Novadose Issue 4

March - April 2015

Xavier Dolan

David Zellner

Noah Baumbach

Paul Thomas And

erson

Issue #four

FREE!

AUTUMN MOVIE GU

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THE NEW AUTEUR

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AUTUMN MOVIE GU

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CONTENTS

Frame by FrameExplore the enormous slate of diverse new films arriving at Cinema Nova this autumn

Postcard from SundanceHollywood and its hangers-on descend on Park City for the annual independent film fest

Punchdrunk LivesFrom Hard Eight to The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson never fail to intrigue

The Cinematic SignatureJC Chandor, Noah Baumbach and David Zellner pay homage to American auteurs

Queer Cinema in the Age of EqualityThree new films profile marriage equality, queer themes and out filmmakers

Mixed MediaFilms that reach audiences through design, photography and street art

Licensed from 12 noon, condtions apply

And, YES. You can take

your drink into the movie

Cinema Nova Bar

The best wine selection tobe found in a cinema

Sunday March 22: 3.40pm Book now!

WINNER 8 AFI AWARDS

including BEST PICTURE

NADIA TASSDAVID PARKER

Join the director & screenwriterfor a screening of the comedy

caper, followed by a lively Q&Areflecting on 1986s

Melbourne-made movie classic

Promotional images are reproduced in the spirit of publicity. Grateful acknowledgement is made to the respective filmmakers, actors and studios. 2015 Cinema Nova cinemanova.com.au

Subscribe to our eNews to learn about more Meet The Filmmaker events!

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FRAME BY FRAME

THAT SUGAR FILM (PG)

Think you eat healthily? THATSUGAR FILM forces you to thinkagain. Director Damon Gameau(Balibo) embarks on a challenge toreveal the sugar hidden in foodthat is considered to be healthyalternatives, including cereals,fruit juice, and the holy grail ofsecret sugar, Low Fat-brandedproducts. By putting himself on adiet that only comprises these so-called healthy options, Gameauuncovers the surprising andfrightening facts about how sugaraffects us and how learning to livewithout it could be the sweetestchoice of all. March 5 MORE

LUCKY THEM (M)

In a world where the print musicmedia has dwindling tractionand the musicians she seduces aregetting increasingly younger,music journo Ellie (Toni Collette) isdefinitely heading for a downwardspiral. With one last chance toprove to her joint-toking editor(Oliver Platt) that shes worthkeeping on the payroll, Ellie ischarged with finding andinterviewing Matt Smith; a one-time Seattle rock god who tenyears earlier disappeared withouta trace. Luckily she used to beMatts girlfriend. Unluckily thismight be a part of her past thatshes unwilling to revisit.

Backed by Thomas Haden Churchas a blas millionaire cum buddingdocumentarian who doesnt likemusic, Toni Collette gives acomedic and moving performanceas a woman at a crossroads. Fansof Almost Famous and VelvetGoldmine will instantly recognisedirector Megan Griffiths LUCKYTHEM as being of the same kin.March 5, exclusive MORE

BIG EYES (M)

Film fans will appreciate theirony in Tim Burton telling astory of an artist forced to churnout variations on the same piece ofart over and over again. In BIG EYESthe director shies away from hisbig budget CGI extravaganzas ofrecent years to return to a style offilmmaking reminiscent of hisacclaimed true-life drama EdWood.

Amy Adams, in a Golden Globewinning performance, playsMargaret Keane; a painter whosespeciality is wide-eyed, sadchildren. No one knows these areher paintings, however, as herhusband Walter (Christoph Waltz)is the one who takes credit forthem, making millions as Margarettoils with her brush in everincreasing isolation. With a lushperiod setting in 1950s SanFrancisco and great supportingperformances from JasonSchwartzman, Krysten Ritter andTerence Stamp, this true tale ofone of the art worlds biggestfrauds finds Burton in vintageform. March 19 MORE

http://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9352.phphttp://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9409.phphttp://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9071.php

A F I L M B Y E R I C T O L E D A N O & O L I V I E R N A K A C H E

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71 (MA15+)

Winner of Best Director at theBritish Independent FilmAwards and Breakthrough Britishfilmmaker award from the LondonCritics Circle, Yann Demangesfeature film debut is a grippingfact-based thriller set on thedeadly streets of Northern Irelandin 1971.

Gary Hook (Jack OConnell,Unbroken) is a British soldier newlystationed in Belfast to assist thecivilian police. When a house tohouse search sees the army losecontrol to an angry mob, Hook isleft behind enemy lines when hisunit retreats. Taut and breathlesslypaced, Demanges all-to timelyfilm questions who to trust whenthe enemy hides in plain sight.March 19, exclusive MORE

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR(M)

Two time Oscar nominee MarkRuffalo gives an awards-worthyperformance as the infuriatinglyirresponsible father of two spiritedchildren (Imogene Wolodarsky andAshley Aufderheide in remarkabledebut performances) called uponto care for them when his wife (ZoeSaldana) attempts to break intothe male dominated workforce of1977 America.

Based on the experiences ofwriter/director Maya Forbes,making her feature debut,INFINITELY POLAR BEAR richlyrecreates the post-Watergate eraas American stereotypes werebeing challenged and the flower-power generation was strugglingto conform. March 26 MORE

A LITTLE CHAOS (M)

Returning to the directors chairfor the first time since his 1997drama The Winter Guest, starringmother and daughter comboPhyllida Law and EmmaThompson, Alan Rickman enjoys achange of pace with a lavishcomedy set within the halls ofVersailles.

Kate Winslet stars as Sabine DeBarra, a professional gardenertrying to make her mark at a timewhen working women were rare.Hand-picked by Andre Le Notre(Matthias Schoenaerts, The Drop)to oversee the construction of anew garden at Versailles, andthrust into in the court of KingLouis XIV (Alan Rickman), Sabinemust suddenly learn to contendwith the egos of those competingfor the Kings favour. March 26 MORE

FRAME BY FRAME


Coarse language

languageCoarse

SAMBA (M)

From the directors of theinternational French hit TheIntouchables comes a daring dramathat shows filmmakers Eric Toledanoand Olivier Nakache are in no waycontent to sit on their laurels. OmarSy plays Samba, a Senegaleseimmigrant washing dishes in thekitchen of a French hotel. Abureaucratic slip-up puts hisimmigration status into doubt,throwing him onto the caseload ofsocial worker Alice (CharlotteGainsboug), who is new to the joband out of her depth. Sy radiates thecharm he honed so well in TheIntouchables, and with a refreshinglyagainst type Gainsbourg they craft atimely, honest and inspiring story oflove crossing borders. April 2 MORE

LEVIATHAN (M)

The Best Foreign Language Filmcategory at the Oscars oftenfinds festival award-winners beingoverlooked in favour of left-fieldsurprises, but the 2015 nominationof Andrey Zvyagintsevs thrillersaw the Academy shortlist afavourite from the acclaimedRussian director of Elena and TheReturn.

Winner of a Golden Globe, BestFilm at the Asia Pacific ScreenAwards and the screenplay awardat the Cannes Film Festival,LEVIATHAN is the story of Kolia(Aleksey Serebryakov), whosehouse in a village in northernRussia is in danger of beingcompulsorily acquired by theimperious local mayor. Desperateto keep his home, Kolia enlists theaid of an old army friend, Dmitri(Vladimir Vdovichenkov), who isnow a slick lawyer in Moscow.Dmitri, however, has secrets of hisown that will soon set Koliasvillage aflame. March 26 MORE

FRAME BY FRAME

http://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/8871.phphttp://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9230.php

X+Y (M)

Awkward young maths prodigyNathan (Asa Butterfield, Hugo)lives alone with his attentive andendlessly patient mother Julie(Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine).Discovering a connection with hissardonic teacher (Rafe Spall),Nathans skills see him travel toTaipei to train for the InternationalMathematics Olympiad where hemeets other like-minded studentsincluding Zhang Mei, a Chineseparticipant. Featuring anoutstanding cast, including EddieMarsan, Morgan Matthews debutupends the formula for similarEnglish family features, crafting anaffectingly drama that proves thatthere may well be a formula forlove. April 9 MORE

FRAME BY FRAME

THE BOOK OF LIFE (PG)

Produced by Guillermo del Toro and featuring an impressive all-starvocal cast including Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Ron Perlman, PlcidoDomingo and Channing Tatum, THE BOOK OF LIFE is a vibrant,beautifully crafted animation inspired by Mexicos Day of the Deadcelebrations. Kindly Manolo and brawny Joaquin have been vying forthe same woman all their lives the beautiful and determined Maria.When Manolo accidentally slips into the spirit world he discovers thathis battle for Marias heart has great consequences for both the lands ofthe living and the dead. A true visual treat for all animation lovers, delToro and director Jorge R. Gutirrezs adventure is a spectacular andoriginal film for all ages. April 2 MORE

http://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9229.phphttp://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9146.php

POSTCARD FROM

Every year, the Sundance FilmFestival continues to grow andsurprise me, and the 2015 editionwas no exception.

Broken into two parts, Week Aand Week B, Week A is notoriousfor being when the small ski townof Park City, Utah becomescompletely over-run withcelebrities and hangers-on hopingto catch a glimpse of an A-lister(which never happens since saidcelebrities are shuttled to every

location in hulking black SUVs). Itsalso when the film industry is intown, schmoozing to discoverwhich distributor is buying whatand how the program is playing toaudiences. All of this business andparties is admittedly very excitingbut hardly about cinema itself.Which is why Week B, when all ofthat disappears and you are leftwith real audiences, is so muchmore appealing. This years Week Bwas attended mainly by middle

aged women and men (womengenerally found travelling in packsof ten) but they were allunmistakably at Sundance toenjoy movies.

The unanimous gem of thisyears festival, as reflected in theGrand Jury Prize and AudienceAward for the Dramaticcompetition was Alfonso Gomez-Rejons ME AND EARL AND THEDYING GIRL. Acquired by FoxSearchlight for a record-breaking

A totally honest and true account of what one of theworlds biggest indie festivals isactually like

SUNDANCEFILM FESTIVAL

$12 million it will undoubtedlydraw comparisons to last years hitteenage cancer romance, Fault InOur Stars, though EARL is farsuperior. Gomez-Rejon, whoworked under the likes of iconicfilmmakers Alejandro G. Innaritu,Martin Scorsese and the late NoraEphron, has crafted an intelligentcomedy-drama about youngpeople that never falls into clichor sentimentality and yet managesto be full to the brim with film-geek jokes. Its indie movie heavenand will make you laugh and cry inequal measure.

What is most precious to meabout the Sundance Film Festival isstumbling across something youdidnt think would be good butyou end up absolutely falling inlove with. For me, that film wasTHE STANDFORD PRISON

EXPERIMENT, starring a whos whoof young up-and-comers includingAustralian James Frecheville(Animal Kingdom) and Ezra Millerin one of the richest roles he hasplayed since We Need To TalkAbout Kevin. It is the third featurefrom director Kyle Patrick Alvarez,his second to receive a premiere atSundance.

Sundance has an extraordinaryalumni network and it remains ahuge supporter of filmmakerswhose work has been accepted tothe labs and the festival. Thusly,many filmmakers continue topremiere their films there. It onlyseems natural then that as moreSundance-supported filmmakersgrow their careers through studiooffers and bigger budgets that thefestival line up would alsocontinue to move in that direction.

The downside is that Sundancebecomes less about the discoveryof new creatives and more aboutthe new James Franco movie(s).New voices can still be heard, itjust feels there are less of themand theyre generally relegated tothe NEXT sidebar. This is, of course,simply a reflection of the times:holding a mirror up to theincreasingly risk-averse nature ofHollywood studios.

Thankfully Sundance 2015 stillplayed host to new films includingRick Famuyiwas DOPE, first timerMarielle Hellers DIARY OF ATEENAGE GIRL and AndrewBujalskis RESULTS, all of whichreinvigorated the form in theirown way and remind us what it iswe love so much about going tothe movies. Contibutor: Bronte Payne

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PUNCHDRUNK LIVESThe Films of Paul Thomas Anderson

Few filmmakers working todaymanage to evoke the nervouscinephiliac excitement for releaseafter release that Paul ThomasAnderson does. Theres justsomething about his unique blendof humour, originality, and deeplydeveloped characters: first withinthe epic ensembles his hero RobertAltman commanded, morerecently with a brace of two-handers that pitted his troubledcharacters against each other asemblematic totems for a greaterthematic standing. Like Kubrickbefore him, Anderson has failedthus far to make the same filmtwice, elevating even the mostoutlandish of concepts (sexperformer expos; angry Adam

Sandler comedy) to something inthe order of deranged genius.

Even so, the beating, constantheart in all of Andersons pictureshas been America, and morespecifically California. Anunapologetic San Fernando Valleynative, each film has trackedthrough the history of the GoldenState an aspect of the aspirationalAmerican dream, and alwaysthrough the lens of its outcast,fringe personalities: the driven, themad, the madly driven.

Hard Eight set the tone forAndersons career, working fromthe blueprint of his93 short Coffee andCigarettes,to tell thetale of a

man who would do what any self-respecting American needingmoney for their mothers burialwould do: gamble hard for it inNevada, in the process entwininghimself in the dark underbelly ofthat world and coming out hardlyclean. If it wasnt the mostcritically-acclaimed film ofAndersons record, its value wasstill important, cementing in him aresolve to make an unflinchinginvestment in the hard-done-by ordifficult personality. Two yearslater this would rear its manyheads in the brash, Scorsesean epic

Boogie Nights. Nearing threehours in length and

crammed with long takes,whip pans, speed

dollies, an infectioussoundtrack, a castthe envy of anindustry and thesingle mostimpressiveprosthetic penis inall of cinematic

history, Boogie Nights was amarker for simultaneousconfidence and cockiness. It wasthe work of a 26-year old showingoff the studied directorialtechnique of a 62-year old, with anuncommon energy and vitality.

Not content with Boogie Nightsposing such a spirited argumentfor the value of a tactile, artisticform, Anderson, then 28, made hisself-proclaimed greatest film Illever make, Magnolia. A consciousmasterpiece of sorts, Andersonprobed the mundane in order tofind a spiritual and existentialcatharsis, honing in on his keythemes of ambition, promise,regret, paternal failure anddebilitating lack of self-esteem, tounite the San Fernando Valley witha Biblically-proportioned,democratising rain. Radical, funnyand often brazenly crass, that thework of such a young filmmakercould so creatively posit the greatdilemma - Chance or HigherDesign is testament to Andersonstalent and reckless risk-taking.

Just as his friend Tarantinoturned from larger-scale projects(Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown) to bothsimplify and intensify hischaracteristic motifs with his KillBill saga, Punch-Drunk Lovemarked a new Paul ThomasAnderson. Breaking from thegrandiose epic with big ideas andan even bigger ensemble,Anderson brought everything backdown to one, misunderstood man.Barry Egan is the causticallysmothered, judged, frustratedman; the boss with seven masters,a nice person whose suffocatingcircumstances make dating near

impossible. With renewed focusand a ground-up comedic premise,Anderson managed to train RobertElswits normally roving camera toefficiently study the humanity of acharacter empowered by first love.This is unshowy, disciplined, yetstill idiosyncratic filmmaking, astark contrast to what camebefore, winning Anderson his firstCannes honour for Best Director in2002. Punch-Drunk Love remainsthe odd duck in Andersonsfilmography, but its one Ill alwayshave love in my heart for.

The decade since 2002 nettedonly two more Anderson films, ashe slowed down his frantic effortsto prove himself. There Will BeBlood and The Master, his twomost mature and provocativeworks. In each, Andersonsunresting ambition wasrepurposed and funnelled througha pair of characters that seemdiametrically opposed and yet arecontinually drawn to one another.In Blood, it was the turn-of-the-century capitalist clashing withthe phony, God-fearing small townpreacher, each as interested indeception and comeuppance asthe other, a cinematic feast thatcoupled Andersons career apexwith a stern, muscular death stareinto the nadir of mans drive toconquer. Gentler, more humanebut equally rich was The Master,featuring the late Philip SeymourHoffman in one of his warmest,most layered performances as thetitular Lancaster Dodd, leader ofthe cultish, faux-profound TheCause, for whom returningSeaman Freddie Quell (JoaquinPhoenix, in a most staggering

comeback from temporaryobscurity) becomes part-devotedfollower, part-attack dog, part-petproject for the self-actualisation inboth men. It, too, was aestheticallysuperlative, with Andersoninsisting not just to shoot on filmat a time where most weredecrying its irrelevance, but therarer, finer 70mm stock, shot soluminously by Mihai Malaimare Jr.Rare is the director that couplessuch visual detail with the notionof graduating from intercoursewith a sandcastle to intercoursewith a real, live woman as a clear,measurable idea of progress.

So what, then, for Inherent Vice?Having only read the Pynchonnovel, expect a labyrinthine, drug-fueled noir mystery where theanswer may not be thedestination, and few if any of thecharacters are even aware of thedirection of the journey. Expect ahazy, colourful, late 60s LosAngeles packed with an even morecolourful array of bizarrepersonalities (hes returning toensemble work here). Expect tolaugh, lotsand not just whenreminded when Flat Tops wereever a thing. Expect to redirectyour expectations for the high-minded, burgeoning maturity ofboth There Will Be Blood and TheMaster, but most of all, dontexpect what you might expectfrom almost any other director. Imexcited.

INHERENT VICE (MA15+)March 12 Contibutor: Jansen Aui

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http://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9227.php

Auteur theory is a theory offilmmaking in which thedirector is viewed as the majorcreative force in a motion picture.Arising in France in the late 1940s,the auteur theoryas it wasdubbed by the American film criticAndrew Sarriswas an outgrowthof the cinematic theories of AndrBazin and Alexandre Astruc. Afoundation stone of the Frenchcinematic movement known as thenouvelle vague, or New Wave, thetheory of director-as-author wasprincipally advanced in Bazinsperiodical Cahiers du cinma(founded in 1951). Two of itstheoreticiansFranois Truffautand Jean-Luc Godardlaterbecame major directors of theFrench New Wave

The auteur theory, which wasderived largely from Astrucselucidation of the concept ofcamra-stylo (camera-pen),holds that the director, whooversees all audio and visualelements of the motion picture, ismore to be considered theauthor of the movie than is thewriter of the screenplay. In otherwords, such fundamental visualelements as camera placement,blocking, lighting, and scenelength, rather than plot line,convey the message of the film.Supporters of the auteur theoryfurther contend that the most

cinematically successful films willbear the unmistakable personalstamp of the director.

As time moved on, back over inHollywood, an emerging crop ofcocky American filmmakers weretaking notes and began to beheavily influenced by the FrenchNew Wave directors who weremanaging to create cinematicsignatures. This influence wasironic, as most French New Wavedirectors confess to beinginfluenced by American gangstersfilms and westerns of 30s and 40s the very kind old fashionedHollywood films the new AmericanAuteurs were rebelling against.Flash forward again to our currentcinematic landscape, and the riseof the new American Auteur isrising out of the ashes of thebloated Hollywood blockbuster.The blockbuster, brought on byStar Wars and Jaws in the late1970s, managed to kill theAmerican auteur. Now, almostIcarus style, we are once againseeing a new crop of filmmakers,influenced by key 70s and 80sauteurs, imbuing their work with a personal signature.

The Big Apple didnt fall too farfrom the tree (Wow thismetaphor is strained!) withdirector Noah Baumbachs careerbeing heavily influenced by WoodyAllen. Baumbachs n ew feature,

WHILE WERE YOUNG, whichfollows a middle-aged couple'scareer and marriage as it isoverturned by a disarming youngcouple who enters their lives, ispure 80s Allen filmmaking,reminiscent of Hannah and HerSisters (1986). Baumbachs abilityto capture the bittersweetmaudlin moments of daily lifewith an honesty rarely seen is akinto the humbling nature of Allensminimalist human dramas. Asevidenced by his previous filmFrances Ha, New York City alsoplays a key part of Baumbachsfilms, with the director stampingeach work with a particular NewYorker sensibility, presenting aview of modern life that issimultaneously sardonic andpassionate.

Director and screenwriter J.C.Chandor burst onto the screenwith his ultra-talky Wall St dramaMargin Call (2011) and then pared

THE CINEMATIC SIGNATURE

The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of the American Auteur

everything back for the lost-at-seaadventure All is Lost (2013) whichfeatures only a few lines ofdialogue. Chandors new piece A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, once againset in New York City during 1981,chronicles an ambitiousimmigrant as he fights to protecthis business and family during themost dangerous year in the city'shistory.

Chandors ability to jump so farfrom project to project whilstmaintaining his highly detailedvisual style and rhythm recalls thework of directors Martin Scorseseand the late Sidney Lumet whoalso have the ability to dive intodifferent narratives, periods andform all whilst maintaining apersonal stylistic signature. AMOST VIOLENT YEAR displaysChandor fusing the styles evidentin both his previous works tocreate an intelligent andengrossing drama.

One element often evident in anauteurs signature is quirk. Afilmmaker who often has a uniquestory to tell has to lead their ownjourney and use their influences asa guide, or in the case ofindependent filmmakers Davidand Nathan Zellner, use them asthe central element of theirnarrative.

Thats what the Zellners newwork KUMIKO, THE TREASUREHUNTER does focusing on a jadedJapanese woman who discovers ahidden copy of the Coen Brothersfilm Fargo on VHS, believing it tobe a treasure map indicating thelocation of a large case of moneyhidden by one of the characters inthe film. KUMIKO is an arrestinginvestigation into how someemerging filmmakers treatauteurs such as Joel and EthanCoen as cinematic gods. The factthat a duo of sibling filmmakerscreated a film directly referencing

a Coen brothers film both visuallyand a part of the narrative,presents the power the auteurssignature can have. This film couldnot exist without Fargo and theZellners have taken the Coenswork and style fusing it into a new creative entity.

These three new works presentevidence that even in 2015 - a yearseeing multiple sequels, rebootsand remakes, audiences still reactand engage when they arepresented with a filmmakerscinematic signature. The Americanauteur is a constantly evolvingbeast, managing to break free ofthe constant pressure of the studiosystem trying to push them intothe sequel making sausage factory.By looking back at the career of thetrailblazers who came beforethem, these three filmmakers, andmany other emerging talents, arepicking up the torch of theindependent spirit that createdsome of the finest films of the lastcentury and pushing us forwardinto the next.

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (MA15+)February 26

WHILE WERE YOUNG (CTC) April 16

KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER April 23

Contibutor: Zak Hepburn

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QUEER CINEMA

IN IN THE AGE OF EQUALITY

What constitutes queer cinema? Theconversation on the matter continueswith the release of three films arriving atCinema Nova. EASTERN BOYS is a story of agroup of lost boys living in Paris; gay youths onthe run from their more oppressive past andunsure how to sustain their future. LOVE ISSTRANGE is the story of two newlyweds, AlfredMolina and John Lithgow, in New York whotemporarily have to live separately due tounfortunate circumstance. Finally, with XavierDolans latest film MOMMY, we see again arocky relationship between a single mother andher temperamental son.

EASTERN BOYS is at its heart about theconfusion and fear of struggling gay youth. It isabout the issues young gays possess growing upin countries that dont want them, and howthey survive with severely limited skills andknowledge once theyve escaped to a world thatis a little more open. Featuring a stunning firstten minutes - as if a bird is following themovements of these boys in Paris Gare Du Nordtrain station - the film invites us into a world ofseedy confusion unknown to those of usgrowing up in a more privileged society. Thismicrocosm shows us the path of one of thesecurious lost boys, and the older gentleman whotakes an interest in him.

L OVE IS STRANGE is sweet and touching.That the married couple at its centre

are two men is irrelevant, thehuman drama at its core is

universal. These two havejust gotten married

and have had tomove out of

their Manhattan apartment andseek refuge with family andfriends who will have them. Theyare separated as a result of spaceissues, but this is where thehumour and drama comes from.Its nice to see a film like this. Awell written, warmly directed filmabout adult life, filled with greatperformers - including MarissaTomei -who are natural and skilledat portraying an adult story. Thefilm is only tangentially aboutsexual orientation, its just about amarried couple and the peoplethey know, living in a city full ofother married couples and peoplethey know.

Xavier Dolan is a gay Canadianfilmmaker. Much like the way ayoung Pedro Almodovar camealong and lit up the screens with abrazen fire that queer cinemahadnt seen before, this youngQuebecer has made five films in asmany years and MOMMY, hislatest, is his most audacious. Ieagerly anticipate each new filmfrom Dolan and with this fantasticaddition to his repertoire, more

people will be of a similar mind. Avolcanic fifteen year old boy isreturned home to his widowedmother, who also has her fair shareof spark, and their dynamic isrippled when a quiet neighbourjoins them. Its impossible tomention this film without talkingabout its appearance. Filmed in 1:1ratio - a kind of Instagram visionwhich suits the vibrant nature ofthe film - it cuts out thedistractions and focuses attentionon the characters, a perfect vanityfor such ferocious people. Thesethree souls all have problems andall feel a strong need to belong,watching them interact is a joy. Asometimes tumultuous joy, but ajoy nonetheless.

These three films couldnt bemore different but all sit in queercinema corner. That MOMMY hasnothing to do with queer culture -featuring neither gay charactersnor storylines - seemsinconsequential due to thedirectors status as a queerfilmmaker. Its odd really, whencompared with say, THE IMITATION

GAME, which had a gay maincharacter, yet will never be placedinto the same cultural side pocketas MOMMY. Like any Almodovarfilm, regardless of story and lack orabundance of queer content, it willbe labelled as a queer film (andadored as such), simply based onthe lifestyle of the director.

Xavier Dolan has said repeatedlythat he doesnt want to be labelledas a queer director, and not to labelhis films as such. The dividebetween queer/straight is definedenough as it is in society in generalwithout pigeonholing cinema too.But right now that division exists.Who knows though, one day queercinema might just be referred to ascinema. What a notion.

EASTERN BOYS (MA15+) February 26, exclusive

LOVE IS STRANGEMarch 19 (M) MOMMY (CTC) April 9, exclusive

Contibutor: H.D. Thompson

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Documentaries continue to bean effective way forfilmmakers to explore the creativeprocess while allowing audiencesto become more aware of artistsworking across the creativespectrum. Three new films notonly detail how the artist brings anindividual approach to their workbut also how it impacts upon andis interpreted by others, be theycollaborators or viewers.

When menswear fashiondesigner Raf Simons wasannounced as the new creativedirector at Christian Dior in 2012critics questioned how theminimalist designer could possiblymeet the challenges set forth bythe iconic haute couture brand.

Director Frederic Tcheng gainsextraordinary behind-the-scenesaccess as Simons is appointed to

the role before attempting to findthe inspiration needed to deliverhis first collection; a task for whichhe only has eight weeks.

DIOR AND I introducespremieres Florence Chehet andMonique Vailly - the seamstressesresponsible for turning what is onthe page into wearable highfashion, as well as the staff of theateliers, executives and assistants,all of whom play an integral partin the high-tension design process.The late Dior also looms large,weighing heavily upon a respectfulSimons as runway day approaches.

Inspirational and trulybreathtaking, Tchengsdocumentary unveils theremarkable collaboration that goesinto crafting a collection thatspeaks to modern tastes whilepaying homage to the classic looksthat defined the French icon.

Filmmaker Wim Wenders (Wingsof Desire, Buena Vista SocialClub) first discovered the work ofSebastio Salgado when he wasprofoundly moved by thephotographers black and whitestills. Getting to know the artistpersonally, Wenders eventuallycame to collaborate with Salgadosson Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, co-directing the cinematic andmoving documentary portrait THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

Detailing the photographersbeginnings as a country boy raisedon the family farm in Brazil, aneconomics degree allowed fortravel abroad. Working for theWorld Bank, it was exposure to theconditions experienced by thoseliving in Africa that causedSalgados photographic hobby tobecome a career in socialdocumentation.

MIXED MEDIA

Three Upcoming Films on the Creative Process

Following Salgado onassignment to locations as diverseas the Russian Arctic and theIndonesian rainforests, andintercut with the photographerreflecting on his epic body of workand detailing his efforts torehabilitate his familys farm inthe face of salinity anddeforestation, Wenders reveals anartist driven by his compassion formankind and the world around us.

When Banksy announced thathe would be undertaking amonth-long artists residency inNew York City, not even theenigmatic street artist could haveimagined the intensity of theoverall reaction. Beginning

October 1st a vague clue giving anindication of where that daysinstallation could be discoveredwould be issued online, causingfans to race to be amongst the firstto see it, share it on social mediaor, in some cases, destroy it.

Chris Moukarbels BANKSY DOESNEW YORK chronicles the street artexperiment and the resultingreception from locals, politiciansand the media. Most astonishing isthe entrepreneurial response ofsome whose first response is toclaim the Banksy work andremove it from view beforeattempting to sell it to the highestbidder, only aware of its currencythrough the publics interest.

Crafted with the help of user-generated images and videofootage captured by fansundertaking the daily scavengerhunt, Moukarbel highlights theimpact of social media andprompts the question of whetherpeople are more interested inexperiencing Banksys work orsimply being the first to add aphoto of it to their Instagram feed.

DIOR AND I (M) March 26

THE SALT OF THE EARTH (M) April 9, exclusive

BANKSY DOES NEW YORK (CTC) April 23, exclusive

Contibutor: Daide Foster

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get up close and personal

By renowned documentarianFrederick Wiseman, NATIONALGALLERY takes you behind thescenes of a London institution; the British National Gallery, on ajourney to the heart of a museuminhabited by masterpieces ofWestern art from the Middle Agesthrough to the 19th Century. A portrait of an historicaldestination and its relation withthe world, the public, its staff andthe many works of art.

Commences March 5 MORE

From the Van Gogh Museum,Amsterdam. Enjoying completeand unprecedented access to thetreasures of Van Gogh Museum,the film marks both a major re-showing of the gallerys collectionand a celebration of the 125thanniversary of Van Goghs death.Experience the wonder of seeingVan Goghs legendarymasterpieces on the big screen, inhigh definition, while curators andart historians offer theirinterpretations of his work.

Commences April 18 MORE

380 Lygon Street Carltoncinemanova.com.au

Also known as Much Ado AboutNothing, the Royal ShakespeareCompany presents a newproduction, captured live fromStratford upon Avon. Autumn 1918:The world-weary Benedick and hisfriend Claudio find themselvesreacquainted with Beatrice andHero as memories of conflict giveway to a life of parties and maskedballs. Christopher Luscombedirects the second ofShakespeares matching pair ofcomedies that rejoice in ourcapacity to find love in the mostunlikely places.

Commences April 11 MORE

The Royal Shakespeare CompayLoves Labours Won

National Gallery

Exhibition Vincent Van Gogh


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Novadose Issue 4

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