Feb 22, 2012
SFFILM
House of Pleasures (L’Apollonide [Souvenirs de la Maison Close], France 2011), Bertrand Bonello’s exquisitely realized depiction of life in a Parisian brothel, opens an exclusive San Francisco premiere engagement March 30 at SF Film Society Cinema (1746 Post Street).
Ambitious and elegantly made, Bertrand Bonello’s film depicts life in a Paris brothel at the turn of the 20th century. Staying within the house’s walls for all but two brief (but important) moments, the scenario details the clients and day-to-day lives of a variety of the working women within including Madeleine, who suffers a terrible fate at the hand of a client; voluptuous new girl Pauline; Algerian beauty Samira (Secret of the Grain‘s Hafsia Herzi); and the no-nonsense madam Marie-France (the always wonderful Noémie Lvovsky). Using a variety of techniques, including split screen and an anachronistic soundtrack, House of Pleasures reflects on the world’s oldest profession in an entirely new way. Written by Bertrand Bonello. Photographed by Josée Deshaies. With Hafsia Herzi, Noémie Lvovsky, Xavier Beauvois. In French with subtitles. 122 min. Distributed by IFC Films.
Showtimes 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 pm (2:00, 4:30 pm shows only on April 3)
Tickets $9 for SFFS members, $11 general, $10 senior/student/disabled. Box office opens February 24, online at sffs.org and in person at SF Film Society Cinema.
To request an interview contact hhart@sffs.org.
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.
Upcoming San Francisco Film Society programs
Through February 23: Margaret Anna Paquin stars in Kenneth Lonergan’s drama about a young woman grappling with her feelings of guilt over her role in a tragic accident.
Opening February 24: Roadie Michael Cuesta’s compellingly honest look at youthful rock ‘n’ roll dreams gone awry.
March 8: The Long Day Closes with director Terence Davies in Person New 35mm print of Davies’s expressionistic autobiographical scrapbook of working-class family life in Northern England in the mid-1950s.
Opening March 16: Kill List In Ben Wheatley’s artfully made and unsettling second feature paranoia unravels two former army buddies-turned-contract killers.
March 20: The Island President Jon Shenk’s beautifully shot documentary follows the globe-trotting journey of Mohamed Nasheed, former president-he was forced to resign on February 7, 2012-of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, who, after bringing democracy to his country, takes up the fight to keep it from disappearing under the sea. Followed by an in-depth Q&A with the filmmakers and special guests.
Opening March 23: Sound of Noise A delightful comic cocktail mixing a modern urban symphony, a police procedural and a love story.
Opening April 6: This Is Not a Film In this profound reflection on the nature of making art, banned Iranian director Jafar Panahi (along with his collaborator Mojtaba Mirtahmasb) discusses his plans for a film he knows he cannot make.
Opening April 13: The Turin Horse This apocalyptic story of the domestic life of a horse-cart driver and his daughter is purportedly Béla Tarr’s last film.