Writer’s Choice

Cinematheque returns to newly remodeled venue

They’re baaaack; however, UW–Madison’s student-run film society Cinematheque won’t be showing that one this fall.

Cinematheque has been on hiatus this summer due to renovations to its usual venue, 4070 Vilas Hall.

“We’ll have a new sound system, with new speakers (including a sub woofer for the first time), a new screen, new carpet, new lights. Films should look and sound better than ever,” says Cinematheque coordinator Tom Yoshikami, a graduate student in the Department of Communication Arts.

Films will be organized this fall around four themes: global vision; the films of Japanese director Mikio Naruse, whose work is largely unfamiliar to Western audiences; early Hollywood talkies; and the Taiwanese “New Movement.”

Global Visions will open the season on Friday, Sept. 2, with “Life and Debt,” adapted by Stephanie Black from Jamaica Kincaid’s nonfiction book “A Small Place.” Both film and book document the devastation visited upon developing nations, in which local agricultural economies are replaced by sweatshops. The series continues on Friday, Sept. 9, with the double feature, “A Trip to the Country,” a record of the lives of ordinary people in Cameroon; and “The Yes Men,” which seeks to expose the worst practices of the free market.

“A Wanderer’s Notebook: The Films of Mikio Naruse” celebrates this little-known Japanese director’s 40-year career. The series starts with “Repast” on Saturday, Sept. 3. With Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi, Naruse is considered among the greatest Japanese directors of his generation. “Repast” illustrates why: A subtle study of desperation, the film traces a woman’s alienation as she contemplates leaving her dullard husband. The doubleheader on Saturday, Sept. 10, includes “Mother,” based on the winning entry in a national essay contest for elementary school children; and “Late Chrysanthemums,” which shows how aging geishas cope with the loss of youth and beauty.

“Made in Taipei: The Taiwanese New Wave and Beyond” challenges sociopolitical orthodoxies in that country after World War II. This series begins on Sunday, Sept. 11, with “Tropical Fish,” about a video game-obsessed boy who finds himself kidnapped.

“Listen Up!” invites contemporary audiences to hear and see what films were like as they found their very earliest voices. This series opens with “Painted Heels,” a backstage musical directed by Edward Sutherland (Mr. Louise Brooks, at least for a few minutes).

Cinematheque films are free and open to the public and begin at 7:30 p.m. in 4070 Vilas Hall. In addition to these series, which continue throughout the semester, Cinematheque will present additional screenings and special events. Check the Wisconsin Week calendar for complete listings.