Free Global Lens films with director at Balboa September 18, 2006

FREE MOVIES TONIGHT AT THE BALBOA

Tonight is customer appreciation night at the Balboa. It is also a chance for you to discover two unusual movies not readily available.

And meet the director of MAX AND MONA, a delightful comedy from South Africa. You can also see the Iranian film BORDER CAFE, a must for fans of food and film.

The Balboa Theatre and the Global Lens Initiative invite you to be our guests for tonight's films.
For the complete series:

http://balboamovies.com/globallens/index.html

More info about Global Lens: http://www.globalfilm.org

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS. WE'D LIKE A FULL HOUSE.

At the door just say "NEWS"

Here are details:

Monday, Sept. 18 - 7:00 - Director Teddy Mattera in Person
MAX AND MONA

Director: Teddy Mattera, South Africa, 2004

Traditional beliefs say that the souls of the dead will not join their ancestors until the mourners cry at their graves. Farm boy Max Bua has inherited his grandfather's talent for mourning. Despite this heaven-sent gift, Max aspires to be a doctor and must travel to Johannesburg to begin his studies. With money the villagers collected for his tuition fees, he sets off to the city.

Through a series of mishaps, Max finds himself penniless with a sacred goat and eventually lands at the doorstep of his notorious uncle. Director Teddy Mettera has constructed a slapstick comedy about a young boy's coming of age and his wild aventure with a most unlikely partner in crime. English, Afrikaans and Zulu with English subtitles, 98 mins.

Winner: Best First Feature, FESPACO Film Festival
About Teddy Mattera

Max And Mona is a charming and deftly-made film by first time director Teddy Mattera.

Mattera is a South African who did his film studies in the US, UK and Europe.

Teddy Mattera

The first film he worked on, as an intern, was Hoop Dreams - which was nominated for an Oscar in 1993.

He has since worked on various documentaries for SABC (South Africa), BBC, Channel Four (UK), and other international broadcasters.

He has also is worked on a number of short films, commercials and music videos, mainly as an Assistant Director.

MNET selected Waiting For Valdez, a short film written by Teddy, as part of the 2001 MNET New Directions series.

Recently Mattera directed the short film Norman Comes To Jozi, as well as several inserts for the SABC2 flagship series Vuyani Mzansi.

He first developed the idea for Max And Mona in 1999.

The film's setting draws on Mattera's love for Johannesburg and his knowledge of Soweto culture.

Learn about the making of MAX AND MONA:

http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page777.html

Review: http://www.africanfilmny.org/network/news/Rjacobs.html

Monday, Sept. 18 - 9:00pm

BORDER CAFÉ
(CAFÉ TRANSIT)
Director: Kambozia Partovi, Iran, 2005

Cafe Transit follows in the footsteps of Big Night, Babette's Feast, Tampopo and other movies memorable with food as a focal point in the story. In a village near Iran's border with Turkey, Reyhan, a young woman with two children, defies convention when her husband dies. Instead of agreeing to marry her brother-in-law, as required by traditional law, she chooses to support her family by re-opening her late husband's roadside restaurant. Her cuisine and subtle charm captivate a coterie of international truckers, but her success angers her brother-in-law, who devises one plan after another to take control of her life. Kambozia Partovi's compelling tale depicts Reyhan's struggle for self-sufficiency in a rigidly traditional environment while the film's brave feminist themes and tender performances resonate beautifully with audiences. Farsi, Greek and Turkish with English subtitles, 105 mins.
Winner: Best Screenplay and Best Actress, Fajr Film Festival

Rave from Variety: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117928530?categoryid=31&cs=1&s=h&p=0

BALBOA THEATRE

3630 Balboa Street ( 37th Ave )
San Francisco 94121
(415) 221-8184

http://www.BalboaMovies.com

Bike Rack in front of the Balboa
Muni Bus #31 or #38 Ocean Beach
Also #18, #5 Fulton and all Geary Street buses stop two
(long) blocks from Balboa.
Relatively easy Parking

Official Website: http://balboamovies.com/globallens/index.html