In their twelfth year of introducing residents to internationally acclaimed films, the Stittsville Rotary Club is bringing four new films to the screen at Landmark Cinemas through their collaboration with the Film Circuit of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). For this winter series, the dates for the 4:00pm or 7:00pm showings are February 26, March 25, April 29, and May 27.
Ordering your series pass is easy. Please contact Charles Mossman (charcz@yahoo.com) for the 4:00 pm showing, or Sandra Burt (sburt@uwaterloo.ca) for the 7:00pm showing. The price of a pass for the four films is $60. Note that these films deal with mature subjects and are not suitable for children.
The Crime is Mine -February 26, 2024 (French with subtitles 1 hour 42 minutes)
Why would you claim to have committed a murder – that you did not commit? In this lighthearted period farce, French director François Ozon gives us a lighthearted movie that starts our winter film series with some smiles, and a bit of old-fashioned slapstick comedy. The film is set in 1935 France. Aspiring artist Madeleine – penniless, and desperate for work, finds herself in a compromising situation. Her best friend and room mate Pauline, also penniless and an aspiring lawyer, offers Madeleine an intriguing way out of her dilemma. Ozon manages to entertain us, while also poking fun at the corrupt (in 1935, in any case) legal system. This film offers us great acting, and a few laughs in a year that has started with many sorrows.
The Eight Mountains – March 25, 2024 (Italian with subtitles 2 hours 27 minutes)
You will want this film to go on and on, beyond its 2.5 hours. Pietro and Bruno are two young Italian boys who meet up a small village in the Italian alpine valley of Aosta. Pietro is a city boy, Bruno a country boy. The two meet at the age of twelve. This stunningly beautiful film tells the story of their friendship over many years. While they drift apart in their teens, they reunite as bearded young men. The Guardian reviewer calls this “a deeply intelligent meditation on our capacity for love, and how it is shaped by the arbitrary, irreversible experiences of childhood, and of our relationship with the landscape.” One final note. The eight mountains of the title refer to the eight highest peaks of Nepal.
The Old Oak – April 29, 2024 (English 1 hour 53 minutes)
Ken Loach has set this film in a dying coal-mining town in northern England in 2016, The mood in the town is desperate – jobs are scarce, prospects are limited, and there is uncertainly about the future. And then – a busload of Syrian refugees arrives in the town, under the mentorship of the last remaining pub-owner, T.J. Ballantyne (or Tommy Joe). T.J.’s pub is in disrepair, but it is the last refuge for the xenophobic villagers who meet there to complain about the foreigners invading their space. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, T.J. manages to break down some of the old prejudices and forge some unlikely friendships between the townspeople and the displaced Syrians. This is a heartwarming film that underscores the need for compassion as we deal with new and unforeseen challenges.
A Difficult Year- May 27, 2024 (French with subtitles 2 hours)
In this engaging and often very funny commentary on over consumption, Bruno and Albert, both compulsive over-spenders, meet up with Cactus, the leader of a climate activist group devoted to ending wasteful consumer consumption. Add into the mix a debt counsellor, Henri, who is also a chronic gambling addict, and a love interest between Albert and Cactus, and you have a recipe for a satirical film that will keep you guessing. This is a comedy with a conscience.
Each of these films has something unique on offer; and, each provides multiple talking points for subscribers as they leave the cinema!
Profits from the International Film Series support a variety of Rotary club projects and donations within our community and around the world.
For more information about the Stittsville Rotary Club, be sure to visit their website. You can also find updates on their public Facebook page here.