2022 SPRING CINEMA SERIES
SRJC Petaluma is pleased to re-open its doors to the public for a series of special screenings and film conversations. All films screen Wednesday nights at 7pm in the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium. Guests are invited to attend an optional pre-show program at 6pm. Click here for COVID protocols and additional information.
April 6 - RICKSHAW GIRL
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, 2021, Bangladesh
Naima, a feisty young Bangladeshi painter, sets out on a quest to become a rickshaw driver in order to support her ailing father. When she experiences enormous pushback in this male-dominated vocation, her tenacity and ingenuity is put to the test to save her family. With gorgeous production design and compelling performances, Rickshaw Girl is a timely tale of a young woman fighting for equity and reform in a culture steeped in tradition. The film is produced by local resident and SRJC screenwriting instructor Eric Adams who will participate in an onstage interview at 6pm and answer questions following the 7pm screening.
April 13 - MY DEAD DAD
Fabio Frey, 2021, USA
When Lucas’ estranged father dies and leaves him an LA apartment complex, he travels to the city intent on selling the building and forgetting the man who abandoned him. However the more he becomes acquainted with Frank, the longtime superintendent, and the facility’s eclectic tenants, the more he discovers that his father was not the man he imagined. A powerful coming-of-age story anchored in an exceptional performance from Pedro Correa, My Dead Dad explores questions of identity and destiny in surprisingly moving ways. Writer/Director Fabio Frey will participate in an onstage interview at 6pm and answer questions following the 7pm screening.
April 20 - ANIMA
Jinling Cao, 2020, China/Mongolia
Set in the breathtakingly beautiful forests of Inner Mongolia, brothers Linzi and Tutu struggle to make a living in the Chinese logging industry. Tensions rise however when they both take interest in a local widow and find themselves at odds over the increasingly reckless deforestation practices that are destroying their homeland. A stunningly gorgeous fable about the need to keep our Earth in balance, Anima reconnects us with indigenous traditions and beliefs surrounding the spiritual interdependence man has with the natural world. Join us for a special Earth Day program at 6pm examining actions we can take to be better stewards of our planet, featuring psychology professor and Native American scholar Brenda Flyswithhawks and climate activist Ty Benoit.
April 27 - I CARRY YOU WITH ME
Heidi Ewing, 2020, Mexico/USA
When Iván’s dreams of becoming a chef are stymied by the lack of opportunity in his homeland, he faces gut-wrenching decisions about leaving his family and boyfriend behind and making the perilous journey to cross the US border. The result is an impressively original and visually poetic love story about the sacrifices immigrants make in search of a better life abroad. Join us at 6pm for a discussion on Latinx Cinema, featuring Lucho Ramirez, founder and director of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival.
May 4 - STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Irvin Kershner, 1980, USA
Celebrate Star Wars Day with the acclaimed sequel to the Star Wars film that started it all! When the Empire attacks the Rebel Base on the ice planet Hoth, our heroes scatter through the galaxy with Darth Vader and Boba Fett in pursuit. Meanwhile, Luke begins his Jedi training with master Yoda in preparation for a confrontation that will reshape his destiny. Widely considered the best movie in the franchise, the film received four Oscar nominations with wins for Sound Design and Visual Effects. Our 6pm pre-show will feature an onstage interview with Oscar-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Phil Tippett, a key member of the creative team on the original Star Wars trilogy.
May 11 - THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Wes Anderson, 2009, USA
Visionary filmmaker Wes Anderson adapts Ronald Dahl’s classic tale of the Fantastic Mr. Fox, who tries to outwit the neighboring farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean to pull off the greatest chicken heist the world has ever seen. Exquisitely designed and photographed in stop motion animation, this film for all ages features the vocal stylings of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Bill Murray. Our 6pm pre-show will feature SRJC Veterinary Tech instructor Dan Famini and a live animal meet-and-greet with a menagerie of residents from the Sonoma Sloth House.