Arabic

 Ladder to Damascus
(Soullam ila Dimashk)
Directed by Mohamed Malas
(Qatar/Lebanon/Syria, 2013, 95 min.)
Ghalia is haunted by the soul of a girl who drowned the day she was born and travels to Damascus to better understand her condition. There, she meets an aspiring filmmaker as the tumultuous events in Syria start unfolding around them.
Filmfest DC

Return to Homs
Directed by Talal Derki
(Syria/Germany, 2013, 87 min.)
Filmed over three years, this film follows two young Syrian men whose dreams of freedom changed as war erupted around them.
Filmfest DC 

Bengali

Act Zero
Directed by Goutam Ghose
(India, 2013, 127 min.)
A corporate high-flier is sent to the hinterland to clear tribal villages for a mining project. There, he meets an intrepid journalist and growing Maoist violence.
Filmfest DC

Czech

Cosy Dens
(Pelísky)

Directed by Jan Hrebejk
(Czech Republic, 1999, 116 min.)

In 1967, just months before Soviet tanks roll into Czechoslovakia, two families find themselves caught on different sides of the political spectrum in this coming-of-age story (Czech and Russian).

Bistro Bohem
Thu., April 10, 7 p.m.

Honeymoon
(Líbánky)

Directed by Jan Hrebejk
(Czech Republic/Slovakia, 2013, 92 min.)

During a wedding in a small Czech town, a bride and the groom get ready to exchange their vows when an uninvited guest arrives, carrying secrets that will test the new couple’s bond.

The Avalon Theatre
Wed., April 9, 8 p.m.

Kawasaki’s Rose
(Kawasakiho ruze)

Directed by Jan Hrebejk
(Czech Republic, 2009, 100 min.)

A prestigious psychiatrist is set to receive a state honor for his courageous work as a dissident when it comes to light that at the beginning of the 1970s, the secret police coerced him into discrediting a former friend (part of the Visegrad V4 Film Series).

Embassy of the Czech Republic
Tue., April 8, 7 p.m.

Danish

The Keeper of Lost Causes
(Kvinden I buret)

Directed by Mikkel Nørgaard

(Denmark/Germany/Sweden, 2013, 97 min.)

In this Nordic noir, police inspector Carl Mørck is put in charge of a department of cold cases and, joined only by his assistant, digs into a case about a disappeared woman (Danish, Swedish and Arabic).

Filmfest DC

Dutch

Romantic Brasserie
(Brasserie Romantiek)

Directed by Joël Vanhoebrouck
(Belgium, 2012, 104 min.)

Pascaline runs a stylish brasserie and on Valentine’s Day her old flame from 20 years ago suddenly reappears and asks her to leave right now for Rio.

Filmfest DC

English

Alhelm: Martin Luther King in Palestine

Directed by Connie Field
(U.S./Palestine, 2012, 93 min.)

An African American gospel choir is the Greek chorus for a Palestinian play on Martin Luther King Jr. that tours the West Bank, preaching nonviolence.

Filmfest DC

Anna Karenina

Directed by Julien Duvivier
(U.K., 1948, 112 min.)

Vivien Leigh gives an edgy, emotional charge to her performance as Anna in Alexander Korda’s handsomely appointed postwar version of Tolstoy’s great tragedy.

AFI Silver Theatre
Sun., April 6, 11:30 a.m.,
Mon., April 7, 7:10 p.m.

Band of Sisters

Directed by Mary Fishman
(U.S., 2012, 88 min.)

In the wake of the Vatican II reforms of the 1960s, American nuns took it upon themselves to put word into action, coming out of the cloister and engaging with the world.

AFI Silver Theatre
Fri., April 11, 7:15 p.m.

Big Men

Directed by Rachel Boynton
(U.K./Denmark/U.S., 2013, 99 min.)

In 2007, U.S.-based Kosmos Energy discovers the first oil in the history of the West African republic of Ghana. What follows over the next five years is a twisting tale of greed and deception, which director Rachel Boynton films with razor-sharp journalistic skill.

Theater TBA

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Directed by Wes Anderson
(U.S./Germany, 2014, 100 min.)

Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend navigate a series of adventures in the midst of a changing continent (English and French).

AFI Silver Theatre

Angelika Mosaic
Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

The Grand Seduction

Directed by Don McKellar
(Canada, 2013, 115 min.)

Residents of a quaint Newfoundland fishing village conspire to convince a big-city doctor into becoming the town’s physician.

Filmfest DC

Jodorowsky’s Dune

Directed by Frank Pavich
(U.S./France, 2013, 90 min.)

This story traces Chilean cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel “Dune” (English, French, German and Spanish).

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Lost Highway

Directed by David Lynch
(France/U.S., 1997, 135 min.)

After a bizarre encounter at a party, a jazz saxophonist is framed for the murder of his wife and sent to prison, where he suffers an intense headache and wakes the next morning as a young auto mechanic in a new life.

AFI Silver Theatre
Tue., April 1, 7:30 p.m.

Lost Son of Havana

Directed by Jonathan Hock
(U.S., 2009, 102 min.)

Former pitching great Luis Tiant returns to Cuba for the first time since leaving in 1961 at age 20 for a bittersweet reunion with his homeland and family members.

AFI Silver Theatre
Thu., April 10, 7:10 p.m.

Nymphomaniac: Volume I

Directed by Lars von Trier
(Denmark/Germany/France/Belgium/U.K., 2013, 110 min.)

A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Only Lovers Left Alive

Directed by Jim Jarmusch
(U.K./Germany/France/Cyprus/U.S., 2013, 123 min.)

Two fragile and sensitive vampires who have been lovers for centuries are both cultured intellectuals who have evolved to a level where they no longer kill for sustenance, but still retain their innate wildness.

Angelika Mosaic
Opens Fri., April 18

Particle Fever

Directed by Mark Levinson
(U.S., 2013, 99 min.)

Six brilliant scientists mark the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet, pushing the edge of human innovation.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

The Red Dance

Directed by Raoul Walsh
(U.S., 1928, 90 min.)

In this epic tale of the Russian Revolution, an open-minded grand duke falls for a revolution-minded peasant girl who dreams of becoming a dancer, while a peasant leader rises to the rank of general in the Red Army.

AFI Silver Theatre
Sat., April 5, 1:45 p.m.

The Roaring Twenties

Directed by Raoul Walsh
(U.S., 1939, 106 min.)

Former World War I army buddies James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart cross paths years later while employed in New York’s bootlegging business.

AFI Silver Theatre
April 4 to 10

Sugar

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
(U.S./Dominican Republic, 2008, 114 min.)

Pitching prospect Miguel “Sugar” Santos makes journey from San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic to the small-town farm team of the Kansas City Knights.

AFI Silver Theatre
Tue., April 8, 7:10 p.m.

The Unknown Known

Directed by Errol Morris
(U.S. 2013, 96 min.)

Using declassified memos, Errol Morris guides former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld through a discussion of his controversial career as a high-level executive under four different Republican presidents.

The Avalon Theatre
Angelika Mosaic
Opens Fri., April 4

Le Week-End

Directed by Roger Michell
(U.K./France, 2013, 93 min.)

A long-married British couple revisits Paris for the first time since their honeymoon in an attempt to rekindle their relationship.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

White Lies

Directed by Dana Rotberg
(New Zealand, 2013, 96 min.)

A Maori healer faces a difficult ethical dilemma as she tries to help a European settler’s wife (English and Maori).

Filmfest DC

Farsi

From Tehran to Heaven
(Az Tehran Ta Behesht)

Directed by Abolfazl Saffary
(Iran/Germany, 2013, 75 min.)

Strange things happen in a woman’s desperate search to find her husband after he was abducted.

Filmfest DC

French

2 Autumns, 3 Winters
(2 automnes 3 hivers)

Directed by Sébastien Betbeder
(France, 2013, 91 min.)

Arman is 33 and ready to make a change, starting with a run in the park, where he literally bumps into the woman he believes is “the one,” while his best friend suffers a stroke and is relegated to the hospital, where he falls for his doting young physical therapist.

Avalon Theatre

Wed., April 16, 8 p.m.

11.6

Directed by Philippe Godeau
(France, 2013, 102 min.)

An armored security guard with an impeccable 10-year record vanishes with 11.6 million euro in the heist of the century.

Filmfest DC

Bright Days Ahead
(Les beaux jours)

Directed by Marion Vernoux
(France, 2013, 98 min.)

Caroline, a married retired dentist, takes a class on computers and starts an affair with her significantly younger lecturer.

The Avalon Theatre

Le Chef
(Comme un chef)

Directed by Daniel Cohen
(France/Spain, 2012, 84 min.)

A veteran chef faces off against his restaurant group’s new CEO, who wants to the establishment to lose a star from its rating in order to bring in a younger chef who specializes in molecular gastronomy (French, Spanish, Japanese and English).

Filmfest DC

Ernest and Celestine

Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner
(France/Belgium/Luxembourg, 2012, 80 min.)

Unlike her fellow hard-working mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer — and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for Ernest the bear, the two form an unlikely bond (French and English dubbed).

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Le Divorce

Directed by Manouchka Kelly Labouba
(Gabon, 2008, 40 min.)

Magloire and Florence got married according to tradition with the approval of their families. Three years later, they face a serious crisis and want to divorce, but still need the consent of their families to do so.

Alliance Française
Wed., April 2, 7 p.m.

Gare Du Nord

Directed by Claire Simon
(France/Canada, 2013, 119 min.)

In an iconic European train station lies a multicultural breeding ground of people who haven’t given up looking for something better (French, English and Italian).

Filmfest DC

Just a Sigh
(Le Temps de l’aventure)

Directed by Jérôme Bonnell
(France/Belgium/Ireland, 2013, 104 min.)

In the short break between performances in Calais, a stage actress makes a quick escape to Paris, where she meets a mysterious English stranger (French and English).

The Avalon Theatre

On My Way
(Elle s’en va)

Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot
(France, 2013, 113 min.)

Facing a failed relationship and a struggling restaurant, a woman hits the road for a trip with her grandson.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Rock the Casbah

Directed by Laïla Marrakchi
(France/Morocco, 2013, 100 min.)

In this bittersweet comedy that centers on a funeral, a Moroccan family gathers in the deceased’s villa to share the loss and memories of their dearly departed father and husband (French, Arabic and English).

Filmfest DC

German

Generation War Part 1 and 2

Directed by Philipp Kadelbach
(Part 1: Germany, 2013, 131 min.)
(Part 2: Germany, 2013, 148 min.)

Acclaimed as a German “Band of Brothers,” the blockbuster “Generation War” vividly depicts the lives of five young German friends forced to navigate the unconscionable moral compromises of life under Hitler.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

King Ordinary
(König von Deutschland)

Directed by David Dietl
(Germany/France, 2013, 97 min.)

An average man is tracked by a company of marketing experts who interpret his preferences and opinions as spot-on for the majority of the whole country.

Filmfest DC

M: A Fritz Lang Film

Directed by Fritz Lang
(Germany, 1931, 99 min.)

In Fritz Lang’s classic crime melodrama set in 1931 Berlin, the police, anxious to capture an elusive child murderer, begin rounding up every criminal in town, so the underworld leaders decide to take the heat off their activities by catching the child killer themselves.

Goethe-Institut
Thu., April 3, 7 p.m.

Hindi

Lakshmi

Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor
(India, 2014, 115 min.)

A young victim takes a stand against human trafficking and child prostitution in rural parts of India.

Filmfest DC

Italian

Honey
(Miele)

Directed by Valeria Golino
(Italy/France, 2013, 96 min.)

Irene has devoted herself to terminally ill people looking for help, trying to alleviate their suffering even when they make extreme decisions.

West End Cinema

Viva la libertà

Directed by Roberto Ando

(Italy, 2013, 94 min.)

When an opposition party leader is depressed and leaves one night without a trace, party leadership turns to his twin brother to hold things together (Italian and French).

Filmfest DC

Japanese

Adrift in Tokyo
(Tenten)

Directed by Satoshi Miki
(Japan, 2007, 110 min.)

In this brilliant ode to Tokyo’s street life and eccentric denizens, a slacker receives an unorthodox proposition from his debt collector: Accompany him on a walk across Tokyo and his debts will be cleared.

Freer Gallery of Art
Sun., April 13, 2 p.m.

The Great Passage
(Fune wo amu)

Directed by Yûya Ishii
(Japan, 2013, 134 min.)

An eccentric man with a canny ability with words helps to edit a new dictionary but finds himself distracted by his landlord’s beautiful granddaughter.

Filmfest DC

It’s Me, It’s Me
(Ore Ore)

Directed by Satoshi Miki
(Japan, 2013, 119 min.)

J-Pop star Kazuya Kamenashi plays 33 different characters in this surreal, Kafka-esque comedy.

Freer Gallery of Art
Fri., April 11, 7 p.m.

Korean

Cold Eyes
(Gam-si-ja-deul)

Directed by Cho Ui-seok and Kim Byung-seo
(South Korea, 2013, 119 min.)

A high-tech police surveillance team attempts to take down a gang of ruthless bank robbers.

Filmfest DC

Kurdish

My Sweet Pepper Land

Directed by Hiner Saleem
(France/Germany/Kurdistan, 2013, 100 min.)

A Kurdish independence war hero is stationed near the lawless border between Iran and Turkey, at the heart of illegal drug, medication and alcohol trafficking, in this delightful take on a cowboy movie set in Iraq Kurdistan (Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish).

Filmfest DC

Mandarin

Ilo Ilo

Directed by Anthony Chen
(Singapore, 2013, 99 min.)

In Singapore in the late 1990s, the friendship between a maid and a young boy ignites his mother’s jealousy, against the backdrop of the Asian recession (Mandarin, Tagalog, English and Hokkien).

Filmfest DC

A Touch of Sin
(Tian zhu ding)

Directed by Jia Zhang-ke
(China, 2013, 125 min.)

Four shocking (and true) acts of violence in China force the world’s fastest-growing economy into a period of self-examination.

Freer Gallery of Art
Sat., April 26, 2 p.m.

Polish

The Mole
(Kret)

Directed by Rafael Lewandowski
(Poland/France, 2011, 108 min.)

A Polish man is shocked to discover his father’s photo on the cover of a Polish tabloid newspaper accusing him of being a secret informer called “the mole” by the communist regime (part of the Visegrad V4 Film Series).

Embassy of Poland
Tue., April 15, 7 p.m.

Slovak

Mosquitoes’ Tango
(Tango s komármi)

Directed by Miroslav Luther
(Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2009, 97 min.)

Two emigrants return for a brief visit to Slovakia after spending many years abroad. Karol needs to get divorced because he wants to remarry, while his well-to-do fiancée, afraid he might break his promise, hires a second-rate actor to keep an eye on him (part of the third annual Visegrad V4 Film Series).

Embassy of the Slovak Republic
Tue., April 1, 7 p.m.

Spanish

15 Years and 1 Day
(15 años y un día)

Directed by Gracia Querejeta
(Spain, 2013, 96 min.)

Margo sends her son, a rebellious and free-spirited teen, to live with his grandfather, a retired military officer with his own style of discipline.

AFI Silver Theatre
Sat., April 5, 7:45 p.m.

Bad Hair
(Pelo malo)

Directed by Mariana Rondón

(Venezuela/Peru/Argentina/Germany, 2013, 93 min.)

Nine-year-old Junior aches to straighten his luxurious dark curls to look like a longhaired singer, eliciting a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother.

Filmfest DC

The Golden Dream
(La Jaula de Oro)

Directed by Diego Quemada-Díez
(Guatemala/Spain/Mexico, 2013, 102 min.)

Three teens run into harsh realities when they flee Guatemala for the U.S. in search of a better life (Spanish and English).

Filmfest DC

A Gun in Each Hand
(Una pistola en cada mano)

Directed by Cesc Gay
(Spain, 2012, 95 min.)

The misadventures of eight men on the verge of a nervous breakdown collide in this witty battle of the sexes from Catalan filmmaker Cesc Gay.

AFI Silver Theatre
Fri., April 4, 9:45 p.m.

Map
(Mapa)

Directed by León Siminiani
(Spain/India, 2012, 85 min.)

After a young Spanish man gets fired from his job at a broadcasting company, he rediscovers his passion for making movies and travels to India in “search” of his first feature film.

AFI Silver Theatre
Sun., April 6, 9:30 p.m.

The Noble Family
(Nosotros los Nobles)

Directed by Gary Alazraki
(Mexico, 2013, 108 min.)

Three spoiled children of a wealthy tycoon are cut off from their family fortune and forced to do the unthinkable — get a job.

Filmfest DC

Operation E
(Operación E)

Directed by Miguel Courtois
(Spain/France, 2012, 109 min.)

The life of a poor cocaine farmer, living with his family in a Colombian jungle ruled by FARC guerrillas, changes forever when the FARC demand he care for a sickly baby.

AFI Silver Theatre
Fri., April 4, 7:30 p.m.

People in Places
(Gente en sitios)

Directed by Juan Cavestany
(Spain, 2013, 83 min.)

A series of bizarre, Buñuelian scenarios offer a cracked view of contemporary Spain in the wake of its economic crisis.

AFI Silver Theatre
Sun., April 6, 7:45 p.m.

Peru Sabe. Cuisine as an Agent of Social Change
(Perú Sabe. La cocina, arma social)

Directed by Jesús M. Santos
(Peru/Spain, 2012, 70 min.)

Two famous chefs embark on a journey to explore the roots of the splendor of Peruvian cuisine and its potential to transform lives.

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., April 5, 6:10 p.m.

Unit 7
(Grupo 7)

Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
(Spain, 2012, 96 min.)

The drug problem in Seville is spiraling out of control as the city prepares to host the 1992 World Expo. With mounting pressure from the government to clean up the city, an overworked group of cops starts to write their own rules.

AFI Silver Theatre
Thu., April 3, 7:30 p.m.,
Sat., April 5, 9:45 p.m.

Swahili

Something Necessary

Directed by Judy Kibinge
(Germany/Kenya, 2013, 85 min.)

In the aftermath of the 2007 ethnic and political clashes in Kenya, a nurse and mother awakens from a coma to find that her once idyllic life will never be the same.

Filmfest DC

Swedish

Liv & Ingmar

Directed by Dheeraj Akolkar
(Norway/Sweden/U.K., 2012, 83 min.)

This is an affectionate yet truthful account of the 42-year-long relationship between legendary actress Liv Ullmann and master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman (Swedish and English).

The Avalon Theatre
Wed., April 2, 8 p.m.

Love and Lemons
(Små citroner gula)

Directed by Teresa Fabik
(Sweden, 2013, 99 min.)

After being fired from the luxurious restaurant where she worked and dumped by her boyfriend, Agnes follows her dream to open up a new restaurant.

Filmfest DC