SISTER SMILE (SOEUR SOURIRE)
By Stijn Coninx

France-35mm-Color-124mins-2009
In French with English subtitles
Rating: PG
With: Cecile de France, Sandrine Blancke

COMING SOON ON DVD (Madman)

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The end of the 1950s, on the outskirts of Brussels.
Like the rest of the young generation of the time, Jeannine Deckers (Cécile de France) has a thirst for freedom and adventure. There's no question of her following the path her parents have chosen for her - finding a husband and taking over the family bakery. She wants a different life. To move away, to meet other people.
After toying with art studies, she enters a convent. Jeanine finds out that being a Dominican nun is a difficult vocation. It requires giving up one's passions, including music. But she's not
prepared to do this. The other sisters don't understand her, but with the blessing of the Mother Superior, she sticks to her dream and writes a global pop hit: "Dominique".
For audiences around the world, Jeannine became "Sister Smile", also known as the Singing Nun. She was a worldwide sensation and sold millions of records. Her success was compared to that of Elvis Presley.
Struggling to reconcile her faith and her newfound fame, Jeannine leaves the convent and attempts to continue her career as a rock star.
The film traces the unique and deeply moving story of this young girl who never gave up.

"Cecile de France shines in a role that showcases her personality and range."
Jake Wilson, THE AGE

"Superb, Absorbing…Cecile de France's performance is astonishing"
Annette Basile, FILM INK

"This is a unique story, beautifully told and guaranteed to leave a lasting impression"
Louise Keller, URBAN CINEFILE
 

NOODLE
By Ayelet Menahemi

Israel-35mm-Color-100mins
In Hebrew & Mandarin with English subtitles
Rating:PG (Mild coarse language)

With: Mili Avital, Anat Waxman, BaoQi Chen

Awards/ Festivals: WINNER - Grand Prix of the Jury - Montreal World Film Festival, Official Selection

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At thirty-seven, Miri is a twice-widowed, El Al flight attendant. Her well-regulated existence is suddenly turned upside down by an abandoned Chinese boy whose migrant-worker mother has been summarily deported from Israel. The film is a touching comic-drama in which two human beings -- as different from each other as Tel Aviv is from Beijing -- accompany each other on a remarkable journey, one that takes them both back to a meaningful life.

"CHARMING...DELIGHTFUL...FEEL-GOOD MOVIE"
David and Margaret, AT THE MOVIES

4 stars A "BEAUTIFUL ISRAELI DRAMA...SO ENGAGING"
Thomas Hilton, EMPIRE

"HEARTWARMING TALE"
Dov Kornits, FILM INK
 

WENDY AND LUCY
By Kelly Reichardt

2008 - USA - 35mm-Color-Dolby SRD-1:85 - 80mins
Screenplay: Kelly Reichardt, Jon Raymond - Photography: Sam Levy
Editor: Kelly Reichardt
In English
Rating: M

With: Michelle Williams, Will Oldham, Will Patton, John Robinson, Larry Fessenden, Walter Dalton

Festivals: Cannes (Un Certain Regard) 2008

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Q&A: Kelly Reichardt and Michelle Williams (NY Film Festival)

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By the acclaimed director of OLD JOY (Sundance, best film Rotterdam Tiger competition)

Wendy Carroll is driving to Ketchikan, Alaska, in hopes of a summer of lucrative work at the Northwestern Fish cannery, and the start of a new life with her dog, Lucy. When her car breaks down in Oregon, however, the thin fabric of her financial situation comes apart, and she confronts a series of increasingly dire economic decisions. In stark, luminous terms, Wendy and Lucy addresses issues of sympathy and generosity at the edges of American life, revealing the limits and depths of people's duty to each other in tough times.

"Exquisitely simple, this pearl of a film is an ode to freedom."
Louise Keller, URBAN CINEFILE

4 stars "Wendy and Lucy is a near-transcendent portrait of Americana that approaches a level of classic frontier poetry" "It's an astounding performance, pitched beautifully with nuance and restraint" "This could well be the most affecting American drama of the year"
Luke Goodsell, EMPIRE

4 stars and a half "Williams proves to be an actress of subtlety and substance in this deeply affecting, and timely, film."
Vicky Roach, MARIE CLAIRE