Tonight in New York is the beginning of the 2004 edition of MOMA’s and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual New Directors/New Films Festival. With MOMA’s main location in midtown still under reconstruction, for the second year in a row the screenings are being held at both Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and MOMA’s temporary screening space, the Gramercy Theater on E. 23rd. Frankly, this is a much better set-up anyway. The old Titus Theater on the lower level of the MOMA held far fewer seats and enabled the audience to enjoy the periodic sounds of the subway ker-klunking underneath, especially if you sat in the rear rows.
I consistently find ND/NF to be a bit of an enigma. The program is always filled with a wonderful variety of features and shorts by new (or newish) filmmakers from around the world. However, for a film series that is always limited in number and really much more of a showcase than a festival (much like its grander sibling, the New York Film Festival), I’m often amazed at how bad some of the films are. One would think that with two major cultural centers of cinema focused on programming one film series from such a broad selection, finding 22 (the number this year) exceptional movies wouldn’t be that difficult. Yet each year I’m surprised that I’ll see one or two films that I just hate. Vehemently. (Last year, I was not a particularly big fan of Angela or The Guys, the latter being a sentimental choice, I’m sure, since it deals with 9/11, but it was also a mess of an over-directed film).
Unfortunately, I don’t know that much about most of this year’s titles, nor do I think I will have the opportunity to see more than a few selections due to limitations to my schedule. However, I do look forward to Jim McKay’s latest slice-of-urban-life drama, Everyday People whcih opens the fest tonight. I’m also hoping to get to Sundance documentary Grand Jury prize winner DiG!, as well as international film festival favorite Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring from Korean director Kim Ki-duk.
One of my favorite films of last year was the beautiful Italian film Respiro, and I’m hoping that the Sardinian-set Three Step Dancing from first-time director Salvatore Mereu sounds like a similar atmospherical and textured look at life on an Italian island. I’m also interested in Vodka Lemon, The Story of Weeping Camel, Berlin Blues, Control Room, Le Monde Vivant, and The Middle of the World.
But don’t take my uninformed word for it. Stop by Lincoln Center or the Gramercy Theater and check-out some of the program for yourself.
Out of Focus 
2004 MoMA New Directors/New Films Festival
Tonight in New York is the beginning of the 2004 edition of The Museum of Modern Art
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I really wonder how good is the reviewr as for me Respiro was one of the MOST AWFUL FILMS EVER!!! Of course, for americans is like watching a more intellectual version of “Under the Toscan sun”, but please, that movie was jus a very smart move made by the director who knew very well what the audience in the US would have liked to see… and about Angela, well, that was a wonderful film… well done, a great story told by the camera and by the facts… with unbelievable actors… and finally something different!!!
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Well obviously we have a great difference of opinion as to what kinds of films we like. To me RESPIRO was a beautiful film to just experience inclusive of a nice little message as well. It was obviously heavily influenced by old-style Italian Neorealism. I’m not quite sure what you mean by it’s “a more intellectual version of ‘Under the Tuscan Sun'” … the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other. They don’t even take place within the same Italian culture,a nd while TUSCAN SUN is an American romance, RESPIRO isn’t whatsoever. I certainly don’t think it was a film targeted for Americans either.
On the other hand, ANGELA was a big fat bore. It was an interesting story. It was adequately, even competently shot, but please describe how it was “different” from any other docudrama. The only thing it had going for it was its perspective: you’re right in that we haven’t seen many (any?) based-on-true stories about women involved in the mafia. But on the other hand, true or not, it too just became a love story. Otherwise, what was different? What was interesting? It moved along at a snail’s pace (as opposed to being what I would call deliberately paced). It had good performances but was otherwise a snooze.
Also, from what I understand, the writer/director Roberta Torre took liberties with the facts (which is absolutely her right) so your claim that it was a “great story told by the camera and by the facts” isn’t exactly true.
Rather, I thought it WAS a great story, and an unfortunate missed opportunity to TRY to do something different in the telling.
But hey … if you were satisfied with it, great. For me, ANGELA was a big ol’ bore, while RESPIRO was in fact something creative and beautiful and, since this is important to you, different.
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