Film Movement

12/01/2023

Now streaming on Film Movement Plus, Eugen Jebeleanu's POPPY FIELD is "an exciting, morally grey film tackling a complex topic within [Romania], a country that is still in the process of fully recognizing LGBT rights." (DMovies)

Watch now with a 14-day free trial:
https://www.filmmovementplus.com/poppy-field

12/01/2023

Now available on VOD, Ma Xue's International Film Festival Rotterdam - IFFR selection, WHITE RIVER, is a playful erotic drama that tests viewers perceptions around voyeurism and "makes a significant contribution to the ever-ongoing cultural discourse [about] s*x on screen." (In Review Online)

Watch now:
https://www.filmmovement.com/product/white-river

12/01/2023

Tonight! Catch Marcus Scribner (BLACK-ISH) for a post-screening Q&A for HOW I LEARNED TO FLY after the 7PM showing at AMC Empire 25! HOW I LEARNED TO FLY is now playing in select AMC theaters nationwide.

Get tickets:
https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/how-i-learned-to-fly-q-a-with-marcus-scribner-75458/showtimes/how-i-learned-to-fly-q-a-with-marcus-scribner-75458/2023-12-01/amc-empire-25/all

11/30/2023

After an outstanding TEN week run at Film Forum, the uncut 4k restoration of FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE enters its eleventh and final week!

Don't miss your last chance to see this monumental classic in theaters before it leaves on December 7.

Get tickets:
https://filmforum.org/film/farewell-my-concubine

11/29/2023

KPFK Film Club Review: HOW I LEARNED TO FLY

Late at night, deep in the suburbs of L.A., a muffled argument, punctuated by the sound of a gunshot, suddenly awakens a high school senior. He leaves the bed that he shares with his younger teenage brother, and cautiously goes out to the kitchen to investigate. What he witnesses there stuns him, though we only see a large puddle of blood on the floor. Next, we watch as the shaken young man attempts, and then abandons, calling 911; instead, he mops up the blood with a towel. This proves to be a momentous decision, one that will put the tremendous weight of the world upon his young shoulders.

So begins Swiss writer/director Simon Steuri’s emotionally rich drama, HOW I LEARNED TO FLY, which follows two young black brothers as they attempt to fend for themselves after their parents are suddenly gone.

Daniel (Marcus Scribner), is a bright, capable take-charge young man, who remains silent about what happened the previous night (we discover the chilling details much later in the film.) In the morning, he stoically does his best to keep up their routine, as though nothing has happened.

For the elder of the two, that means he must continue school and keep up his high grades, while applying to several local colleges. Daniel’s long-term plans include winning scholarships which can provide off campus housing, with just enough room so that his brother Eli (Lonnie Chavis) can live with him. For now, in the evenings, Daniel has a dishwashing job at a restaurant. This enables him to secretly scrape up enough leftovers, off of customers’ plates, to feed himself and Eli, for whom Daniel is now the sole parent.

Such a role would be demanding for a seasoned, well-resourced grownup, much less a fledgling adult. The young Eli is intelligent, though profoundly shy and sensitive. He is challenged by social, language, physical, and learning disabilities, all of which strain Daniel’s patience, and require a great deal of resourcefulness. Though Daniel mainly ministers to his brother’s needs with touching and obvious love, he has to carefully monitor the effects of his frustrations, and his mistakes, on his sensitive brother.

Eli’s leg muscles seem underdeveloped, so, when long distances are involved, Daniel must carry him on his back, making both boys the subject of ridicule in the neighborhood, not to mention the past abuse from his father which has left emotional scars about having “girl’s legs”.

Though he can talk, Eli is often selectively mute, which makes communication extremely challenging, and requires great patience and persistence. This is particularly difficult with problems such as neighborhood bullying. Like many young teens with vast amounts of time on his hands, Eli gets into trouble. Generally, however, this is acting out overwhelming feelings which Eli cannot otherwise communicate. Daniel takes to posting, above the boys’ bed, a set of rules to live by (we shower every day, wash our clothes, go to school, don’t lie, steal, or drink, we respect and love each other, etc.) Eli memorizes and constantly recites these basic “commandments.”

The young boy, however, is not without talents. Not talking much makes him seem a terrific listener. He has a way with fixing cars, which earns the respect and assistance of his neighbor Louis (Cedric The Entertainer), who suspects that something serious is amiss next door. Eli’s tenderness with animals results in a surprising alliance with the bossy but lonely Yaya (Michele Selene Ang), a budding computer scientist who helps her Chinese parents with their laundromat business. She sort of takes Eli under her wing.

Meanwhile, the menacing specter of social services, who would likely separate the boys, constantly hovers. To make matters worse, the boys inherit a barrage of official notices threatening the cutting off of utilities, and eviction. In part, it was financial problems that contributed to their parents’ disappearance. Aside from his meager dishwashing wages, Daniel’s only collateral is a broken-down car in the front yard, and basic furniture that won’t take them far when sold on eBay.

None of this even touches the basic burden of grieving the loss of their parents. Though we get several flashbacks attesting to their father’s (Cliff Davis) brutality and abuse, their mother served as an emotional anchor. Eli copes with her absence by leaving short messages about his life on her cell phone. Daniel, who feels the worrying tug of his father pulling him downward, causing him to fall through the air, also has dreams of rising and floating.

Considered a “coming of age” film, HOW I LEARNED TO FLY feels guided by a number of inspirational “threads”. The first is the power that comes from love, with which one can recover from the ravages of hate. The deep brotherly love within this film is radiant to behold, as are the empathies shown by neighbors and strangers who the boys encounter on their journey. Secondly, director Steuri has stated that, in addition to shining a light on the “beauty and kindness” in people’s humanity, he wanted to highlight the determination and resilience of marginalized people, those “outside the mainstream” who suffer from “fear and isolation”, as well as relentless adversity. The last concept, stated simply, early in the film, seems to speak the most profoundly… “Once you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” This seems to be key to the task of “coming of age”, an experience, it should be noted, that isn’t reserved just for the young.

HOW I LEARNED TO FLY premieres in theaters on 12/1.

Get more info here: https://www.filmmovement.com/how-i-learned-to-fly and enjoy the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpP_06U3G0

11/28/2023

In theaters Friday, HOW I LEARNED TO FLY, starring Cedric the Entertainer, Method Man, Marcus Scribner (BLACK-ISH) and Lonnie Chavis (THIS IS US), tells the story of two brothers who must learn to live on their own after the sudden and mysterious disappearance of their parents.

Don't miss the Q+A with star Marcus Scribner (BLACK-ISH) at AMC Empire 25 this Friday after the 7 PM showing.

Get tickets:
https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/how-i-learned-to-fly-q-a-with-marcus-scribner-75458/showtimes/how-i-learned-to-fly-q-a-with-marcus-scribner-75458/2023-12-01/amc-empire-25/all

11/28/2023

Opening at Film Forum on December 8, DOC NYC winner TOTAL TRUST is a vital, haunting and intimate look at the dangers of surveillance technology from the director of ONE CHILD NATION.

Don't miss the Q+A with the film's producer, Michael Grotenhoff, moderated by STOP - Surveillance Technology Oversight Project's Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn on December 8 after the 6:50 PM showing.

Get tickets:
https://filmforum.org/events/event/total-trust-december-8

11/27/2023

Now until midnight, get 40% off annual subscriptions to Film Movement Plus (only $35.99!) with code PLUS40 and 50% off all of our classics titles on Blu-ray and DVD.

Film Movement Plus:
https://www.filmmovementplus.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=PLUS40&plan=yearly

Classics sale:
https://www.filmmovement.com/classics-sale

11/24/2023

BLACK FRIDAY. Now through Sunday, get 35% off annual subscriptions to Film Movement Plus. Only $39!

Watch now: http://www.filmmovementplus.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=plus35&plan=yearly

11/24/2023

BLACK FRIDAY. All of our classics titles on Blu-ray and DVD are currently 50% off in the Film Movement shop!

Shop now: https://www.filmmovement.com/classics-sale

11/24/2023

Now through Sunday, get 50% off all of our classics titles on Blu-ray and DVD and 35% off on annual Film Movement Plus subscriptions with code PLUS35!

Classics sale:
https://www.filmmovement.com/classics-sale

35% off Film Movement Plus:
http://www.filmmovementplus.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=plus35&plan=yearly

11/23/2023

Our Thanksgiving viewing recommendation: Haroula Rose's ONCE UPON A RIVER. Starring Tatanka Means (KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON), Kenadi DelaCerna and Ajuawak Kapashesit, this "lean, finely crafted and memorably real story" (Chicago Sun-Times) follows Native American teenager Margo Crane and her father in 1970s rural Michigan.

Watch for free on Tubi:
https://tubitv.com/movies/614682/once-upon-a-river

Rent on Prime Video, Apple TV or watch with a 14-day free trial to Film Movement Plus:
https://www.filmmovement.com/product/once-upon-a-river

11/21/2023

Winner of the International Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC, TOTAL TRUST is a vital, haunting and intimate look at the dangers of surveillance technology from the director of ONE CHILD NATION. Opens December 8th at Film Forum. Get tickets now: https://filmforum.org/film/total-trust

11/21/2023

Week TEN at Film Forum! Don't miss your chance to see the uncut, 4k restoration of Chen Kaige's Palme d'Or winner FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE in theaters.

Get tickets:
https://filmforum.org/film/farewell-my-concubine

11/21/2023

Maciek Hamela's IN THE REARVIEW, has been nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the International Documentary Association's Documentary Awards!

IN THE REARVIEW is coming soon via Film Movement.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-international-documentary-awards-nominations-nominees-list-1235669277/ =f99bd113d5ac4f221a550c3fee4b1302ab88fe8cc23be6c499ea667928cd8988&recipient_salt=ea49cee41b389cc4f772407f9a0d736a45a2e6b260623e55a4a8471f5c93f926

11/17/2023

"A marvel befitting its title" (The Playlist), Bogdan George Apetri's MIRACLE is a "rare, gripping Romanian thriller" (Cineuropa) that follows a detective whose investigation of a nun's disappearance unveils clues that reveal an unfathomable truth.

Watch for free with a 14-day trial:
https://www.filmmovementplus.com/miracle

11/17/2023

On Digital December 1, Ma Xue's International Film Festival Rotterdam - IFFR selection, WHITE RIVER, is a playful erotic drama that tests viewers perceptions around voyeurism and female s*xuality to surrealistic effect.

Learn more:
https://www.filmmovement.com/white-river

11/16/2023

Week NINE at Film Forum, the uncut, 4k restoration of FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE opens in Atlanta, Toronto, Astoria and Somerville starting tomorrow.

Tickets | Film Forum:
https://filmforum.org/film/farewell-my-concubine


Cinéma Moderne ByTowne Cinema Belcourt Theatre Columbian Theater Tara Theatre Fox Theatre Somerville Theater

11/16/2023

The 2023 International Competition Grand Jury Prize winner at DOC NYC, TOTAL TRUST, Jialing Zhang's (ONE CHILD NATION) vital, haunting and intimate look at the dangers of surveillance technology, opens at Film Forum on December 8.

Get tickets:
https://filmforum.org/film/total-trust

11/15/2023

Entering its ninth week at Film Forum, don't miss your chance to see the uncut, 4k restoration of Chen Kaige's Palme d'Or winner FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE in theaters.

Get tickets:
https://filmforum.org/film/farewell-my-concubine

11/15/2023

Banned shortly after its release in China, Li Ruijun's "touching portrait of love and resiliency" (NYTimes Critic's Pick), RETURN TO DUST, is now available on DVD, Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu.

Watch now:
https://www.filmmovement.com/product/return-to-dust

11/14/2023

Starring Tatanka Means (KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON) discover Haroula Rose's "lean, finely crafted, memorably real story" (Chicago Sun-Times) of Native American teenager Margo Crane and her father in 1970s rural Michigan, ONCE UPON A RIVER.

Watch now on Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu or stream it with a 14-day free trial on Film Movement Plus:
https://www.filmmovement.com/product/once-upon-a-river

11/14/2023

Now available on Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu, Kamila Andini's BEFORE, NOW & THEN is a "daring narrative mix," (The New York Times) "an intoxicating sensory experience," (Variety) that's "wreathed in poetic melancholy and never less than beautiful." (Deadline Hollywood)

Watch now | Prime Video:
https://www.amazon.com/Before-Now-Then-Happy-Salma/dp/B0B8LZ76GT/ref=sr_1_17?crid=1A53F18BGTDIW&keywords=before%2C+now+and+then&qid=1699985525&sprefix=before%2C+now+and+then%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-17

Watch now | Apple TV + Vudu:
https://www.filmmovement.com/product/before-now-then

11/13/2023

Currently playing at DOC NYC in the Winner's Circle section, we are thrilled to be bringing Maciek Hamela's powerful Festival de Cannes and TIFF selected doc, IN THE REARVIEW, stateside!

Film Movement has acquired the U.S. rights to Maciek Hamela's documentary "In the Rearview," offering an intimate look at the Russia-Ukraine war.

11/13/2023

"Brilliantly crafted, atmospherically enveloping," (Variety) Ivan Ostrochovsky's Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival selection is "an unsettling rebuke of government control and ideological manipulation." (Screen International) Now streaming on FIlm Movement Plus.

Watch now with a 14-day free trial:
https://www.filmmovementplus.com/servants

11/12/2023

Chen Kaige’s FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE continues daily at Film Forum, now in its eighth electrifying week! “A daring blend of history and personal storytelling with one of the most striking performances of its era from Leslie Cheung. Like a great opera, Chen's film will transcend centuries and maintain its power." – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Schedule + tickets: bit.ly/3t8DNqG

11/09/2023

The first South African anti-apartheid film ever made and created only by evading the authorities, MAPANTSULA, which was banned across South Africa upon release, is coming to North America in a new 35th anniversary 4k restoration via Film Movement Classics next year.

Learn more:
https://www.filmmovement.com/press/film/mapantsula

11/09/2023

Week EIGHT at Film Forum! Don't miss your chance to see the uncut, 4k restoration of Chen Kaige's Palme d'Or winner FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE in theaters.

Get tickets:
https://filmforum.org/film/farewell-my-concubine

11/08/2023

Starring Marcus Scribner (BLACK-ISH), Lonnie Chavis (THIS IS US), Cedric the Entertainer and Method Man, HOW I LEARNED TO FLY tells the story of two teenagers who must learn to live on their own after the sudden and mysterious disappearance of their parents.

In theaters December 1st.

Learn more:
https://www.filmmovement.com/how-i-learned-to-fly

11/07/2023

One of IndieWire's must see docs at DOC NYC, TOTAL TRUST is Jialing Zhang's (ONE CHILD NATION) vital, haunting and intimate look at the dangers of surveillance technology. Get tickets for its New York premiere at DOC NYC which has its opening night tomorrow! Opens December 8 at Film Forum.

Tickets: https://www.docnyc.net/film/total-trust/