Cantonese
Breaking News (Daai si gin) Directed by Johnny To (Hong Kong/China, 2004, 88 min.) When a TV news unit broadcasts the embarrassing defeat of a police battalion at the hands of five bank robbers in a ballistic showdown in the streets of Hong Kong, the credibility of the police force drops to a nadir. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Aug. 3, 9:45 p.m., Mon., Aug. 4, 9:15 p.m.
Election (Hak se ui) Directed by Johnny To (Hong Kong/China, 2005, 100 min.) The elders who rule the most venerable triad clan of Hong Kong are about to elect a new chief, but rivalry emerges between two eligible candidates (Cantonese and Mandarin). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Aug. 10, 9:45 p.m., Mon., Aug. 11, 9:30 p.m.
Election II (Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai) Directed by Johnny To (Hong Kong, 2006, 92 min.) A 21st-century gangster with an MBA uses the triad election to consolidate his land deals on the mainland, embarking on a violent campaign. (Cantonese and Mandarin) AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Aug. 17, 9:45 p.m., Mon., Aug. 18, 9:30 p.m.
Shaolin Soccer (Siu lam juk kau) Directed by Stephen Chow (Hong Kong, 2001, 87 min.) In this special effects-filled farce, a down-on-his-luck goofball trained in the Shaolin school of martial arts has extraordinary abilities that come in handy in his soccer showdown with “Team Evil.” Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 8, 7 p.m., Sun., Aug 10, 2 p.m.
As Tears Go By (Wong gok ka moon) Directed by Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong, 1988, 102 min.) A triad “big brother” is super cool, but lacks the ambition to rise in the ranks of the triad societies — even thinking about leaving “the life” when he falls in love. Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 15, 7 p.m., Sun., Aug. 17, 2 p.m.
Triangle (Tie saam gok) Directed by Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnny To (China/Hong Kong, 2007, 101 min.) Each director contributed a section to this continuous story, freely taking the plot in any direction he wanted, and the result is both a primer in the unique styles of these directors and an enjoyable romp about a robbery gone wrong. Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 22, 7 p.m., Sun., Aug. 24, 2 p.m.
Czech
Audition (Konkurs) Directed by Milos Forman (Czechoslovakia, 1963, 47 min.) A range of Czechs audition for a talent show in this mix of documentary and fiction, aided by the quaint lyrics and upbeat tempo of the music that flows throughout. AFI Silver Theatre Sat., Aug. 2, 2:30 p.m., Sun., Aug 3, 8 p.m.
Dari
View from a Grain of Sand Directed by Meena Nanji (U.S., 2006, 82 min.) Meena Nanji’s documentary studies three Afghan women barely coping with their personal predicaments, challenging the more upbeat media accounts of recent improvements for females in Afghanistan. Screens with “Kabul Girls Club” (2007, 25 min.) National Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 8, 2:30 p.m.
English
Aliens Directed by James Cameron (U.S., 1986, 137 min.) The second film in the “Alien” series finds heroine Ripley back on Earth after drifting in space for 57 years, persuaded to return to the alien’s home planet to see what happened to its missing colonizers. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 29 to Sept. 4
Amadeus Directed by Milos Forman (U.S., 1984, 160 min.) The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is told in flashbacks by a mediocre court composer plagued by jealousy of — and admiration of — his rival. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 31 to Sept. 3
The Beauty Academy of Kabul Directed by Liz Mermin (U.S., 2004, 74 min.) Hairdressers from the United States and the United Kingdom travel to Kabul to teach women how to style their hair and makeup in a mission to provide the local women with a marketable skill. (English and Farsi) National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 9, 12 p.m.
Billy Elliot Directed by Stephen Daldry (U.K./France, 2000, 110 min.) An 11-year-old boy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor tries to keep his dancing lessons a secret from his family, who struggle to put food on the table while a miner’s strike drags on in 1980s England. Avalon Theatre Sun., Aug. 24, 10 a.m.
Bottle Shock Directed by Randall Miller (U.S., 2008, 110 min.) In 1976, the world wine was forever changed when a small California winemaker bested the exalted French wines in a blind tasting that became known as the “Judgment of Paris.” Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Aug. 8
Boy A Directed by John Crowley (U.K., 2007, 100 min.) A young man attempts to readjust to the world after being in jail for a heinous crime he committed as a child. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Aug. 8
Brick Lane Directed by Sarah Gavron (U.K., 2007, 101 min.) A young Bangladeshi woman who’s had to abandon her family to live in a forced marriage in 1980s London struggles to make sense of her existence and discontent. Landmark’s E Street Cinema
Brideshead Revisited Directed by Julian Jarrold (U.K., 2008, 135 min.) Emma Thompson stars in this heartbreaking romantic epic about forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in pre-World War II England and based on Evelyn Waugh’s acclaimed novel. AFI Silver Theatre Landmark’s E Street Cinema
Bridge on the River Kwai Directed by David Lean (U.K./U.S., 1957, 161 min.) After settling his differences with a Japanese POW camp commander, a British colonel cooperates to oversee his men’s construction of a railway bridge for their captors — while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 1 to 7
A Dandy in Aspic Directed by Anthony Mann (U.K., 1968, 107 min.) A Russian counterespionage agent in the British intelligence is actually working undercover for Moscow as a double agent, when his superiors in Britain instruct him to find and assassinate a KGB agent named Krasnevin — unaware that he is Krasnevin. Library of Congress Fri., Aug. 22, 7 p.m.
Doctor Zhivago Directed by David Lean (U.S., 1965, 197 min.) Five Oscars went to David Lean’s adaptation of the Pasternak classic recounting the period before, during and after the Russian Bolshevik Revolution through the eyes of a soulful Russian doctor-poet navigating a difficult love triangle. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 15 to 21
Elegy Directed by Isabel Coixet (U.S., 2008, 108 min.) Cultural critic David finds his life thrown into tragic disarray by Consuela, a well-mannered student who awakens a sense of sexual possessiveness in her teacher. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Aug. 8
Empire of the Sun Directed by Steven Spielberg (U.S., 1987, 154 min.) Based on J. G. Ballard’s autobiographical novel, Christian Bale makes his film debut as a boy whose privileged life is upturned by the Japanese invasion of pre-World War II Shanghai. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 22 to 27
Farewell to Manzanar Directed by John Korty (U.S., 1976, 120 min.) This fact-based drama chronicles one of the internment camps used by the U.S. military during World War II to detain some 100,000 Japanese Americans (most of them U.S.-born) following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Library of Congress Fri., Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m.
Hair Directed by Milos Forman (U.S./W. Germany, 1979, 121 min.) In this uplifting recollection of America during the Vietnam War, a young man leaves the family ranch in Oklahoma for New York, where he is rapidly indoctrinated into the youth subculture and subsequently drafted. AFI Silver Theatre Fri., Aug. 8, 7:20 p.m., Sat., Aug. 9, 7: 20 p.m.
Hamlet 2 Directed by Andrew Fleming (U.S., 2008, 92 min.) In this irreverent comedy, a failed actor who becomes a high school-drama teacher rallies his Arizona students as he conceives and stages a politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Avalon Theatre Opens Fri., Aug. 22
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Directed by Steven Spielberg (U.S., 1989, 127 min.) When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones must follow in his father’s footsteps to rescue him and stop the Nazis. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 29 to Sept. 4
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Directed by Steven Spielberg (U.S., 1984, 118 min.) After stumbling into India, archeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones is led to a secret cult hatching a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 15 to 17
I.O.U.S.A. Directed by Patrick Creadon (U.S., 2008, 85 min.) I.O.U.S.A. is a documentary film exploring the rapidly growing federal debt and its implication for the United States as the country is faced with the challenges of an ever-expanding government and military, increased foreign competition, and obligations it is finding more and more difficult to honor. Theater TBA Opens Fri., Aug. 22
The Judge and the General Directed by Elizabeth Farnsworth and Patricio Lanfranco (U.S., 2008, 90 min.) “The Judge and the General” tells a cautionary tale about violating human rights in the name of “higher ideals” through this journalistic documentary of Chile’s past four decades. Avalon Theatre Wed., Aug 6, 8 p.m.
Kill! Directed by Romain Gary (Spain/Italy/France/W. Germany, 1971, 113 min.) Interpol investigates the freelance killings of drug and porn peddlers in this 1970s action flick. Library of Congress Fri., Aug. 8, 7 p.m.
Ladybird Ladybird Directed by Ken Loach (U.K., 1994, 101 min.) This Ken Loach docu-drama relates the story of a British woman fighting with social services over the care of her children. Library of Congress Tue., Aug. 26, 7 p.m.
Lawrence of Arabia Directed by David Lean (U.K., 1962, 216 min.) David Lean’s epic rumination was a star-making turn for Peter O’Toole as the riveting T.E. Lawrence, a legendary British officer who rallied the Arabs against Turkish invaders during World War I. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 8 to 14
Love Comes Lately Directed by Jan Schütte (Germany/Austria/U.S., 2007, 86 min.) An 80-year-old man continues to pursue his love life with youthful vigor, risking his relationship with the woman he loves. Avalon Theatre
Mamma Mia! Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (U.K./U.S./Germany, 2008, 108 min.) This Broadway classic set to the tunes of ABBA follows a bride-to-be on a Greek isle trying to figure out which of mom’s three suitors is her real father. Various area theaters
Man on Wire Directed by James Marsh (U.K., 2008, 94 min.) James Marsh’s documentary brings to life the extraordinary adventure of Philippe Petit’s high-wire spectacle between New York’s World Trade Center Towers, which became known as “the artistic crime of the century.” Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Aug. 8
Mr. Dial Has Something to Say Directed by Celia Carey (U.S., 2007, 57 min.) This fascinating and expertly crafted documentary explores the topic of racism and class-ism in the elite world of the American visual arts, focusing on the experiences of Thornton Dial, a 79-year-old “self-taught” artist from Alabama, as well as the women from Gee’s Bend. National Museum of Women in the Arts Aug. 6 to 28
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Directed by Milos Forman (U.S., 1975, 133 min.) In one of director Milos Forman’s most acclaimed films, Jack Nicholson is a convict in a psychiatric hospital who leads his fellow patients in defying the icy Nurse Ratched (director appears in person on Aug. 19). AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 17 to 20
A Passage to India Directed by David Lean (U.K./U.S., 1984, 163 min.) Cultural mistrust and false accusations doom a friendship in British colonial India among an Indian doctor, an Englishwoman engaged to marry a city magistrate, and an English educator. AFI Silver Theatre Fri., Aug. 29, 3:30 p.m., Sun., Aug. 31, 1 p.m.
Ragtime Directed by Milos Forman (U.S., 1981, 155 min.) Driven by his experience of injustice and personal loss, a black pianist sets off a nationwide campaign of terror in 1906 New York. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 24 to 26
Reds Directed by Warren Beatty (U.S., 1981, 194 min.) Radical American journalist John Reed becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States. AFI Silver Theatre Sat., Aug. 30, 12:30 p.m.
Ryan’s Daughter Directed by David Lean (U.K., 1970, 195 min.) A British-occupied village in 1916 Ireland is scandalized when the much younger wife of a staid schoolteacher carries out an affair with a British officer, combining the personal with the political. AFI Silver Theatre Sat., Aug. 23, 3 p.m., Mon., Aug 25, 7:30 p.m.
Some Mother’s Son Directed by Terry George (Ireland/U.S., 1996, 112 min.) A 1981 hunger strike in a Belfast prison is the historical inspiration for this drama anchored by Helen Mirren as a thoughtful schoolteacher who feels the Irish-English conflict is remote from her life until her son is arrested for his involvement with the Irish Republican Army. Avalon Theatre Sun., Aug. 10, 10 a.m.
Standing Up Directed by Waise Azimi (Afghanistan, 2006, 160 min.) Sociologist and filmmaker Waise Azimi embedded himself for four months at a training camp for the Afghan National Army, following a group of young men through assorted experiences at the camp with a focused yet impartial eye. (English and Farsi) National Gallery of Art Sun., Aug. 3, 4:30 p.m.
Sweet Sixteen Directed by Ken Loach (U.K./Germany/Spain, 2002, 106 min.) Determined to have a normal family life once his mother gets out of prison, a Scottish teenager from a tough background sets out to raise the money for a home. Library of Congress Thu., Aug. 28, 7 p.m.
The Thing Directed John Carpenter (U.S., 1982, 109 min.) Kurt Russell leads a rapidly dwindling and paranoid group of Antarctic-based scientists battling an alien life form that can assume animal form. AFI Silver Theatre Aug. 8 to 14
Vicky Cristina Barcelona Directed by Woody Allen (Spain/U.S., 2008, 96 min.) Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture. (English, Spanish and Catalan) Theater TBA Opens Fri., Aug. 15
Videodrome Directed by David Cronenberg (Canada/U.S., 1983, 89 min.) A sleazy cable TV head catches a pirate broadcast of an ultra-violent show and brings it to his station despite the fact that its origins are masked in secrecy. AFI Silver Theatre Fri., Aug. 15, 11:30 p.m., Sat., Aug. 16, midnight
Farsi
Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (Buda as Sharm Foru Rikht) Directed by Hana Makhmalbaf (Iran/France, 2007, 81 min.) Set in central Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley, where in 2001 Taliban soldiers destroyed centuries-old sculptures of Buddha carved into the cliffs, an endearingly obstinate 6-year-old girl sets out on a mission to attend school and learn how to read and write. National Gallery of Art Aug. 23 to 30
Kandahar (Safar e Ghandehar) Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Iran, 2001, 85 min.) A journalist leaves her post in Canada to aid her troubled sister back home in Afghanistan, although this proves no easy task as she faces near-endless perils and pitfalls. (Farsi, Pashtu and English) National Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 15, 2:30 p.m.
French
The Last Mistress (Une Vieille Maîtresse) Directed by Catherine Breillat (France/Italy, 2007, 104 min.) An obsessive love affair with another woman plagues a dissolute young man set to marry a virtuous woman of the French aristocracy. Landmark’s E Street Cinema
A Secret (Un Secret) Directed by Claude Miller (France, 2007, 105 min.) A solitary, imaginative child discovers a dark secret that ties his Jewish family living in post-World War II Paris to the Holocaust, forever shattering his illusions. Avalon Theatre Wed., Aug. 20, 8 p.m.
Tell No One (Ne le Dis à Personne) Directed by Guillaume Canet (France, 2006, 125 min.) A pediatrician becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his wife, who emerges in a mysterious e-mail that shows her very much alive. Landmark’s E Street Cinema
Water Lilies (Naissance des Pieuvres) Directed by Céline Sciamma (France, 2007, 85 min.) Teenage angst is beautifully explored and revealed in this remarkable debut about friendship, rivalry, and crushes — both heterosexual and same-sex — among the members of a synchronized swim team. Landmark’s E Street Cinema
German
Grave Decisions (Wer Früher Stirbt Ist Länger Tot) Directed by Marcus Hausham Rosenmüller (Germany, 2006, 104 min.) This German box office smash is a piquant stew of rural mythology, Bavarian Catholicism and good old-fashioned vivid characterizations centered around a strange 11-year-old Bavarian lad. Goethe-Institut Mon., Aug 18, 6:30 p.m.
Kebab Connection Directed by Anno Saul (Germany, 2004, 96 min.) A Hamburg-born man aspires to make the first German kung-fu movie, but his plans are derailed when his lovely and mature German girlfriend becomes pregnant. Goethe-Institut Mon., Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Late Bloomers (Die Herbstzeitlosen) Directed by Bettina Oberli (Switzerland, 2006, 90 min.) Eighty-year-old former seamstress Martha decides to transform her modest shop in a picturesque Swiss village into a saucy lingerie business called “Little Paris.” Goethe-Institut Mon., Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m.
Italian
The Adventure (L’Avventura) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy, 1960, 145 min.) Michelangelo Antonioni weaves an existential tapestry out of a simple plotline when a woman disappears along a rocky stretch of beach and her friend tries to find her. National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 2, 4 p.m., Sun., Aug. 10, 4:30 p.m.
The Eclipse (L’Eclisse) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy, 1962, 125 min.) This last entry in a trilogy with “L’Avventura” and “La Notte” again considers relationships in modern society and questions whether solitude is a natural state. National Gallery of Art Sun., Aug. 17, 4:30 p.m.
The Night (La Notte) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy, 1961, 120 min.) Set in one day and night against the gleaming architecture of Milan, a married couple visits a dying friend, a nightclub and a protracted party, until their night ends in a tormented dawn encounter at a deserted golf course. National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 16, 4:30 p.m.
The Outcry (Il Grido) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy, 1957, 112 min.) A sugar refinery worker is rejected by his lover and wanders disconsolate with his daughter until, after other dissatisfying encounters, he returns to see if his former life can be salvaged. National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 2, 1 p.m.
Red Desert (Deserto Rosso) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy, 1964, 120 min.) Shot in the stark, mechanized landscapes of Ravenna, an engineer’s wife suffers a sort of breakdown, concluding with Michelangelo Antonioni’s thoughtfully apocalyptic resolution — a parable about birds that won’t fly into the yellow industrial smoke. National Gallery of Art Sun., Aug. 24, 4:30 p.m.
Mandarin
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (Yi ma de hou xian dai sheng huo) Directed by Ann Hui (Hong Kong, 2006, 111 min.) Ann Hui’s latest film mixes comedy and poignancy in a tale of a 60-something woman who lives alone in Shanghai and is trying to cope with both financial woes and the impersonal city around her. Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 1, 7 p.m., Sun., Aug 3, 2 p.m.
Tuya’s Marriage (Tuya de Hun Shi) Directed by Quanan Wang (China, 2006, 86 min.) Set in Inner Mongolia, an injury causes a young woman to seek a suitor who can take care of her, as well as her disabled husband and two children. Landmark’s E Street Cinema
Pashtu
Osama Directed by Siddiq Barmak (Afghanistan, 2007, 83 min.) Afghan writer and director Siddiq Barmak recruited nonprofessionals from Kabul’s streets to shoot this story of a woman who alters her daughter’s appearance to resemble a boy in order to earn money for the family. [Pashtu, Dari and English; screens with “Mon Kabul” (2007, 20 min.)] National Gallery of Art Fri., Aug. 1, 2:30 p.m.
Portuguese
Aniki Bóbó Directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal, 1942, 70 min.) “Aniki Bóbó” adopts a child’s perspective to tell a universal story of friendship and betrayal among poor youngsters on the streets along the Oporto’s Douro River. Screens with “Douro, Faina Fluvial” (1931, 18 min.) National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 16, 12 p.m.
Benilde, or the Virgin Mother (Benilde ou a Virgem Mãe) Directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal, 1975, 110 min.) Benilde, the play’s eccentric heroine, turns up unexpectedly pregnant but insists she has never been with a man, so devout family and the curious townsfolk naturally fixate on immaculate conception. National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 23, 2:30 p.m.
The Bread (O Pão) Directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal, 1959, 29 min.) Following the life of a loaf of bread from field to bakery, “The Bread” began as a sponsored industrial documentary but becomes a work of beautiful images, sensitive treatment and oblique social criticism. Screens with “The Painter and the City” (1956, 23 min.) National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 16, 2 p.m.
Divine Comedy (A Divina Comédia) Directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal, 1991, 140 min.) Rather than following Dante’s trek through the realms of the dead, Manoel de Oliveira gives each patient in a mental asylum the role (or sometimes more than one) of a figure from literature or history. National Gallery of Art Sat., Aug. 30, 4:30 p.m.
Doomed Love (Amor de Perdição) Directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal, 1978, 265 min.) In this literary adaptation of Camilo Castelo Branco’s epic novel about an 18th-century Romeo-and-Juliet-like affair set in Portugal, “Amor de Perdição” mixes conventions from theater and cinema while retaining the novel’s rich, multilayered language. National Gallery of Art Sun., Aug. 31, 2 p.m.
Spanish
XXY Directed by Lucía Puenzo (Argentina/France/Spain, 2007, 86 min.) A 15-year-old hermaphrodite begins to explore her sexuality when a doctor and wife from Buenos Aires arrive for a visit, along with their 16-year-old son, to whom she is immediately attracted. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., Aug. 15
