From ‘Dry Wood’ to ‘Blossoms of Fire,’ filmmaker’s documentaries capture golden moments of art and culture.
Movies
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Humanitarian aid trip to Transylvania makes for must-see cinema at SF Film Festival
The annual celebration of cinema plants its East Bay flag at Pacific Film Archive. The festival runs through May 1.
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Brooklyn love letter from Oakland-trained filmmaker to air at Pacific Film Archive
‘Blue In the Face,’ a series of improvised vignettes from director Wayne Wang, has an eclectic cast — Madonna, Rosanne Barr, RuPaul, Harvey Keitel and more.
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‘Ahed’s Knee’ is a semi-autobiographical tale of artistic license and Israeli censorship
The film, a bitter personal reflection on the “dumbing down” of Israel, comes to the Shattuck Cinemas on Friday.
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Long-forgotten Dennis Hopper film to play in Oakland
‘Out of the Blue,’ the uncompromising filmmaker’s searing family drama, will screen at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater Thursday.
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Predicting the winner of 2022’s Oscar-nominated short films
Our reviewer calls the winners of three categories, assuming the Academy will follow its penchant for inspirational sports shorts and cutesy animals.
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A bewitching celebration of filmic folk horror
A magisterial documentary screening Sunday at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater examines the influence of folklore on horror cinema.
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Berkeley musician’s drunken odyssey through ‘Russialand’ is amazing but alarming
The scion of an old Berkeley family, Alex Carlin comes off as a bit of a holy fool in his new documentary. The film shows the 64-year-old rock ‘n’ roller’s bacchanal by rail from Siberia to the Black Sea.
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A standout film at SF IndieFest, ‘The Sleeping Negro’ shows struggles of an Everyman
Writer-director Skinner Myer’s ‘The Sleeping Negro’ — the title riffs on a famous James Baldwin quote — is the closest thing this year’s festival has to a must-see feature.
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Is ‘Bad Luck Banging and Loony Porn’ the most enlightening film of the year?
The Romanian film puts the relatively minor sin of consensual sex in its proper perspective.
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F.W. Murnau’s film of infidelity, redemption is set to live piano music at Pacific Film Archive
‘Sunrise,’ a perfect film for the new year from the director of ‘Nosferatu,’ is screening at the Pacific Film Archive on Jan. 8 and Feb. 18.
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Our movie critic’s favorite films of 2021
Here are Berkeleyside movie writer John Seal’s 15 favorite films of the year. He makes no claims on picking the “best.”