Dec 21, 2011
SFFILM
Bill Cunningham New York (USA 2010), Richard Press’s fascinating tribute to the unassuming New York Times style photographer, and Buck (USA 2011), Cindy Meehl’s warmly engaging portrait of a remarkable horse trainer, play on a double bill January 1-2 at SF Film Society Cinema (1746 Post Street).
“We all get dressed for Bill,” says Vogue editor Anna Wintour about Bill Cunningham, the 80-year-old photographer and unlikely man-about-town. Cunningham has two weekly columns in the Style section of the New York Times: On the Street, in which he identifies fashion trends as he spots them emerging on the street; and Evening Hours, his ongoing coverage of the social whirl of charity events that benefit the cultural life of the city. The result is far from simple picture taking-it is cultural anthropology. Bill Cunningham New York chronicles a man who is obsessively interested in only one thing: the pictures he takes that document the way people dress. A sartorial Weegee, habitually dressed in a blue work jacket, Cunningham has tried to live his life as an unencumbered man. He wants only his independence to be able to point his camera when beauty crosses his path. With this singular goal, he has managed to create a poignant and ongoing chronicle of the intersection of fashion and society in New York over 50 years-in effect, a portrait of New York City itself. Photographed by Tony Cenicola, Richard Press. 84 min. Distributed by Zeitgeist Films. Plays January 1, 4:30, 8:30 pm; January 2, 2:30, 6:30 pm.
One of the most inspirational movies of the year, Buck tells the story of Buck Brannaman, the real-life prototype for the novel and movie The Horse Whisperer. Gentle and soft-spoken, Brannaman has an astonishing way with horses using a training method which advocates mutual respect between rider and steed, but that’s only part of the story. He is remarkable not only for his empathy for all things equine but also for the poise with which he has come through his own difficult childhood and personal adversity. A moving meditation on the power of nature and the complicated bonds between men, Buck manages to quietly reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary. Photographed by Guy Mossman, Luke Geissbühler. 88 min. Distributed by IFC Sundance Selects. Plays January 1, 2:30, 6:30 pm; January 2, 4:30, 8:30 pm.
January 1: Buck 2:30, 6:30 pm, Bill Cunningham New York 4:30, 8:30 pm
January 2: Bill Cunningham New York 2:30, 6:30 pm, Buck 4:30, 8:30 pm
Tickets Double feature $9 for SFFS members, $11 general, $10 senior/student/disabled. Box office opens December 26 online at sffs.org and in person at SF Film Society Cinema.
To request screeners contact bproctor@sffs.org.
For photos and press materials visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.
At SF Film Society Cinema, the stylish state-of-the art theater located in the New People building at 1746 Post Street (Webster/Buchanan) in Japantown, the San Francisco Film Society offers its acclaimed exhibition, education and filmmaker services programs and events on a daily year-round basis. For complete up-to-date information on all SFFS Cinema programming, including buying tickets, visit sffs.org.
Upcoming San Francisco Film Society programs
Through December 22: The Bride Wore Black New 35mm print. One of the most entertaining films of the French New Wave has Jeanne Moreau playing the femme fatale to the hilt in François Truffaut’s closest homage to his idol Hitchcock.
Opening December 23: Silent Souls The myths and traditions of a vanishing culture are beautifully woven into Aleksei Fedorchenko’s lyrical, sensual and dreamlike film about love and loss.
December 23 (late show): Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale It’s the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an archeological dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn’t the one you want coming to town! DVDs and poster giveaways for lucky winners-great last-minute stocking stuffers!
December 25: It’s a Wonderful Life Frank Capra’s beloved classic starring Jimmy Stewart as a man whose faith in life is restored by his guardian angel.
January 3-5: Paul Goodman Changed My Life Jonathan Lee’s documentary chronicling the life and work of multidisciplinary thinker Paul Goodman.
Opening January 6: King of Devil’s Island Marius Holst’s true-story drama about a historic uprising at a Norwegian boys’ reform school.
January 13, 15: The Best of Annecy A dynamic and entertaining array of shorts from one of the most important animation festivals in the world.
January 16-17: Summer Pasture Lynn True, Nelson Walker and Tsering Perlo’s remarkably intimate documentary about the uncertain future of Tibetan nomads.
January 18-19: Samurai Classics Harakiri, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Seven SamuraiFour of the most popular and influential Japanese films ever made.
Opening January 20: Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Kazuya Murata’s highly imaginative tale of two brothers in an alternate world where alchemy is a highly sophisticated scientific application.