Movie 'Beatriz at Dinner', Tue, 9/26, at 6 pm, Visalia Lib

Beatriz is a Los Angeles massage therapist and holistic healer who drives to the seaside mansion of her client Cathy.

When her old Volkswagen breaks down, she receives a friendly invitation from Cathy to stay for a seemingly innocent business dinner.

As the guests arrive and the wine starts to flow, Beatriz finds herself in an escalating war of words with Doug Strutt, a ruthless real estate mogul who cares more about money than people. www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beatriz-at-dinner-2017

El Jeremías, Independent Film, Tue 4/25, 6:00 pm

Independent Film

Tuesday April 25

6:00 pm

Visalia Branch Library

 

 

El Jeremías, a heartwarming comedy film about family love and the hard choices that come with opportunity, is directed by Anwar Safa and stars Martín Castro. After discovering his genius, Jeremías struggles between the new worlds his gifts open up to him and his loving, yet poor, family.

Independent Film, My Love, Don't Cross That River, Tue 3/28 at 6:00 pm, Visalia Library

The potent mix of joy and sorrow presented simply in the documentary “My Love, Don’t Cross That River” is enormously affecting, devastating in fact. Mo-young Jin’s film, a smash hit in Korea where it became the country’s biggest independent film ever, follows the 75-year marriage of Byong-man Jo and Gye-yeul Kang, or Hubby and Honey, as they refer to each other - www.latimes.com

Independent Movie

'Wondrous Boccaccio'

Tuesday, February 28 at 6 pm

Visalia Branch Library

Set against the backdrop of a 14th century, black plague-stricken Florence, ten young men and women escape to a country estate where they spend their days telling stories of love, fate, and resurrection.

From legendary Italian filmmaking brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, directors of the Palme d'Or winning Fiorile and Golden Bear award-winning Caesar Must Die, Wondrous Boccaccio is a visual and poetic tribute to the stories that emerged from one of the darkest periods in Italian history.

 

 

Independent Movie, For a Woman, Tue 1/24 at 6 pm, Visalia Branch

Independent Movie

'For A Woman'

Tuesday, January 24 at 6 pm

Visalia Branch Library

    A film by Diane Kurys. "[A] beautifully crafted historical melodrama… Thierry is luminous in a complex yet understated role!” —Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter. France / 2013 / Drama / French with English Subtitles / 110 min
    In her mid-thirties, Anne still knows little of her family’s past. After her mother’s death, Anne discovers old photos and letters that convince her to take a closer look at her parents’ life after the concentration camps of World War II.
    Her research reveals the a mysterious uncle everyone seems intent on forgetting. As she gets closer to the truth, her father grows ill and may take the family secret to his grave.
    In a journey that stretches from post-war France and to the 1980s, Anne’s destiny intertwines with her father’s past until they form a single, unforgettable story.

Independent Movie Series, 12/27 at 6 pm, Visalia Branch Library

 

Independent Movie Series

 

 

Drug dealer Alex finds hope for a new start when his cousin offers him a job in Israel. Now he must make the final score, while balancing a new romance, a past lover, a lifelong friendship and his brother's addiction. In French w/ English subtitles. Official Selection - Cannes FF Directors' Fortnight - imdb.com

Independent Film Series, Sea Fog (Korea), 11/22 at 6:00, Visalia Library

  Turning a real-life human trafficking tragedy into a comment on social inequality and the cost of survival, “Haemoo” dramatizes a stark nautical ordeal fraught with tension.

  The film takes place in 1998, when the IMF Crisis made life hard for ordinary South Koreans, but the marine setting imbues the action with an elemental, timeless quality. Five fishermen under Capt. Kang Chul-joo (Kim Yoon-seok) set sail from their hometown, Yeosu, but they return empty-handed. The owner ...of their beat-up old trawler, Junjiho, wants to trade it in, but Kang is more attached to it than to his wife, whom he catches in flagrante with a Chinese-Korean. To save the ship, he decides to smuggle ethnic Koreans from China.

  Despite the harrowing plot, Shim adopts an omniscient gaze and a somber, dispassionate tone throughout. He doesn’t veer too far from realism; nor does he cross over into genre territory by ramping up the violence and gore (at least until the slightly overblown last act), portraying the protags as grassroots workers struggling under harsh living conditions, unconsciously pushed toward selfish behavior - http://variety.com/…/festivals/toronto-film-review-haemoo-…/

Independent Movie - 'Theeb' Tues 10/25 at 6 pm

Independent Movie

Tuesday, 10/25 at 6 pm

Visalia Branch Library

 

 

In the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming-of-age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a British officer to his secret destination - www.imdb.com - Jordan/UK/UAE/Qatar

Independent Film Series, Tuesday 9/27 at 6 pm

Putting the ‘dead’ back in deadpan, the ninth feature of van Warmerdam is his most Coen brothers-like film yet, a western in the Dutch wetlands that's as unpredictable as it is darkly funny."
 -Body van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

Netherlands (Dutch), 1 hour 36 minutes

 

Independent Film Series, April 26

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, April 26 at 6:00pm to watch Glassland!

Synopsis: John (Jack Reynor) lives with his mother, Jean (Toni Collette), in a social housing suburb and ekes out a meager living as a nocturnal taxi driver. John returns home one morning to find his mother unconscious from an alcohol overdose; however this was not the first time. Jean violently rejects John's attempts to help as well as his intentions to unite the family. When Jean is offered an opportunity to recover, and with no savings or insurance, John is forced to offer his services to a petty criminal to help pay for his mother's costly rehab program. John is subsequently faced with a life-changing task that may change him and his family's lives forever.

Directed by Gerard Barrett | Ireland | 2014 | English | 93 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, March 22

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:00pm to watch 2 Autumns, 3 Winters!

Synopsis: Arman is 33 and ready to make a change, starting with a run in the park. When he literally bumps into Amélie - slightly cynical but nevertheless lovely - on the jogging path, he's dead-set on making a connection with her. As a bit of contrived fate brings them together, Arman's best friend Benjamin suffers an unexpected stroke, relegating him to the hospital for weeks where he falls for his doting young physical therapist. Over the course of two autumns and three winters, Arman, Amélie and Benjamin share the incidental moments, unexpected accidents, unconventional love stories and unforgettable memories that will define who they are.

Directed by Sébastien Betbeder | France | 2013 | French with English subtitles | 93 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, February 23

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:00pm to watch Secrets of War!

Synopsis: Tuur and Lambert are best friends in a Nazi-occupied Dutch village who pass their days playing soldiers and exploring local caves, mimicking a war that seems far removed from their everyday life. When Maartje joins their class, the young girl immediately stands out as different from her classmates. Yet the boys embrace their new friend, forming a unique bond based on shared adventures, secrets and mischief. Ultimately, the realities of war find even them - Lambert's father, a Nazi sympathizer, is named mayor of their town and Tuur discovers his own father and brother have joined the resistance, instantly putting the two boys at odds. Meanwhile, Maartje is hiding a secret of her own, one that not only threatens to tear the new friends apart, but could lead to devastating consequences for anyone involved in keeping it. Secrets Of War puts both the danger and the humanity of wartime friendships squarely on the shoulders of three children who must face extraordinary circumstances with a maturity far beyond their years.

Directed by Dennis Bots | Netherlands | 2014 | Dutch with English subtitles | 95 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, January 26

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, January 26 at 6:00pm to watch Marie's Story!

Synopsis: At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie, who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior's skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. Based on true events, Marie's Story recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love

Directed by Jean-Pierre Améris | France | 2014 | French with English subtitles | 94 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, November 24

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, November 24 at 6:00pm to watch Stations of the Cross!

Synopsis: Told in fourteen fixed-angle, single shot, individual tableaus that parallel Christ's journey to his own crucifixion, Stations of the Cross is both an indictment of fundamentalist faith and the articulation of an impressionable teen's struggle to find her own path in life. Though from the outside Maria lives in the modern world, her family and her heart are faithful to a Catholic radicalism that requires sacrifice and devotion at every turn. As she struggles to balance her own desires with the dictates of her family's faith, she makes ever more perilous sacrifices, attempting to please a God she worships unquestioningly in the pious hopes of curing the autistic younger brother she adores.

Directed by Dietrich Brüggemann | Germany | 2014 | German with English subtitles | 107 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, October 27

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00pm to watch The Lesson!

Synopsis: In a small Bulgarian town, Nade is an honest, hard-working elementary school teacher and devoted mother, struggling to keep her life together. Her unemployed, alcoholic husband has secretly spent their mortgage payments on booze, the agency where she translates legal documents for extra cash is going under, and a thief in her class has stolen the last of her money out of her purse. With few options left, Nade turns to a local loan shark for help, but with the repossession of her home looming, she finds herself with little hope. Resorting to measures her former self would have found depraved, Nade attempts one last desperate act to get the money she needs.

Directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov | Canada | 2014 | Bulgarian with English subtitles | 105 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, September 22

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, September 22 at 6:00pm to watch God's Slave!

Synopsis: Based on the actual events of a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires still making headlines today, GOD'S SLAVE follows Ahmed, trained since childhood as an Islamic terrorist now assigned to execute a suicide bombing at a synagogue, and David, the cold-blooded Israeli special agent who will stop at nothing to prevent the attack. But neither man is defined solely by their extremist views. Ahmed, posing as a doctor, lives happily with his wife and young son; though David's marriage is on the rocks, he remains devoted to his wife and daughter. With time running out before the attack, David zeros in on Ahmed as a suspect, his investigation culminating in violent, if unexpected, consequences.

Directed by Joel Novoa | Venezuela and Argentina | 2013 | Spanish with English subtitles | 90 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, August 25

We hope you all are enjoying a great summer! We also hope that you are prepared for another great season of the Tulare County Library's Independent Film Series! 

The Independent Film Movement Series is showing its first movie of its sixth season, Human Capital, on Tuesday, August 25. 

Synopsis: Human Capital begins at the end, as a cyclist is run off the road by a careening SUV the night before Christmas Eve. As details emerge of the events leading up to the accident, the lives of the well-to-do Bernaschi family, privileged and detached, will intertwine with the Ossolas, struggling to keep their comfortable middle-class life, in ways neither could have expected. Dino Ossola (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), in dire financial straits, anticipates the birth of twins with his second wife (Valeria Golino). Meanwhile, Dino's teenage daughter's relationship with hedge-fund manager Giovanni Bernaschi's playboy son complicates an already tricky social dance of status, money and ambition. Paolo Virzi's taut character study deconstructs the typical linear narrative, observing transformative events from each character's perspective. The result is a nuanced account of desire, greed and the value of human life in an age of rampant capitalism and financial manipulation.

Directed by Paolo Virzì | Italy | 2014 | Italian with English subtitles | 110 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

Independent Film Series, May 26

The Independent Film Movement Series will be showing its next film, The Dark Valley, on Tuesday, May 26. This is the last movie of the Independent Film Series for this season; we will not be showing films in June or July due to Summer Reading. The next Independent Film Series season begins August 25.

Synopsis: Somewhere high in the Alps, a lone rider makes his way along a hidden path and reaches a small village, tucked away between the steep mountains. This stranger goes by the name of Greider; nobody knows where he's from and, met with blatant distrust, nobody wants him in the village. The sons of Old Brenner, the village patriarch who holds the entire community under his threatening, violent ways, would have chased him away if Greider hadn't given them a fistful of gold coins. Greider introduces himself as a photographer, and Brenner's sons provide him with shelter for the winter at the house of widow Gader and her young daughter, Luzi. Soon to be married to her sweetheart, Lukas, Luzi is full of trepidation as the big day draws near because, in this valley, a wedding comes with a terrible tradition. And whoever opposes this tradition will be subjected to a merciless punishment.

In the depths of winter, the village cut off by snowfall and barely a ray of sunlight reaching the valley, a tragic accident leads to the death of one of Brenner's beloved sons. When another son is mysteriously killed, it's clear this is not a coincidence: the time has come for Brenner's family to pay, and Greider plans to settle a score long forgotten by everyone but him.

Directed by Andreas Prochaska | Austria and Germany | 2014 | German with English subtitles | 114 min. 

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723.

Independent Film Series, April 28

The Independent Film Movement Series will be showing its next film, If You Don't, I Will, on Tuesday, April 28. 

Synopsis: Pomme and Pierre have been together a long time. Passion and spontaneity have given way to predictability and cold shoulders. But there's a lingering optimism, a hope they can return to the couple they used to be, attending chic art openings and sharing a laugh like young lovers. On a hike together one afternoon, Pomme declares her independence by deciding to stay in the woods rather than return to an underwhelming life with Pierre. Pierre tries to get back to normal, despite his worry over her whereabouts and the indelible sense that he's missing his better half. Meanwhile, Pomme begins an extended meditation in the forest on where her own life should go next, with or without Pierre. In the end, both are left to contemplate the strength and meaning of each other's commitment.

Directed by Sophie Filliéres | France | 2014 French with English subtitles | 102 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. Movies are shown on the 4th Tuesday of each month. This event, and future events in this series, is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723.

Independent Film Series, March 24

The Independent Film Movement Series will be showing its next film, Traitors, on Tuesday, March 24. 

Synopsis: Malika, leader of Traitors, an all-female punk rock band, has a strong vision of the world, her hometown of Tangier, and her place in it. When she needs money to save her family from eviction and to realize her dreams for the band, Malika agrees to a fast cash proposition: a smuggling run over the mountains for a dangerous drug dealer. But her companion on the road is Amal, a burnt-out young drug mule who Malika decides to free from her enslavement to the dangerous drug dealers. The challenge will put Malika's rebel ethos to the test, and to survive she will have to call on all her instincts and nerve

Directed by Sean Gullette | Morocco | 2013 | Arabic, French & English with English subtitles | 83 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. Movies are shown on the 4th Tuesday of each month. This event, and future events in this series, is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723.