nov 10-14 2010 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society

On the eve of national elections in the Indian village of
Peepli, two poor farmers, Natha and Budhia, face losing
their land over an unpaid government loan. Desperate,
they seek help from an apathetic local politician,
who suggests they commit suicide to benefit from a
government program that aids the families of indebted
deceased farmers. When a journalist overhears Budhia
urge Natha to “do what needs to be done” for the sake
of their families, a media frenzy ignites around whether
or not Natha will commit suicide. Soon Natha becomes
a cause célèbre, who draws out the true character and
motivations of those who cross his path. Anusha Rizvi’s
auspicious first feature, Peepli Live, is a fresh and
Based on true events that occurred on December 6, 1989
at Montreal’s Polytechnique school, the film documents
that specific day through the eyes of two students,
Valerie and Jean-Francois whose lives were forever
changed when a young man entered the school with one
idea; kill himself and take as many women with him as
possible. Polytechnique is a film of astonishing courage,
without a whiff of exploitation or crude moralizing. The
director, Denis Villeneuve brings a sensitive, unflinching
eye to what became known as the Montreal Massacre –
an event most filmmakers would consider untouchable.
Villeneuve conveys the horrific tragedy of the event
while exploring underlying issues of misogyny, male
PeePli liVe
WEd Nov 10 8:00 PM-9:50 PM
FrI Nov 12 7:20 PM-9:10 PM
sAT Nov 13 7:00 PM-8:50 PM
intelligently spun satire of the real-life epidemic of farmer suicides
that have plagued India for the past decade. With a deft hand, Rizvi
infuses humor and buoyancy in depicting this tragic predicament,
illuminating the true colors of many corridors of Indian society. Peepli
Live broke new ground for Indian Cinema as it became the first ever
Indian film in Sundance.
[dir. anusha Rizvi, 2010, india, 35mm, 106 mins. in Hindi with English
subtitles]
Website: www.peplilivethefilm.com
[this film is part of country Spotlight: india]
Polytechnique
Best Film, Toronto Film Critics, Genie Awards
(Canada’s Oscars), Best Film, Best Director,
Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor
Thurs Nov 11 9:20 PM-10:40 PM
FrI Nov 12 9:30 PM-10:50 PM
sAT Nov 13 9:35 PM-10:55 PM
guilt and institutional circumstance. Set in a haunting silence of snow
and concrete, Polytechnique’s contemplative drama honors the victims
by preserving the mystery of an unfathomable crime without ever
pretending to unlock the psychology of the killer. With grace, empathy
and a stark, formal beauty (shot in black and white so that the violence
does not overwhelm the viewer), the film shows how a memorial can
be an act of imagination.
[dir. denis Villeneuve, 2009, canada, 35mm, 77 mins. in English]
Website: www.polytechniquelefilm.com
[this film is part of difficult Films...Rewarding Viewing: Sidebar]
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feaTuRe fIlms