(Ireland, 2000)

From the lively pen of Roddy Doyle (The Commitments, The Snapper) comes a sparkling romantic comedy featuring one of the most oppositely composed couples ever to meet on screen. Brendan (Peter MacDonald, Felicia's Journey) is an extremely shy schoolteacher who sings in the choir and loves to watch movies. While quietly sipping a beer in a local pub he is abruptly accosted by Trudy (Flora Montgomery, The Discovery of Heaven) a spunky, outspoken, hard drinking, brassy blonde who claims to be a Montessori schoolteacher. Unexpectedly drawn to one another, they quickly find themselves in a passionate relationship. But Brendan develops a horrible suspicion about Trudy's nocturnal disappearances when he sees a TV report about a woman in a balaclava terrorizing Dublin with a horrible string of murders and castrations. When Trudy wants to spice up their lovemaking by wearing a black balaclava, Brendan is so petrified that she must make a startling revelation to assuage his fears. Chock full of movie references, it's a terrifically winning romance and a comedy of great charm and pleasure.

"Guaranteed to delight movie-goers ... Movie buffs will recognize When Brendan Met Trudy's second layer, which pays homage to a number of classic pictures through oblique references, lifted quotes, and re-creations of entire scenes." * * * -- James Berardinelli

"The more movie references you recognize (from 'Once Upon a Time in the West' to 'The Producers') the more you're likely to enjoy 'When Brendan Met Trudy,' but the movie works whether you identify the scenes or not. It has that unwound Roddy Doyle humor; the laughs don't hit you over the head, but tickle you behind the knee." * * * -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

(Iran, 2001; English subtitles)
  Premiering at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, Kandahar is the latest film from Iranian master Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Tales of an Island). Nafas (Niloufar Pazira) is a young Afghan journalist who took refuge in Canada after her country's civil war with the Taliban began. After receiving a desperate letter from her younger sister, who has decided to end her life just before the final solar eclipse of the 20th century, she reluctantly journeys back to her oppressive homeland. With just two days remaining to get to Kandahar in time to save her sister, Nafas makes her journey on foot through the desert. Guided by a string of unique characters with their own interesting stories, Nafas gives her soul to the arduous journey.
  Nafas' story is fictionalized but based on the real-life situation of the lead actress, Niloufar Pazira. No professional actors are used, and filming was done near the Iran/Afghanistan border, less than a mile outside of Taliban-controlled territory. Kandahar is a dazzling odyssey through an ancient land filled with startling, often surreal images; a place where one woman hopes she can give her isolated sister a thousand reasons to live.

"In Kandahar's most remarkable sequence, a group of one-legged men complain to exhausted Red Cross aid workers about the unsatisfactory selection of prosthetic limbs, then race off on their crutches toward a shipment of legs being dropped from the sky." * * * * -- Jason Anderson, eye Weekly

(France, 2001; English subtitles)
WINNER, PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD, 2001 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
NOMINATED FOR 5 ACADEMY AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

  Winner of the 2001 AGF People's Choice Award in Toronto, Amélie continues to delight audiences worldwide. The only child of eccentric parents is schooled at home and sheltered in a quirky existence of pure imagination. Profoundly affected by the oddities of her upbringing, Amélie (Audrey Tautou) grows into an exquisitely beautiful and quixotic young woman who forges a life for herself by working in a Montmartre café frequented by failed writers, hypochondriac tobacconists, pushy grocers and disheartened widows. One day, she accidentally discovers an old keepsake box hidden in her apartment by a previous occupant, a young boy since grown up. After secretly returning the box to its astonished owner, Amélie embarks on a mission to work similar miracles for other patrons of her little Montmartre neighbourhood.
  Jean-Pierre Jeunet's irresistible story of interconnected lives in Paris dazzles with the wit and surreal imagery of previous works (Delicatessen), weaving a vibrant fable in which all ideas make beautiful sense. Jeunet's magical visual style sweeps one into the imaginative bubble of Amélie's life-affirming universe and fascinates with a ride of irrestistible whimsy.

"Interesting, involving and energetic.... This motion picture proves that two hours can pass very quickly in a movie theater." * * * 1/2 -- James Berardinelli

"'Amelie' is a delicious pastry of a movie, a lighthearted fantasy.... You see it, and later when you think about it, you smile." * * * 1/2 -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

(Canada/Great Britain, 2001)
  Shot in Alberta, THE WAR BRIDE is based on the true story of a young London girl, Lily (Anna Friel, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM), who marries a Canadian serviceman, Charlie (Aden Young) during WWII. It's the height of the 1940 blitz and two young women, Lily and her best friend Sophie (Julie Cox), work as seamstresses in a small shop in the East End. One night at the local dance hall, they meet and fall madly in love with a pair of Canadian soldiers. Charlie fascinates Lily with stories of his family's huge 'John Wayne style ranch' on the Canadian Prairies 'near Hollywood.' Passionate romance, a quick marriage and the birth of their baby girl are cruelly impacted when Charlie is sent to the front and Lily and her newborn baby must travel to Canada to live with her new in-laws. All is not as she imagined, however, and the 'dream farm' Charlie promised her proves to be little more than a scratch-dirt farm inhabited by Charlie's cold-hearted mother (Brenda Fricker, MY LEFT FOOT) and sister (Molly Parker, SUNSHINE, THE LAST WEDDING). Lily, possessed with feisty spirit and charm, faces the daunting challenge of winning over the resentful community of Spring Hill and surviving the bleakness of her isolation until Charlie returns. THE WAR BRIDE is a beautifully eloquent film and genuinely affecting love story, featuring the luminous Anna Friel who gives one of the most appealing performances seen in any film this year.

"A stirring English-Canadian co-production, THE WAR BRIDE weaves a beautiful drama. Director Lyndon Chubbuck has orchestrated a profound and moving journey. Friel, Fricker and Parker form as potent a feminine triumvirate as the movies have seen in a very long time, powerful actresses who bring as much richness to the film's silences and to its words." -- Box Office Magazine

(UK, 2000)
  Directed by renowned filmmaker Stephen Frears (The Grifters, High Fidelity) and set in Liverpool's Irish Catholic community in the thirties, Liam follows the fortunes of a struggling working class family as seen through the eyes of a cherubic seven-year-old boy (Anthony Burrows). Young Liam's family comes face-to-face with the harsh realities of the Depression when his father (Ian Hart, Aberdeen) loses his job at the local shipyard. A proud man, he refuses to accept charity or beg for work while his wife (Claire Hackett) struggles to keep house and home together. To make ends meet, Liam's sister Teresa takes on a position as housemaid for the rich Jewish family that owns the shipyard -- a circumstance that fuels their father's bitterness and anger. Unable to find work and his sense of self-worth in tatters, Liam's father finds an outlet for his anger in a group of fascist blackshirts. Meanwhile Liam, possessed of a youthful stutter, is so anxious to discover the secrets of the opposite sex that he finds himself in perpetual difficulty with fire-and-brimstone-breathing nuns who convince him that his impure thoughts will be punished in Hell.

"Complex, heartbreaking, beautifully made.... Not only does Frears make honesty, understanding and insight seem easy and inevitable, he wears his craft so casually we hardly notice the deft way he employs it." -- Kenneth Turan, LA Times

(USA/UK, 2001)
NOMINATED FOR 7 ACADEMY AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE

  It is November 1932. Gosford Park is the magnificent country estate to which Sir William McCordle and his wife, Lady Sylvia, gather relations and friends for a weekend shooting party. They have invited an eclectic group including a countess, a World War I hero, the British matinee idol Ivor Novello and an American film producer who makes Charlie Chan movies. Part comedy of manners and part mystery, the tale portrays events that bridge generations, class, sex, tragic personal history and culminate in a murder (or is it two murders...?)

"The cast is uniformly superb. Mr. Altman is one of the few contemporary directors who consistently showcases excellent women's roles, and he's rewarded with a symphony of strong performances." -- Philip Wuntch, The Dallas Morning News

"Five stars don't do it justice." -- Neil Smith, BBC News

(USA, 2001)
  Based on Annie Proulx's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, THE SHIPPING NEWS traces one man's extraordinary journey toward self-discovery when he returns to his ancestral home on the coast of Newfoundland. After the death of his estranged wife, Quoyle’s fortunes begin to change when his long lost aunt convinces him and his daughter to head north. Now, in a place where life is as rough as the weather and secrets are as vast as the ocean, Quoyle lands a job as a reporter for the local paper. In the course of his new career, he begins to uncover some dark family mysteries and finds friendship and love with a single mother who has a secret of her own.

"Hallström has leavened the story's bleakness with great warmth, fashioning one of the finest films of the year." -- Gregory Weinkauf, New Times Los Angeles

(India, 2001; some subtitles)
  For the first time since her Academy Award-nominated 'Salaam Bombay!' acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair explores a contemporary, global India – one where the new 'dot.com' society co-exists with ancient tradition in improbable harmony.

A celebration of the sensual pleasures of cinema, of love at any age, and of the importance of family, Monsoon Wedding invites the viewer into the bacchanalian revelry of kebabs, whiskey and music that is a Punjabi wedding.

"Wholly engaging." * * * * -- Jason Anderson, eye WEEKLY

(Germany, 2000; English subtitles)
  Young nurse Sissi lives a secluded life, seemingly entirely devoted to her patients at Birkenhof asylum. Her first encounter with ex-soldier and drifter Bodo has a lasting impact. He causes an accident that results in her lying under a truck, unable to breathe. While he provides life-saving first aid, mesmerized Sissi begins to wonder whether he may be the man of her dreams. But when she tracks him down weeks later her affection is rejected, as Bodo is stuck somewhere between a traumatic past and a criminal future.

"One astonishment after another. The work of an artist."

(USA, 2001)
NOMINATED FOR 5 ACADEMY AWARDS:
  BEST ACTRESS, SISSY SPACEK
  BEST ACTOR, TOM WILKINSON
  BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MARISA TOMEI
  BEST SCREENPLAY (PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED)
  and BEST PICTURE

  Set on the coast of Maine, this film tells the story of a couple whose only child is involved in a tragic love affair. The resulting loss forces individuals to examine their reactions and their evolving response.

Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson were awarded the 2001 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for their portrayal of a doctor and teacher who struggle with the repercussions of their son’s affair with an older woman.

"The acting is first-rate, and the story is both suspenseful and moving." * * * * -- eye WEEKLY

(Denmark, 2001; English subtitles)
  Winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS features two refreshing 'firsts.' It is the first Dogme film directed by a woman (Lone Scherfig, ON THEIR OWN) and it's the first Dogme film that's chock full of fun, charm and romance. Unlike Dogme's trailblazers (Lars Van Trier's DANCER IN THE DARK, Tomas Winterberg's THE CELEBRATION) who have brought their hand-held cameras to bear on stark and disturbing stories, Scherfig has fashioned a tale that delights with its whimsical characters and romantic tone. Set in a small Copenhagen suburb, Andreas - a bumbling, recently widowed pastor - is newly arrived to preside over the sleeply hamlet. Still recovering from his loss, he accepts an invitation from Jorgen, the friendly but shy hotel receptionist, to join a local Italian-for-beginners class. This sets in motion an unlikely round-robin of romance as Andreas joins accident-prone pastry shop assistant Olympia, hairdresser Karen, former soccer player and rude waiter Hal-Finn and Guilia - who already speaks Italian, but takes the class because she has a crush on Jorgen. Thrown together by happenstance, this eclectic group of lonely, unhappy classmates discover sides of themselves they never knew they had while learning the language of love.

"The delicious comedy is for romantics of all ages ... ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS shows that a Dogme film, even one that faithfully observes those vows of real lights, no music and handheld cameras, can be as old-fashioned as a George Cukor comedy." -- Hollywood Reporter

"A wry, gentle comedy reminiscent of Bill Forsyth's LOCAL HERO and COMFORT & JOY." * * * * -- Jason Anderson, eye WEEKLY

Free Screening and Party for QFA Members!

(Canada, 2001)
  Based on St. John's native Edward Riche's (MADE IN CANADA) hilarious novel, RARE BIRDS marks a whimsical change of pace for dramatic director Sturla Gunnarsson (SUCH A LONG JOURNEY). Dave Purcell (William Hurt) is ready to call it quits on his marriage and his restaurant, The Auk. Situated in Push Through Cove, Nfld, The Auk - like the ill-fated bird for which it was named - has seen better days. All seems lost until Dave's neighbour Alphonse Murphy (Andy Jones) proposes a mad yet ingenious scheme to save The Auk: they fabricate a report claiming to have sighted an extremely rare duck that is believed extinct. This prompts enthusiastic birders from around the world to flock to the area, and the restaurant becomes a bustling hot spot. With business suddenly thriving, life in Push Through Cove seems good for Dave, who also begins to fall for Alphone's alluring sister Alice (Molly Parker). However Alphonse, buoyed by the success of his Auk caper, begins to cook up another scheme which threatens to inadvertently expose the duck hoax and endanger everyone's new found personal and financial well-being. Shot entirely in Newfoundland, RARE BIRDS has all the makings of a delightful and rare treat.

"Any sourpuss who thinks Canadian cinema lacks a sense of humour needs to see Rare Birds.... A sheer delight ... boasts a marvellous charm." -- Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun