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Now Playing at the E Street Cinema
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| From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) and producer Graydon Carter (Surfwise, The Kid Stays in the Picture) comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson's life—his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell's Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign, and much more. Narrated by Johnny Depp. Official Web Site |
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Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
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| In China, it is simply known as "The River." But the Yangtze—and the life that surrounds it—is undergoing a truly spectacular transformation wrought by the biggest hydroelectric dam in history, the Three Gorges Project. From the vantage point of a luxury "farewell cruise" that wends its way up the River, we are witness to the dramatic shift: peasant families are forced to relocate their entire lives as floodwaters steadily engulf their villages; young tour-boat employees warily grasp at a more prosperous future; Western tourists catch a final glimpse of a disappearing culture. Returning to the scene of his grandfather's riverbank youth, Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang has crafted a singularly moving and cinematically breathtaking depiction of contemporary China and a disquieting glance into a future that awaits us all. Official Web Site |
Now Playing at the E Street Cinema
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| Alexandra, played by opera legend Galina Vishnevskaya, is an elderly woman who has come to see her beloved grandson Denis (Vasily Shevtsov), a young officer at a remote military outpost. In oppressive heat, with the enemy just beyond the compound, she acquaints herself with the routines of military life and makes a revealing trip into the outlying countryside. An official Selection at the Cannes, Toronto and New York Film Festivals, Alexandra is a powerful new film from the great Alexander Sokurov, director of Russian Ark and Father and Son. Official Web Site |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
and E Street Cinema
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| An audaciously funny and surprisingly poignant political satire set in Turaqistan, a country occupied by an American private corporation run by a former U.S. Vice President (Dan Aykroyd). In an effort to monopolize the opportunities the war-torn nation offers, the corporation's CEO hires a troubled hit man (co-writer John Cusack) to kill a Middle Eastern oil minister. Now, struggling with his own growing demons, the assassin must pose as the corporation's Trade Show Producer in order to pull off this latest hit, while maintaining his cover by organizing the high-profile wedding of Yonica Babyyeah (Hilary Duff), an outrageous Central Asian pop star, and keeping a sexy left wing reporter (Marisa Tomei) in check. Co-starring Joan Cusack and Ben Kingsley. Directed by Joshua Seftel. Official Web Site |
Now Playing at the E Street Cinema
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In China, it is simply known as "The River." But the Yangtze—and
the life that surrounds it—is undergoing a truly spectacular transformation
wrought by the biggest hydroelectric dam in history, the Three Gorges Project.
From the vantage point of a luxury "farewell cruise" that wends
its way up the River, we are witness to the dramatic shift: peasant families
are forced to relocate their entire lives as floodwaters steadily engulf their
villages; young tour-boat employees warily grasp at a more prosperous future;
Western tourists catch a final glimpse of a disappearing culture. Returning
to the scene of his grandfather's riverbank youth, Chinese-Canadian filmmaker
Yung Chang has crafted a singularly moving and cinematically breathtaking
depiction of contemporary China and a disquieting glance into a future that
awaits us all. Official
Web Site Michael O'Sullivan's Washington Post review... |
Now Playing at the E Street Cinema
 |
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In the summer of 2006, while the football world's attention was focused on
Germany, thousands of players around the globe were training hard and competing
to be part of the World Cup...The Homeless World Cup. It began in 2001 as
a wild idea by a Scot and an Austrian—to give homeless people a chance
to change their lives through an international street soccer competition.
Five years later, the annual Homeless World Cup had become an internationally
recognized sports competition. Five hundred homeless players from 48 nations
would ultimately be selected to represent their country in Cape Town, South
Africa—coming from such disparate parts of the world as war torn Afghanistan,
the slums of Kenya, the drug rehab clinics of Dublin, Ireland, the streets
of Charlotte, North Carolina, the overflowing public shelters of Madrid, Spain,
and the unforgiving city of St. Petersburg, Russia, where the homeless have
no rights or identity. Win or lose, for these players it would be the journey
of a lifetime. Official
Web Site Stephen Hunter's Washington Post review... |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
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| An unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship, starring Colin Firth as Blake Morrison, a man who must deal with his father Arthur’s (Jim Broadbent) terminal illness and imminent death. Blake’s memories of everything funny, embarrassing and upsetting about his childhood and teens are interspersed with tender and heartrending scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father—and their history of conflict—and learns to accept that one’s parents are not always accountable to their children. Co-starring Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Claire Skinner and Matthew Beard. Directed by Anand Tucker (Shopgirl, Hilary and Jackie), from a screenplay by David Nicholls (Starter for 10), adapted from Blake Morrison’s novel of the same name. Official Web Site |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
and E Street Cinema
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Award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains)
illuminates the life and legend of Genghis Khan. Based on leading scholarly
accounts, his stunning historical epic delves into the dramatic and harrowing
early years of the ruler who was born as Temudgin in 1162. As it follows Temudgin
from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the future
conqueror is revealed not as the evil brute of hoary stereotype, but as an
inspiring, fearless and visionary leader. In a performance of powerful stillness
and subtlety, celebrated young Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu (Zatoichi,
Last Life in the Universe) captures the inner fire that enabled a hunted
boy to become a legendary conqueror. Masterfully blending action and emotion
against some of the most arresting terrain on earth, Bodrov delivers an exciting
and awe-inspiring tale of survival and triumph, and a love story for the ages.
Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Official
Web Site Stephen Hunter's Washington Post review... |
Now Playing at the E Street Cinema
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This quietly compelling drama of fractured families, dislocated cultures
and bridged gulfs is masterfully written and directed by Turkish-German Fatih
Akin (Head-On, Crossing the Bridge). Expatriate widower Ali (Tuncel
Kurtiz), seeking a little home comfort, invites prostitute Yeten (Nursel Köse)
to live with him, a move his son Nejat (Baki Davrak), a professor of German
literature, disparages. When tragedy ensues, Nejat travels to Turkey seeking
Yeten's daughter while she, unknowing, searches for her mother in Germany.
Co-starring Fassbinder icon Hanna Schygulla.Winner of 4 German Film Awards,
including Best Picture, Director, Editor and Screenplay. Official
Web Site Ann Hornaday's Washington Post review... |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
and E Street Cinema
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In Los Angeles circa 1915, a little immigrant girl (Catinca Untaru) is in
a hospital recovering from a fall. She strikes up a friendship with a bedridden
man (Lee Pace), who captivates her with a whimsical story that removes her
far from the hospital doldrums into the exotic landscapes of her imagination.
Making sure he keeps the girl interested in the story he interweaves her family
and people she likes from the hospital into his tale. Shot on location in
18 countries around the world, The Fall is a moving, visually sumptuous
fantasy of exotic bandits, evil tyrants, dream-like palaces and breathtaking
landscapes. Directed and co-written by Tarsem (The Cell). Official
Web Site Ann Hornaday's Washington Post review... |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
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This sexy, playful, poignant tale kicks off just as Phillip (Anders Danielsen
Lie) and Erik (Espen Klouman-Høiner)—two cocky, grinning rebels
full of the verve and dreams of 20-year-olds everywhere—ship off their
first novels to publishers, each hoping to become a wildly influential "cult
author." Fast-forward six months. These reveries have crashed, hard,
into reality. Phillip, whose novel garnered instant acclaim and turned him
into a mini-celebrity, has had a terrifying breakdown. Erik, who never sold
his novel, is still pecking away, determined to follow in the footsteps of
his undying hero, a reclusive but idolized writing genius. Nimbly moving both backwards and forwards in time—via a dazzling
mix of flashbacks, rapid-fire editing, philosophical voiceovers and comical
flights of fancy—the film traces how Erik and Phillip arrived at this
precipice where exuberant youth runs into the harsh light of day…and
witnesses the emotionally gripping aftermath. Directed and co-written by Joachim
Trier. Official
Web Site Kelly Jane Torrance's Washington Times review... |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
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Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, 62-year-old Walter
Vale (Richard Jenkins) fills the void by trying to learn to play classical
piano. Sent to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find
a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real
estate scam, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Gurira),
his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go. In the first of a series
of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him.
Touched by his kindness, the talented Tarek insists on teaching the aging
academic to play the African drum. The instrument's exuberant rhythms revitalize
Walter's faltering spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz
clubs and Central Park drum circles. When Tarek is arrested as an undocumented
citizen and held for deportation, Walter finds himself compelled to help his
new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost. Written and directed
by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent). Official Web Site Director Tom McCarthy is fascinated by how and why people connect |
Now Playing at the Bethesda Row Cinema
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Jean (Gad Elmaleh), a shy young bartender, is mistaken for a millionaire
by a beautiful seductress named Irene (Audrey Tautou, Amélie).
When Irene discovers his true identity, she abandons him, only to find that
a love-struck Jean has no intention of letting her get away. Jean's comical
attempts to gain her affections gradually evolve into setting himself up as
a gigolo at a luxury hotel, until Irene finally starts to warm to her persistent,
persuasive suitor. Against the wildly atmospheric backdrop of the south of
France, Pierre Salvadori (Après Vous) directs this sexy and
thoroughly charming romantic comedy, which is a fresh re-imagining of the
cinema classic Breakfast at Tiffany's. Official
Web Site Director Salvadori on meeting the right person at the wrong time |
Starts Friday, July 11 at the
Bethesda Row Cinema & E Street Cinema
 |
| It's the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana—but change is in the air. The newly inaugurated mayor, Rudy Giuliani, is beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against "crimes" like noisy portable radios, graffiti and public drunkenness. Set against this backdrop, Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) spends his last summer before college selling dope throughout New York City, trading it with his shrink (Ben Kingsley) for therapy, while crushing on his step-daughter (Olivia Thirlby). Famke Janssen, Mary Kate Olsen, and Method Man round out the cast in this edgy, bittersweet and funny coming-of-age story. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Jonathan Levine. Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, July 11
at the Bethesda Row Cinema
 |
| Feisty firecracker Hagar Shipley (Ellen Burstyn) has lived an unconventional life. Her passionate heart has always ruled her head and her choices have put her at odds with family and friends. With her life nearly behind her, she sets out in search of a way to reconcile herself to her turbulent past. Through her reflections we come to know a passionate and rebellious young bride, her love for her two sons, the freedoms she claimed, and the joys she denied herself. Co-starring Ellen Page (Juno), Dylan Baker, Christine Horne, Cole Hauser and Kevin Zegers. Written and directed by Kari Skogland, based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Laurence. Official Web Site |
One Week Only!
Starts Friday, July 11 at the E Street Cinema
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| Writer/director/narrator Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn) confirms his standing as poet laureate of men in extreme situations. With this visually stunning exploration, Herzog travels to the Antarctic community of McMurdo Station, headquarters of the National Science Foundation and home to eleven hundred people during the austral summer (October-February). Over the course of his journey, Herzog examines human nature and Mother Nature, juxtaposing breathtaking locations with the profound, surreal, and sometimes absurd experiences of the marine biologists, physicists, plumbers and truck drivers who choose to form a society as far away from the rest of society as one can get. Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, July 11 at the E Street Cinema
 |
| The first retrospective documentary to chronicle the 30-year movement to free Soviet Jews, Refusenik shows how a small grassroots effort, bold enough to take on a Cold War superpower, blossomed into an international human rights campaign that engaged the disempowered and world leaders alike. Told through the eyes of activists on both sides of the Iron Curtain—many of whom survived punishment in Soviet Gulag labor camps—the film is a tapestry of first-person accounts of heroism, sacrifice, and ultimately, liberation. Much of the material shown in the film is unique and exclusive, including interviews with key leaders in the movement that are some of the first ever recorded. Many of the photographs and covert film footage—some of it smuggled out of the Soviet Union—have never been seen before by a large audience, and help make this a unique portrait of an amazing story. Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, July 18 at the
Bethesda Row Cinema & E Street Cinema
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| Pediatrician Alexandre Beck (François Cluzet) still grieves the murder of his beloved wife Margot (Marie-Josée Croze) eight years earlier. When two bodies are found near the scene of the crime, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes a suspect again. The mystery deepens when Alex receives an anonymous e-mail with a link to a video clip that seems to suggest Margot is somehow still alive and a message to "tell no one." Based on Harlan Coben’s international bestselling thriller. Winner of 2007 César Awards for Best Director (Guillaume Canet) and Best Actor. Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, July 18 at the E Street Cinema
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| Set in 19th century France, this sumptuous drama chronicles the love affair between tempestuous Spanish mistress Vellini (Asia Argento at her most seductive) and distinguished, well-bred Ryno de Marigny (Fu'ad Ait Aattou). Ryno's attempt to remain faithful to his wife Hermangarde (Roxane Mesquida), a highly regarded young woman of the French aristocracy, profoundly fails as Vellini reappears in Ryno's life, offering him the passion and emotional connection he lacks in his marriage. His reluctant obsession with Vellini eventually overtakes his conscience, as he succumbs to the deceitful path of infidelity. Written and directed by Catherine Breillat (Sex is Comedy, Fat Girl, Romance). Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, July 18 at the E Street Cinema
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| Nazneen's (Tannishtha Chatterjee) life is turned upside down at the tender age of seventeen. Forced into an arranged marriage to an older man (Satish Kaushik), she exchanges her Bangladeshi village home for a block of flats in London's East End. Pining for her home and her sister, she struggles to make sense of her existence—and to do her duty to her husband. A man of inflated ideas (and stomach), he sorely tests her compliance. Told from birth that she must not fight her fate, Nazneen submits, devoting her life to raising her family and slapping down her demons of discontent. Until the day that Karim (Christopher Simpson), a hot-headed local man, bursts into her life. Against a background of escalating racial tension, they embark on an affair that finally forces Nazneen to take control of her life. A truly contemporary story of love, cultural difference, and ultimately, the strength of the human spirit. Based on the bestselling novel by Monica Ali. Directed by Sarah Gavron. Official Web Site |
One Week Only!
Starts Friday, July 18 at the E Street Cinema
 |
| Hardworking and hardheaded, Tuya (Yu Nan, Best Actress Award Winner at the 2007 Chicago Film Festival) is a Mongolian desert herder who refuses to be settled in a town in accordance with the new industrialization policy. She is kept busy with two kids, a disabled husband and 100 sheep to care for, but one day she hurts her back. The only way for the family to survive is for her to divorce her husband on paper and look for a new spouse who can take care of the whole family. A series of suitors lines up, but it's not easy to find a man who fits the bill. This warm, endearing tale, featuring stunning cinematography, won the top prize (the Golden Bear for Best Film) at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival. Directed and co-written by Quan An Wang. Official Web Site |
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