Thursday, May 1, 2014

Jason goes to SFIFF--Day 6

Two more shows last night, a night of making good on my policy that if I have a drink with you, I will see your movie if at all possible. (PAY ATTENTION, FILMMAKERS!)

First up was the first Costa Rican film ever to play at SFIFF, the wonderful little comedy ALL ABOUT THE FEATHERS (POR LAS PLUMAS.) Chalo makes a meager living as a security guard, and finally manages to get his hands on a cock. Wait, let me rephrase that. He manages to save up enough to buy a rooster, with which he plans to make a lot of money cockfighter. And with his friends Jason (excuse me, Jasón, pronounced ha-SEWN) Candy, and Erlan he gets into comic adventures trying to take care of Rocky (Jasón wanted to name him Apocalypse, but Rocky is a good name for a fighter.) Even though it's about cockfighting...it really isn't. It kinda hangs over the proceedings, and there is finally a scene near the end (actually fighting isn't shown) and that might push some of the San Francisco sensibilities the wrong way, but it's really about the deep emotional bond that forms between a man and his cock pet rooster. And that's something beautiful and very funny.

Next up was my first shorts program, inventively titled SHORTS 2
DANCE OF THE DEATH: A literal race through the stages of life. Very funny.
DESERTED: Two Israeli soldier women, on the last day of officer training, have to finish navigating a course in order to pass. But problems ensue.
IN-BETWEEN WORLDS: Two little boys, brothers, living a carefree summer day selling lemonade.
MYSTERY (MISTERIO): A mother, a sickly father, and their son go on a very surprising trip to the beach. Nothing is quite like it seems, starting with the casual reveal of a Nazi flag in the opening moments.
NO ONE BUT LYDIA: A local film, shot and set in Berkeley. Arif is a misguided young man who is still obsessed with his ex (the titular Lydia, of course.) And so he sets about on a plan to do something very stupid to win her back.
ZIMA: Not about the discontinued drink, but about life in the winter in Northern Russia/Siberia.

And that was last Tuesday at SFIFF.

Total Running Time: 168 minutes
My Total Minutes: 360,995

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