Love world cinema but short on time? Love
to travel, but short on cash? On Nov. 29 and 30, BAMcinematek
will screen short films from around the world, culled from the
prestigious annual Clermont-Ferrand short film fest in France.
Curator Jonathan Howell told GO Brooklyn that he selects films
for the BAM series, now in its sixth year, that represent many
countries, styles, genres, and tones.
"The key word is ’variety,’" he explained.
Howell said he is expecting German filmmaker Peter Keller to
be on hand to introduce screenings of his wordless, black-and-white
experimental film "Shift," which is part of the "World
Shorts" program that opens the series on Nov. 29 at 7:30
pm. (A free reception follows. The same program repeats on Nov.
30 at 9:30 pm.)
Also part of the six-film "World Shorts" program is
Jonas Geirnaert’s animated "Flatlife" from Belgium.
His characters, who share the camaraderie and frustrations of
apartment living, will certainly seem familiar to many Brooklynites.
Howell’s second program is "Scandinavian Shorts," playing
on Nov. 29 at 9:30 pm and Nov. 30 at 7:30 pm.
"[Scandinavia] is a really fertile region. There’s a lot
of talent coming out of there," said Howell about why he
chose to highlight that geographic location this year. Among
the triumphs on his Scandi-flicks program is "Ferry-Go-Round,"
which Howell says he has been lobbying to get for BAM for two
years.
This Finnish film, directed by Aleksi Salmenpera, introduces
actress Minna Haapkyla (pictured, second from right) in the role
of Reetta, whose sister sends her on a 24-hour country music-themed
cruise to find a boyfriend. Haapkyla’s anguished work here is
hauntingly reminiscent of Emily Watson’s performance in Lars
Von Trier’s "Breaking the Waves."
Another series highlight is "Offside," Robert Naess’
Norwegian film that combines the absurdity of "Pulp Fiction,"
the unapologetic gore of "Fargo" and the suspense of
"The Shining" to tell the story of two addicts who
plot to wrestle a drug-peddling operation away from an elderly
woman.
BAMCinematek is located at 30 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place
in Fort Greene. Tickets are $10, $7 for students with ID and
seniors. For more information, call (718) 636-4100 or log on
to the Web site at www.bam.org.
