2023 FALL CINEMA SERIES
Films screen Wednesday nights at 7pm* in the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium on the SRJC Petaluma Campus (*exceptions marked below). Guests are invited to attend an optional pre-show program at 6pm. Click here for pricing, directions, COVID protocols, and additional information.
September 20: HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE
Daniel Goldhaber, 2022, USA
The Cinema Series opens with Daniel Goldhaber’s taut and timely thriller examining eco-terrorism and the climate crisis. Based on the controversial book by Andreas Malm, a crew of young environmental activists execute a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline. The film’s propulsive pacing and exceptional acting keep viewers on the edge of their seat in this potent and exhilarating treatise on climate action and Gen Z. Editor Daniel Garber will participate in a virtual interview prior to the 7pm screening and answer questions following the film.
September 27: THE GREEN KNIGHT
David Lowery, 2021, USA
When King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), embarks on a dangerous quest to confront the Green Knight, he must contend with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in this epic fantasy adventure. Ambitious, strange, spellbinding, and beautiful, this exquisitely designed translation of Arthurian legend leaves the viewer with plenty to contemplate long after the journey has ended. Awarded Best Cinematography by the National Society of Film Critics in 2022.
October 4: GULLY BOY
Zoya Akhtar, 2019, India
Murad, a young man from the Mumbai slums, struggles to pursue his dream of becoming a rapper despite the cultural and familial pressures to follow his expected path. Based on a true story, Zoya Akhtar modernizes the Bollywood genre with a hip hop musical romance that challenges Indian social conventions from the caste system to arranged marriages. Both a critical darling and a box office success, the film swept the Indian film awards, becoming the most honored film in Indian history with 13 wins including Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director, Screenplay, and Cinematography. 153 minutes. The film begins at 6:30pm.
October 11: IN THE BEDROOM
Todd Field, 2001, USA
When Frank, a young fisherman and aspiring architect (Nick Stahl), becomes involved with a recently separated single mother (Marisa Tomei), tensions rise in a small seaside town in Maine. The result is a superbly-acted bedroom drama that takes us places we never expect. Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek shine as Frank’s parents in Todd Field’s (Tár, 2022) debut film. The film was nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actress, and Screenplay. Talent Agent Steve Tellez will join us for an onstage conversation at 6pm and answer questions following the 7pm screening.
October 18: PAST LIVES
Celine Song, 2023, USA
Celine Song’s impressive first feature follows NYC immigrant Nora as she reconnects with a childhood friend she left behind in South Korea years ago. Alternating between past and present, a deeply resonant story of love and loss emerges in this mesmerizing and understated romance for the ages. The film debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and is widely considered one of the best films of 2023.
October 25: TALK TO ME
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023, Australia
When a group of friends discover how to conjure up spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the thrill until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. A24 delivers another original and pitch perfect horror thriller in this debut film from down under. A critical and commercial success, the film has been a consistent favorite at this year’s most notable film festivals including Sundance, Berlin, and SXSW.
November 1: MULHOLLAND DRIVE
David Lynch, 2001, USA
Dark, twisted, and haunting, virtuoso surrealist director David Lynch’s noirish thriller Mulholland Drive will get in your head and stay there. When Betty arrives in Hollywood to pursue her dream of being an actress, it doesn’t take long for her to get involved with an enigmatic stranger and an alluring, weird, and dangerous web of mysteries. The film earned Lynch the Best Director prize at the 2001 Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals. 146 minutes. Begins at 6:30pm.
November 8: LYNCH/OZ
Alexandre O. Philippe, 2022, USA
No film has penetrated the public consciousness more than the Wizard of Oz, a classic that has been seen by millions of people around the world. Alexandre Philippe’s clip-rich documentary explores how the film is not only a seminal point of inspiration for David Lynch but how its ideas and imagery have permeated the entire history of cinema. Presented as six visual essays by five contemporary filmmakers and one film critic (including camp auteur John Waters and filmmakers Karyn Kusama and David Lowery), each artist offers their own homage to the classic and invites us to journey down the rabbit hole of our collective cultural consciousness and into the mind-bending cinematic oeuvre of David Lynch. Director Alexandre Philippe will participate in an onstage interview at 6pm and answer questions following the 7pm screening.
November 15: GUN CRAZY
Joseph H. Lewis, 1950, USA
Long before Bonnie and Clyde or Natural Born Killers, Gun Crazy’s two star-crossed lovers travelled through the Midwest with guns a-blazing in this classic film noir thriller. Considered by many to be the ultimate B-movie, the film oozes with action, style, and plenty of sexual innuendo. Penned by blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, the film was originally released under the title, Deadly Is the Female. 86 min.
November 29: BARBIE
Greta Gerwig, 2023, USA
Greta Gerwig’s visually dazzling comedy confronting gender norms has undoubtedly been one of the greatest runaway hits in recent years, grossing over a billion dollars worldwide. When Barbie (Margot Robbie) is forced to venture out of the perfectly constructed world in which she resides and face real-world reality, a full-on existential crisis emerges for her and Ken (Ryan Gosling). The result is a clever and subversive adventure film that offers smart laughs and searing social commentary. Guests are invited to attend a special introduction to the film at 6pm from SRJC sociologists Dr. Jeniece Lusk and Dr. John Stover.