After CIFF: Calgary Cinematheque

Tonight's sold-out screening of Michael Haneke's terrific, gorgeous "The White Ribbon" was sponsored by Calgary Cinematheque. Introducing the movie was well-known Calgary filmmaker, and Calgary Cinematheque board member, Gary Burns. (If you haven't seen his Calgary cult classic "waydowntown", go see it right now.) (Well, right now you should go see a movie at CIFF, but when CIFF is over, you should see "waydowntown".)

Calgary Cinematheque hosts regular screenings of classic movies at The Plaza in Kensington. In its two-year existence, the Cinematheque has screened such great and important movies as "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", "Killer of Sheep", and "The Earrings of Madame de...", and this fall they've got an exciting programme: The French New Wave at 50, starting soon after CIFF with Louis Malle's "Elevator to the Gallows". Not only that, but they're also introducing a "film school" aspect to the programme: some screenings will also include lectures from film experts about the movie being screened!

The Calgary Cinematheque has quickly become an important resource for any Calgary film fan. CIFF lasts only 10 days -- let the Cinematheque feed your love of film for the rest of the year!

Saturday's Must-See: The White Ribbon

Five reasons to be excited about Saturday night's screening of "The White Ribbon":

1. It was directed by Michael Haneke. A new Haneke movie is always an event, whether the movie itself is great ("Caché") or not ("Funny Games U.S."). He is a truly talented director whose movies are impeccably made, never boring, and always provocative.

2. It won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year, against an extraordinary field of movies including Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds", Campion's "Bright Star", Von Trier's "Antichrist", Resnais' "Les Herbes Folles", and many others.

3. It also got some great critical buzz out of Cannes. Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian said "The White Ribbon has an absolute confidence and mastery of its own cinematic language, and the performances Haneke elicits from his first-rate cast, particularly the children, are eerily perfect."

4. It's shot in black and white. I'm not one of those purists who would say that "black and white is always better than color!", but I definitely love the texture of a black and white movie -- especially one that is shot as this one undoubtedly is.

5. It's set in a German village in the days leading up to World War I, and involves a group of school children and a series of "suspicious accidents". I'm intrigued.

"The White Ribbon" screens at Eau Claire, Saturday night at 6:30. I know I'll be there early!