To date, five films screening at HIFF 2016 have been selected by their respective countries as this year’s entry into the Oscar® race for Best Foreign Language Film. And the list is growing…
Be among the first American audiences to see these international gems!
Under the Shadow (UK)
Directed by: Babak Anvari | Narrative Feature | 84 min | Persian
Iranian newcomer Babak Anvari’s UNDER THE SHADOW is a brilliantly layered story of psychological terror and political turmoil. Set in wartorn Tehran, married couple Shideh (the scene-stealing Narges Rashidi) and Iraj (Bobby Naderi) are forced to separate when he is assigned to medical work on the front lines. In addition to taking care of their sick young daughter, Dorsa, Shideh is also nursing her own pride after being rejected from medical school as punishment for her activism. As the war escalates around them and evil spirits are unleashed, UNDER THE SHADOW tackles life under political turmoil and female oppression in this haunting and atmospheric debut.
Thursday | 8pm | UA East Hampton
FIRE AT SEA “Fuocoammare” (ITALY)
Directed by: Gianfranco Rosi | Documentary Feature | 108 min | Italian
Berlin Golden Bear-winning documentary FIRE AT SEA is a beautifully crafted and poignant depiction of the European migrant crisis told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy. The sleepy Sicilian island of Lampedusa has transformed into the primary transit point for migrants dreaming of freedom and a better life in Europe. Gianfranco Rosi masterfully shapes the story around a lively local boy, Samuele, who seemingly lives a normal life amid the chaos on the island. Rosi skillfully juxtaposes his mundane activities over the tragedies unfurling daily in the background on the island.
Monday | 11:30am | UA East Hampton
THE SALESMAN “Forushande” (IRAN)
Directed by: Asghar Farhadi | Narrative Feature | 125 min | Persian | East Coast Premiere
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (A SEPARATION) returns with another expertly crafted and multilayered drama about Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti), a young married couple forced to move into a new apartment in the center of Tehran, where the previous tenant still lingers. When Rana mistakenly buzzes the door open, thinking it’s her husband coming home, she lets in a stranger. The incident threatens the marriage as tensions arise between husband and wife. Mastering suspense and naturalism, THE SALESMAN digs into the complex psychology of vengeance while continuing to explore the condition of women in Iran and the male psyche.
Friday | 3pm | UA East Hampton
Saturday | 12pm | Bay Street Theater
JULIETA (Spain)
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar | Narrative Feature | 99 min | Spanish
Celebrated filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar is in pitch perfect form with his latest film, JULIETA, based on the trilogy by Canadian Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro. A chance encounter leads Julieta, played by both Emma Suarez and Arianna Ugarte, on a mysterious path of reflection and discovery in the search for her daughter. Through unexpected twists her once passionate love affair turns into a haunting family melodrama. Incorporating undeniable hints of Greek tragedy and Hitchcockian thrill, Almodóvar effortlessly weaves between the past and present, exploring familial ties, grief, memory, love, and identity.
Sunday | 2:45pm | Guild Hall (RUSH only)
Monday | 6:45 pm | Bay Street Theater
TONI ERDMANN (Germany)
Directed by: Maren Ade | Narrative Feature | 162 min | German/English/Romanian
Ines and her aging father Winfried don’t see each other much. On a whim, he decides to pay her a visit in Bucharest, where she is working as a corporate strategist. Worried that his daughter’s life lacks joy and humor, Winfried takes it upon himself to lighten things up, resulting in a series of hilarious pranks that only seem to push Ines further away. A father-daughter comedy unlike anything you’ve seen before, Marin Ade’s TONI ERDMANN is a beautifully observed and singular vision that firmly confirms her brilliance as a humanist storyteller. An undeniable hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; TONI ERDMANN is Germany’s entry for Best Foreign Language film.
Saturday | 7:45pm | UA East Hampton (RUSH only)
Sunday | 7:45pm | UA East Hampton
