Your Preview Of The 46th Mill Valley Film Festival

Fall brings the return of one of the S.F. Bay Area’s biggest and best film festivals, the Mill Valley Film Festival (hereafter “MVFF”).  Now in its 46th edition, MVFF runs theatrically from October 5-15, 2023 and streams online from October 16-22, 2023.  The festival will show 148 films from 41 different countries, and features new work from such directors as Errol Morris, Todd Haynes, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Emerald Fennell, and Hayao Miyazaki.  

Choosing how to maximize one’s enjoyment of MVFF is a matter of tradeoffs.  Those interested in catching the big films of the festival such as the Opening and Closing Night Films will need to be willing to go to the central MVFF venues in San Rafael and Mill Valley.  For those who prefer to stay within other parts of the Bay Area, the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley and the Roxie Theater in San Francisco will be showing selections from MVFF.  On the other hand, aside from “Anatomy Of A Fall,” none of these offerings include the more star-studded selections.  Finally, the streaming option has the benefit of letting viewers within the availability frame choose a screening time that fits their schedule.  While the available films are generally not repeats from the BAMPFA and Roxie schedules, fans of the MVFF shorts programs will benefit the most from this option.  

However one chooses to take in the films of this year’s MVFF, here are some suggestions regarding movies to check out.

Cyborgian Rhapsody – Immortality – playing at Mill Valley Film Festival

MVFF 46 kicks off the festivities with a new entry in the boxing film genre, the debut feature from Jack Huston aka Anjelica Huston’s nephew.  In “Day Of The Fight,” ex-middleweight world champion Irish Mike (Michael Pitt) steps out of his 10-year seclusion to serve as part of the warm-up act for an important Madison Square Garden prize fight.  But how much of Mike’s involvement is motivated by his desire for atonement for a shameful fall from grace that involves binge-drinking and attempted suicide?

Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn’s documentary “Another Body” follows its central subject’s dive into 4chan’s cyber sewer to find the misogynist who scraped her face off her social media photos and incorporated it into widely distributed pornographic images.  As far as the law is concerned, creating such deepfake pornography isn’t illegal.  So if the film’s subject wants something resembling justice, she’ll need to act on her own.      

San Francisco-based artist Lynn Hershman Leeson is getting her MVFF due this year with the festival’s Mind The Gap award and a screening of her shorts collection “Cyborgian Rhapsody.”  It’s an anthology of four short films made over decades about the potential uses and abuses of AI.  The shorts include “Shadow Stalker” (Tessa Thompson looks at such dubious outcomes of AI usage as predictive policing and inherent racism) and “”Cyborgian Rhapsody – Immortality” (a GPT 3 Chatbot in the image of Hershman Leeson writes and performs in this short).

Love bff.fm?  Then catch Jay Schlossberg’s “Feast Your Ears: The Story Of WHFS 102.3 FM,” a documentary about the pioneering Maryland radio station that’s bff.fm’s aesthetic ancestor.  WHFS’ disc jockeys and its free-form shows introduced eager listeners to fantastic music that went beyond the same old same old Top 40 stuff.  Amazingly, this station would influence other radio stations across the US between the 1960s and the 1980s.  

Another conflict between politics and art forms the subtext of the new Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman documentary “Musica!”  Cuba’s 120-year-old Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music trains the creme de la creme of the country’s aspiring young musicians.  However, only one in every hundred applicants manages to get in.  The Cuban embargo would have caused the conservatory’s doors to shut long ago, if not for the work of the volunteer organization Horns To Havana.  This group of US artisans deliver basic musical supplies, teach instrument repair, and even take students on a “field trip” to New Orleans.  

The 9 Lives Of Barbara Dane

Fan of 1960s and 1970s bossa nova music?  Then you need to check out “They Shot The Piano Player,” the animated drama from Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba (“Chico And Rita”).  Jeff (voice of Jeff Goldblum) is a New York music journalist who wants to discover what happened to Brazilian piano virtuoso Francisco Tenorio Junior.  The piano player disappeared under mysterious circumstances, possibly being murdered by Brazil’s dictatorial regime.  Jeff’s search for answers will bring him into contact with such prominent Brazilian popular music figures as Joao Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil.

The “Skin Of Glass” referred to in Denise Zmekhol’s documentary happens to be the popular nickname for the Edificio Wilton Paes de Almeida.  The Sao Paulo skyscraper was designed by the filmmaker’s father back in the early 1960s.   But over the years, this shining prominent symbol of Brazil’s future would turn into a dilapidated eyesore now inhabited by squatters.

A different sort of crushed dream gets recounted in Catherine Masud’s wrenching documentary “A Double Life.”  Stephen Bingham’s career as an activist lawyer came to a screeching halt thanks to his becoming the fall guy in a notorious San Quentin shootout that “coincidentally” killed well-known prison activist George Jackson.  Rather than face an “accidental” prison death, the Yale Law graduate wound up going into exile.

Maureen Gosling’s documentary “The 9 Lives Of Barbara Dane” delivers a portrait of a local activist hero.  Barbara Dane could have channeled her incredible singing voice into a star-studded career.  Instead, she joined other activist performers in using her singing talents to sustain those fighting against social and economic injustice.  The FBI’s dour view of Dane’s efforts led to the law enforcement organization amassing a massive file on the singer.

Another famous social justice activist is Bayard Rustin, the gay man who became the key moving force behind making the famed 1963 March On Washington happen.  George C. Wolfe directs the re-telling of this significant incident in the Civil Rights leader’s life in “Rustin.”  The film covers both Rustin’s (Colman Domingo) behind-the-scenes struggle to ensure the event successfully goes off in a matter of weeks as well as his deep but complicated friendship with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Jenny Mackenzie’s topical documentary “The Right To Read” deals with the relevant question of what can be done to reverse plummeting reading levels among children of color.  Current learning modules are both outdated and ineffective.  The answer may lie in a combination of efforts by government officials, educators, and actively engaged parents to change things around.  Executive produced by LeVar Burton.

Terrestrial Verses

Serving as MVFF Centerpiece Film is “American Fiction,” the directing debut of writer Cord Jefferson (“The Good Place,” “Watchmen”).  This adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure tells the story of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a writer whose life has gone into the toilet through the trifecta of lost teaching job, family emergency, and low-selling books.  When he channels his frustrations into a pseudonymous parody of the popular Black books on the market, he’s chagrined to find his lampoon has become a smash hit.  Jefferson will be receiving an MVFF award for Breakthrough Directing.

Alexander Payne’s chamber comedy “The Holdovers” takes place at an elite boarding school during its 1971 winter break.  Curmudgeonly Professor Hunham (Paul Giamatti) gets the unenviable task of staying on campus to supervise those students unable to return home for the holidays.  Angus is one such student in this situation, thanks to his neglectful parents.  Cafeteria manager Mary winds up joining these two lonely men as she’s dealing with the recent loss of her son.  

The Ilker Catak drama “The Teacher’s Lounge” chronicles the start of a road trip to Hell.  The good-intentioned person here is middle-school teacher Carla.  On brand with her determination to make a difference in her students’ lives, she investigates what she feels are false accusations of several thefts leveled against an innocent boy.  But the split-second decision Carla makes will lead to unimagined repercussions.

The new Hirokazu Kore-eda drama “Monster” might be called the director’s spin on the “Rashomon” scenario.  Widowed Saori lives with her only child Minato.  The boy’s been acting strangely ever since the occurrence of the fire that gutted large parts of a nearby high-rise.  But when Saori’s son reluctantly reveals his class teacher has treated him with verbal abuse and physical intimidation, the mother’s attempts to obtain redress are met with non-apologies and brushoffs.  Just who is the real monster here?   Features a score by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Another case of abuse of authority can be found in Marco Bellocchio’s 19th century-set drama “Kidnapped.”   Jewish child Edgardo Mortara gets ripped from his parents’ home when a secret baptism comes to light.  While forcibly raised as Catholic, young Mortara struggles to hold onto his faith.  Meanwhile, his parents’ efforts to reclaim their son soon get intertwined with a larger political conflict.

If you want to get an idea of the type of America the MAGAts would be comfortable with, check out Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami’s “Terrestrial Verses.”  Call it a dark comedy about living under the thumb of Iran’s relentlessly narrow-minded officials.  The film consists of nine vignettes roughly running from birth to death, and concern such mundane problems as choosing a newborn’s name and applying for a job.  Each vignette uses the same setup: a static shot of a petitioner attempting to negotiate with an authority figure hovering just outside the frame…and the authority figure displaying a fluency in Orwellian doublespeak.

Monster

As a middle finger to the sexual repression embraced by the religiously narrow-minded, why not learn about the life and work of sexologist Shere Hite in Nicole Newnham’s documentary “The Disappearance Of Shere Hite?”  The author of the best-selling Hite Report On Female Sexuality showed the world through the anonymously candid responses she received from her special questionnaires that American women’s sex and love lives were far different from either pop culture depictions or then-current scientific belief.  But Hite’s revelations would also inspire a backlash…

Julianne Moore’s Gracie Atherton knows about sex-inspired backlash thanks to her involvement in a 20-year-old tabloid scandal.  Todd Haynes’ new drama “May December” slowly reveals the story of the then 36-year-old Atherton’s sexual relationship with 13-year-old Joe Yoo, and the consequences of the ensuing scandal (e.g. a crappy true crime TV movie).  Even after 20 years and Gracie’s marrying Joe, the older woman still endures criticism for the affair.  Enter Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), an actress who wants to research Atherton and her life for an independent film about the scandal.  Atherton hopes Berry might bring nuance in her depiction of the older woman’s actions.  But how much truth about the scandal can Berry uncover given time pressure and Atherton’s own Teflon-like personality?

A more lethal scandal embroils Sandra Huller’s character in Justine Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy Of A Fall.”  Aloof writer Sandra (Huller) is on trial for supposedly pushing her husband Vincent to his death.  But as the film recounts the details of the couple’s marriage, there are also signs that the victim’s death could just as equally have been a suicide.

Huller also plays the lead in “The Zone Of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel.  There, she’s Hedwig Hoss, the ordinary housewife to German officer Rudolf Hoss.  But the military officer happens to be the commandant of the notorious Auschwitz extermination camp, and his home happens to be next door to the prison.  Most damningly, Auschwitz’ ongoing murder of Jews doesn’t mentally or  emotionally register with the Hosses. 

The new (and possibly last) Hayao Miyazaki film “The Boy And The Heron” takes place in a rural village in post-World War II Japan.  12-year-old Mahito still grieves for his mother, who was killed in a wartime firebombing.  He also resents his new stepmother Natsuko (his dead mother’s younger sister), harassment from a blue-gray heron, and being the only boy in a village dominated by old ladies.  But when Natsuko disappears, the trail leads to a mysterious tower built by Mahito’s great-great uncle…and a parallel world where Mahito’s mother might still be alive.

The Boy And The Heron playing at the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF)

Imran J. Khan’s SXSW Audience Award-winning comedy “Mustache” takes place in 1990s Silicon Valley.  Pakistani-American teen Ilyas’ life has just gotten more difficult than ever.  Not only is he struggling with his Muslim identity, but he now needs to learn to adapt to the new social mores of public school.  What this 13-year-old doesn’t need is another headache, but he gets one anyway courtesy of the titular growth of hair sprouting on his upper lip.

Jeff Nichols’ new film “The Bikeriders” takes viewers to mid-1960s Chicago and a fictional motorcycle gang known as the Vandals.  The macho members of the gang are bound by the three Bs: bikes, beers, and brawls  The dramatic center of the story involves three people: charismatic Benny (Austin Butler), gang leader Johnny (Tom Hardy), and Benny’s working class wife Kathy (Jodie Comer)  Nichols is receiving this year’s MVFF Directing award.

Emerald Fennell’s new film “Saltburn” goes the dark comedy route.  The title refers to the name of aristocratic Felix’s family estate.  It is here that Oxford scholarship student Oliver (Barry Keoghan) has come to spend the summer with his aristocratic friend.  But as the poorer student insinuates himself into the lives of these nobles, he discovers firsthand just how weird the rich can be.  Fennell’s the recipient of this year’s MVFF Mind The Gap award.

Another hotly anticipated film is the new Errol Morris documentary “The Pigeon Tunnel.”  It’s a rare interview with David Cornwell, who went from being the child of neglectful parents to becoming the famed spy novelist John Le Carre.  The odd title of the film refers to a Monte Carlo gun club’s system for turning birds into shooting targets.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s follow-up to his classic “Drive My Car” goes political.  In “Evil Does Not Exist,” a glamping compound project threatens to be imposed on the forested town of Mizubiki Village.  Yet no effort has been made by the developers to minimize the project’s negative impacts on the village, such as lowering water quality and tourist influx overwhelming village services’ capacity.   Who or what can hold the developers accountable?   

Dance With Me

Alice Rohrwacher’s newest film “La Chimera” takes viewers to 1980s Tuscany for an entertaining fantasy-comedy about love and hunting for antiquities.  Meet ex-con and disgraced English archeological scholar Arthur.  To supplement what income he has, he uses a dowsing rod to help a band of grave-robbers find Etruscan artifacts to steal.  But he also hopes to reunite with his lost love Benjamina, the daughter of a local aristocrat (Isabella Rosellini).

Gabriel Diamond’s short film “Dance With Me” is the record of a social experiment Diamond conducted.  If you stand on a busy Berkeley street corner blindfolded, and invite strangers passing by to dance with you, who would accept?

Augusto Schillaci’s animated short “La Calesita” pays tribute to Argentinian merry-go-round operators, whose work delivers fan and happiness to children and their communities.

MVFF 46 caps things off with the Closing Night biopic, Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.”  It’s a portrait of the marriage of famed classical music conductor Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).  Lasting more than 25 years, their relationship endured despite Bernstein’s many extramarital liaisons and the conductor’s growing fame in popularizing classical music for the masses.

There are obviously lots more titles to choose from.  Whether you can catch the film of your choice at MVFF or are forced to hopefully wait for its theatrical release, may you find your new favorite film among this year’s offerings.

(For the full MVFF program list and to order advance tickets, go here.  Some of the films mentioned in this article have already gone to Rush.)

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