Films at the Library
THANK YOU to The Friends of The Library for sponsoring FREE International Film events!
THANK YOU to The Friends of The Library for sponsoring FREE International Film events!
International Film Festival – As It Is In Heaven (2010)Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2005 Academy Awards, the Swedish film is the story of Daniel, a successful international conductor who returns to his childhood village. When he is asked to lead the local church choir, nothing is ever the same.
Film in the Dawn of the television Age – Some Like It Hot (1959)Film historian Dr. Robert Knoll will introduce Some Like It Hot, one of Hollywood’s most popular comedies. When two Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry, (none other than Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis), witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre they are desperate to get a gig out of town. The only job that is available is in an all girl band heading to Florida. Dressed as Josephine and Daphne mayhem ensues as the two men try to keep their true identities hidden when they meet up with the gangsters who want to rub them out. This film is directed by Billy Wilder and also stars Marilyn Monroe. 2 hours.
Intouchables (2012)- Summer International Film FestivalAn irreverent, uplifting comedy about friendship, trust, and human possibility. Based on a true story of friendship between a handicapped millionaire and his street-smart ex-con caretaker, The Intouchables depicts an unlikely camaraderie rooted in honesty and humor between two individuals who, on the surface, would seem to have nothing in common. 1 hour, 52 minutes-French.
Friends International Film Festival – Free MenIn German-occupied Pairs, a young unemployed Algerian named Younes earns his living as a black marketeer. Arrested by the French police but given a chance to avoid jail, Younes agrees to spy on the Paris Mosque. The police suspect the Mosque authorities, including its rector Ben Ghabrit, of aiding Muslim resistance agents and helping North African Jews by giving them false certificates. French, 1 hour, 39 minute, French with English subtitles.
International Film Festival – ElenaA gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller. Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir and Elena uneasily share his palatial Moscow apartment. He’s a still-virile, wealthy businessman, and she’s his dowdy former nurse who has clearly ‘married up.’ When a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife’s potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan. 1 hour, 49 minutes. Russian with English subtitles.
International Film Festival – QuartetThe rumor circling the halls is that Beecham House (the home for retired musicians) is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it’s a star. Reginald, Wilfred and Cecily are in for a special shock when the new arrival turns out to be none other than their former singing partner, Jean. Her subsequent career as a star soloist, and the ego that accompanied it, split up their long friendship and ended her marriage to Reggie, who takes the news of her arrival particularly hard. 1 hour, 39 minutes. British English film.
International Film Series – Royal AffairThe passionate and forbidden romance between the insane Danish King, the royal physician, and the young but strong-willed Queen leads to a revolution that changes an entire nation. 2 hour, 17 minutes. Danish with English subtitles.
International Film Series – A Simple LifeRoger is a successful movie producer. Ah Tao has worked for Roger’s family as a nanny and maid over the course of four generations. When Roger comes home to find Ah Tao’s suffered a severe stroke and she is unable to care for herself, he agrees to help her relocate to a nursing home. He wants to help, but fears he’ll fail her. She needs his kindness, but doesn’t want to be a burden. As their roles reverse, he comes to understand how much she means to him. 1 hour, 58 minutes. Cantonese.
Film in the Dawn of the Television Age: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)Film historian Dr. Robert Knoll will introduce the cynical 1950s’classic, Sweet Smell of Success. Directed by Alexander MacKendrick and starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, Broadway gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker, coerces Sidney Falco, the unprincipled press agent, into destroying the romance between an up and coming jazz musician and his beloved sister. 2 hours.
International Film Festival – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt star alongside Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas and Amr Waked in this extraordinary, beguiling tale of fly fishing and political spinning. Unexpected heroism and late blooming love make the impossible, possible. Based on Paul Torday’s acclaimed novel by the same title.
POSTPONED – Sixth Annual Teen Film FestivalEnjoy films created by Highland Park teens. From writing a script, to casting, to filming, film club members have created documentaries, features, and animated shorts throughout the year.
Film Club MeetingJoin the fun and make a movie short. Enjoy mastering the skills of filmmaking together with friends.
Film in the Dawn of the Television Age: The Searchers (1956)Based on a true story about a Comanche raid on a Texas family, an uncle, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), searches for his niece who was kidnapped. With his nephew Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), who is 1/8 Indian, Ethan’s hatred is threatening to his niece who has become assimilated to her new culture. Martin becomes uncertain whether Ethan plans to rescue the niece or kill her. Much has been written about this iconic western set after the Civil War including an essay from novelist Jonathan Lethem. Directed by John Ford. 2 hours.
Afternoon at the Movies – Wreck-It Ralph (2012)A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives. Rated Pg. 108 minutes.
Monsieur Lazhar (2011)Adapted from Evelyne de las Cheneliere’s play, this French Canadian film depicts the encounter between two distinct worlds and the power of self expression. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. One hour, 34 minutes.
The Night of the Hunter (1954)The film is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb. Its plot focuses on a corrupt reverend turned serial killer who uses his charms to romance an unsuspecting widow in an attempt to steal a fortune hidden by the woman’s dead husband. The novel and film draw on the true story of harry Powers, hanged in 1932 for the murders of two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia. One hour,33 minutes. Directed by the legendary Charles Laughton, starring Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish. Film and discussion hosted by Film Historian Dr. Robert Knoll. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
Teen Film ClubHere’s your chance to make a short film for the Teen Film Festival later this year.
Bad Day at Black Rock (1954) – Film in the Dawn of the Television AgeFrom the time John J. Macreedy steps off the train in Black Rock, he feels a chill from the local residents. Macreedy himself is tight lipped about the purpose of his trip and finds that he is refused a hotel room, a car to rent and the sheriff is a hopeless drunkard. Things get even worse when he tells the locals he is there to speak to a Japanese-American farmer named Kamoko and he spends the next 24 hours fighting for his life. Directed by John Sturges and starring Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan. One hour, 21 minutes. Film and discussion hosted by Film Historian Dr. Robert Knoll.
Teen Film ClubCome to a meeting and start working on the short film you always wanted to make. Enjoy the film process with friends and refreshments.
Rear Window – Films in the Dawn of the Television AgeProfessional photographer L.B.”Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart) breaks his leg while getting an action shot at an auto race.During his recovery in his Greenwich Village apartment, he has the perfect view of his neighbors apartment through his rear window. He certainly gets an eye full one evening when he suspects that a man across the courtyard may have murdered his wife. Jeff enlists the help of his high society fashion consultant girlfriend Lisa Freemont (Grace Kelly) and his visiting nurse Stella to investigate. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Film and discussion hosted by Film Historian Robert Knoll and sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
Salt of Life – Italian – International Film SeriesIn his warm and witty follow-up to the 2010 hit Mid-August Linch, writer-director-acor Gianni Di Gregorio has created another sparkling comedy with dash of bittersweet. In The Salt of Life, Gianni plays a middle-aged retiree who has become invisible to all the women of Rome. He contends with a demanding mother, a patronizing wife, a slacker daughter, and a wild party girl neighbor who uses him… as a dog walker. one hour, 30 minutes.
Green Roots Environmental Film Festival – Taking Root – The Vision of Wangari MathaiThe Environmental Education Fund, the Library, and Sustainable Highland Park are sponsoring the Highland Park Green Roots Environmental Film Festival, a two week event of screenings and discussions.
From Here To Eternity (1953)In 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit’s team, while his captain’s wife and second in command are falling in love.
Anita (Argentine) – Fall International FilmAnita is the story of a young woman with Down syndrome (Alejandra Manzo) who lives a happy, routine life in Buenos Aires, being meticulously cared for by her mother Dora played by Academy Award nominee Norma Aleandro. One tragic morning in 1994, everything changes when Anita is left alone, confused and helpless after the nearby Argentine Israelite Mutual Association is bombed. As Anita wanders through the city, she learns not only to care for herself, but touches the lives of those around her, from an alcoholic to a family of Asian immigrants. Anita is the latest from renowned filmmaker Marcos Carnevale, director of “Elsa & Fred”. One hour, 44 minutes.
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)A trio of greats, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds dance and sing their way through this musical comedy about a silent film production company and cast who make a difficult transition to sound. Rated G. 1 hour, 43 minutes.
Green Roots Environmental Film Festival – Burning the Future – Coal in AmericaThe Environmental Education Fund, the Library, and Sustainable Highland Park are sponsoring the Highland Park Green Roots Environmental Film Festival, a two week event of screenings and discussions.
Green Roots Environmental Film Festival – The End of the LineThe Environmental Education Fund, the Library, and Sustainable Highland Park are sponsoring the Highland Park Green Roots Environmental Film Festival, a two week event of screenings and discussions.
Fall International Film Series – Romantics Anonymous (2010)Jean-Rene (Benoit Poelvoorde) is the boss of a chocolate factory and Angelique (Isabelle Carre)is a talented chocolate maker. They are both emotionally-challenged people. Drawn together through a shared passion for chocolate, Jean-Rene and Angelique fall in love, but neither is able to express how they. Sadly, their crippling shyness is driving them apart. But eventually, they manage to overcome their lack of self-confidence, and risk baring their true feelings. One hour, 20 minutes.