By Julia Berkman
The Pickford Theater in downtown Bellingham has some choice films coming up on the radar in the next few months! Since I’m not one to keep good news to myself, here are a few upcoming films that look promising.
Gone
“Gone” is a local film made by a few recent graduates of Fairhaven College. Michael Barone, Madison Njos, Conor O’Keefe, and Nate Sawtell have woven a tale of three strangers brought together by a hit-and-run car accident in Bellingham. The driver, their victim, and a witness all struggle with their own concept of humanity. The trailer for the film ends with one question: “You ask me if I choose to be happy?”
That concept is discussed throughout the film. You can catch it playing at the Pickford on March 2nd. After the film there will be a Q&A with the producers.
Oscar Nominated Shorts: Live Action and Animated
The Oscar Nominated Shorts are always a great opportunity to see what’s popular in the world of movies. All the live-action short movies are 30 minutes or less, and many are foreign. Most live short films don’t have time to delve into character development or conflict resolution. In such, many films are character studies, or contain darker themes that don’t always resolve at the end of the short period of time allotted.
One of the live-action films being shown is “Timecode,” by Spanish director Juanjo Giménez. “Timecode” just won the acclaimed Cannes award of Palme D’Or, or Golden Palm, before being nominated for an Oscar. The film is centered around two security guard in a parking structure. As you can see, these films don’t seek to tell us a particularly dense story, but rather to make the viewer think after watching.
The animated shorts on display at the Pickford are only around seven minutes long. Despite their length, they also touch on subjects like togetherness, humanity, and love. These films are perfect for bringing kids with short attention spans.
One of the short animated films this year is “Pear Cider and Cigarettes,” a 35 minute multimedia film by Canadian Robert Valley. Although it may be animated, the Pickford was warned its members that this film is not for children. “Pear Cider” is the story of the director’s friend, who gets a liver transplant in China and needs to be brought back to Vancouver. The film, like the animated movie “Sausage Party,” uses a youthful medium to portray a very mature message.
Newtown
In 2012, Newtown Elementary School was the victim of the deadliest mass shooting of children in history. Now, five years later, director Kim A. Snyder and her crew have painted a picture of just how deeply the town has been effected. With unique access to the town and its’ residents, the crew of “Newtown” was able to get intimate interviews and new information.
This movie serves as both a memorial for the victims and a rallying cry for gun control. The townspeople have worked closely with the Children’s Defense Fund to make guns harder to purchase. This film is part of Pickford’s Indie Lens Pop-Up Series, which shows films from independent production companies.
Creepy
“Creepy” is a Japanese psychological horror movie from director Kurosawa Kiyoshi. The film follows a police detective who focuses on the psychology of serial killers who is forced to leave his post due to a traumatic event. The event has catastrophic effects on his mental state and that of his family. A neighbor raises the protagonist’s suspicions, but his paranoia dissolves his relationships. “Creepy” is a horror film not for its gore or blood-curdling screams; rather, this film is frightening because one man’s downward spiral seems like it could happen to any one of us.
Fences
This film, directed by and starring Denzel Washington, is a story about race and baseball. After the Major Leagues decided to make baseball an interracial sport, one man past his prime bemoans the fact that he was relegated to the Negro Leagues during his heyday. His frustration at being born too late causes a rift with his wife, played by the fantastic Viola Davis.
This film studies the feeling of just missing something that could have changed your life, and how to deal with that. It also speaks of race relations in the 1950s, and how that relates to sports.
All these great films- and more- are being showed at the Pickford in the next few months. Check out all of them online at pickfordfilmcenter.org.