Our Saturday Programs run every Saturday throughout the school year starting September 22nd. Unless otherwise noted, we meet near the waterfall at Yerba Buena Park about 10:30 am.

Cine/Club—free screenings of classic films followed by discussion—is held on Friday nights. These events are open to students, their guests, mentors, parents and friends of Art & Film. No need to RSVP. Screenings are held at the Randall Museum (199 Museum Way) and the Delancy Street Screening Room (500 Embarcadero). Refreshments are served at 6:30 and the film begins at 7pm unless otherwise noted.

Discussions are held after each film with moderators Heather Woodward, the head of creative writing at the School of the Arts, and Ronald Chase, the director of Art & Film.




Friday 5: Cine/Club: Randall Museum

Federico Fellini's NIGHTS OF CABERIA (1957, Italy)

A whore with a heart of gold has her dreams thwarted by grim reality in Rome’s shady Ostia district. A great example of Fellini’s earlier, grittier style. The lead is played beautifully by Fellini’s wife, Giulietta Masina. Neo-realism at its very finest.



 
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

Here’s another whore with a heart of gold. This isn’t exactly a theme this year, but we thought it would be interesting to show as a contrast to Mama Roma. In contrast to that film, this one concentrates on character development. The heroine struggles to find her place in the world and to move herself out of her situation, only to find that she is thwarted by her delusions about good and bad in the world. This film is chock full of great Fellini sub-themes: religious longing, class differences, innocence defiled, illusions exposed, etc. It qualifies as one of the more perfect examples of cinema art. See if you can tell why.

Saturday 6: Art Saturday

10:30 Meet on the balcony outside Metron overlooking Yerba Buena Park (on Mission between 3rd & 4th)
11:00 We'll go see galleries, followed by a picnic lunch and see a film in the afternoon.
Friday 12: Cine/Club: Randall Museum

Jane Campion's THE PIANO (1993, Australia)

A widow arrives on the shores of rural New Zealand with a daughter, a piano, and a self-willed deafness to marry a man she’s never met. The performances from Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin are some of the best you’ll ever see. PARENTAL WARNING: nudity and simulated sex scenes.


 
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

This marvel of a film moves in the way that great 19th century novels move—a strong heroine moves into an alien world filled with repressed sexual desires and stirring passions. Its heroine is a self-imposed mute with a stubborn daughter ready to take on the world. The clash of cultural values between the native Maori and the English settlers is etched in telling detail. It reflects the terrible struggle strong women had to make to survive in the 19th century, and it does it with striking imagery and great performances. What’s so important about this film? It is one of the best examples of a film that uses imagery in place of dialogue: it tells its story through all of the techniques that make film making different from the other arts. Remarkable in every way.

Saturday 13: Art Saturday

10:30 Meet on the balcony outside Metron overlooking Yerba Buena Park (on Mission between 3rd & 4th)
11:00 We'll go see galleries, followed by a picnic lunch and see a film in the afternoon.
Friday 19: Cine/Club: Randall Museum

Buster Keaton's SHERLOCK JR (1924, USA)

One of the funniest and most imaginative films from the master of funny and imaginative films. A projectionist climbs into a movie and becomes its protagonist. Keaton did all his own stunts and severely fractured his neck on this one. He didn’t notice!

 
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

Keaton is one of the jewels of the silent film era, and his mixture of sardonic humor, irony, and angst bring his work closer to the modern world than almost any of his contemporaries. During his day, Chaplin ruled the cinema world, and Keaton took the back seat. Now they both share critical acclaim. In Sherlock Jr., Keaton stretched his imagination to the limits. This film has impressed many filmmakers leading to a number of films sending characters into a film to solve things (Woody Allen, I’m looking at you)… but what’s also amazing about this film is Keaton’s physical comedy, and the huge chances he takes to get great scenes. You will be astonished and excited, we’re sure!

Saturday 20: Art Saturday

10:30 Meet on the balcony outside Metron overlooking Yerba Buena Park (on Mission between 3rd & 4th)
11:00 We'll go see galleries, followed by a picnic lunch and see a film in the afternoon.