Guess who is turning a year old? The Independent Picture House celebrates its first anniversary Saturday, June 24, and we are celebrating all week long!
Come hang with us Saturday afternoon, from 2 to 4:30 pm. Soul Gastrolounge is bringing its food truck. There will be a raffle with prizes, music, lawn games, trivia and cake. Plus our first-annual poster sale and special anniversary T-shirts.
Of course it wouldn’t be an IPH celebration without films, so check out our anniversary series, which starts screening Friday, June 23:
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
What it’s about: Three Korean outlaws in 1930s Manchuria battle the Japanese army and Chinese and Russian bandits in a race to uncover buried treasure.
Why we chose it: Like IPH, The Good, the Bad, the Weird is celebrating an anniversary — its 15th. It wasn’t widely seen when it first came out, but with interest in Korean film growing, it’s time for a second look. The film is fast-paced, fun and campy, and it stars Song Kang-ho, the star of the Korean breakout hit Parasite. And it’s a favorite of IPH Creative Director Jay Morong.
The Great Beauty
What it’s about: An aging writer has seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades, but after his 65th birthday and a shock from the past, he looks past the nightclubs and parties to find a timeless landscape of absurd, exquisite beauty.
Why we chose it: It’s the 10th anniversary for The Great Beauty, which won an Academy Award for best foreign language film. It draws comparisons to the surreal, fantastical work of Frederico Fellini in movies such as 8 1/2. “It’s just a beautiful film,” says IPH Executive Director Brad Ritter. “The two biggest stars, to me, are the cinematography and the music.”
Memoria
What it’s about: A Scottish orchid farmer visiting her sister in Colombia is disturbed by a mysterious sound — a loud boom — that only she can hear. The dreamlike journey to find its source leads her from recording studios in Bogotá to the countryside and to deeper questions of memory and perception.
Why we chose it: Memoria was the first film IPH screened a year ago. The setting is Colombia, with dialogue in English and Spanish. It was written and directed by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, with production help from Colombia, Thailand and eight other countries. It’s a fitting choice to highlight IPH’s focus on bringing the best in international film to Charlotte.
Run Lola Run
What it’s about: In this high-energy German thriller, Lola has 20 minutes to raise 100,000 deutsche marks and find her boyfriend who desperately needs it. In a fractured timeline, minor changes spin the story in different directions.
Why we chose it: It’s been 25 years since this popular film premiered and moviegoers saw that iconic poster of a sprinting Lola, with her shock of red hair. Ritter remembers first seeing the film in a Munich movie house, without subtitles. None were needed. “It’s just like a burst of energy, with vivid colors and music. I just fell in love with it,” Ritter says. “I’ve always wanted to see it again on the big screen in a movie theater.”