2001-2010

The Nakagin Capsule Tower, designed by Kisho Kurokawa and completed in 1972, is an exemplary work of post-war Japanese architectural movement Metabolism. Today, however, this historic building is in danger of demolition. Why do we need to preserve a building? What are the difficulties of preservation? Is demolition a tragedy or a natural phenomenon for modern architecture? Tracing the history of postwar Japanese architecture and reviewing the characteristics of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, this documentary examines the meaning of preservation and demolition from various points of view. The documentary includes interviews with residents of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, an architectural historian, a former Kurokawa office architect who was in charge of the Nakagin Capsule Tower project, Kurokawa’s son, and leading architects Arata Isozaki and Toyo Ito.Read More »

Leading very separate lives, Christy and her boyfriend Buddy live together in her parent’s basement with their baby Mikey. As Christy, a waitress and aspiring writer, and Buddy, a plumber’s apprentice, struggle with the realities of their lives, questions are formed about obligations, consequences, and all the identities we employ to get through the day.Read More »

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High School grad and all American gal, Anna, finds her purpose and herself after she hooks up with the radical feminists in The Itty Bitty Titty Committee.Read More »

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Growing up in the shadows of Shanghai, Bei (Li Zhinan), a disillusioned dancer, spends most of his time in a drug-induced haze. But when he begins developing AIDS-like symptoms and fears he could be seriously ill, he turns to his three best friends to help him forget. Complications ensue when Bei and another friend, Jie (Zhou Zijie), begin to feel more than mutual camaraderie, which throws their sexuality into serious question.Read More »

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Un cinéphile rencontre sur une plage de Ramatuelle son cinéaste préféré. Il lui propose de mettre en film la douloureuse aventure qu’il vient de vivre. Les deux hommes vont tricoter les scènes, chacun à sa manière. Le cinéaste ne cesse de repousser le projet, arguant que la chute n’est pas bonne. Mais peut-être a-t-il une bonne raison de ne pas aller au bout de l’aventure … (from commeaucinema)Read More »

After an old friend’s visit ends, Lori is feeling a bit down. Bored with her job, agitated at home, and frustrated with money problems, Lori takes out her anger on her ex-marine boyfriend, Anson. However, after a broken mug, a trip to the zoo and a case of the shingles Lori’s mood changes.Read More »

“Falling is a transition. It is a movement from one position to another. In as much as it suggests failure or ruin, to love is also to fall. It is corruption, revolution and abandonment. It implies a relationship. Hito Steyerl’s In Free Fall charts a singular object, the Boeing 707-700 4X-JYI airplane, in this process of falling. Less the story of an object’s production and eventual obsolescence, In Free Fall documents a life made visible through consecutive moments of destruction.”
— Gil LeungRead More »

Jan Nemec, a leading filmmaker of the Czech New Wave, creates an original portrait of one of the most provocative artists of the 20th century: Toyen (Marie Cerminova). As a female artist, Toyen broke through the male-dominated art world to create paintings and drawings often erotic in nature. She co-founded the surrealist movement in her native Prague, survived the Nazis and the Communists, maintained artistic and personal relationships with artists Jindrich Heisler (whom she hid during WWII) and Jindrich Styrsky, and was an active member of the French surrealist circle. Toyen is an essay film which mixes archival footage with re-enactments, poems by Toyen, Heisler and Styrsky, and a visual palette and soundscape that penetrate the interior life of this enigmatic and great artist. “Toyen remains a unique way of approaching an artist’s life…” (Peter Hames, Czech and Slovak Cinema).Read More »

David Lynch prepares a delicious meal of quinoa, with enchanting stories, wonderful fun and wine.

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Just like Laura Palmer’s favourite food, Garmonbozia, in Twin Peaks (1990), and Twin Peaks (2017), David Lynch’s culinary delicacy is quinoa: a high-protein pseudo-cereal. Rich in fibre, minerals, and all nine essential amino acids, this gluten-free seed pairs perfectly with vegetables, and, especially, organic broccoli. In his dimly-lit kitchen, David Lynch prepares his one-medium-pan meal, using 1/2 cup of antioxidant-rich quinoa, a cube of vegetable bouillon, extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt. This delicious, easy-to-make dinner takes only seventeen minutes to make, and in the meantime, as David Lynch describes his cooking technique over a glass of red wine, he also recounts a bizarre story of moths, sugar-water, copper coins, and famous carbonated soft drinks. -Nick RiganasRead More »