Inside the Arthouse: The Queen of My Dreams

Posted on by raphaelsbarge_lf2krp

Having premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, playing SXSW and many others, Fawzi Mirza’s luminous debut film, THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS, opens in theaters exploding with color and sound.

Set against the rich, stylish backdrop of 1969 Pakistan, THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS is a mother-daughter dramedy, that time-travels between generations to explore themes of cultural identity and family expectations.

At the center of the story is actress Amrit Kaur, who delivers an award-winning performance in dual roles as both mother and daughter—each navigating their own path between tradition and transformation.

Evoking the bold colors of classic Bollywood, THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS is vibrant, emotional, and infused with humor. This is a film that will resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled to reconcile family, where they come from, and who they really are.

Join us for our conversation with the writer-director, Fawzia Mirza, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…

 

Inside the Arthouse: Bad Shabbos

Posted on by raphaelsbarge_lf2krp

Did some say, “Comedy?” Right when we need it most, BAB SHABBOS is inviting you to dinner.

You didn’t have to be Greek to enjoy MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. So it stands to reason that you don’t need to be Jewish to enjoy BAD SHABBOS.

Winner of the Audience Award at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, BAD SHABBOS has found favor both with ticket buyers and critics, who have given the film a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Written by Daniel Robbins and Zach Weiner, and directed by Robbins, the film boasts a terrific cast including Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer, Milana Vayntrub and Cliff “Method Man” Smith.

Hollywood has largely abandoned comedy. But this indie gem more than fills the gap, providing laughs that take the familiarity of family getting together for a meal, and mines comic gold from a rather unexpected situation.

Writer-director Daniel Robbins joins us for a conversation about BAD SHABBOS, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…

Inside the Arthouse Ghost Trail

Posted on by Team Sbarge

Every Spring in New York City, Lincoln Center hosts Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. An eagerly awaited festival for lovers of French film. Of the films we saw, Jonathan Millet’s GHOST TRAIL, stood out as haunting, immersive and truly memorable.  

Millet has been a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker up till now, and this, his feature film debut is a spy thriller, based entirely on true events.  The filmmaking is remarkable, visceral, suspenseful–  a political thriller that seethes with tension.  

With a plot that recalls the best spy fiction of Graham Greene and John le Carre, GHOST TRAIL is that rare film that combines the thoughtfulness of an arthouse film with the dramatic tension of a Hollywood thriller.  

Add extraordinary performances from Adam Bessa and Tawfeek Barhom, makes GHOST TRAIL something you won’t  want to miss as it opens in theaters across the US.  

Join us, “on the road” at Lincoln Center, as we sit down for a conversation with Johnathan Millet, in INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.  

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: NORTHERN LIGHTS

Posted on by Team Sbarge

In the late 1970’s, when there was nothing like the indie film scene that we now take for granted, the film NORTHERN LIGHTS surprised the cinema world by winning the coveted Camera d’Or Award at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.  

NORTHERN LIGHTS has the feel of an old black and white photograph discovered in an attic. The bitter-sweet story of young lovers caught up in a political struggle waged by farmers against the grain trade, the banks and the railroads, NORTHERN LIGHTS brings back a forgotten era of American history and evokes the austere beauty of the Northern Plains. 

Called “The greatest movie you will never see,” this rare and remarkable film has been lovingly revived by a team lead by IndieCollect for a gorgeous 4K restoration, and is now being brought back to North American arthouses by Kino Lorber.

In support of this re-release, we are very happy to welcome co-director Rob Nilsson for a discussion about this landmark film. Join us on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now. 

Inside the Arthouse: Jane Austen Wrecked my Life

Posted on by Team Sbarge

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen has inspired some of our favorite movies.  

There are the faithful adaptations: Oscar-nominated PRIDE & PREJUDICE, Oscar-winning SENSE & SENSIBILITY.  

You also have more fanciful adaptations like the EMMA-inspired CLUELESS.

And then you have the Jane Austen “adjacent” films like THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, the hilarious AUSTENLAND, and a personal favorite – COLD COMFORT FARM.

Laura Piani’s JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is squarely in this last category. And it is a most welcome addition to the club.

A beguiling Camille Rutherford stars as a desperately single Parisian bookseller, who feels that she has lost her chance at love. But when she is invited to participate in a writer’s retreat in England, she finds herself tossed into an Austen-esque situation, juggling the affection of two suitors, and trying to find a way to stay true to herself.

A hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE is now opening in theatres across the US.

Join us for a discussion with the film’s writer and director, Laura Piani, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

Inside the Arthouse: Most People Die On Sundays

Posted on by Team Sbarge

 

MOST PEOPLE DIE ON SUNDAYS may be the quirkiest film you see this year …or any year.

Directed and starring Iair Said, and asking the big question: when “ordinary people’’– not extraordinary– die? What happens to those of us who stay here on earth without them? 

Funny, outrageous, surprising and utterly unique, MOST PEOPLE DIE ON SUNDAYS, has a deadpan tone that recalls the early films of Jim Jarmusch. 

We follow the protagonist David as he returns home to Argentina to attend the funeral of his uncle. This is a story about how people go through a “mourning moment” as they try to survive, with a pain that will transform their lives forever. 

As an actor, Said has a sad sack quality of classic screen comics like Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati. And the rest of the cast plays off of Said perfectly.

A sensation when it premiered in the Acid Section at Cannes, MOST PEOPLE DIE ON SUNDAYS is a comic gem that is truly worth searching out.

Join us for a conversation with filmmaker Iair Said, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

 

Inside the Arthouse: Bonjour Tristesse

Posted on by Team Sbarge

With a spectacular cast, stunning costumes and set design, beautiful cinematography and gorgeous locations— BONJOUR TRISTESSE shares all the hallmarks of the Merchant Ivory classics that delighted audiences for years.

Originally published in 1954, Francoise Sagan’s novel, BONJOUR TRISTESSE was an overnight sensation. But for every rave review, there were an equal number of critics shocked by a casual attitude toward a young woman’s sexual awakening.

In Otto Preminger’s 1958 film adaptation, the focus was on the sensational.

But thankfully, visionary producers pushing for a new adaptation, recognized the need for a woman’s voice and recruited Canadian writer Durga Chew-Bose to work on the screenplay. Having found someone with just the right approach to bring this new version to life, Chew-Bose was asked to stay on board and direct the film as well. 

The result is a debut film of remarkable depth and sensitivity that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is opening in theaters everywhere. 

Please join our conversation with first-time screenwriter and director Durga Chew-Bose, about her remarkable film, BONJOUR TRISTESSE, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now… 

Inside the Arthouse: Blue Sun Palace

Posted on by Team Sbarge

Immigration is at the top of the headlines these days.

But stepping back from the issues of policy and legality, it is helpful to remember that America has always been a country of immigrants– trying to make the best of their new lives in the US, and dealing with all the opportunities and challenges that come with living in a new and unfamiliar environment.

In her debut feature, BLUE SUN PALACE, filmmaker Constance Tsang, presents us with an intimate tale of Chinese immigrants, centered around a massage parlor in Flushing, New York.

Avoiding the sensationalism that one might expect from this setting, the film instead shows the joy, pain, guilt, and growth of a connected trio of characters.

The film is anchored by the sensitive performances of relative newcomers Ke-Xi Wu and Haipeng Xu, and the veteran actor Lee Kang Sheng, all of whom create characters that are incredibly real and memorable.

A prize winner at Cannes and a sensation at the Recent New Directors/New Films Festival in New York, BLUE SUN PALACE is opening at theatres in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to the rest of the country.

You won’t want to miss this film. And you won’t want to miss our conversation with filmmaker Constance Tsang, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…

Inside the Arthouse: History of Arthouses in New York

Posted on by Team Sbarge

If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere. 

That’s more than just a line from a song. Among art house distributors, it has been an article of faith for almost as long as anyone can remember. Get a film off to a strong start in Manhattan and the rest of the country will fall into place. But if you flop in New York, fuggedaboutit.

But how can you succeed in New York if there aren’t enough art house screens in the city to properly exhibit the films that want to open?

On today’s episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, we sit down with Ira Deutchman, a current professor of film at Columbia University and a veteran arthouse distributor to talk about the history of arthouses in New York, the current dearth of cinemas on the Upper West Side, the reasons behind the predicament, and most importantly, some hope for the future.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with the NY Indie Guy, Ira Deutchman, as he joins us INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…

 

 

Inside the Arthouse: The Teacher

Posted on by Raphael Sbarge
The Teacher

After receiving an Oscar nomination for her short film, THE PRESENT, Palestinian British filmmaker Farah Nabulsi set out to take audiences on an intense, emotional journey into the Israeli occupied West Bank. Based on real life experiences of relatives, the story lifts the curtain on the hardships and difficult choices Palestinians have to make. 

Starring the renowned Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri in a moving performance, the film follows the character of Basem, a teacher with a buried personal tragedy. Throwing himself into his work, he forms a deep bond with his student, Adam.

Shot entirely in Palestine, told with humanity and empathy, Nabulsi brings these threads together, leaving us with a sense of compassion and hope for a future, even as the present reality seems to offer none.

THE TEACHER premiered at The Toronto Film Festival, received Best International Feature Award at Galway, Audience award at San Francisco International Film Festival, among many others; the film has received over a dozen awards!

Join us and our conversation with filmmaker Farah Nabulsi on her journey to make 

THE TEACHER  on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.