Upstate Films, Ltd. » coming soon

The Deep Blue Sea

maleiber — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:00:04 +0000


Coming Soon


(UK/2011/dir by Terence Davies)
R / 98 mins

Repressed emotions simmer under the surface in this haunting adaptation of Terence Rattigan‘s classic drama about forbidden passion in 1950s England.

Foggy streets and smoky rooms abound in a 1950s England that is at once startlingly intimate and deeply oppressive. This is the backdrop as Hester Collyer (Rachel Weisz), married to a wealthy judge and trapped in a passionless marriage, pursues an illicit affair with a troubled young RAF pilot despite knowing that their relationship is one-sided and will never be accepted by society. Largely set during one decisive night, Hester must make decisions that will change the course of her life. She desperately wants to break free from the social ties that bind her, but is constantly aware of being surrounded by watchful eyes. A heartbreaking love story, it’s a fascinating portrait of a particular moment in British society, and another of Davies’ films (THE LONG DAY CLOSES, DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH) that revolves around the clash between personal passion and a repressive society. Davies’ vision was forged in the 1950s England of his youth, where growing up gay in this bleak period between the chaos of World War II and the swinging London of the 1960s, he learned first-hand about the intensity and fear of forbidden desires.

“… exquisite, nuanced, romantic tragedy, adapted from a 1950’s play by Terence Rattigan, is my 2011 Toronto Film Festival favorite. A beautiful, vulnerable Rachel Weisz will break your heart just as she cracked mine, playing a woman who leaves her husband for a man she knows will never love her the way she does him.”
-Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

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The Fairy

becca — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:00:17 +0000


Coming Soon
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(France, Belgium / 2012 / Wr and Dir by Diminique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy)
UR / 93mins.

In the Keystone-spirit of Chaplin and Keaton, with the precision of Tati’s visual comedy, a whimsical tale of a man, a fairy, and his three wishes.

In the droll port city of Le Havre, a hotel night clerk’s sleepy evening in front of the TV is interrupted by the arrival of a slender shoeless woman. Announcing herself a fairy, she grants Dom three wishes. He gets his wish of a scooter with an lifetime supply of gas, but what he wants is the love of the fairy herself. The playful and jovial atmosphere is punctured at times by more somber notes, such as when they cross paths with African immigrants trying to stow away on a ferry bound for England, or when the fairy is committed to an asylum. In French with English subtitles.

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Bully

becca — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:00:27 +0000


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(US / 2011 / dir by Lee Hirsch)
UR / 94 mins.

A call to action against peer abuse in our schools, Lee Hirsch’s talked-about film follows five sobering cases of unrelenting schoolyard persecution.

The film follows Alex, dubbed “Fish Face,” as he’s harassed mercilessly on the school bus every morning; Kelby, a gay high schooler belittled at her Oklahoma school (including by her teachers) to the point that her family considers moving; Ja’Maya, a Mississippi teen who has been incarcerated since pulling a gun on the classmates who taunted her; and the families of two children who, fed up by the abuse of their peers, resorted to suicide. We hear from administrators who profess concern but remind us that “kids will be kids,” and from parents who want to hold teachers accountable for looking the other way. Cinematic and encompassing without manipulation or sentimentality, Hirsch effectively documents an issue endemic to our schools and the start of a growing national anti-bullying movement.

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UpDocs

becca — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:00:26 +0000


May 18 – 24
CLICK HERE FOR THE LIST OF DOCUMENTARIES & SHOWTIMES

VIEW or DOWNLOAD THE FILM SCHEDULE HERE
Download the latest version of Adobe PDF reader if you have trouble viewing the schedule.

Each year, there are so many deserving documentaries we don’t get a chance to show them all. This year, we’re devoting a full week to some of the best we’ve seen recently.

Follow a community activist turned world leader in THE ISLAND PRESIDENT as he fights to save The Maldives from rising ocean waters. Explore the new map of the American south in GENERAL ORDERS NO. 9, a poetic eulogy for lost landscapes. Enter into the world of rabbits trapped in No-Man’s Land in RABBIT A LA BERLIN. Watch Estonians peek under the Iron Curtain via illegal antennas in DISCO AND ATOMIC WAR. Or let the band Sigur Rós rock your face off at a late-night screening of INNI, their new concert documentary… We believe that documentary is more than just non-fiction film, and the films chosen for this series reflect some of the most visionary film-making we’ve seen this year. With the program changing daily — accompanied by discussions with filmmakers, activists, puppeteers, and other passionate people — you can come see one or come see them all. Just drop the remote control, join us for the week, and get inspired.Additional titles include: 5 Broken Cameras, Darwin, This Way of Life, Documentary Shorts by Sam Green, Pink Ribbons Inc, Being Elmo, Hell and Back Again, Resurrect Dead, Ingredients, and more!

* Made possible, in part, by Sally Roy and Peter Nelson’s generous support for documentary screenings