounts apply.
Children 5 and under are admitted free.
Underwriting for the Film Department is provided
by Tenaris and the Vaughn Foundation.
SCREENINGS
Screenings are held in the Brown Auditorium
Theater, designed by noted Bauhaus architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Please enter the
Caroline Wiess Law Building from Main Street
(see map on back cover). Refreshments are not
permitted in the theater. Audience members are
kindly requested to silence all electronic devices
once the film begins. Many films are unrated and
may not be appropriate for younger viewers. Call
713-639-7531 with questions.
The MFAH Films box office accepts payment by cash,
check, and credit card. Purchase tickets in advance
at mfah.org/film, in the Museum lobbies, or at the
auditorium box office.
Generous funding is provided by the American Turkish
Association-Houston; Nina and Michael Zilkha;
The ILEX Foundation; James V. Derrick; Franci Neely;
Lynn S. Wyatt; L’Alliance Française de Houston;
the Turkish Cultural Foundation; and additional
supporters of the Film Department.
FILM BUFFS
Official media partner:
Film Buffs is the Museum’s membership group for
movie lovers. Dues start at $85 and benefits include
free passes to sneak preview screenings of new
films, discounted admission to MFAH Films, and
more! Museum members are eligible for a discount
on the annual dues. Call 713-639-7550 or visit
mfah.org/filmbuffs for more information.
General admission to the MFAH is free on Thursdays,
courtesy of Shell.
MARCH
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
1
THURSDAY
2
FRIDAY
3
SATURDAY
4
6
7
8
9
10
New Releases
Harry Benson:
Shoot First
7:30 p.m.
11
Pictured:
Harry Benson:
Shoot First
5
Cuban Cinema
I Am Cuba
5:00 p.m.
Houston Jewish Film Festival
Beyond the Mountains
and Hills
6:00 p.m.
Past Life
8:00 p.m.
13
Movies Houstonians Love
Fanny’s Journey
A Raisin in the Sun
1:00 p.m.
presented by Mayor
Presenting Princess Shaw Sylvester Turner
3:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
14
15
16
17
Restorations & Revivals
The Dumb Girl
of Portici
7:00 p.m.
18
New Releases
Harry Benson:
Shoot First
7:00 p.m.
19
Restorations & Revivals
The Dumb Girl
of Portici
5:00 p.m.
20
21
22
23
24
Marcel Pagnol’s
Marseille Trilogy
Marius
7:00 p.m.
25
Marcel Pagnol’s
Marseille Trilogy
Fanny
7:00 p.m.
26
Marcel Pagnol’s
Marseille Trilogy
César
5:00 p.m.
27
28
29
Special Presentation
Billy Lynn’s Long
Halftime Walk
6:30 p.m.
30
31
Five Funny French Films
Struggle for Life
7:00 p.m.
Uncompleted Song
9:00 p.m.
12
Houston Jewish Film Festival
Film Information Line: 713-639-7515. Visit mfah.org/film for program changes and more detailed film descriptions.
APRIL
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1 CAROLINE WIESS LAW BUILDING
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
Five Funny French Films
The Brand New Testament
7:00 p.m.
One Man and His Cow
9:15 p.m.
6
7
Cuban Cinema
Submerged:
Short Films from Cuba
7:00 p.m.
8
Five Funny French Films
The Brand New Testament
4:00 p.m.
New Releases
The Death of Louis XIV
7:00 p.m.
2 AUDREY JONES BECK BUILDING
Pictured:
One Man and His Cow
3 VISITORS CENTER & PARKING GARAGE
4 LILLIE & HUGH ROY CULLEN SCULPTURE GARDEN
2
Five Funny French Films
We Are Family
7:00 p.m.
3
5 GLASSELL JUNIOR SCHOOL
4
5
6 BAYOU BEND COLLECTION AND GARDENS
7 RIENZI COLLECTION AND GARDENS
8 GLASSELL STUDIO SCHOOL
9
10
New Releases
The Death of Louis XIV
5:00 p.m.
P PARKING
11
12
13
14
Restorations & Revivals
King of Jazz
7:00 p.m.
15
Cuban Cinema
Memories of
Underdevelopment
7:00 p.m.
16
Restorations & Revivals
King of Jazz
5:00 p.m.
17
18
19
20
21
New Releases
Window Horses: The
Poetic Persian Epiphany
of Rosie Ming
7:00 p.m.
22
Cuban Cinema
Strawberry and
Chocolate
7:00 p.m.
23
Cuban Cinema
Lucía
5:00 p.m.
30
Latin Wave: New Films
from Latin America
24
25
26
27
Latin Wave: New Films
from Latin America
28
Latin Wave: New Films
from Latin America
29
Latin Wave: New Films
from Latin America
Film Information Line: 713-639-7515. Visit mfah.org/film for program changes and more detailed film descriptions.
MAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
1
TUESDAY
2
WEDNESDAY
3
THURSDAY
4
FRIDAY
5
Houston Palestine Film
Festival
7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY
6
7
New Releases
After the Storm
5:00 p.m.
8
9
10
11
12
New Releases
Ma’ Rosa
7:00 p.m.
13
New Releases
Ma’ Rosa
7:00 p.m.
After the Storm
9:15 p.m.
14
New Releases
Ma’ Rosa
5:00 p.m.
15
16
17
18
19
20
New Releases
David Lynch –
The Art Life
7:00 p.m.
21
New Releases
David Lynch –
The Art Life
5:00 p.m.
22
23
24
25
26
New Releases
Harold and Lillian:
A Hollywood
Love Story
7:00 p.m.
27
New Releases
Harold and Lillian:
A Hollywood
Love Story
7:00 p.m.
28
New Releases
Harold and Lillian:
A Hollywood
Love Story
5:00 p.m.
29
30
31
Pictured:
After the Storm
Film Information Line: 713-639-7515. Visit mfah.org/film for program changes and more detailed film descriptions.
FILM INFORMATION
The screening schedule is subject to change. Please
follow MFAH Films on social media and subscribe to
the weekly film e-newsletter to stay updated. All films
are presented in their original languages with English
subtitles, except where noted.
A macho but naive and inexperienced youth, who believes
passionately in Communism and the Cuban Revolution, undergoes a transformation after befriending a cultured young
gay man who is an ardent critic of the Castro regime.
In conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition Adiós Utopia:
Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 (on view
March 5–May 21), influential examples of “the Golden Age of
Cuban Cinema” are well worth experiencing on the big screen,
offering insights into the country’s rich cinematic heritage.
Thanks to Dr. Luis Duno-Gottberg and Dr. Margarita De la Vega
Hurtado for their involvement with this film series.
Directed by Ann Marie Fleming
(Canada, 2016, 85 min.)
Friday, April 21, 7:00 p.m.
Free admission
Introduced and discussed by members of hang@mfah
HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST
Directed by Justin Bare and Matthew Miele
(USA, 2016, 87 min.)
Friday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 18, 7:00 p.m.
Directed by Daniel Raim
(USA, 2015, 94 min.)
Friday–Saturday, May 26–27, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 28, 5:00 p.m.
AFTER THE STORM
(UMI YORI MO MADA FUKAKU)
Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata
laboratory in association with Instituto Cubano del Arte e
Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC). Restoration funded by the
George Lucas Family Foundation and The Film Foundation’s
World Cinema Project.
STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE
(FRESA Y CHOCOLATE)
Directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío
(Cuba/Mexico/Spain/USA, 1993, 108 min.,
in Spanish with English subtitles)
Saturday, April 22, 7:00 p.m.
THE DEATH OF LOUIS XIV
(LA MORT DE LOUIS XIV)
FAN
Dire
(Fra
Sun
Base
child
durin
a Fre
tryin
they
this
HOUSTON JEWISH FILM
FESTIVAL
The Museum proudly participates in the 13th edition
of the Houston Jewish Film Festival. The lead venue
is the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of
Houston, where a complete schedule can be found at
erjcchouston.org/arts/houston-jewish-film-festival.
Festival admission is $10. Museum members, students
with ID, and seniors (65+) receive $2 discount.
Ma’ Rosa (Jaclyn Jose, Best Actress at 2016 Cannes Film
Festival) is the matriarch of a family struggling to keep their
small Manila convenience store afloat. As a means of survival,
Rosa has diversified the family business by venturing into the
drug trade. When Rosa and her husband are arrested, they
face corrupt cops who expect a bribe before setting them
free. Rosa and the couple’s children set out to raise the funds,
encountering resistance from friends and relatives.
Directed by Albert Serra
(France, 2016, 115 min., in French with English subtitles)
Saturday, April 8, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 9, 5:00 p.m.
DAVID LYNCH – THE ART LIFE
Directed by Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes, and
Olivia Neergaard-Holm
(USA/Denmark, 2016, 90 min.)
Saturday, May 20, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 21, 5:00 p.m.
Artist and filmmaker David Lynch treats audiences to an
intimate journey through the early decades of his life, starting in
his studio today, painting alongside his young daughter. From
Dire
(Isra
Sun
Com
Cultu
BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS
(ME’EVER LAHARIM VEHAGVAOT)
Directed by Eran Kolirin
(Israel/Germany/Belgium, 2016, 90 min.,
in Hebrew with English subtitles)
Saturday, March 11, 6:00 p.m.
The Greenbaums are a seemingly normal family: the father,
retired from the Israeli army; the mother, a high school
teacher; the daughter, a rebellious teenager whose antimilitary protests put her in dangerous territory; and the son,
seemingly a normal teenage boy until a crisis hits. Slowly,
their lives begin to unravel out of frustration, midlife crises,
and disillusionment.
Returning from a hunting trip in 1715 Versailles, King Louis
XIV (Jean-Pierre Léaud, known to many as Antoine Doinel
from The 400 Blows and other Truffaut films) develops a
serious fever, leaving the king bedridden and in agony.
Surrounded by a horde of doctors and his closest counselors,
the Sun King struggles to run the country from his bed.
PRE
This
New
Israe
as P
disc
acro
exhi
emo
Directed by Brillante Ma Mendoza
(The Philippines, 2016, 110 min., in Filipino and Tagalog
with English subtitles)
Friday–Saturday, May 12–13, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 14, 5:00 p.m.
The Freed Lecture series is made possible by endowment
income from the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation.
The first post-revolutionary Cuban film to gain international
acclaim, set in 1961, is a funny portrait of an alienated
bourgeois coming to terms with life under Communism as
those around him flee. This new digital restoration is “one
of the most eye-opening films I can ever recommend to
anyone because it gives you a glimpse of an internal
struggle.” – actor Gael García Bernal
A fascinating account of the partnership of storyboard artist
Harold Michelson and film researcher Lillian Michelson. Harold
and Lillian worked on hundreds of renowned films including
The Ten Commandments, The Apartment, The Birds, The
Graduate, Rosemary’s Baby, and many more. Although
the couple was responsible for some of Hollywood’s most
iconic examples of visual storytelling, their contributions
remain largely uncredited. Lillian tells their story through
a mix of film clips, anecdotes from famous admirers,
love letters, and illustrations to bring their unparalleled
industry experiences to life.
MA’ ROSA
This selection of independent Cuban video work includes
projects in documentary, fiction, and animation. Working
with minimal budgets, these determined contemporary
filmmakers touch on social, political, and cultural themes
in their work.
Directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
(Cuba, 1968, 97 min., in Spanish with English subtitles)
Saturday, April 15, 7:00 p.m.
Dwelling on his past glory as a prize-winning author, Ryota
(Hiroshi Abe) wastes the money he makes as a private
detective on gambling and can barely pay child support.
After the death of his father, his mother and ex-wife move
on with their lives. Renewing contact with his family, Ryota
struggles to take back control of his existence and to find
a lasting place in the life of his young son—until a stormy
summer night offers them a chance to truly bond again.
With unprecedented “behind the scenes” access, Harry
Benson’s extensive portfolio includes iconic images of the
Beatles, Winston Churchill, Bobby Fischer, Muhammad Ali,
Greta Garbo, Michael Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
and the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. His work has
appeared in publications including Life, Vanity Fair, and
The New Yorker. Now 86, the feisty workaholic has no
intention of stopping. In April he will be the recipient of
New York’s International Center for Photography 2017
Lifetime Achievement Award.
Friday, April 7, 7:00 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Luis Duno-Gottberg, Rice University
MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT
(MEMORIAS DEL SUBDESARROLLO)
In th
Dr. B
the m
Sep
and
with
Dr. M
is en
HAROLD AND LILLIAN:
A HOLLYWOOD LOVE STORY
This three-part feature melds Cuban revolutionary fervor with
feminist and social politics and was the film that catapulted
world-famous director Humberto Solás into the international
spotlight. The film traces episodes in the lives of three Cuban
women from three different historical periods: the 1900s,
the 1930s, and the 1960s.
I AM CUBA (SOY CUBA)
SUBMERGED 2: SHORT FILMS FROM CUBA
Community partner: Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS)
Dire
(Isra
Polis
Satu
Directed by Humberto Solás
(Cuba, 1968, 160 min., in Spanish with English subtitles)
Sunday, April 23, 5:00 p.m.
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
(Japan, 2016, 117 min., in Japanese with English subtitles)
Sunday, May 7, 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 13, 9:15 p.m.
Started only a week after the Cuban missile crisis and designed
to be Cuba’s answer to both Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship
Potemkin and Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, I Am Cuba
became a wildly schizophrenic celebration of Communist
kitsch, mixing Slavic solemnity with Latin sensuality. The
plots feverishly explore the seductive world of Batista’s
Cuba—deliriously juxtaposing images of rich Americans and
bikini-clad beauties with scenes of ramshackle slums. Using
lenses that distort and magnify, the acrobatic camera achieves
gravity-defying angles as it glides effortlessly through long
continuous shots.
PAS
LUCÍA
NEW RELEASES
Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov
(Cuba/Soviet Union, 1964, 135 min.,
in Spanish with English subtitles)
Sunday, March 5, 5:00 p.m.
his idyllic upbringing in small-town America to his rebellious
high school years, viewers follow Lynch as he narrates his
coming-of-age journey that eventually takes him from art
school on the East Coast to the American Film Institute in
Los Angeles, where he made his first feature, Eraserhead.
Subtitled The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming, this
charming animated film follows Rosie Ming (Sandra Oh), a
Canadian poet with Chinese and Iranian parents, when she is
invited to perform at a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran. Once in
Iran, she finds herself in the company of poets and Persians
who tell her stories about the Iranian father (Peyman Moaadi)
she assumed abandoned her. The film is about building
bridges between cultural and generational divides, and
finding one’s own voice through the magic of poetry.
Information line: 713-639-7515
Museum Call Center: 713-639-7771
Updates: mfah.org/film
Like us on Facebook: fb.com/MFAHfilms
Follow us on Twitter: @mfahfilms
Sign up for weekly e-mails: mfah.org/enews
CUBAN CINEMA
WINDOW HORSES
M
M
Marc
year
4K r
saga
follo
with
quel
amid
(Raim
toge
wido
ious
s his
m art
te in
ead.
S)
artist
arold
ding
The
ugh
most
ions
ugh
rers,
eled
PAST LIFE (HA’KHATA’IM)
MARIUS
Directed by Avi Nesher
(Israel/Poland, 2016, 109 min., in English, German,
Polish, and Hebrew with English subtitles)
Saturday, March 11, 8:00 p.m.
Directed by Alexander Korda
(France, 1931, 127 min., in French with English subtitles)
Friday, March 24, 7:00 p.m.
In this drama based on the diaries of Holocaust survivor
Dr. Baruch Milch, his daughters Sephi and Nana investigate
the mystery of their father’s wartime experiences in Poland.
Sephi’s life intersects with that of German composer
and conductor Thomas Zielinski, who comes from a family
with unrevealed secrets and whose mother believes
Dr. Milch is a murderer. Haunting and suspenseful, Past Life
is enhanced by a poignant musical score.
Marius and Fanny, two young shopkeepers on the harbor
front of Marseille, always seemed destined to marry, but
Marius cannot overcome his urge to explore the open sea.
His father, César, is oblivious to the crisis, as is Honoré Panisse,
the aged widower who is also vying for Fanny’s hand—until
Fanny, knowing that Marius’s happiness lies in the balance,
changes their lives forever.
deep into the jungle. Luckily, he is accompanied by the
beautiful Tarzan (Vimala Pons). Relentlessly inventive, Struggle
for Life is a riotous send-up of an aging France buried in
administrative absurdities.
This Young French Cinema program was made possible with
the support of UniFrance and the Cultural Services of the
French Embassy in the U.S.
WE ARE FAMILY
(C’EST QUOI CETTE FAMILLE?)
Directed by Gabriel Julien-Laferrière
(France, 2015, 98 minutes, in French with English subtitles)
Sunday, April 2, 7:00 p.m.
UNCOMPLETED SONG
(COMMENT C’EST LOIN)
FANNY
FANNY’S JOURNEY (LE VOYAGE DE FANNY)
Directed by Lola Doillon
(France, 2016, 94 min., in French with English subtitles)
Sunday, March 12, 1:00 p.m.
Based on actual events, the docudrama follows a group of
children led by 12-year-old Fanny across Occupied France
during WWII. Pursued by Nazis and their allies, betrayed by
a French priest and a fellow traveler, protected by a group
trying to save Jewish children, and transported by a smuggler,
they attempt to make their way alone to neutral Switzerland in
this beautifully filmed portrayal of their harrowing journey.
Directed by Marc Allégret
(France, 1932, 127 min., in French with English subtitles)
Saturday, March 25, 7:00 p.m.
Picking up moments after the end of Marius, Fanny grieves
after Marius’s departure—and realizes she is pregnant.
Panisse marries her and embraces the baby’s impending
arrival as a gift, so long as its paternity remains a secret.
After the baby’s birth, Marius returns unexpectedly and
demands what he believes is still his.
Directed by Orelsan and Christophe Hoffenstein
(France, 2015, 90 min., in French with English subtitles)
Friday, March 31, 9:00 p.m.
Uncompleted Song is the hilarious, heartwarming autobiographical tale of leading French rapper Orelsan’s struggle
to make his hip-hop dreams come true. In one epic day, an
old friendship is tested, relationships are ended, a vocation
is questioned, and one triumphant song is finally written.
Brimming with unexpected musical numbers, Uncompleted
Song is as much hip-hop musical comedy as provincial
bromance, a heartfelt hybrid true to its writer-director and
star’s unique personality.
ther,
hool
antison,
wly,
ses,
RESTORATIONS & REVIVALS
This Young French Cinema program was made possible with
the support of UniFrance and the Cultural Services of the
French Embassy in the U.S.
THE DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI
Directed by Lois Weber
(USA, 1916, 112 min., silent with musical soundtrack)
Friday, March 17, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19, 5:00 p.m.
tion
nue
er of
d at
nts
This blended family comedy starts with 13-year-old Bastien,
whose parents’ various divorces have resulted in six stepsiblings. Constantly carrying their lives on their backs, the
children hatch a revolutionary plan: they’ll live in one place
and the grown-ups will be the ones rotating! Confronted
with how complicated they’ve made their kids’ lives, the
parents reluctantly agree. Even though nothing works out as
expected, they realize that a fragmented family can become
united in solidarity.
CÉSAR
PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW
Directed by Ido Haar
(Israel, 2015, 80 min.)
Sunday, March 12, 3:00 p.m.
This documentary celebrates the unlikely connection between
New Orleans-based singer Samantha Montgomery and
Israeli composer Kutiman. Montgomery writes and sings
as Princess Shaw, posting videos on YouTube. Kutiman
discovers her and the two strangers begin to collaborate
across more than 7,000 miles. The film climaxes with an
exhilarating performance in Israel where Princess Shaw’s
emotional performances are showcased.
Community partner: Houston Museum of African American
Culture (HMAAC)
MARCEL PAGNOL’S
MARSEILLE TRILOGY
Directed by Marcel Pagnol
(France, 1936, 142 min., in French with English subtitles)
Sunday, March 26, 5:00 p.m.
Fanny’s son, Césariot, is now in a military academy, and
Panisse is on his deathbed, where the local priest demands
that he tell his son about his biological father. Fanny divulges
the secret, sending Césariot on a search for Marius, whose
life has been fraught with calamity and poverty. Now free to
follow her love, Fanny resolves their star-crossed destinies.
FIVE FUNNY FRENCH FILMS
The seventh annual edition of this film series will no doubt
prove to be as popular as ever. Avoid turn-away crowds by
purchasing your tickets early!
THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT
(LE TOUT NOUVEAU TESTAMENT)
Directed by Jaco Van Dormael
(Belgium/France/Luxembourg, 2015, 113 min.,
in French with English subtitles)
Saturday, April 1, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 8, 4:00 p.m.
Audience favorite Benoît Poelvoorde (My Worst Nightmare,
2013 Five Funny French Films) plays God as a mean-spirited,
pajama-wearing man who lives in an apartment in Brussels.
His daughter hacks into his computer and tries to fix the
mess her father has made of humanity, rounding up a motley
crew of apostles, including Catherine Deneuve, to instill a
more positive message in the world.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Museum
presents this restored treasure and landmark of women’s
cinema, directed by Lois Weber (1879–1939). Weber was
the first American woman movie director of note. By 1916
she had established herself as a top director, making her
the highest-paid filmmaker in the world. In the first blockbuster ever directed by a woman, world-famous ballerina/
choreographer Anna Pavlova stars as Fenella, a mute fishergirl living in 17th-century Naples. When she is seduced and
abandoned by a Spanish nobleman, Fenella’s brother incites
a revolution as a result of this betrayal and the oppression of
their people. The Dumb Girl of Portici has been restored by
the Library of Congress and An Affair with Film. Music score
by John Sweeney.
Generous funding is provided by L’Alliance Française de Houston;
Ms. Melanie Gray and Mr. Mark Wawro; Franci Neely; and Nina
and Michael Zilkha.
Marcel Pagnol is one of the most prolific artists in the early
years of cinema and his defining works appear in a brand-new
4K restoration: the epic Marseille Trilogy, a heartwarming
saga of love, labor, and good food in 1930s France. The series
follows young barkeep Marius (Pierre Fresnay) who is in love
with the cockle monger Fanny (Orane Demazis), but cannot
quell his wanderlust. Over the years, their romance plays out
amidst many provincial characters, like Marius’s father César
(Raimu), who struggles to keep his family and community
together, and Honoré Panisse (Fernand Charpin), the aged
widower vying for Fanny’s hand.
KING OF JAZZ
Directed by John Murray Anderson
(USA, 1930, 98 min.)
Friday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 16, 5:00 p.m.
ONE MAN AND HIS COW (LA VACHE)
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE (LA LOI DE LA JUNGLE)
Directed by Antonin Peretjatko
(France, 2016, 99 min., in French with English subtitles)
Friday, March 31, 7:00 p.m.
When Marc Châtaigne (Vincent Macaigne) snags an internship with the French government, he is surprised to learn
that his assignment is to launch a ski resort in tropical French
Guyana. Naturally, everything that could go wrong goes
wrong and an encounter with local guerillas propels Marc
Directed by Mohamed Hamidi
(France, 2016, 91 min., in French and Arabic with
English subtitles)
Saturday, April 1, 9:15 p.m.
Fatah, an Algerian farmer, dreams of entering his beloved
cow Jacqueline in the Agricultural Show in Paris. When he
receives the precious invitation, he leaves his country for the
first time, takes a ferry to Marseille, and crosses the whole of
France on foot. Between making new friends and encountering some unwelcome surprises, Fatah and Jacqueline
have an unexpected and very tender adventure.
This long-lost 1930 musical revue from Universal Pictures
finds new life thanks to one of the most elaborate restoration
projects in film history. Its restoration is in part due to its cult
status; it is safe to say that King of Jazz is finally getting the
rapturous reception it was denied for more than 80 years.
Starring legendary jazz bandleader Paul Whiteman and
soon-to-be-superstar Bing Crosby, and pairing elaborate
production numbers with classic tunes from figures like
George Gershwin, King of Jazz is a fascinating Technicolor
time capsule from the big-band era.
A lavishly illustrated companion book, King of Jazz: Paul Whiteman’s
Technicolor Revue by James Layton and David Pierce, is on view
in the Museum’s Hirsch Library.