Date TBA, at 5 and 7:30 pm
DEPARTURES
Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, DEPARTURES is a delightful journey into the heartland of Japan as well an astonishingly beautiful look at a sacred part of Japan's cultural heritage. "Departures" follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living. A story of love, of discovery, of revelation and of the transcending human spirit, "Departures" will linger in your heart and mind long after viewing. Rated: PG-13

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Date TBA, at 5 and 7:30 pm
FOOD INC.
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising - and often shocking truths - about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. Rated: PG

Jon Stewart's terrific "The Daily Show" interview with
Director Robert Kenner

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Date TBA, at 5 and 7:30 pm
UNMISTAKEN CHILD
The Buddhist concept of reincarnation, while both mysterious and enchanting, is hard for most westerners to grasp. UNMISTAKEN CHILD follows the 4-year search for the reincarnation of Lama Konchog, a world-renowned Tibetan master who passed away in 2001 at age 84. The Dalai Lama charges the deceased monk's devoted disciple, Tenzin Zopa (who had been in his service since the age of seven), to search for his master's reincarnation. Tenzin sets off on this unforgettable quest on foot, mule and even helicopter, through breathtaking landscapes and remote traditional Tibetan villages. Along the way Tenzin listens to stories about young children with special characteristics, and performs rarely seen ritualistic tests designed to determine the likelihood of reincarnation. He eventually presents the child he believes to be his reincarnated master to the Dalai Lama so that he can make the final decision. Stunningly shot, UNMISTAKEN CHILD is a beguiling, surprising, touching, even humorous experience. Unrated.

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Date TBA, at 5 and 7:30 pm
YOUSSOU N'DOUR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE
'Youssou N'dour: I Bring What I Love,' is a music-infused cinematic journey about the power of one man's voice to inspire change. N'dour is the highest selling African artist of all time and has collaborated with musical superstars like Bono, Neneh Cherry and Peter Gabriel . At home in Senegal, the Grammy-award winning artist is an inspiration for generations. The film chronicles N'dour, a devout Sufi Muslim, as he releases a deeply personal and religious album called Egypt in the hope of promoting a more tolerant face of Islam. Almost instantly, his fellow Senegalese reject the album, and denounce his actions as blasphemous. Director Chai Vasarhelyi follows N'dour for over two years - filming in Africa, Europe, and America - to tell the story of how he faces these challenges and eventually wins over audiences both at home and abroad. Rated: PG

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