Human / Nature

People of the Wind Humans and the natural world surrounding us have a complicated relationship. The very things we cherish are often what we thoughtlessly destroy. We are dependent on plants, water, the terrain, animals and the elements for survival. And they need our protection from a world often "out of balance."

There are hundreds of movies dealing with both the positive and negative relationships we share with nature. We considered a large number in creating this series. There were lots of movies unavailable at this time from Truffaut's WILD CHILD to RIVERS AND TIDES. And while the idea of playing WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL with Hitchcock's THE BIRDS generated laughter, film programming requires finding a selection of movies that play well together and bring our audiences new and rediscovered experiences. If you haven't heard of some of the movies, that is a great reason to surprise yourself and join us.

(the Human/Nature program calendar is also available in paperless, inkless Acrobat format)

Film Schedule & Descriptions

	Friday-Saturday, June 24-25 WHALE RIDER A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill her destiny. "The genius of the movie is the way is sidesteps all of the obvious clichés and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving." — Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES (2002) (3:00), 7:00 WALKABOUT Nicolas Roeg's haunting, unconventional film about 2 young white children abandoned in the Australian outback where they stumble upon an adolescent Aborigine (David Gulpilil), who is performing a "walkabout." In this ritualistic six-month journey, the boy must learn to survive by himself in the imposing desert. (1971) (1:00), 5:00, 9:00
Sunday, June 26 PRINCESS MONONOKE Miyazaki's amazing animated mythological tale of a war between encroaching civilization and the beast gods of the forest. (1997) (12:00), 4:35, 9:05 GODZILLA UNDUBBED, UNCUT AND UNREPENTANT! Godzilla rages with articulated civic anger at nuclear folly, years before Dr. Strangelove. Godzilla in its original form is the atomic age's fiercest indictment, not of prehistoric beasts loosed from underwater caves, but of all too-human button pushers! — Time Out New York Original uncut 98 min. Japanese version (40 restored minutes) with English subtitles. (1954) (2:35), 7:10
	Monday, June 27 BARAKA A visual exploration of humanity and the world around us in a paralyzingly beautiful documentary with a global vision: an odyssey through landscape and time, which is an attempt to capture the essence of life. Must be seen on the big screen. (1998) (2:30), 7:00 WHY HAS BOHDI DHARMA LEFT FOR THE EAST? This is simply one of the most visually stunning films ever made. The physical and spiritual struggles of a Zen Buddhist master, his disciple and an orphaned boy are transformed into poetry through recurring motifs of fire, wind and water. (1989) (12:00), 4:25, 8:55
Tuesday, June 28 GRASS A classic adventure by the makers of "King Kong" who found excitement, danger and unparalleled drama in the migration of the Bakhtiari tribe of Persia (now Iran). Twice a year, more than 50,000 people and half a million animals surmounted seemingly impossible obstacles to take their herds to pasture. This restored full-length version will astonish today's audiences with its beautiful photography and heart-stopping adventure. (1925) (2:05), 5:00, 7:55 CHANG A magical story of a Thai family's struggle to survive the forces of nature; the film tells the story of a farmer and his family who have settled a small patch of land on the edge of the jungle. Their existence is a constant struggle against the many wild animals around — bears, tigers, leopards, and even…changs! The climactic elephant stampede is still one of the most exciting scenes in cinema history. (1927) (12:40), 3:55, 6:30, 9:25 Dick Fregulia will play piano accompaniment to the 6:30 & 9:25 screenings of CHANG
	Wednesday , June 29 AGUIRRE, WRATH OF GOD Werner Herzog's haunting story of the doomed expedition of the conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro (Klaus Kinski) who led his men into the Peruvian rain forest, lured by stories of the lost city. The opening shot is a striking image: A long line of men snakes its way down a steep path to a valley far below, while clouds of mist obscure the peaks. These men wear steel helmets and breastplates, and carry their women in enclosed sedan-chairs. They are dressed for a court pageant, not for the jungle. — Roger Ebert (2:35), 7:00 DERSU UZALA Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of novelist Vladimir Arsenyev's novel about survival, set against the stark wilderness of Siberia. When Mongol guide, Dersu, is hired by a Russian crew of mapping surveyors, they soon realize their original negative opinion of him as an inexperienced, naive eccentric, is woefully inaccurate as they must rely on his bravery and courage to get them through the challenges of nature. (1975) (12:00), 4:20, 8:55
Thursday, June 30 SOUTH: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition When the Endurance was trapped by pack ice, the crew drifted on ice floes for months before Ernest Shackleton and five of his men made a miraculous 850-mile boat journey to safety. One of the greatest epics in the history of exploration, this is the original 1919 film produced by Shackleton and Frank Hurley. (1919) (3:05), 7:00 Nik Phelps will accompany SOUTH at 7pm PEOPLE OF THE WIND To survive, the Bakhtiari tribe must make an eight-week, 200-mile trip to the mountain pastures. An astonishing epic of the one of the most grueling migrations in the world, People of the Wind was an Oscar® nominee for Best Documentary. (1976) (12:55), 4:50, 8:45
	Friday-Saturday, July 1-2 HIMALAYA A generational struggle for the leadership of a tiny mountain village between its proud old chief and a headstrong young caravanner. The balance of power shifts uneasily as they make their annual salt trek across the Himalayas. A visually striking and spiritually captivating portrait of life in one of the world's most extraordinary places, Himalaya is both intense drama and a gorgeous tapestry of the fast disappearing traditions of Tibetan life. (1999) (12:35), 4:50, 9:10 SALTMEN OF TIBET We are transported into a realm untainted by the tides of foreign invasion or encroaching modernity. The film follows traditions and rituals of a small Tibetan group of nomads in one of the most remote locations in the world. The holy salt lakes of the Chantang region in Tibet is the destination of a three-month pilgrimage surrounded by beauty, untainted landscapes, and the dedicated strength of a nomadic community. (2001) (2:40), 7:00
Sunday, July 3 BLACK STALLION Carroll Ballard's feature debut will take your breath away in this beautiful adaptation of Walter Farley's novel about a young boy's adventures with a magnificent stallion. The unforgettable shipwreck that starts the film launches a series of adventures between a young boy and his magnificent stallion. One of cinema's most magical films with gorgeous cinematography by Caleb Deschanel. (1979) (2:40), 7:00 Director Carroll Ballard in person at 7:00 show (subject to schedule) SECRET OF ROAN INISH 10 year old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a selkie — a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother washed out to sea in a cradle, and some think that he is being raised by the seals. Then Fiona catches sight of a naked little boy on the abandoned isle of Roan Inish, and takes a more active role in uncovering the mysteries which abound. Directed by John Sayles (1994) (12:40), 4:55, 9:15
	Monday-Tuesday, July 4-5 KOYAANISQATSI ko.yaa.nis.qatsi, n. (Hopi). 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life disintegrating. 4. life out of balance. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living. This film poem progresses from purely natural environments to nature as affected by man, and finally to man's own manmade environment, devoid of nature yet still following the patterns of natural flow as depicted in the beginning of the film, yet in chaos and disarray. Director Godfrey Reggio's stunning visuals are perfectly matched with Phillip Glass' music. (1983) (1:55), 5:35, 9:20 CHAC THE RAIN GOD A magical, mystical, and intensely visual cult film, lost for years and now newly restored, Chac is based on a combination of ritual and legends from the Popul Vuh, Tzeltal and Mayan stories. Shot in the Chiapas region of Mexico by Chilean director Rolando Klein, it focuses on a small Tzeltal village desperate for relief after a terrible drought. 13 men seek a solitary Diviner who lives in the mountains and knows the ways of the Ancients; they hope that he can summon Chac, the Rain God. The Diviner takes them far from their own land on a strange journey, a trek that challenges their beliefs and even their saint. A dazzling portrait of a Native American spirtiual quest. (1974) (12:00), 3:40, 7:25
Wednesday, July 6 THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL Filmmaker Judy Irving takes us on a journey with a wild flock of cherry-headed conures through San Francisco. Musician Mark Bittner looks after the parrots, giving them names and a place to recover if they become sick. He also records their personalities and eccentricities. (2005) (12:30), 3:50, 7:15 Filmmaker Judy Irving and special guests in person at the 7:15 show. FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL Errol Morris' unique study about four men with an odd passion for animals. One is a lion tamer, one is in love with ugly, hairless mole rats, the third is a techie who has made a robot that acts like an animal, and the fourth is a topiary gardener who sculpts huge animal forms. You won't believe these guys. (1997) (2:10), 5:30, 9:10