“Chess Story”, Wednesday, April 19th, 7 pm at Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society presents “Chess Story ” Wednesday, April 19th at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse, 1210 Roosevelt Ave, McCall. “Chess Story” takes place in Vienna, 1938: Austria is occupied by the Nazis. Just as Dr. Josef Bartok is about to flee to America with his wife Anna, he is arrested and taken to Hotel Metropol, the Gestapo headquarters.
As a notary to the aristocracy, he is tasked with helping the local Gestapo leader gain access to their private bank accounts. After refusing to cooperate, Bartok is put in solitary confinement. He remains steadfast for months, until one day he happens upon a chess book. To withstand the psychological torture and isolation inflicted upon him by the Gestapo, Bartok disappears into the world of chess in search of salvation and inner freedom. The film is in German with English subtitles.
“Chess Story” is adapted with opulent attention to period detail by filmmaker and opera director Philipp Stölzl, CHESS STORY brings Stefan Zweig’s stirring final novella to life. The L.A. Times says the film “masterfully confounds expectations as a tautly calibrated, intricately constructed Chinese puzzle of a period drama set during Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria. Masucci, who appears in every scene, potently conveys a multitude of unspoken emotions with his remarkably expressive face…. He’s never less than riveting..”
Admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 pm. We are no longer giving out tickets at the McCall Public Library prior to the screening.
“The King of Laughter”, Wednesday, March 29 at 7 pm, Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society presents “The King of Laughter” Wednesday, March 29th at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse, 1210 Roosevelt Ave, McCall. “The King of Laughter” is a screen biography of the comic actor and playwright Eduardo Scrapetta, a star of the Naepolitan theather at the turn of the century Italy. Scrapetta is played by Toni Servillo, who is in court, defending himself against charges of plagiarism by a playwright whose work he spoofed for laughs. The film is in Italian with English subtitles.
“The King of Laughter” is set in Naples, 1904: Italian theatre is thriving, and comic actor, Eduardo Scarpetta is the box office king. Known in the Neapolitan theater for his cheeky alter egos, Scarpetta’s larger-than-life stage productions were matched only by his eccentric personal life. Composed of wives, partners, lovers, legitimate and illegitimate children (including a young Eduardo De Filippo, famed Neapolitan playwright), Scarpetta’s home situation resembled one of his comedies more than a traditional family. At the height of his popularity, the comedian risked everything by staging a parody of the great Italian poet, Gabriele D’Annunzio. Booed and hissed from the stage by younger rivals, Scarpetta was sued for plagiarism, leading to the first ever copyright lawsuit in Italy. Despite legal troubles and familial strife, Scarpetta fought not only for his craft but for his legacy as one of the great thespians of Italian theater.
Toni Servillo who plays Eduardo Scrapetta has been noted as one of the best actors in the 20th Century by the New York Times. He has won numerous acting awards, most recently last year won the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in “The King of Laughter”
Admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 pm. We are no longer giving out tickets at the McCall Public Library prior to the screening.
Spring 2023 Movies:
April 19 Chess Story
“200 Meters” Wednesday, February 15, 7 pm at Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society presents “200 Meters” Wednesday, February 15th at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse, 1210 Roosevelt Ave, McCall. A Palestinian father trapped on the other side of the separation wall is trying to reach his son who is in a hospital in Israel after a serious accident.
Mustafa, a Palestinian construction worker, lives in a West Bank home a mere 200 meters away from his wife and children, on the other side of the Israeli border wall. Though eligible for an Israeli ID, Mustafa sacrifices living with his family in resistance to what he believes are unjust laws enforced by the occupying Israeli government, so he instead uses his work permit to visit daily. The arrangement is functional, until one day Mustafa gets a call every parent dreads: his son has been seriously injured and brought to an Israeli hospital. Rushing to cross the border checkpoint, Mustafa is denied on a technicality. Stopping at nothing to reach his child, a 200 meter distance becomes a 200 kilometer odyssey, as the increasingly desperate Mustafa attempts to smuggle himself to the other side of the wall.
“200 Meters” features a mesmerizing central performance by Ali Suliman (PARADISE NOW, JACK RYAN), 200 METERS “persuasively captures the grinding indignities of day to day Palestinian life” (Screen Daily) in an impressive feature debut by writer/director Ameen Neyfeh that expertly balances tender family drama and frenetic political thriller.
Admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 pm. We are no longer giving out tickets at the McCall Public Library prior to the screening.
The McCall Film Society in partnership with the McCall Public Library will be showing a series of independent and foreign films free of charge throughout the year. The films are unrated and are not recommended for viewers under the age of 18.
Spring 2023 Movies:
March 29 King of Laughter
April 19 Chess Story
Queen of Glory, Wednesday, January 4th, 2023 at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society is back again, showing films in person again after a two year Covid crisis absence. The McCall Film Society presents “Queen of Glory” Wednesday, January 4 at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse, 1210 Roosevelt Ave, McCall
‘Queen of Glory’ is the story of Sarah Obeng, the brilliant child of Ghanaian immigrants, who is quitting her Ivy League PhD program to follow her married lover to Ohio. When her mother dies suddenly, she bequeaths her daughter a Christian bookstore in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx where Sarah was raised. A follow-up on the classic immigrant’s tale, Queen of Glory provokes laughter and empathy, as its heroine is reborn through her inheritance.
Variety calls “Queen of Glory”, a winning indie film. Written and Directed by Nana Mensah who is a Ghanaian-American writer, director, producer, and actress. Her film was screened at Tribeca Film Festival and was recognized at the Independent Spirit Awards.
All tickets are free. Doors open at 6:30 pm. We are no longer giving out tickets at the McCall Public Library prior to the screening.
The McCall Film Society in partnership with the McCall Public Library will be showing a series of independent and foreign films free of charge throughout the year. The films are unrated and are not recommended for viewers under the age of 18.
Our next film will be Wednesday, February 15 at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse. Title and info will be posted in mid January.
Screenagers:Next Chapter, Feb. 20 & 21, 6:30 pm, Alpine Playhouse
| DO YOU WONDER ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN’S STRESS LEVEL? The conversation around screens and teens is taken to the next level with Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience—a film that examines the science behind teen’s emotional challenges, the interplay of social media, and most importantly, what can be done in our homes and schools to help them build crucial skills to navigate stress, anxiety and depression in our digital age. Parents and kids (age 10+) are invited to view the film Screenagers Next Chapterfollowed by a panel discussion with teens and local experts. For more info: screenagersmccall@gmail.com Sponsored by Screenagers McCall |
Tickets: $5 at Barn Owl Books or on line click here
“Twin Flower”, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 pm at Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society presents “Twin Flower” Wednesday, February 12th at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse. Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film tells the story of a young woman, on the run and traumatized into silence, and an undocumented immigrant from the Ivory Coast who team up for protection and become stronger as they travel across the island of Sardinia, Italy. The movie is set against the backdrop of a stunningly photographed Sardinia, while never losing sight of the of the refuge crisis.
Set among the breathtaking landscapes of Sardinia, Twin Flower is a powerful, intense, but intimate portrait of a blossoming love and a violent reality. Anna is a young girl running away from a violent event, Basim is an undocumented immigrant who escaped to Italy on a boat looking for freedom and a new life. They are both outcasts, young and alone, and both pursued: Anna by a human trafficker obsessed with her, Basim by the Italian police.
Director Laura Luchetti’s approach is realism and simplicity; she cast two first-time actors (Kone arrived in Italy a couple of weeks before shooting began) and used their own stories to mold the narrative and make it real. She addresses the question of immigration in Italy—a massive political issue, exploited by fear-mongering politicians for the past decade—through the stories of Anna and Basim. Visually, Twin Flower relies on the brutal beauty of the Sardinian landscape to highlight the toughness of their lives and their sentimental evolution—a crucial aspect of the film, Luchetti says, because as Anna and Basim become close, their strength grows and their fear disappears: They are stronger together and need each other to survive the harsh reality that tries to crush their love.
Advanced tickets will be available at the McCall Public Library, starting next Thursday, February 6th until 3 pm Wednesday, the day of the show. Remaining tickets will be available at the door. All tickets are free.
“Ulysses & Mona”, Wednesday, Jan. 8th, 7 pm at Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society presents “Ulysses & Mona” Wednesday, January 8th at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse. A delightful, quirky comedy from French Director Sebastien Betbeder that tells a touching, deadpan portrait of a disheveled French Artist meeting up with a young idealist art student.
Official selection of the Toronto International Film festival, “Ulysses and Mona” tells the story of Ulysses, fifty-five years old, contemporary artist who ran away from his family and put an end to his career. Nowadays, he lives alone, with his dog Joseph, in an old manor in the middle of the forest. Ulysses is bored to death. Mona is twenty year old art student who is finds school too routine and taught by geriatric teachers. Mona decides out of the blue to go and meet Ulysses a well know artist that has dropped out from the art scene. There interacts are very comical but very touching. Both of them will end up on a journey that will change their lives forever.
Advanced tickets will be available at the McCall Public Library, starting next Thursday, January 2 until 3 pm Wednesday, the day of the show. Remaining tickets will be available at the door. All tickets are free.
Over 50 people attended “One Women, One Vote Movie
“The Public”, Wednesday, Nov. 20th, 7 pm at Banyans on the Green (McCall Golf Course)
Sponsored by the McCall Public Library (McCall Film Society has the month off), “The Public” is is a 2018 American drama film directed and written by Emilio Estevez, who also stars in the film alongside an ensemble cast including Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Christian Slater, Gabrielle Union, Taylor Schilling, Jacob Vargas, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Jeffrey Wright. The film had its world premiere on September 9, 2018, at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The plot: After learning that emergency shelters are at full capacity when a brutal Midwestern cold front makes its way to Cincinnati, a large group of homeless library patrons led by Jackson (Michael Kenneth Williams) refuse to leave the downtown public library at closing time. What begins as a nonviolent Occupy-style sit-in and ragtag act of civil disobedience quickly escalates into a standoff with local riot police, led by a no-nonsense crisis negotiator (Alec Baldwin) and a savvy district attorney (Christian Slater) with lofty political ambitions, all as two librarians (Emilio Estevezand Jena Malone) are caught in the middle.
Join us at Banyans on the Green (McCall Golf Course Clubhouse Restaurant) for a free screening of the PG13 Hollywood blockbuster library movie
All donations from this evening event will benefit three local non-profit organizations: Heartland Hunger, Shepherd’s Home, and Cram the Van.
“One Women, One Vote”, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 7 pm at Alpine Playhouse
The McCall Film Society presents “One Women, One Vote” Wednesday, December 11th at 7 pm at the Alpine Playhouse and Co-sponsored by Valley County AAUW. The documentary produced by PBS traces the beginnings of the movement for women’s right to vote to the passage of the 19th amendment.
How could America call itself the world’s greatest democracy, but deny the right to vote to more than half its citizens? Why did so many men and women vehemently oppose giving women the vote, and how was this attitude overcome? One Woman, One Vote documents the seventy-year long battle for woman suffrage, which finally culminated in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution in August of 1920.
Written and produced by documentarian/writer Ruth Pollak, the film is narrated by Susan Sarandon. It was originally produced as a part of PBS’s American Experience, and portrays the movement’s leaders, among them Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who held the first gathering of women to publicly demand their rights in Seneca Falls New York in 1848. 100 years ago the Congress passed the 19th amendment and sent it to the states for ramification. Idaho was ahead of the time, approving women’s right to vote, twenty-four years before national women’s suffrage was granted by the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution
Advanced tickets will be available at the McCall Public Library, starting next Thursday, December 4th until 3 pm Wednesday, the day of the show. Remaining tickets will be available at the door. All tickets are free.
McCall Film Society 