Next Screening '‘la graine et le mulet (The Secret of the Grain)’

Our next screening is "‘la graine et le mulet (The Secret of the Grain)" Thursday 8th January 2009, 6pm for 6.30pm start.

Rated M. French with English subtitles. Director: Abdellatif Kechiche.

This will be a good film to go out afterwards for a drink, something to eat and a chat, as the reviews are disparate and the conclusion ambiguous – which will only add to the liveliness of our discussions! See you next year ...


**** Margaret Pomeranz ABC's 'At the Movies'. David Stratton didn't agree ...

7.5/10 International Movie Database - 1,075 votes

**** Phillipa Hawker, The Age

Watch the Trailer and view Awards and watch Margaret Pomeranz talk with director, Abdellatif Kechiche

“This rewarding yet heartbreaking film explores a story of family and
individuality.”

“The conclusion … is ambiguous, but its emotional impact
is direct and painful.”

Winner Venice Film Festival 2007 Special Jury Award
Winner 2007 Cesar Awards (French Academy) Best Picture

"French director Adbellatif Kechiche’s film about the lives
of a North African Arab family in France is distinguished by Habib Boufares’s /deeply affecting performance as a retrenched dock worker seeking a new life in business. " *** by Evan Williams, The Weekend Australian

"At the port of Sète Mr. Slimani, a tired sixty year old, drags himself towards a shipyard job which has become more and more difficult to
cope with as the years go by. He is a divorced father who forces himself to stay close to his family despite the scissions and tensions which are easily sparked off and which financial difficulties make even more intense. He is going through a delicate period in his life and recently, everything seems to make him feel useless; a failure. He wants to escape from it all and set up his own restaurant. However it appears to be an unreachable dream given his meagre, irregular salary which is not anywhere near enough to supply what he needs to realise his ambition. But he can still dream and talk about it with his family in particular. A family which gradually recompacts around this project which comes to symbolise the means to a better life. Thanks to their ingeniousness and hard work this dream soon becomes a reality... Or almost...: Written by Venice Film Festival

Next Screening 'Lust Caution'

Our next screening is "Lust, Caution" Thursday 27th November, 6pm
Director: Ang Lee
Main Cast: Tony Leung Chiu Wai Wei Tang Joan Chen
Rated R for high level sex scenes and some violence.

**** from Margaret Pomeranz and ****1/2 stars from David Stratton (ABC's At the Movies)

Provocative, thrilling and passionate, Lust, Caution is the daring new film from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

Set against the backdrop of a transforming country, a young woman finds herself swept up in a radical plot to assassinate a ruthless and secretive intelligence agent. As she immerses herself in her role as a cosmopolitan seductress, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game that will ultimately determine her fate.

Excerpt from Margaret Pomeranz's review '.....LUST, CAUTION is set during the Japanese occupation of China during World War II when a young student, TANG WEI, becomes embroiled in patriotic politics.Her mission is to seduce a prominent collaborator Mr Yee, (TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI) to set him up for ssassination.This languorous, beautiful film defies Asian convention with its explicit sex scenes. But they are the point of the film, an ode to passion and sensuality.'

Awards for Lust, Caution
*** Winner best film Golden Lion Venice 2007
*** Nominee best foreign film Golden Globe 2008
*** London film estival 2007
*** Toronto Film Festival 2007
*** BAFTA 2008

More quotes from Margaret Pomeranz, ABC's 'At The Movies'

"The performances are astounding"
"Every frame of this film is a work of art"
"This is a most sensual, satisfying, moving film"

Visit ABC's At The Movies for trailer and review
http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2099620.htm

Village Roadshow site:
http://www.villagecinemas.com.au/Movies/Lust-Caution.htm

Official website:
http://www.bvi.com.tw/movies/lust_caution/main.html

Annie Leibovitz - Life Through A Lens

Screens Thursday 16th October 2008, doors open 6pm at Wehl Street Theatre, Mount Gambier.

Barbara Leibovitz's star-studded documentary illuminates the personal and professional life of renowned photographer, Annie Leibovitz.
Tracing her career trajectory from Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and beyond, Life Through a Lens delves into the loss of her partner, Susan Sontag, the joys of parenting and her battle with drug addiction. But throughout it is Leibovitz's artistic practice that truly takes centre stage.

“An insightful look into how an artist ultimately confronts life and loss through a lens.”
Phil Gallo, Variety

"You don't have to sort of enhance reality. There is nothing stranger than truth."
Annie Leibovitz

“The most engaging aspects of this film are those that deliver the subject herself, holding forth at length about her life and work, which she does with affecting eloquence.”
Wall St Journal


She laughs off her over-the-top set-ups--like painting the Blues Brothers blue. But there's something else about her images that captures the imagination, and this gift was there back in her earliest photos, snapped when she was an army brat in the Philippines during the Vietnam War, through her hedonistic touring days with the Rolling Stones (of course followed by a stint in rehab) to her shots of today's political leaders. This is an open, thoughtful and frank documentary, and besides its revealing sketch of Leibovitz it also says something important about pop culture and the commercialisation of art. Especially as the photographer is now almost as famous as the people she photographs.

This stunning documentary features Mikhail Baryshnikov, Tina Brown, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Mick Jagger, Bette Midler, Demi Moore, Yoko Ono, Keith Richards, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patti Smith, Gloria Steinem, Jann Wenner and Anna Wintour.

Quote from the Chairman, Federation Victorian Film Societies

We are very proud to have received this comment

"Contrary to current cinema practice, this dynamic new Film Society understands the importance of a well-presented, quality movie, shown in the welcoming company of like-minded, intelligent lovers of film.”

Bryan Putt,
Chairman of Board
FVFS, August 2008

A member of FVFS

We have been accepted as a member of the Federation of Victorian Film Societies (FVFS) http://www.fvfs.org.au/

Film societies are not-for-profits operating around the world. FVFS is a member of the Australian Council of Film Societies http://www.acofs.org.au/ which is a member of the International Federation of Film Societies http://www.filmklubb.no/IFFS.php - a world wide umbrella group to support film societies.

Worldwide, film societies thrive on members - so tell those in our world of Reel @ Wehl film society to grow our membership base and continue bringing quality films to our community.

above article published in The Border Watch 19/8/2008

The Edge of Heaven (Yasamin Kiyisinda)

****½Margaret ****½ David, from ABC’s ‘At the Movies’

‘… truly is a major achievement…’ Margaret Pomeranz

‘….It's terrific…’ David Stratton

Thursday 4th September

6pm pre-screening drinks and nibbles 6.30pm screening

Wehl Street Theatre, Mount Gambier

Winner of The Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, The Edge of Heaven is Fatih Akin's fifth feature. Recently nominated as the German entry for Best Foreign Film Academy Awards 2008.This film sure to engage and enthrall audiences

.
"Anyone who enjoyed Babel will... enjoy The Edge of Heaven." Cinematical, Cannes

"...gorgeously shot, and full of rich performances." Cinematical, Cannes

Nejat seems disapproving about his widower father Ali's choice of prostitute Yeter for a live-in girlfriend. But he grows fond of her when he discovers she sends money home to Turkey for her daughter's university studies. Yeter's sudden death distances father and son. Nejat travels to Istanbul to search for Yeter's daughter Ayten. Political activist Ayten has fled the Turkish police and is already in Germany. She is befriended by a young woman, Lotte, who invites rebellious Ayten to stay in her home, a gesture not particularly pleasing to her conservative mother Susanne. When Ayten is arrested and her asylum plea is denied, she is deported and imprisoned in Turkey. Lotte travels to Turkey, where she gets caught up in the seemingly hopeless situation of freeing Ayten. (Synposis courtesy Sharmill Films)

View Trailer: http://www.sharmillfilms.com.au/previews/edgetrail.htm

We are now an official Film Society

Reels@Wehl has become an official Film Society. We will be affiliating with the Victorian Federation of Film Societies (FVFS) who have David Stratton from ABC’s 'At the Movies' as their Patron. See below for membership fees, films we will be screening and the objectives and rules of a the Film Society.

We will continue screening every 6 weeks at Wehl Street Theatre on Thursdays (day dependent upon availability of theatre)

2008-2009 Full Membership
10 films $70
5 films $40
3 films $27
Concession
10 films $50
5 films $30
3 films $21

Member Benefits
* Quality films
* 2 free guest passes per year
* One free glass of wine pre-screening
* Email newsletter
* Friendly atmosphere to discuss film
* Part of a world-wide organisation of film societies
* Knowledge that you help keep independent cinema alive

For membership form please email reelsatwehl@gmail.com or come to our next screening and sign up (sorry, no single ticket sales, as this is a film society for members under copyright legislation).

Films we aim to screen
We aim to screen a variety of film genres, those not normally availabe at commercial cinema, including Australian arthouse, foreign films, classics, documentaries, animation.

The films we are able to access will be dependent upon availability from distributors. If you have suggestions please let us know and we will endeavour to source the film but cannot make guarantees.

The films we have screend include:
The Edge of Heaven (Yasamin Kiyisinda - Auf der anderen Seite) - Rated M
Turkey/German 2007 Directed and written by Fatih Akin 4.5 stars Margaret and David, ABC’s ‘At the Movies’
Winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes Festival 2007, Fatih Akin’s THE EDGE OF HEAVEN is a beautifully structured, emotionally draining drama which moves back and forth from Germany to Turkey in a seamless story of interlocking lives. (Review courtesy ‘At the Movies’)


Life Through a Lens: Annie Leibowitz – rated M
USA 2006, Director Barbara Leibovitz
This film traces the artistic self-realization of Annie Leibovitz, from childhood through the death of her beloved friend, Susan Sontag, and includes snippets of Leibovitz's last visual memories of Sontag. The film traces the arc of her photographic life, her aspirations to artistry, and the trajectory of her career through phases that included the tumultuous sixties in Berkeley, CA., touring with the Rolling Stones, a mentorship by Hunter S. Thompson, and, later, capturing the last candid moments of John Lennon's life with Yoko Ono. The archival material presented here is invaluable for framing an understanding of this immeasurably influential visual artist. (courtesy IMBD)


Objectives and Rules
Objectives: Reels at Wehl Film Society’s objectives for the community of the Limestone Coast, South Australia are:
1 To encourage interest in the film as an art and as a medium of information and education by means of the exhibition of films of all kinds.
2 To promote the study and appreciation of film by means of lectures, discussions, exhibitions and publications.

Rules
1. Membership
1.1 Reels at Wehl is a membership based film society. You can join as a member prior to the screening. Membership fees are contained on the promotional flyer and the membership form.
1.2 Reels at Wehl is structured as a membership based film society because we are a not-for-profit organisation relying on the assistance of the Australian Film Commission to be able to screen films on the understanding that we do not run a commercial operation. It also enables access to films that are restricted to film societies and educational institutions only. We need your generous support to continue operating to be able to screen films that would not generally be screened in a commercial venue.
Can I purchase a single ticket?
Sorry, no, as this is a film society the purchase of a single ticket is deemed a commercial screening and therefore is not allowed due to the copyright licencing laws.
2 Membership forms
2.1 As a film society we need to keep a record of your details as part of your membership registration. We abide by Australia’s privacy legislation and do not sell your details to third parties. It is a requirement of being a film society that we have a record of members to prove we are operating as a bona fide film society.
2.2 Being a not-for-profit means we do not have excess funds for advertising. With your details we can be in touch quickly with the latest screenings and news and special member offers.
2.3 We also require that you date and sign your membership application form to indicate that you abide by the conditions of membership. If you don’t complete the application in full, we cannot admit you as a member.
2.4 Membership passes are limited to one person.
2.5 Occasionally we will have screenings where we may invite members to bring along a guest for free.
3.1 All Reels at Wehl memberships are only valid for the number of consecutive films for which they are purchased (ie, if you purchase 10 films in September 2008 that entitles you to 10 consecutive films and cannot be used over ensuing years).
4 Selection of films to screen
4.1 A committee of volunteers selects the films to screen. We want to hear from you on suggestions of films to screen and depending on expense and availability from distributors we will try our hardest to obtain the films but we can make no guarantees.

Next screening 'The Italian' 5 stars from Margaret 4 from David, ABC's At the Movies

A film that states that the heart speaks louder than the intellect, the story of The Italian revolves around six year old Vanya. Living comfortably as an adopted child with an Italian family, Vanya's quest for more leads him on a journey to find his real mother. (Sharmill Films Australia)

It’s a pretty tall order to ask a six-year-old to suddenly take on responsibility for his own life. The questions facing Vanya are really tough: does he want to live a comfortable life as an adopted child of a loving family in Italy? After all, for an abandoned Russian child like Vanya it really doesn’t sound like a bad option.

The orphan has recently become a figure with a powerful resonance in post-Soviet filmmaking. This film is set in a privatised institution run by a profit-oriented proprietor and effectively administered by a gang of juvenile inmates. Things are looking up for six-year-old Vanya, though. He is about to be adopted (or purchased might be a better way of putting it) by a benevolent Italian couple. However, Vanya is a child as dogged and resourceful as he is inconvenient when his imagination is fired by the prospect of finding his mother. Andrei Kravchuk’s film is a delight for the ears with its densely layered soundtrack conjuring up an off-centre world in which you can never feel truly at ease or at home. (Adelaide Film Festival 2007).

Director : Andrei Kravchuk, Russia, 2006

Full review by Maraget and Dave, ABC's At the Movies

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1900161.htm

Trailer http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/theitalian/trailer/

Official Russian Entry-2006 Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film

Recipe from our last event

Herbed Cream Cheese
The secret is fresh herbs and I added about a third more than the recipe. This can be served on cucumber rounds or pumpernickel bread.

125 g packet cream cheese
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 green shallots, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 long green cucumber
fresh oregano sprigs, extra
few bits red pepper for garnish

Blend everything together (except for oregano sprigs). Slice cucumber, top with mixture then extra oregano and pieces of red pepper. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours.

Recipe for Glögg - new DVD projector

Wehl Street Theatre now has a new DVD projector and the quality is excellent!

Glögg is traditional Swedish mulled wine and is very delicious for autumn and the ensuing winter months.

Glögg, Mulled Wine
5 whole white cardamom pods, cracked
2 whole cloves
1 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup Madiera wine or 1 cup good-quality red wine such as (we've deleted their recommendation to add a good drop from our esteemed regions here in the South East)

Put all of the ingredients in a stainless steel pan and slowly heat but do not boil. Strain and drink immediately or forݠ tronger flavor, let spices steep for several hours or overnight;strain and gently reheat.

Copyright © 1997 Judith Pierce Rosenberg All Rights Reserved. http://www.swedishkitchen.com/glogg.html