Apr 15, 2019
Check out what’s playing at Cinematheque in the Now Playing section and purchase advance tickets. Download a PDF copy of the May/June program guide.
Director Ciro Guerra follows up his hypnotic feature Embrace of the Serpent with a drug tale set amidst Northern Colombia’s Wayuu people in Birds of Passage. Taking place in 5 chapters from the 1960’s — 80’s this beautifully shot gangster saga is filled with incredible imagery and explosive color. To mark National Indigenous People’s Day we present a program of great work by Indigenous filmmakers in Looking Backward and Moving Forward. And don’t miss the incomparable Amanda Kindzierski introduce new Indigenous shorts in Solid Ground. Finally, in collaboration with the Jazz Festival we have unearthed some rare music gems including a great documentary on the legendary record company Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes. — Dave Barber, Senior Cinematheque Programmer
Here’s a list of reasons why I think you should come see True Stories: 1) David Byrne wears a cowboy hat and drives a privately owned red convertible. 2) It features a fashion show with outfits made from grass. 3) Spalding Gray plays the mayor. 4) There are more than 50 sets of twins in the film. 5) It’s being presented in a brand new 4K restoration and all tickets are $5. — Ryan Steel, Cinematheque Box Office & Projection
May and June offer some tantalizing must-see items. In Bella Ciao!, filmmaker Carolyn Combs and screenwriter Michael Springate (former PTE Artistic Director) deliver an incisive, moving, multi-character portrait of Vancouver’s Commercial Drive. Ridley Scott’s Alien is one of the most chilling horror movies ever made (and will look glorious in the recent 4K restoration). The Winnipeg Underground Film Festival is my favourite local event, a beautifully-curated celebration of avantgarde cinema. — Greg Klymkiw, Executive Director
Wim Wenders’ sensibilities are unmatched, and for that reason among others, Wings of Desire in 4K is a must-see. Beyond that, I am looking forward to the Jazz Film Fest documentaries on M.I.A. and Blue Note records. I will also be attending Iranian Cinema’s Dressage, David Byrne’s True Stories, and especially June’s Secret Cinema on the roof! I’m highly anticipating grabbing a drink and enjoying a hot night curated by Winnipeg’s expert movie lovers. — Omid Moterassed, Cinematheque Box Office & Projection
Some of the most intriguingly-enigmatic films in Canada are being made by Denis Côté. His latest, Ghost Town Anthology, is what the title suggests — a ghost story — albeit with his unique sensibility. Restoration Tuesdays brings back an absolute horror classic with the new 4K restoration of Alien. If you’re a fan of the film, make sure to catch our special one-night only presentation of Memory: The Origins of Alien, the new doc that tells the story of this watershed film. Feeling Afro Prairie Film Festival withdrawals? We’ve got your fix! What You Gonna Do When the World’s On Fire? is a beautiful and urgent look at Black lives in the Southern U.S. Lastly, Restoration Tuesdays and Jazz Film Fest collide with Aretha Franklin’s finally available much-mythologized concert film Amazing Grace, which is sure to bring even the most hardened audiophiles to their knees. — David Knipe, Cinematheque Manager of Operations & Special Programs
I have no memory of watching Alien, though I know I have seen it many times. The film is the kind of terrifying that causes you to safely parcel it deep away where it won’t plague your everyday thoughts. And although it’s packed away, it begins to seep out. Whether or not we want to, we all know this film through and through. It’s become so deeply embedded in the fabric of our culture that there’s no escape! I can’t wait to finally, properly experience this in a theatre and let a little bit of this perfectly executed slice of cosmic horror leak back into my life. Also, don’t miss our exclusive one night-engagement of Memory: The Origins of Alien! — Jaimz Asmundson, Cinematheque Programming Director
