Films from around the globe. The
Cine Club's program goes international in May. Franco-Lebanese, Canadian, British and Rumanian productions are side by side in the program prepared by the cinema association from
Alcala de Henares for the next four weeks. And as a special treat the Ministry of Culture will provide us with a screening through its Second of May Foundation.
The screening of
'El Dos de Mayo', a film from 1927 directed by
José Buchs of which 63 minutes have been recovered will be accompanied by live music played by the pianist
Javier Ruiz de Azpeitia. The screening is part of the season entitled
'The Second of May in the Cinema' and will be shown at the Teatro Salón Cervantes in Alcalá de Henares on
Sunday the 4th of May at 19:00. During the month the Cine Club will be alternating between the
Teatro Salón Cervantes (Cervantes, s/n) and the
Multicines Cisneros cinema (Plaza de los Santos Niños, 5) where the feature films in the program will be screened.
The standard programming of the month will kick off on the
7th and 8th of May with
'Caramel', a film made in
Beirut, the capital of the Lebanon, by the director
Nadine Labaki. A social mural of the city seen through the windows of a beauty salon frequented by five women. Their
problems with men, femininity, sex and traditions are all topics that come up during their conversations held in the midst of a city touched by devastation. Labaki's debut serves up
agreeable individual insights and an aesthetic encouraging
optimism along with acting work lauded by the critics.
Another first timer directs the next film to be screened on the
14th and 15th of May in the Multicines Cisneros cinema. Isabel Coixet's actress of choice,
Sarah Polley, moves behind the camera with
'Away from Her', a low-budget Canadian production based on a short story by
Alice Munro. Polley has taken on board the style of Coixet to create an
exciting debut work full of sensitivity and tenderness. A retired married couple have their comfortable existence turned upside down when Fiona is diagnosed with
Alzheimer. As a result of her ever deteriorating state, she voluntarily decides to enter a residence. A series of events will end up destabilizing her long-suffering husband Grant. The phenomenal work of the two stars,
Julie Christie -nominated for best actress at the last Oscar ceremony- and
Gordon Pinsent, underpin a film overflowing with
emotion and surprises.
After screening the debut works of two filmmakers, the Cine Club turns its attention to a veteran of the silver screen on the
21st and 22nd of May (Multicines Cisneros).
Political and social cinema is the true domain of
Ken Loach. His latest feature film belongs to the same genre.
'It's a Free World…', won best script at the last Venice Film Festival. Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain co-produced the latest instalment of provocation and commitment from this well-known agitator. It is backed by
Paul Laverty's script and focusses on
labour relations, immigration and capitalism. Following a series of setbacks in their working lives, Angie and Rose decide to open a temporary work agency for immigrants. The nature of their new situation is set to turn their staunchly defended belief systems upside down.
Cine Club will then return to the Teatro Salón Cervantes to bring May's programme to a close. And on a high note with a film recognized by the most prestigious awards. The brilliant trajectory of
'4 months, 3 weeks & 2 days' was capped with the Golden Palm at Cannes. This
disturbing drama directed by Rumanian filmmaker Christian Mungiu was one of the revelations of the season. And it did not go unnoticed by either the critics or the public at large. It depicts Rumania in the middle of the eighties in the dark days of
Ceausescu's dictatorship. The pretext of the director for his portrayal is the desire of a young girl to have an
abortion; an illegal and dangerous practice in those days.
All the screenings, with the exception of the official showing of 'El Dos de Mayo', will be held at the Cine Club's usual times,
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 18:30 and 21:00. The films will be screened in their
original version with subtitles. The price of tickets for members of the Cine Club is 1 euro and for non-members of the association they are 3 euros.
