alexandria coffeehouse film series

Still hoping, looking

2009-06-21T21:42:00.005-04:00

Just so you know, it's not you -- it's us. We've been wanting to get back into the swing with the film series but we just haven't been able to find a venue big enough that's and is willing to let us do our thing.

We do have the option of showing the films at the Duncan Library, but we were really

And so we keep on looking. If you know of a place that would love to have us, please yell via the link to the right and we'll follow up on it.

Hope to see you soon! hoping to avoid the plastic chairs and stuffy meeting room if at all possible.

Holiday Hiatus

2008-11-01T09:14:00.002-04:00

With the holidays rushing in and everyone's free time at a premium, we've decided to take a short break in our Film Series schedule. We're planning to come back again in January to begin screening the last three films in the 2008 Film Movement.com schedule and then we're hoping to find a great space to start presenting next year's films. If you have any suggestions for a great venue, please post a comment here and let us know.

We promise to keep you updated with any news and information about the Series, and you will always be able to find the latest right here.

Thanks to everyone for all of your great support and kind words. We wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful and restful holiday season and we can't wait to see everyone again in the New Year!

"Ben X" - Cleveland Plain Dealer Review

2008-10-07T14:08:00.004-04:00

The great thing about video games is you can be whomever or whatever you want.

For the troubled and awkward Ben, tormented by high school bullies, escaping into ArchLord (he's on Level 80) allows him to become the heroic Ben X, expert fighter and savior of his regular online gaming partner, Scarlite. In "Ben X," Ben (Greg Timmermans) and Scarlite (Laura Verlinden) might even meet in the real world some day.

Writer-director Nic Balthazar opens with the ominous warning that in video games, and life, "someone always has to die." The difference is that on the digital side, "you always get a new life." Swimming somewhere in the stormy waters between the two are Ben's chances of finding a greater sense of his true self.

Cutting from documentary-style interviews to flashbacks, to Ben's life, to Ben's gaming world, Balthazar cleverly creates a film that is sharp-edged, touching and relevant.

Timmermans is terrific as the young lost soul. He hopes to harness the power and sharp confidence from ArchLord, but will he ever find a role to play in the physical world?

Clint O'Connor ~ Cleveland Plain Dealer
March, 2008

Director Nic Balthazar Talks About "Ben X"

2008-10-07T14:04:00.003-04:00

“It is sometimes said you do not find a story, the story finds you. This may well have been the case here. One sunny afternoon in Brussels I was asked whether I would like to write a book. ‘For youngsters who do not read’, they said. ‘How convenient’, I said. ‘Because I am a writer who does not write’. Around the same time a boy of 17 leaped to his death from Gravensteen castle in Ghent. It turned out that the boy had a mild form of autism and had virtually been harassed and tormented to death. ‘I will never get over this’, said his mother in an interview. The same night I started writing a story. A book which, although it would not give her any real comfort, would nevertheless provide her with a measure of sympathy and understanding. It would be a story about the harassment and torture of those who are unable to defend themselves. I typed out the title, ‘Niets Was Alles Wat Hij Zei,’ in English: ‘Nothing Was All He Said.’ It had to be a book full of suspense, with an element of surprise, a kind of thriller. Something like a movie, I thought. Everyone likes a movie.”

Notes from "Days and Clouds" Director Silvio Soldini

2008-09-17T10:58:00.003-04:00

According to Silvio Soldini, DAYS & CLOUDS is “a film that revolves around the strongest of all subjects: the power of love and the possibility of overcoming all difficulties thanks to it...Lightness helps a man and woman to face a dramatic moment in life.” Soldini says that "this is perhaps the first time I have ever focused like this on only two characters, on their love. It is the story of a couple almost in documentary form..."

Speaking about the cast, Soldini claims, “In my film I reveal what truly drives love... Both Antonio Albanese and Margherita Buy have the great ability of combining both drama and lightness, and this was precisely what was needed to tell a story like this...” The director observes, “the life of a couple and their daughter is put under a magnifying glass... Margherita Buy was happy to have this first-hand emotional experience of the metamorphosis of a cultivated, affluent woman with a degree in art history, who goes to work in a call centre... It is a good reflection, simple and strong, on values and on the loss of security..."

NPR Review: "Days And Clouds"

2008-09-03T17:38:00.008-04:00

In 'Days And Clouds,' Love In Shades Of Gray
by Bob Mondello, NPR

Elsa has every reason to feel that life is her oyster.

She's successfully defended her dissertation on Renaissance art. Her boat-builder husband Michele has presented her with an expensive graduation gift — lovely antique earrings — and taken her home to their luxurious Genoa residence for a surprise party attended by virtually everyone she knows. There's a band, lots of food, joy overflowing. The next morning, however, Elsa awakens to a nightmare.

For two months, Michele has hidden from her that his partners have forced him out of his company — and though he's been steadily looking for work, he's found nothing.

And that's not the half of their problems. In trying not to worry Elsa as she finished up her art degree, Michele has spent much of their remaining savings. His father's nursing-home tab is depleting what's left. And he's mortgaged that glamorous house to pay business debts.

The surprise party turns out to have been a lavish farewell to their lifestyle: In short order they will lose their home, their boat, and much of the art they've collected on trips around the world. Elsa's dreams of art-restoration work will be put on hold, meanwhile, as she slaves away on a secretarial night shift just to put food on the table. At least they have each other, you say to yourself — just as their relationship starts to slip as well.

Director Silvio Soldini, best known in this country for his more lyrical, fairytale-ish look at marriage, Bread and Tulips, here does realism with hand-held cameras and no shortage of naturalistic detail. The couple's cramped new apartment is a palpable horror; when Elsa peers out at the view, seeing only clouds in their future, you despair right along with her.

But for Soldini, even bleakness has a poetic side, and his imagery is occasionally breathtaking here — never more so than in the film's final tableau, which elegantly connects a Renaissance fresco Elsa had been working on before the couple's fall from grace with a strikingly similar real-life image suggesting the possibility of a renaissance in their marriage.

LA Times Review of "The Grocer's Son"

2008-07-29T16:52:00.012-04:00

Eric Guirado's beguiling "The Grocer's Son" is deceptively simple. Antoine (Nicolas Cazalé), a 30-year-old Paris waiter, suddenly finds himself back home in the village in Provence he fled a decade earlier. His gruff, demeaning father (Daniel Duval) has suffered a heart attack, and Antoine, at least temporarily, must drive a van every day through the countryside, selling food and goods to isolated, mainly elderly customers while his good-natured mother (Jeanne Goupil) runs their small store in the village.

Gradually, the beautiful region and its inhabitants cast their spell over the moody Antoine. He is able to see beyond the crankiness of his customers and view them as resilient, humorous and capable of kindness.

Antoine just might stay, but there are life's inevitable complications. How is he going to handle his father once he's home from the hospital? And what of the beautiful neighbor in Paris (Clotilde Hesme), who has accompanied him home, with whom he is secretly in love but who is studying for exams for admission to college in Spain? Antoine may not realize it, but in trying to meet these and other challenges and decisions, he is going through a long-delayed coming of age.

A love of unspoiled countryside and its sturdy people suffuses this film, which unfolds with subtlety, humor and affection -- and becomes in the process a pure enchantment.

Review written by Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Have you heard about this new-fangled email thing?

2008-07-24T22:51:00.004-04:00

We've received a few emails from folks asking if there's an email list that they can subscribe to to get announcements and information about upcoming films in the Series. The answer is "Oui." Just send an email to iuthom1@aol.com with "Coffeehouse" in the subject and we'll make sure you get hooked up. If you would also like to get information about other events sponsored by the Duncan branch of the Alexandria Library (author talks, reading groups, book sales, etc.), just make a note of that in your email and we'll get you on that list as well.

Oh, btw -- we're not about to give away or sell your info & we currently only send out one or two messages a month.

Radio, Radio

2008-07-24T12:43:00.002-04:00

The Film Series was featured on WAMU's "Art Beat" segment this morning (7/24). In case you missed it (or are outside of the listening area), you can take a listen here.

Background Scoop: "Choking Man's" Director Steve Barron

2008-07-01T19:19:00.012-04:00

Choking Man's producer & director, Steve Barron, got his start in the early video music scene where he worked with such 80's MTV staples as The Jam, Human League and Adam & the Ants Eventually, he would go on to direct some of the popular videos in history, including the award winning videos ‘Billie-Jean’ by Michael Jackson, Dire Straits’ ‘Money for Nothing’ and A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’ among others.

Since that time he's helmed such big screen films as "While You Were Sleeping," "The Coneheads," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "RAT," and has worked on the television mini-series "Merlin," and "Dreamkeeper" which won him a Gold Award for directorial achievement at the Chicago International TV Festival and an Emmy for best visual effects.

Here's what Barron has to say about this month's feature film, "Choking Man": “This film marks the first time in fifteen years that I sat down with a blank page to write my own concept to direct, and the first time it wasn't for a music video. Having control of the projects origins created a greater opportunity to be unusual, layered and brave. In those years directing other people's work my son grew up, and has now helped me conceive this basic new idea. We sat in a Long Island diner, chatting about how anonymous the Heimlich Maneuver poster must be to the citizens of New York, and a light bulb went on.

Some months later, inspired by the cavalier spirit of New York independent movies like "Station Agent" and "Raising Victor Vargas," the blank page was filled with "Choking Man." The tale centers on one of the thousands of immigrant kitchen workers in America who feel they no more belong to where they came from than where they live now. Jorge is as anonymous to the people around him as that constant Government Issue graphic that lingers three feet in front of his face. This is the character you usually don't make a film about. This is the invisible man that gives you few clues as to what is going on inside his impenetrable mind. Where does he disappear to when he enters his lonely home? What happens when someone does actually 'see' him? How far can he be moved from 'who' he is? What is his breaking point? These are the questions I wanted to explore with "Choking Man."

Jamaica in Queens felt like an apt setting for this story. It is, according to the New York Times, the most multi-cultural place on the planet with 140 different languages spoken. Jorge doesn't seem to speak any one of them; his is the language of 'shy'.”

Reel Good News: Film Movement Sponsorship

2008-07-01T18:58:00.007-04:00

The distributor for the films shown in our Series is Film Movement, an NYC company whose mission it is bring "small but deserving films" that get squeezed out of theaters by Hollywood blockbusters directly to film fans. They do this by both selling the films on DVD directly to subscribers, or in our case by providing the films as part of a subscription series through a library.

In addition to being our esteemed distributor, this month Film Movement steps up as an official sponsor of the remainder of the Alexandria Coffeehouse Film Series. We thank them for helping to keep us rolling along and for their generous donation of suh-weet dooor prize swag: a batch of award-winning indy and international DVDs, and some cool branded goodies like travel mugs and DVD cases. You have to play to win, so come hang out at the next screening and grab your free chance to snag one of these most excellent giveaways.

OK, so just what does "intersex" mean?

2008-06-17T00:01:00.004-04:00

In biology, "hermaphrodite" means an organism that has both "male" and "female" sets of reproductive organs, however in humans, there are no actual "hermaphrodites" in this sense.

In the past it has been common to call people with intersex conditions
"hermaphrodites" because intersex bodies share sex chromosomes and characteristics of both genders and do not neatly conform to what doctors define as the "normal" male or female bodies. Yet the label, "hermaphrodite" is misleading, mythologizing, and often stigmatizing; members of the community prefer the term "intersex people" or "people with intersex conditions/experiences."

"XXY" Director's Statement

2008-06-16T23:44:00.009-04:00

Those of you attending "XXY," this month's Film Series screening later this month will find it to be a very daring, intimate and unusual film.

Taking a look at the preview will give you a glimpse of what you can look forward to seeing and perhaps this statement from the film's director, Lucía Puenzo, will help to better inform you as well:

"XXY is based on a short story called "Cinismo", from the Argentine writer (and my husband) Sergio Bizzio. From the moment I read his story - the sexual awakening of a young girl who has what doctors call genital ambiguity - I couldn't take it out of my head. I began to write with that image in my head: the body of a young person with both sexes in one same body. I was especially interested in the dilemma of inevitable choice: not only having to choose between being a man or a woman, but also having to choose between that binary decision, or intersex as an identity and not as a place of mere passage."

"When I began to write XXY I was surprised to see there are almost no stories on this subject, there's a strange cultural silence over it. If the subject is explored, it's in the language of testimony, of medical diagnosis, but with almost no fictions, as if the subject would be a taboo for any kind of poetry and fiction around it, as it was in ancient times."

"My interest when I wrote this film was, above all, the relationship between Alex (the teenager) and Alvaro (her love interest). I didn't want my film to become a medical case, a clinical case, almost a documentary. Even if the script had been supervised by doctors and geneticists, it's was important to make them understand I was not looking for any medical realism."

Lonely Planet Books Hooks Up The Film Series!

2008-05-29T17:00:00.012-04:00

Thanks to a very generous book donation from Lonely Planet Books, we're going to have some great door prize giveaways for the remainder of the Series! This month alone we'll have four books about Australia, which is home base for May's police thriller "Noise."

For those of you who have never picked up a Lonely Planet (LP) travel book, they're reknown for offering honest, budget-conscience and often irreverant guides to practically every corner of the planet. They strive to include a number of off-the-beten-path alternatives so that you can steer away from the crowds when you want and get a broader sense of the locale beyond what's available at the larger tourist attractions. In addition to the country and city guides, they also publish excellent and often very funny collections of travel stories, as well as phrase books and beautiful coffeetable pictorials.

Does it sound like I've become a shill for the LP brand? The truth is that long before their donation I was a fan of their books (which is why I reached out to them to sponsor us in the first place), so the praise is heartfelt and not based on the fact that they've given us some great books to give away.

Please join us this and every month for your chance to win one of these great Lonely Planet books!

"800 Books & A Futon" Sale

2008-05-28T18:13:00.016-04:00

You might not know it, but it's thanks to the Friends of the Duncan (Alexandria) Library that the Coffeehouse Film Series exists. The Friends of the Library (FOL) is a group of generous folks who help to finance and run many of the activities that take place at the library -- activities that would otherwise not happen because there's not enough money in the regular library budget to pay for them. The FOL saw the opportunity to subscribe to the film series and then donated the money from their budget to make it happen. Since that time we've received support from The Caboose Cafe & Bakery and FireFlies to keep the series running, but we owe big props to the FOL for their initial support.

If you would like to become a member of the Duncan FOL we would love to have your support. All you have to do is stop in at the library, fill out a membership form, and drop it off at the desk with a small donation (membership levels start at $10).

Another way that you can support the FOL is by stopping by this Saturday, May 31st from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Rain date: June 1st, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at the First Ever Del Ray "800 Books & A Futon" Sale. The sale is being held at 104 Stewart Ave. in Del Ray and features over 800 books....plus 1 lovely futon. Part of the proceeds will go to the Duncan FOL to support great programs like the Coffeehouse Film Series.

The prices are very reasonable - most hardbacks are only a buck and paperbacks go for 50 cents, and the futon? It's only $75 (or best offer). PLUS at some random point in the day EVERYTHING will become $5 per bag, so bring a paper grocery bag and be prepared to fill it up!

One last note: if you mention that you saw this blog post, we'll take 20% off your entire order!

"Noise" Reservations

2008-05-27T14:00:00.016-04:00

The reservation phones have been buzzing at FireFlies for this Saturday night's screening of the Aussie police drama "Noise." If you're planning to come check out the film please give them a call ASAP at 703.548.7200 to save your spot. There may be some last minute seats on Saturday night, but if you're planning to drop by without a reservation, give 'em a call first and make sure that they can fit you in.

There's no place like home!

2008-05-02T18:37:00.005-04:00

I'm very pleased to announce that FireFlies will be our home for the remainder of the Film Series!

Our original intent with the Series had been to bounce around Alexandria to different coffeehouses and bistros to show the films. This was a great idea in theory, but what we found was that most of these cool, casual places just weren't set up to host more than 15-20 people -- and we're getting upwards of 50 folks at each show. FireFlies holds that many and more with plenty of space to stretch out -- and of course they've got a great food & bar menu which makes having the films there even more compelling.

We're pretty much tickled pink to have a home for the next nine months and are looking forward to showcasing some excellent indy and international films there. We also can't wait for you to come out too and see what the buzzzzz is all about!

April Wrap Up/May's Coming Attraction

2008-04-28T21:20:00.015-04:00

FireFlies Restaurant & Coffee bar in Alexandria was THE place to be this past Saturday night!

For those of you who couldn't make it, we had a fantastic crowd-ette (that's a small crowd, btw) who braved the raindrops to make the scene. Many of those in attendance had even navigated their way across the 14th St. Bridge for The Big Event, proving that there is indeed nightlife outside of The District -- who knew?

The film itself was well-written and engaging, capturing the drama and tension of a family whose members are each struggling with their own demons and the uncertainties of the future while also being forced to address the dark history of their past.

If you missed this screening, but still want to see the film, you're in luck: after each month's feature is shown the DVD goes into the library's collection. All you have to do to borrow it is to become a library member (free -- and you don't have to be an Alexandria resident) and then reserve the DVD either on line or at any of the library branches. Tres ez.

Next up in the series -- which we'll be showing May 31st at 8:30 at FireFlies -- is the 2007 Aussie police thriller "Noise." Like all the films in our series, this one comes with a high pedigree & awards from around the globe: it was an "Official Selection" at festivals in Newport, Sundance & Seattle, won six Australian Film Institute (Australian Oscars®) Awards and brought also brought home five Australian Film Critics Circle awards.

What's it about? Here's the skinny from the film's press kit: "This is a story about the wrong person in the right place at the wrong time. Two heinous crimes have left a suburban town reeling. Police quickly connect them but are desperate for witnesses as the local community enfolds itself in a shroud of secrecy, borne from fear and an untrammeled mistrust of authority.

A young police constable, Graham McGahan, suffers from a chronic hearing problem and applies for worker's compensation. To his chagrin, he is stationed at a police caravan near the crime scene. Living on the periphery of the investigation, McGahan crosses paths with the various people affected by the tragedies and uncovers an unraveling nightmare of guilt and suspicion."

Sounds intense, hm? I'll have more information plus a trailer here in the next week or so. If you're antsy to see more before that time, check out the official site for the film where you can find the trailer, bios & additional info.

One additional note: because of the thick Aussie accents in this film we'll be presenting it with Closed Captioning on.

Email List

2008-04-25T11:35:00.005-04:00

We've received a few emails from folks asking if there's an email list that they can subscribe to to get announcements and information about upcoming films. The answer is "Si." Just send an email to iuthom1@aol.com with "Coffeehouse" in the subject and we'll make sure you get hooked up. If you would also like to get information about other events sponsored by the Duncan branch of the Alexandria Library (author talks, reading groups, book sales, etc.), just make a note of that in your email and we'll get you on that list as well.

We'll never sell your info and we'll only email when we have something significant to tell you about.

Lovin' the great ink (and pixels)!

2008-04-25T00:04:00.009-04:00

On Thursday the film series screening snagged the attention of The Washington Post Express and The Washington Times ...Friday finds us chillin' in the "Style On The Go" section of The Post...and we also scored bandwidth at AlexandriaNews.org.

Why all the buzz, cuz? That's an equation you don't need a chalkboard to figure out:

great films + cool venues= ppl gettin' excited, yo!

If you've got a blog, website, church newsletter, list serv, immense media outlet, etc. at your disposal and can help us distribute the dope about our monthly films, please leave a comment and let us know.

Slight time change...

2008-04-23T11:10:00.002-04:00

To accomodate a group of diners who'll be slipping in just before us film fans, the movie's starting time will be pushed back to 8:30 this Saturday. You can still be seated before that time, but the flick won't begin until 8:30. I suggest that you brave the brief wait with a beer & a slice, but that's just me.

April's Screening Moves Down The Block...To FireFlies

2008-04-14T21:03:00.001-04:00

The Alexandria Coffeehouse Film Series owes a huge debt of gratitude to Rhoda Worku & The Caboose Bakery & Cafe for hosting the first two screening events in our year-long series. We had a terrific turnout two months in a row and everyone had a chance to check out the films while sampling some of the Caboose's tasty Ethiopian dishes and delicious desserts.

We must also give hearty shout outs to The Caboose, Los Tios Grill, Taqueria Poblano and the Duncan Library for hooking us up with great door prizes in February, March and April.

So the big news is that at least for at least the next two months (April & May), we're going to pack up our little movie show and head down the street to 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. and FireFlies Restaurant & Coffee Bar. If you've never been to FireFlies then you've missed out on one of Del Ray's best bistros. A few year's back they won Del Ray's Annual Cook Off and truthfully they've just kept on improving ever since. I'm a big fan of the wood-fired veggie 'za, but there's lots more to try and enjoy, too.

We'll also have a bit more room to stretch out at FireFlies. I was in the other day and figured out that we can comfortably seat 70 people. Given that we have been averaging about 50 people at each screening this should give us all a bit more breathing room and will allow everyone to order food and drinks throughout the film, too. We'll continue to project the film on a screen like we have been, but if all goes well we'll also be showing it on a big screen TV in another section of the restaurant.

Because the folks at FireFlies already have music going on Thursday nights, we're going to be showing the films a bit later in the week -- on Saturday nights at 8:00. This month's screening will be on April 26th and next month it'll be on May 31st.

One last "new" note: FireFlies will happily take reservations for the screening, so if you're coming I strongly suggest that you give them a call at 703.548.7200 and tell them to grab you a seat with a good view of the screen.