Program is subject to change
FILMS BY DATE AND TIME
~~~~ MAP ~~~~
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
OPENING NIGHT
JOHN JAMES AUDOBON: Drawn from Nature
Dir: Lawrence Hott
Producers: Lawrence Hott and Diane Garey
The film follows John James Audubon’s (1785 – 1851) life from Haiti, to France, to the United States where he began the study of natural history and drawing and painting birds. He painted, catalogued, and described the birds of North America and after many trials and tribulations, published the famous Birds of America.
Following the film Tom Rusert co-founder of sonomabirding.org will speak
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
6:30PM - Reception
7:00PM – Film
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
$10/ $8 seniors/Students free
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DRINK UP
DE BARES
DIR: Mario Iglesias
Producer: Mario Iglesias, Angeles Estévez, Daniel Froiz
CAST: Javier Albalá, Emma Álvarez León, Nancho Novo, Javier Puig , Jesús Cabrero, Rosa Álvarez , Atilano Franco, Anxo Vicente Torres, Santi Prego
91 Minutes, 2006, Spain
www.debares.com.es
Mario Iglesias takes a simple premise and with true independent spirit, makes a film with the simplest of means.
Óscar, stops into a bar to wait for his girlfriend. The walls of the bar are packed with framed photographs. Óscar asks the bar man about the photos, and he answers that they are customer’s photographs, friends of theirs, and common people who brought the photographs to contribute to the local tavern’s decoration.
The pictures are the door to a series of vignettes about people that could be familiar to us. Someone that cross the street, some drug dealers playing cards, some workmates having a drink in a bar… In short: everyone lives the way they have to.
And then, in every case, always something happens...
ORANGE FOX by Jonny Pumfrey
This ethically produced animation features one of England's most talked about animals. From the rabbit to the cub, the activist to the hunter; an extraordinary cast of characters emerges from the political theatre surrounding this controversial creature of the English countryside.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2 - 8:45PM
Sonoma Valley Woman's Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
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BUDDHA'S LOST CHILDREN
DIR: Mark Verkerk
Producer: EMS Films, Pim van Collem
Cinematographer: Rene Heljin
Music: Somtow Sucharitik
97 Minutes, 2006, Netherlands
www.buddhaslostchildren.com
In the borderlands of Thailand's Golden Triangle, a rugged region known for its drug smuggling and impoverished hill tribes, one man devotes himself to the welfare of the region's children.
A former Thai boxer, turned Buddhist monk, Phra Khru Bah Neua Chai Kositto (aka the Tiger Monk), travels widely on horseback, fearlessly dispensing prayers, health care, education and tough love to villagers far from the protection and support of governments or non-governmental organizations.
With his Golden Horse Temple he's built an orphanage, school and clinic - a haven for the children of the region, who see him as a shaman, father figure and coach.
Stunning cinematography, intimate filmmaking and a compelling story make this film an extraordinary experience of a hidden realm. BUDDHA'S LOST CHILDREN gives the term "grassroots Buddhism" new meaning, and in the end it's the children's journey we share.
Director Mark Verkerk gained unprecedented access to film this intimate and dramatic story over the course of a year on location in Thailand. Filmed on high definition digital video.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2 - 8:45PM
OUTDOORS UNDER THE STARS ~ General Vallejo’s Home Field
On Spain Street behind Burlingame Hall
Admission: $10
Picnics are welcome. Please no outside alcohol. Wine sold by the glass.
~~~~FRIDAY, AUGUST 3~~~~
¡SALUD!
DIR: Connie Field
Producer: Connie Field and Gail Reed
CAST: Jerzy Stuhr, Sheila Knox, Sarah Miles, Dog Molly,
93 Minutes, 2007, USA
www.saludthefilm.net
A timely examination of human values and the health issues that affect us all, ¡Salud! looks at the curious case of Cuba, a cash-strapped country with what the BBC calls ‘one of the world’s best health systems.’ From the shores of Africa to the Americas, !Salud!hits the road with some of the 28,000 Cuban health professionals serving in 68 countries, and explores the hearts and minds of international medical students in Cuba -- now numbering 30,000, including nearly 100 from the USA. Their stories plus testimony from experts around the world bring home the competing agendas that mark the battle for global health—and the complex realities confronting the movement to make healthcare everyone’s birth right.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 - 4:30PM
Burlingame Hall - 252 W Spain St
Admission $8
Followed by short discussion with invited guests
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TO PLAY AND TO FIGHT
DIR: Alberto Arvelo
Producer: Igor Lanz, Nestor Lopez-Duran, Pedro Mezquita Arcaya
Screenwriter: Carlos Diaz, Alberto Arvelo
Cinematographer: Cezary Jaworski, John Marquez (II)
Editor: Nascuy Linares, Juan Carlos Lopez-Duran
Music: Nascuy Linares
70 Minutes, 2006, Venezuela
www.tocaryluchar.com
This film is a testament to the transformative power of music and its ability to promote positive social change. The Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System, an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuela’s towns and villages, is designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music. Incredible as it may seem, the system has become one of the most important and beautiful social phenomena in modern history. The film portrays the inspirational stories of world class musicians trained by the Venezuelan system, including the Berlin Philharmonic’s youngest player Edicson Ruiz and world renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
To Play And To Fight is a model that we in America should strive to adopt.
FRIDAY AUGUST 3RD 6PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
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SHOW ME THE WAY, IXABEL
DIRS: Fernando Bernués, Mireia Gabilondo
Producer: Eneko Olasagasti, Unai Ibarbia
Screenwriter: Carlos Zabala, Nagore Aramburu, Joxean Sagastizabal
Cinematographer: Gaizka Bouryeau
Music: Iñaki Salvador
CAST: Mikel Losada, Ainere Tolosa, Mireia Gabilondo, Iñake Irastorza, José Luis Ugartemendia
97 Minutes, 2007, Spain
A Spanish college student from San Sebastian decides to do a “home stay” with a Basque family in the mountains in order to learn conversational “Basque.” He learns much more as he confronts the traditions of these wholesome people... and falls in love with his host families charming daughter Ixabel.
The family consists of the father, the grandmother and four children. On the one hand are the linguistic problems, and on the other our star's lack of savvy in this new rural world. Although the sensual Ixabel, the youngest daughter in the family, awakens feelings previously unknown to him, she already has a partner in Anjel Mari, a handsome pelota ace. The film’s climax occurs at the village celebrations where we are treated to a magnificent pelota game, bets, dances, and the way personal relationships are formed; or in other words, who goes out with who. He also discovers the surprises, pleasures and downsides of life in the country. Entirely filmed in Basque, this is the movie version of the enormously successful novel by Josean Sagistizabal and first feature by Fernando Bernués and Mireia Gabilondo.
Wines by the glass and several authentic dishes from the Basque region are available for purchase at the Festival Café from 7PM - 9PM
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 - 6:30PM
Burlingame Hall - 252 W Spain St
Admission: $8
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DILL, CALIFORNIA
DIR: Alden Olmsted
Producer: Drive Fast, Take Chances
Music: Trey Xavier
CAST: Alden Olmsted, Emily Bringer, Scott McLallen, Jessica Berry
73 Minutes, 2006, USA
First - time director Alden Olmsted also wrote, acted in, edited and produced this "dry comedy" set in the fictional town of "Dill, California." With an ensemble cast and an earthy and eclectic soundtrack, "Dill, California" tells the story of a failed break-up that turns instead into a sweet story about a man and a town one step away from greatness. Beginning at sunrise and leading through a long, hot summer day, the hero finds himself questioning not only his relationship with his girlfriend, but also his place in life, his future, and the validity of staying or going. Soundtrack includes Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chuck Prophet, Shannon Ferry, and more.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 - 7:30PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $10
Followed by Q&A
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GHOSTS OF THE HEARTLAND
DIR: Allen Blumberg
Producer: Allen Blumberg, Allen Blumberg
Screenwriter: Allen Blumberg (The New Americans; God's Payroll; Murder in America)
Cinematographer: Antoine Vivas Denisov (Four Corners of Suburbia)
Editor: Emily Paine (Troth (academy award))
Music: Tom Hiel
CAST: Phil Moon (Deadwood; Big Lebowski), Michael Santoro (Scent of a Woman; Three Days of Rain; Sopranos), Rosanne Ma (Anna Mae Wong (the play)), Bill Cain (King Lear; Long Days Journey), Karen Tsen Lee (West Wing; Law and Order), Dan Grimaldi (Sopranos), Karen Tsen Lee
81 Minutes, 2006, U S A
In this exciting independent feature we are thrown in to the world of the 1950's middle America. Conservatism, conformity, McCarthyism and paranoia are the order of the day. Roland Lu, a successful reporter who left town as a young man returns to Millville only to discover that the town has changed… and not for the best.
The 'red scare' of the 50's plays into the hands of the town's rich and powerful who take advantage of the climate of fear for their personal gain. The property of long-time Chinese Americans is under siege as the townsfolk conspire to confiscate their homes.
Director Allen Blumberg has fashioned a compelling drama of Americana that stylistically matches its setting and time… it shot in beautiful black and white with period cars and small town settings.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 - 7:30PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $10
Followed by Q&A
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NOBODY IS PERFECT
DIR: Joaquín Oristrell
CAST: FERNANDO TEJERO Carlos (the blind person) JOSE LUIS GARCIA PEREZ Dani (the cripple) SANTI MILLAN Ruben (the deaf person) TERESA HURTADO Patricia MERCE MARTINEZ Yolanda AVIER COROMINA David MIREIA ROS Juzge
105 Minutes, 2006, Spain
Another hit from one our most favorite Catalan directors, Joaquín Oristrell, who brought us the WCFF hit “Unconscious.”
A comedy with a difference, focusing on characters with a difference, “Nobody Is Perfect” is the story of three fun-loving guys – one blind (Charlie), one deaf (Ruben) and one lame (Danny) – who plan a wild night out on the town to celebrate Charlie’s marriage the following morning. Over the course of that night their lives each take an unexpected turn as they come to the realisation that their physical handicaps are insignificant in comparison to their emotional handicaps.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 - 8:45PM
OUTDOORS UNDER THE STARS ~ General Vallejo’s Home Field
On Spain Street behind Burlingame Hall
Admission: $10/ $8 seniors
Picnics are welcome. Please no outside alcohol. Wine sold by the glass
~~~~SATURDAY, AUGUST 4~~~~
SHORT FILM PROGRAM
The LARK SNARE
by Patrick Mehaffy with Scott Harrison, Jenny Garbrielle, Christophoer Dempsey
The Civil War is over and Sara Walker, alone on a farm in Texas, waits for her husband to return from the broken Confederate army. When a soldier finally does arrive, he's wounded, exhausted and wearing the tattered blue rags of a Federal uniform...
POP FOUL
By Moon Molson with Sekou Laidlow, Danielle K. Thomas, Steven Clark
When a young boy heading home from Little League game sees his father take a “beat down” from a local thug, the pair enters into a secretive pact designed to hide the disturbing incident from the boy's mother.
INDISCREET
By Stephanie Carwin with Stephanie Carwin, Giovannie Pico
This short is the story of two women who arrive at the international terminal, both traveling alone and looking to forge a new chapter in their lives with their respective journeys.
DEAR LEMON LIMA
By Suzi Yoonessi wih Miles Thompson, Ellen Hornberger, Samantha Futterman,
A lonely girl with a vivid imagination struggles to plant seeds of love after her narcissistic sweetheart breaks her heart.
SATRUDAY, AUGUST 4 – 12NOON
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
Followed by a Q&A
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WITHOUT YOU
SIN TI
DIR: Raimon Masllorens
PRODS: Raimon Masllorens, Loris Omedes
Screenwriter: Alicia Luna
Cinematographer: Mimmo Pizzigallo
CAST: Ana Fernández; Pep Munné; Carolina Pfaffenbauer; Quim Gutiérrez; Clara Segura; Josep Julien
www.notrofilms.com
SPAIN 97 MINUTES
This story is about the overwhelming power of chance, capable of changing your life. No one thinks about going blind but after an accident in the bath, Lucia learns from her doctor that she is. Suddenly she feels she is dying and depression strikes when she returns home from the hospital. No longer will she be able to paint, nor will she watch her children grow up. Most importantly she no longer will be able to flee from a life she has come to hate. The film has a courageous screenplay in which every sentence, and every set counts. Can she find the strength to start her life again and what does starting again mean?
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 – 1:00PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $8
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GRANNY D GOES TO WASHINGTON
Dir/Producer: Alidra Solday
This film chronicles the extraordinary story of New Hampshire great grandmother, Doris Haddock, affectionately known as Granny D - who, at the age of 89, undertook a year-long 3,200 mile walk from California to Washington, D.C. to ignite public attention to the need to reform America's campaign finance laws. Doris walked 10 miles a day through desert storms, all knds of weather and obstacles to meet fellow citizens and talk about the issue closest to her heart. Shot in various parts of the U.S. and in Washington, D.C. the film concludes with footage of Doris's run in New Hampshire for the U.S. Senate at age 94. Preceeded by ZACK’S MACHINE by Ken Sheetz. People were not the only ones to lose loved ones on 9/11. The big story about a little New York dog who must survive alone without food or water in an apartment when her master goes missing in the WTC disaster.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 – 1:45PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
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MOTIONS OF THE TAO
Dir: Stefan Nitoslawski
A rare look at Taoism, one of the world’s great faith traditions. This colorful documentary examines the traditional practices taught in Taoist temples. The program explores how through ritual ceremonies and techniques such as tai chi or meditation Taoist spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of health, both of mind and body. A panel of taijiquan instructors from the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA will discuss their practice of Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts and methods.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 2:30PM
Sonoma Woman’s Club - 574 First Street East
$5 donation
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LOST SOULS
Producer: Natalie Sanderson , Sumnima Udas
Screenwriter: Natalie Sanderson, Sumnima Udas
Cinematographer: Ranjan Palit
Editor: Guido Stadelmann
Music: Anil Shahi (Stock Music = Manose Singh)
CAST: Jurgen Schick, Dinesh Mulmi, James Giambrone, Lok Chitrakar (Tulsi Diwas), Sangita Maharjan (Mukundo Raj Aryal), Sapna Joshi (Preeti Joshi)
57 Minutes, 2007, Nepal
Since the 1950s, when Nepal first opened its doors to the outside world, the majority of Nepal's sacred art, have been removed from its temples and sold on the international art market, in spite of Unesco and several other international regulations. Dislocated from their original contexts, these images of Gods and Goddesses no longer function as tangible manifestations of a divine being, instead they are aestheticized as objects of curiosity or fine art, admired for their artistic brilliance and iconographic complexity. The divine presence of Gods and Goddesses ceases to exist as they are transported abroad and sold as art, displayed in private collections and public institutions.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 3:30PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
574 First Street East Sonoma
$8
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THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
DIR: Faith Morgan
Producer: Faith Morgan, Pat Murphy, Megan Quinn
53 Minutes, 2006, USA
www.powerofcommunity.org
Cuba's economy crashed when the USSR collapsed in 1990. With imports of oil cut in half and food imports by 80 percent, people were desperate. In this fascinating and empowering film, Cubans tell their story of hardships, creativity and community, of going from mechanized to organic farming and urban gardens, and from an industrial country to a more sustainable one. The film opens with an explanation of Peak Oil, the time when world oil production will reach its maximum. Cuba, having faced a similar crisis - is a hopeful example.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 3:15PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $8
Followed by short discussion on greening our communities
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RIPE FOR CHANGE
DIR: Emiko Omori
Producer: Emiko Omori
Screenwriter: Emiko Omori
Cinematographer: Michael Chin
Editor: Wendy Blair Slick
Music: Larry Oatfield
Narrator: Linda Hunt
55 Minutes, 2006, USA
www.californiadreamseries.org/rfc-chars.htm
This fascinating documentary explores the intersection of food and politics in California over the last 30 years. It illuminates the complex forces struggling for control of the future of California's agriculture, and provides provocative commentary by a wide array of eloquent farmers, prominent chefs, and noted authors and scientists. The film examines a host of thorny questions: What are the trade-offs between the ability to produce large quantities of food versus the health of workers, consumers, and the planet? What are the hidden costs of "inexpensive" food? How do we create sustainable agricultural practices?
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 4:15PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
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INVISIBLES
DIRS: Mariano Barroso, Isabel Coixet, Javier Corcuera, Fernando León de Aranoa, Wim Wenders
Producer: Javier Bardem
Screenwriter: Mariano Barroso, Isabel Coixet, Fernando Leon de Aranoa
Editor: Mathilde Bonnefoye
Sound: Andrew Amondoso
107 Minutes, 2006
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is pleased to present "Invisibles", a film produced by renowned Spanish actor Javier Bardem, at the 2007 Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival.
Inspired by the international humanitarian work of MSF, Spanish actor Javier Bardem worked with the organization to produce a film which highlights five neglected humanitarian crises taken from MSF's yearly "Top Ten" list of underreported humanitarian crisis’. Each topic is addressed in a separate short film, shot by different directors, creating the five-part film "Invisibles."
Mariano Barroso’s "Bianca's Dream" looks at the dual role of eflornithine, a drug used as a beauty product in wealthy nations, but which is needed to treat Sleeping Sickness in Central Africa. Isabel Coixet’s "Letters to Nora," examines how the parasitic disease Chagas afflicting her family in Bolivia affects a young woman working in Madrid.
Javier Corcuera travels to Colombia in "Voices of the Stones," where he documents a group of people by the ongoing violence in that country as they try to return to their rural homes. Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s "Good Night, Ouma," examines the ongoing crises of the "night commuters" and child soldiers in northern Uganda.
Acclaimed director Wim Wenders looks into the wide-spread problem of sexual violence and how it is affecting victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This dynamic film gives audiences the chance to encounter situations MSF's medical teams face every day, and helps shed some light on these forgotten humanitarian crises.
Doctors Without Borders In Person for Film and Symposium on “World Health”.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 5:15PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
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THIRST
DIR: Alan Snitow
Producer: Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman
Screenwriter: Alan Snitow
Editor: Kenji Yamamoto
Cinematographer: Vicente Franco
Music: Fred Frith
65 Minutes, 2003
www.pbs.org/pov/thirst
Water... One of the most vital issues today, yet it is frequently overlooked in favor of more “dramatic” environmental crisis’. This film is as much about corporate domination as it is about environmental concerns.
Is water part of a shared "commons," a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace? "Thirst" tells the stories of communities in Bolivia, India, and the United States that are asking these fundamental questions.
Over a billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Each year, millions of children die of diseases caused by unsafe water. The numbers are increasing.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 6:00PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
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SHADOW PEOPLE
DIR: Keith Coulouris
Producer: Keith Coulouris, Karen Toronjo, David Schrader
Screenwriter: Keith Coulouris
Cinematographer: Rory King
Editor: Keith Coulouris
Music: CAST: Lee Spencer, Kaela Dobkin, Keith Coulouris, Lesli Kay, Jay Acavone, Bob Sampson
96 Minutes, 2007, U S A
Actor - writer Keith Coulouris directs his first feature with a sure hand, digging in to the darker side of emotional connections of our relationships.
"Shadow People" is a gritty relationship drama with a European feel. The story revolves around a couple, Dan and Gretchen, in a failing relationship with a dark and secretive past.
Sexuality and mystery infuse this story about the complexities that arise when people are forced to face the hidden truths about themselves and their partner. The movie also explores what happens when a relationship is tested with pain and loss.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 7:15PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Followed by Q&A with attending filmmakers
Admission $10
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FICTION - Ficcion
DIR: Cesc Gay
Producer: Marta Esteban and Gerardo Herrero
Screenwriter: Cesc Gay and Tomás Aragay
Music: Nick Cave, Chopin, Mahler, Carmargo, Outsider
CAST: Eduard Fernandez, Javier Cámara, Montse Germán, Carme Pla, Ágata Roca
107 Minutes, 2006, Spain
High in the Catalan Pyrenees two people experience the atemporality of romantic feelings. While spending a few days with a friend in a small mountain village, Alex, a 39 year old married man who is seeking a change to finish his screenplay, meets Monica who is also in a stable relationship in far away Madrid.
Director Gay surrounds the central relationship with others, including a man in his late thirties having an affair with a 55-year-old married woman, a lesbian friend who appears to change partners regularly, and the decision of the heterosexual man and the lesbian woman to have a baby together based on their friendly affection, even though they don't have any plans to live together.
Central to the story is the idea that between a man and a woman there can only be love or chaste friendship and, since 'love' is a homogeneous concept that includes all forms of attraction and desire, it is incompatible with other loves. Or is it?
Certainly, in the midst of present cultural discourses which increasingly celebrate the diversity of desire and sexual equality, this film is unusual, especially for a European 'art film'. As Astaire and Rogers would put it, this is a fine romance.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 - 8:45PM
OUTDOORS UNDER THE STARS ~ General Vallejo’s Home Field
On Spain Street behind Burlingame Hall
Admission: $10/ $8 seniors
Picnics are welcome. Please no outside alcohol. Wine sold by the glass
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20,000 MILES ON A HORSE
Producer: Tom Jennings
CAST: Louis Brunke, Vladimir Fissenko
118 Minutes, 2006, U S A
Epic is not a strong enough word to describe this story.
Two young men – an American and a Russian – set off on an adventure that most people would consider crazy – travel from the southern tip of Argentina to the northernmost point of Alaska… on horseback. This film chronicles the record-setting quest of Louis Brunhnke and Vladimir Fissenko – two articulate, brash adventurers determined to ride the length of the Americas – a feat never before attempted. If successful, the journey would be the longest ride on horseback – ever.
The film details the pair’s arduous five-year odyssey across 14 countries. Along the way, they dodged the bullets of rebel armies, negotiated passage with drug cartel warlords, survived killer storms and were nearly stoned to death by drunken villagers who believed they were evil spirits.
Best of all, Louis and Vladimir documented every aspect of their journey on video, in still photographs, on audiotapes and in journals – remarkable moments from practically uncharted lands that until now have never been seen.
From suffering severe injuries far from medical care, to nearly starving, being lost for weeks and being forced to wait for months at border crossings, the pair’s five years on the trail covers the gamut of human experience and emotion.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 11:00AM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
Followed by Q&A with attending filmmaker
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GOD WEARS MY UNDERWEAR
Dir: Leslie Streit
Prods: Leslie Streit, Robin McCain
Lavinia has been haunted all her life by dreams about people and places she has never experienced. As she stands waiting for a train, she ponders her confusion about her sexuality and her stange belief that she is the reincarnation of a Tibetan Monk who was saw the rise of Nazism in the 1930’s.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 – 1PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
Followed by Q&A with filmmakers
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DRIVING WITH MY WIFE’S LOVER
DIR: Tai-sik Kim
Producer: Yun-jin Lee
Screenwriter: Jun-han Kim, Tai-sik Kim
Cinematographer: Sun-bong Jang
Editor: Sung-won Ham
Music: Yong-jin Jeong
CAST: Kwang-jung Park, Bo-suk Jung, Eun-ji Cho
92 Minutes, 2006, Korea
This beautifully shot and directed stylish road movie about a vengeful husband who is certain his wife is cheating on him, blossoms into a deeply felt study of loneliness and the need for love. Wrapped up in elegant visuals and with adroitly applied shots of absurdist humor, the film is a sparkling debut for director and co – scripter Kim Tai-sik.
After realizing that his wife has been cheating on him, mild-mannered stamp maker Tae-han leaves his small seaside town of Naksan determined to track down his wife's lover, a taxicab driver from Seoul named Joong-sik. Far more than just a quirky road trip through South Korea, the movie is an intricately crafted character study that paints an intimate and vivid picture while remaining refreshingly simple at its core. With pitch-perfect performances by the leading men, the story emerges as an enlightening, good-humored commentary on the male condition and how loving and being loved are so critical to self-perception.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 1:00PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $8
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WE FEED THE WORLD
DIR: Erwin Wagenhofer
96 Minutes
In one of the most powerful, yet surprisingly rarely seen, We Feed The World is a brilliant look at the consequences of a globalized food industry. It is patently clear that starvation needs not occur, except for the need to protect the bottom line of multinational corporations. You may never eat another Nestlé product!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 2:15PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
Followed by Q&A
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3055 JEAN LEON
DIR: Agustí Vila
Producer: Loris Omedes
Cinematographer: Xavier Gil, David Omedes, Diego Dussuel
Editor: Ernest Blasi
Music: Ian Briton
CAST: ROBERT WAGNER, DENNIS HOPPER, WARREN COWAN, BARBARA RUSH, MICHELLE PHILLIPS, PAUL NEWMAN, ANGIE DICKINSON, DAN TANA, ROBERT LOGGIA, MIGUEL A. TORRES, ROBERT BALZER, JEAN A. LEON
93 Minutes, 2006, Spain
This true story of a legend who recreated himself many times over. We feature not only this great film, but the WINES of Jean Leon from the Pinedés in Catalunya.
Ceferino Carrion fled Spain as a stowaway. When he reached LA, he was Jean Leon: a man who constantly transformed himself. Who was he? Was he Jean the taxi driver? Or Jean, Frank Sinatra's trusted waiter? Jean Leon…,owner of the legendary La Scala Restaurant? Jean…, the provider of Marilyn Monroe's last meal? Or Jean, the man who stole French vines to create one of Spain's best wines? His life is the stuff of fiction, recounted here by Paul Newman, Robert Wagner, Michelle Phillips, Dennis Hopper and others.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 2:00PM
Burlingame Hall - 252 W Spain St
Admission $8
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NOMADAK TX
DIR: Raúl De la Fuente
Producer: Igor Otxoa
Cinematographer: Raúl De la Fuente
Editor: Raúl De la Fuente
Music: Harkaitz Mtez. de San Vicente
86 Minutes, 2006, Spain
www.nomadatx.com
A musical and cultural extravaganza, Nomadak is pure Basque in its substance and style. The txalaparta is a unique musical instrument played by two people. The music resulting from this union doesn't belong to either of them, but instead to the idea of them joining together and communicating.With this instrument, two musician travel to the north of India, to Laponia, to Mongolia and to the Sahara desert. The txalaparta becomes then a place where new things are born through musical dialogue.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 2:45PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $8
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WRATH OF GODS
DIR: Jon Gustafsson
Producer: Jon Gustafsson, Karolina Lewicka
Cinematographer: Jon Gustafsson
Music: Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson
CAST: Gerard Butler, Stellan Skarsgard, Sarah Polley, Sturla Gunnarsson, Paul Stephens
71 Minutes, 2006, Canada, Iceland
When Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson and his crew set upon Iceland to film Beowulf & Grendel in 2004, they expected the usual complications involved in making a movie, but what they encountered made them wonder if the Norse gods were actually working against them. In the vein of “Lost In La Mancha” “Wrath of Gods” is a filmmaker’s odyssey of hardship and passion.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 4:00PM
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
Followed by Q&A
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CHOKING MAN
DIR: Steve Barron
Producer: Joshua Zeman, Zachary Mortensen, Steve Barron
Screenwriter: Steve Barron
Cinematographer: Antoine Vivas-Denison
CAST: Octavio Gómez, Eugenia Yuan, Aaron Paul, Mandy Patinkin
83 Minutes, 2006, USA
Unusual, layered and brave, this intense blend of psychological drama and magical realism unfolds at the Olympic Diner in multicultural Queens, NY, where Jorge, a shy dishwasher, is caught between his Ecuadorian roots and new American life. The film brilliantly captures the emotional claustrophobia and almost literal asphyxiation experienced by immigrants in America as they struggle to fit in.
Jorge (Octavio Gomez, also seen in “Adrift in Manhattan” - WCFF 07) suffers from a pathological shyness so crippling that it has almost fractured his personality. He barely speaks during the day, but at night, in his lonely, run down apartment, the angry voices in his head take the shape of an older, domineering roommate who condemns his every thought and action. At work, Jorge is continually tormented by Jerry, an effortlessly verbal short order cook, who mocks him unkindly. Amy, the diner's new Chinese waitress, notices his mute despair. She becomes his champion, although he is barely able to respond to her overtures. Meanwhile, life at the diner, the world in microcosm, continues. Owner Rick, wonderfully played by a Greek-accented Mandy Patinkin, always has the last word with pithy aphorisms and pointed stories. On Wednesdays the chef makes his special fish stew… and suddenly there's a chance for Jorge to make a difference.
With Writer-director-producer Steve Barron
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 4:00PM
Burlingame Hall - 252 W Spain St
Admission $8
Followed by Q&A
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BLUE DAYS
DIR: Miguel Santesmases
Producer: Gerardo Herrero, Carlos Amoedo
Screenwriter: Antón Casariego, Martín Casariego
Cinematographer: Alfonso Parra
Editor: Carmen Frías Music: Mario de Benito, Nacho Mastretta
CAST: Óscar Jaenada, Javier Pereira , Javier Ríos, María Castro
100 Minutes, 2006, Spain
Representing Galicia (north west corner of Iberian peninsula) in Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival 's unique “Paseo de España™” Blue Days (Dias Azules) is set in the bars, beaches and countryside of the Galician coast around El Ferrol, A Coruña. Here is another take on the theme of family relationships, which are commonly found in Catalan cinema as well. (see WCFF '07 -Nobody's Perfect, Fiction and Education of a Fairy.) It is a comedy with an underlying element of tragedy and conflict… perhaps a representation of Spain's historic circumstances.
Galicia. Summer, some time in the 80's. Three brothers, Boris, Carlos and Álex, are very close to one another. Carlos, 26, is in charge of the family business. Boris, the eldest, is a loose cannon and emotionally immature. Alex, the youngest at 23, has just returned from the US having completed his Fulbright Scholarship. These days taste bittersweet: they arrive in Ferrol to spend their last weekend there, because they are forced to sell off the family house where they spent all of their summers as kids.
Each brother has a unique personality and in this film we see how their uniqueness motivates their actions, especially after a tragic incident.
We jump forward to some years later, and again the brothers reunite in the Galician coastal town. Blue Days is a coming of age story with heart avoiding the pitfall of sentimentality.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 4:30PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $8
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PAPUA
Western Papua is the Western half of the Island of New Guinea. It lies just 250km north of Australia and is the second largest Island in the world. Most of the interior highlands are mountainous and covered in primary rainforests and is rich in natural resources. Since 1967 Act of ''Free'' Choice, 200,000 West Papuans have been killed or gone missing. The documentary looks at the Indonesian military and the involvement of the UN during the passing of the Act. It also looks at the economic interests of the US and UK owned companies in West Papua; notably the Giant Freeport Copper and Gold mine which makes over 1 million dollars a day profit.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 5PM
Sonoma Valley Woman's Club - 574 1st St East
Admission $8
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DRINKERS OF THE WIND
DIR: Michael Caruana
Producer: Michael Caruana
Screenwriter: Michael Caruana
Editor: Michael Rand
CAST: Michael Caruana, Diane Ellis-Caruana
16 Minutes, 2006, USA
This film on Arabian horses, will thrill animal lovers, capture the imagination of those new to Arabian horses, bring smiles to the faces of horse owners; and educate as well as entertain the audience.
Learn about the fantastic 3500 years of history of the Arabian horse. Find out what makes an Arabian horse different from other horse breeds. See them in full flight with tails flying high and necks arched in majestic, natural flowing motion.
Watch with fascination as a baby is born. Then see these beautiful creatures stand up for the first time and witness their rapid development.
Learn about their growth and training into beautiful riding horses that always seem to be showing off to all those interested in seeing them work. You will leave this brief but information packed film, entertained, and with a thirst to know more about these amazing horses, the oldest breed in the world.
Followed by Q&A with filmmaker
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 6:00PM
Burlingame Hall - 252 W Spain St
Admission $8
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STOLEN HOLIDAYS
DIR: Olivier Peyon
Producer: Edgard Tenembaum, Gérard Lacroix
Screenwriter: Olivier Peyon, Cyril Brody
Cinematographer: Alexis Kavyrchine
Editor: Fabrice Rouaud
Music: Jérome Bayr, peermusic
CAST: Bernadette Lafont, Claude Brasseur, Adèle Csech, Lucas Franchi
90 Minutes, 2007, France
A superb performance from the veteran French New Wave actress Bernadette Lafont (The Mother and the Whore.) This is the story of Danielle who takes her grandchildren to the Swiss mountains on a spontaneous trip that results in fun and adventure.
Refusing to leave her grandchildren with a stranger, Danielle takes it upon herself to treat the children to a vacation. They embark to the Swiss mountains on a spontaneous trip that results in fun and adventure, but has devastatingly stark moments as well. As Danielle's behavior grows increasingly erratic, she eventually decides it would be impossible to return the children to their parents. The result is an intriguing story about love, growing old, and the generational complexities of family. (In French with English subtitles.)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - 6:30PM
Sonoma Community Center - 276 East Napa Street
Admission $8
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SCANDALOUS!
Director: Álvaro Begines
Producer: Gervasio Iglesias, José Antonio Félez
Cinematographer: Juan Carlos Gómez .
Screenwriters: Álvaro Begines, Miguel Ángel Carmona, Marcos Carnevale, José Antonio Félez
Editor: José María García Moyano
Cast: Lola Herrera, Raúl Arévalo, Antonio Dechent, Carlos Álvarez-Novoa, Manuel Morón, Ana Wagener, Alex O'Dogherty, María José Suárez.
Altafilms
100 minutes: 2007, Spain
This latest hit from Spain is a screwball musical comedy with a flamenco beat! The perfect movie for our closing night festivities.
In a single day, Luis is abandoned by the three women in his life: his stressed-out wife retires to a Buddhist center, his teenage daughter runs away in search of her boyfriend, and his mother, who was once a famous flamenco singer, jumps into a squatters van on its way to a beach gig. Desperate, Luis hires the services of a very special detective, Manolo, but in order to win his women back, he will first have to understand them.
Join us for authentic food and wine from Spain, traditional dancing from Andalucia and bid on the stunning two year old Arabian horse ready to ride at the 7:30PM auction.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 – Festivities start at 7PM * Film at 8:45PM
OUTDOORS UNDER THE STARS ~ General Vallejo’s Home Field
On Spain Street behind Burlingame Hall
Picnics are welcome. Please no outside alcohol. Wine sold by the glass
Admission: $15 includes a glass of Spanish wine
~~~~ADDED NIGHT SHOW - MONDAY AUGUST 6~~~~
THE EDUCATION OF FAIRIES
DIR: Jose Luis Cuerda
Producer: Gerardo Herrero, Paulo Branco and others
Screenwriter: Jose Luis Cuerda, Didier Van Cauwelaert (book)
Cinematographer: Hans Burmann
Editor: Nacho Ruiz Capillas
Music: Lucio Godoy
CAST: Ricardo Darin, Irene Jacob, Bebe, Victor Valdivia, Jordi Bosch
103 Minutes, 2006, Spain
Director José Luis Cuerda is serving up his two main passions at this years Festival… Film and Wine. We are pleased to present this wonderfully human drama AND his superb “Sanclodio” Galician wine from D.O. Ribeiro. He therefore represents THREE Regions in our Paseo de España: Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete), his birthplace, Catalunya, the setting of the film and Galicia.
The Education of Fairies, based on a hit French novel, is Cuerda's follow-up film to his Butterflies Tongue (La Lengua De las Mariposas) and it too expresses the transformational power of a the human imagination, one of our favorite themes as well.
Showcasing outstanding performances by Argentinian heart-throb Ricardo Darin as Nicolás, and the international luminary Irene Jacob as Ingrid, 8 year old Raul's widowed mother. She is an ornithologist from Belgium, currently conducting research on the wood pigeon migration through Catalunya. He is a toy inventor. They meet on a plane and fall for one another… including young Raul, who hopes for a new love for his mom and a dad for himself.
Set in the wooded mountains of El Montseny in the Catalan Pre-coastal Mountain Range of Girona, we can easily see why Raul's imagination runs so wild. The Education of Fairies is a love story saturated with complex human emotions and yearnings.
MONDAY AUGUST 6 – 8:45PM
OUTDOORS UNDER THE STARS ~ General Vallejo’s Home Field
On Spain Street behind Burlingame Hall
Picnics are welcome. Please no outside alcohol. Wine sold by the glass
Admission: $10 includes a glass of wine
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