The 65th SFFilm Festival will take place April 21 – May 1, 2022, with screenings at various venues around the Bay Area. This year, the festival program features over 130 film from 56 countries, so there are plenty of options for everyone.
Here’s a look at five more features — get your tickets before they sell out!
1.) WE FEED PEOPLE
(USA, 2022. 90 min)
From director Ron Howard, We Feed People takes a close look at the World Central Kitchen (WCK) and the man who launched and manages it with every fiber of his being, world-renowned chef Jose Andres. The majority of the film is boots-on-the-ground footage of the WCK in action, with only snippets here and there taken from news reports. In this way, we get a devastating look at the aftermath of various disasters as WCK staff work fast among the wreckage and speak to the impacted residents. Most importantly, We Feed People contains a sense of urgency, that food shortages should be a thing of the past — it’s an inspirational gut punch. WCK is at the forefront of the fight: at the time of this writing, multiple WCK staff members in Ukraine have been injured in a recent Russian bombing.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., April 23rd, 5:30pm at the Vogue Theatre
2) HIT THE ROAD
(Iran, 2021. 94 min)
A miraculously crafted feature debut from Iranian filmmaker Panah Panahi. With a weighty under layer but a humorous facade, Panahi is able to keep the family road trip story focused on characters and leave the themes (and symbolism) for the audience to discover themselves. Panahi’s script is also deliberate and well-paced, with little fat around the edges to invite interpretation, which only adds extra meaning to the story. This is a film that can be enjoyed on its surface, but after thoughtful reflection can wield even deeper emotional value.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Fri., April 22nd, 8:30pm at the Vogue Theatre
– Sat., April 23rd, 5:30pm at Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive
3) THE BOX
(Mexico, USA, 2021. 90 min)
A meditative look at the dark, seedy business of factory work in Chihuahua, Mexico, from the perspective of a quiet boy who travels from Mexico City to retrieve his father’s remains. The Box functions as both a cautionary tale and a coming-of-age story, with strong performances from its two leads and a stunning arid Mexican backdrop.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sun., April 24th, 5:00pm at the Roxie Theater
4) THE GRAVEDIGGER’S WIFE
(Finland, Germany, France, 2021. 83 min)
The Gravedigger’s Wife is Khadar Ayderus Ahmed’s feature directorial debut, and Somalia’s first ever official Oscar submission. Like other 65th SFFILM entries, this film centers its story around the theme of access to aid. In the small villages of Djibouti City, the basic right to health and well-being comes at a high price and with immense strife. Ahmed’s patient style allows us to feel the strong emotional bond between the gravedigger and his wife, and gives us a parallel story to struggles we can find at home or anywhere else.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sun., April 24th, 8:00pm at the Roxie Theater
5) LO INVISIBLE
(Ecuador, France, 2021. 85 min)
Lo Invisible sets its dramatic sights on the taboo subject of postpartum depression. Anahi Hoeneisen’s performance as Luisa is a tour de force, channeling emotional restraint into her character’s schism from reality. Director Javier Andrade presents the lavishness of the Ecuadorian countryside home (the film is shot almost entirely in one location) in a manner that transforms richness to emptiness and a home into a personal prison. With sparse dialogue and many exchanges experienced through touches and glances, Lo Invisible is most interested in exploring the unseen, or the invisible, as the title suggests.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., April 30th, 9:15pm at the Victoria Theatre
