Film Synopses: Whitehead International Film Festival January 16-19, 2009
Festival Director: Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki
Special guest: Fernando Diaz, director of The Stranger (Argentina)
Friday, January 16: 7:30 p.m.
The Stranger (Argentina). An Argentine émigré to Spain, down on her luck, receives word that her grandfather in Argentina has died, leaving his ranch to her as his sole survivor. She returns to the ranch, only to find it desolate--everything except the building itself has gone to pay taxes. She decides to stay, despite her own poverty, and rebuild the ranch.
Saturday, January 17: 10:00 a.m.
The Trap . (Serbia). In this Dostoevskyan film, a young Serbian family learns that their 7 year old son has a desperate heart condition requiring $30,000 surgery that can only be performed in Berlin (and therefore is outside of national health care coverage). The family runs an ad in the newspaper, appealing for help. It comes to the husband in the form of an offer: kill this despicable man, and you will receive the $30,000.
Saturday, January 17: 2:00 p.m.
XXY (Argentina). A fifteen year old who was born with both male and female genitalia must make a decision concerning her/his identity. The parents have invited a surgeon for a weekend’s visit as an entrée into discussing the situation. The surgeon has a sixteen year old son.
Saturday, January 17: 7:00 p.m.
Joyeux Noël (France) Christmas Eve in the trenches of France during World War I; Germans, Scots, and French are miserable in their respective lines. A young German soldier rises up from the trenches, sings Silent Night, and the miracle occurs.
Sunday, January 18: 1:00 p.m.
Echoes of Home (Switzerland). Every place in the universe has its very own special music. A young Swiss trio echo the sounds of the mountains with their extraordinary yodeling. This launches a discovery of music around the world, even in the most unexpected places.
Sunday, January 18: 4:00 p.m.
BenX (Belgium). A teenage autistic boy is subjected to merciless bullying at his alternative educational high school. His only refuge is his computer, and the endless games he can construct in which he is a hero. Can the girl at the other end of cyberspace save his life?
Sunday, January 18: 7:00 p.m.
Arranged (U.S.) An orthodox Jewish woman and an orthodox Muslim woman are both hired to teach in the New York City school system—the expectation is that there will be trouble between them. As it happens, both are involved in the procedures of arranged marriages. Through an assignment for their students, the two women connect and disprove all the stereotypes.
Monday, January 19: 10:00 a.m.
The Band’s Visit (Israel). A small town Egyptian band has an invitation to play at a location near the Israeli/Egyptian border. By mistake they take the wrong bus, and find themselves at an isolated Israeli town.
Monday, January 19: 2:00 p.m.
The Visitor (U.S.) A depressed college professor in Connecticut, widowed, is pressured into attending a conference in NYC. He has not been to his NYC apartment for the past several years. He arrives to find it occupied by two young people, one from Syria, the other from Senegal.
Monday, January 19: 7:00 p.m.
Faro, Queen of the Waters (Mali). A young man, born illegitimately and therefore forced out of his village in his teens, returns as a civil engineer. He plans to help the village deal with the problem of flooding that occurs annually. New ways meet old ways, old secrets are uncovered, and respect for the old and the new transform the society.
Location:
Mudd Theatre
Claremont School of Theology
1325 No. College Ave.
Claremont, CA