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Berkeley: March 17 - 25 San Jose: March 24 - 26
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International Films 
Be With Me A fascinating minuet of three stories that gently dance around the theme of longing for a loved one. All of the protagonists are fictitious except for one—Theresa Chan, a courageous, blind and deaf woman whose life inspired the film. 
Cafe Lumiere The Taiwanese director of CITY OF SADNESS pays homage to Yasujiro Ozu’s TOKYO STORY in this contemplative film of (as its Japanese title implies) “Coffee, Time and Light.” A solitary writer (pop star Yo Hitoto) and a bookstore owner (Tadanobu Asano) make their way through Tokyo. 
Citizen Dog The director of TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER returns with this fabulously bizarre combination of CHUNGKING EXPRESS and UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. A collection of tall tales, curios and love affairs, set in a Bangkok where everyone sings and grows tails. 
Dreaming Lhasa A young Tibetan American journeys to Dharamsala, center of the Tibetan exile community, and discovers C.I.A. agents, dub reggae and more. “The first film to capture the majesty of Tibetan Buddhist culture and the complexity of its ties to the outside world.”—Toronto IFF 
Gaijin 2: Love Me As I Am This sequel to 1980’s groundbreaking Latin-Asian epic GAIJIN continues the multi-generational story of a Japanese immigrant family in Brazil, and the spirit and endurance of its women as they live and love amidst world wars, economic unrest, and the politics of empire. 
Grain in Ear A patient Korean-Chinese kimchee peddler struggles to raise her son while being betrayed by men and by society in this intricately orchestrated minimalist drama set in Northern China. Winner of the New Currents Award at Pusan International Film Festival ‘05. 
Kekexili: Mountain Patrol Set in the rugged expanse of China’s Tibetan Plateau, KEKEXILI is a spectacular western of survival and morality, based on true events surrounding a mountain patrol’s harrowing pursuit of a and of merciless poachers. Special Jury Prize, Tokyo Film Festival. 
Letter From An Unknown Woman A gorgeously photographed tale of unrequited love, Xu Jinglei’s adaptation of the 1948 Ophuls film is a visual and romantic masterpiece. Set during China’s revolution, LETTER unfolds over the lifetime of a woman whose love for a man ultimately consumes her. 
Linda Linda Linda An all-girl rock band in Japan, saddled with no talent and a Korean vocalist who doesn’t even speak Japanese, tries to win their high-school music contest. From the director of deadpan slacker classic RAMBLERS, and featuring a score by James Iha. 
Memories in the Mist A shy Calcutta clerk is haunted by memories of his father, and tortured by his shallow, American-obsessed wife, in this Buñuelian fable of family relationships, class, and politics from the director of THE WRESTLERS and TALE OF A NAUGHTY GIRL. 
Parineeta In 1962 Calcutta, childhood friends fail to recognize the intense love between them until the arrival of a businessman sparks a love triangle. A throwback to the unbridled romanticism of old-fashioned Bollywood love epics, with ravishing cinematography, melodic tunes and opulent production design. 
Rules of Dating Two teachers decide to make sex, not romance, the basis of their relationship in this explicit, surprisingly hard-hitting look at love and intimacy (and the lack thereof). A refreshingly adult take on the confusions of connection and a frank look at sexuality. 
Water In the long-awaited and stunning conclusion to her Elemental Trilogy (FIRE and EARTH precede it), Deepa Mehta explores religion and the resilient power of the human spirit through the eyes of an eight-year-old girl, who changes the world around her by charting her own destiny. Centerpiece Presentation |
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