Feature
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Milan Cieslar's Spring of Life tells the story of World War II from a unique perspective, splendidly crafting a tale where, even in the heart of darkness, there is always a light. Of all the depictions of Nazi Germany, perhaps no story is as unknown as the SS operation called Lebensborn.
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It was just supposed to be a harmless prank: Steal the Olympic Torch from local sports celebrity, Sue Sue Robinson, before she is able to make the relay. Then Eddie and Matt, a. k. a. Johnny Murder, can hold it for ransom under the coverage of the entire world's media. A sure shot at instant fame. Only one problem--Mrs. Robinson won't let go, and Eddie and Matt end up with a hostage in one of the worst comical foul-ups ever. First-time director Mikki Allen Willis wrote, produced and directed this incredibly hip and stylish comedy of errors.
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Filled with sharp-witted humor and featuring an evocative performance by lead Clea Duvall (Girl, Interrupted and But I'm a Cheerleader), Sarah Thorp's directorial debut is a not-to-miss at this year's Cinequest. Jane has a very active imagination. She likes to imagine herself as a superhero, a celebrity, and sometimes a "Dangerous Person." In reality, however, Jane is only a waitress who is just trying to kill herself--unsuccessfully--over and over again.
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Director Jagmohan's Sandstorm is a gripping, tension-laden drama based on the true story of a rural, low-caste woman whose rape turns a chauvinistic political system topsy-turvy. Sanwari is a loving wife whose husband respects and admires her. When gang-raped by upper-caste men in her village, Sanwari is expected to hang her head in shame. Instead, Sanwari "knocks on the doors of justice" with the support of her husband and a woman lawyer.
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The complexity of relationships, the trials of family and the true meaning of life are all themes at the heart of Leonard Farlinger's first feature film, The Perfect Son --a tremendously potent, and often heart wrenching, look at the lives of Theo and Ryan, brothers who must reconcile their past. Striving to put his life back together (and fresh out of rehab), Theo returns home to attend his father's funeral.
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Hanna is a wig wielding, Lenin loving, novelist torn between her conflicting ideals and the new realities of a changing society. Although full of love for life, people and philosophy, her world is a shambles. She is not only estranged from her husband and lover but also from her only son. Living as a fish out of water in Munich, West Germany, her pro-communist sympathies have cost her a writing career, as well as the posh life she once had. The fall of the Berlin Wall provides Hanna with possibilities for a new beginning.
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Lyle Maze is confused. An obsessive/compulsive New York artist with Tourette Syndrome, Lyle is in love with Callie. But Callie has a boyfriend, Mike, who is a doctor on a seven-month humanitarian mission in Africa. To make matters worse, Mike and Lyle are best friends, and Mike doesn't know what Lyle knows. Callie is pregnant, and with her boyfriend's constant travel, a lot more vulnerable than she lets on. It seems only natural that Lyle becomes Callie's support and her best friend. Each grows closer to the other, as their souls are laid bare and their individual worlds come together.
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Official Selection of IFP/AIM at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival. A "simple job" turns bad in Tom Zuber's Lansdown, a dark comedy of ironic mishaps and mistaken identity. Defense lawyer Jake Jorgenson's life has turned upside-down upon his discovery that his wife has been having an affair with a construction worker. With vengeance on his mind and enough money to do so, Jake tries to hire a former client, Gustaf, to kill his wife's lover.
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The beauty of childhood and innocence are common themes in cinema, but rarely does a character evoke the purest of intentions and emotional simplicity. Seven-year-old Maria (depicted by Arancia Cecilia Grimaldi) is that precious find. Maria lives on the picturesque Italian island of Ustica. Realizing she doesn't have a present for her mother when her two brothers come home with a bouquet of wild flowers, Maria sets out alone to the market to buy irises for her mother. There is only one problem when she arrives at the market; Maria has only enough money for one iris.
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The Hotel Splendide is a dilapidated old wreck of a health resort, run by three rather unique siblings. Dezmond heads the eccentric staff of the resort, demanding a harsh--and decidedly unappealing--regimen that all guests must follow. Cora, the hotel's physical therapist, has the unpleasant job of keeping the guests' "biorhythms" flowing and administering the enemas. Ronald is the cook, keeping guests on a strict diet, insisting on boiling everything within an inch of its life.