Eleventh Film Festival - The People's International Film Festival

Films are listed in order of screening dates and times.

The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina, 2009) Screening Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2010 Director: Juan Jose Campanella Rating: R Awards: Won an Oscar. Another 34 wins & 19 nominations

Retired from his career in Argentina’s criminal court, Benjamín Espósito begins writing a novel about a case from his past that continues to haunt him. In 1974, Espósito had been sent to investigate a horrifying crime in which a young newlywed was raped and murdered. Tracking down his suspect becomes a personal obsession that draws him and his colleague into ever-riskier situations. Despite their dedication, inept officials and politics threaten to let justice slip away.

Turtles Can Fly (Iraq, 2004) Screening Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 Director: Bahman Ghobadi Rating: PG-13 Awards: 15 wins & 4 nominations.

The film is set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. A thirteen-year-old, nicknamed Satellite, is known for both his installation of dishes and antennae for local villages and for his limited knowledge of English. He is the dynamic, but manipulative leader of the children, organizing the dangerous but necessary sweeping and clearing of the minefields. He falls for an orphan named Agrin, a sad-faced girl traveling with her disabled, but smart brother Henkov, who appears to have the gift of clairvoyance.

Fish Tank (UK, 2009) Screening Date: Thursday, October 7, 2010 Director: Andrea Arnold Rating: 18A Awards: Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 18 wins & 14 nominations.

Mia, a foul-mouthed, volatile fifteen-year-old, lives on an Essex estate with her tarty mother Joanne, and precocious little sister Tyler. She has been excluded from school, ostracized by her friends, and is awaiting admission to a referrals unit while spending her days aimlessly. She begins an uneasy friendship with Joanne’s handsome, extrovert Irish boyfriend, Connor, who encourages her one interest, dancing. What could go wrong?

Lemon Tree (Israel/Palestine, 2008) Screening Date: Friday, October 8, 2010 Director: Eran Riklis Rating: PG Awards: 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Salma Zidane, a widow, lives simply from her grove of lemon trees in the West Bank’s occupied territory. When the Israeli Defense Minister and his wife move next door, the Secret Service orders the trees removed for security. Salma seeks assistance from the Palestinian Authority (useless), Israeli army (dismissive), and a young attorney, Ziad Daud, who takes the case. While the courts deliberate, the Israelis fence in her trees and prohibit her from entering the grove. As the trees wither, the defense minister’s wife begins to understand Salma’s struggles.

The Stoning of Soyaya M. (Iran, 2008) Screening Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010 Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh Rating: R Awards: 5 wins & 4 nominations.

Stranded in a remote Iranian village, Sahebjam is approached by Zahra, a woman with a harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances of her death the day before. Her story attempts to expose the inhumanity of Sharia Law. Her last and only hope for justice lies in the hands of the journalist, who must escape with the story - and his life - in order to communicate the violence to the world.

A Prophet (France, 2009) Screening Date: Sunday, October 9, 2010 Director: Jacques Audiard Rating: R Awards: Nominated for an Oscar. Another 26 wins & 15 nominations.

Condemned to six years in prison, 19 year-old Malik El Djebena, part Arab, part Corsican, cannot read or write. Arriving at the jail entirely alone, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. Cornered by the leader of the Corsican gang currently ruling the prison, he is given a number of “missions” to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader’s confidence in the process. Malik is a fast learner and rises up the prison ranks, all the while secretly devising his own plans...

This event is sponsored by:

• City of Kitchener
• Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo
• Waterloo Regional Arts Council
• Generation X Alternative Video and Media