Socrates Park Outdoor Cinema Schedule

WEDNESDAYS, JULY 11 - AUGUST 29, 2007
AT SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
32-01 VERNON BOULEVARD AT BROADWAY IN LONG ISLAND CITY
TAKE N/W TRAINS TO BROADWAY IN QUEENS
PRE-SCREENING PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 7PM
FILMS BEGIN AT SUNSET
FREE ADMISSION

On Wednesday evenings in July and August, Socrates Sculpture Park, Museum of the Moving Image and Partnerships for Parks will present the ninth annual international festival of open air cinema, music, dance and food. Visitors to the Park can sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic on the grass as the sun sets over the city, enjoy performances by local musicians and dancers, and, as the sky
darkens, see exceptional international films on a large-format screen, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.

Pre-screening performances begin at 7:00 pm, films begin at sunset. All performances and screenings take place in the Park and admission is free. Free parking is available next door in the Costco lot.

Pre-screening performers and restaurants will be announced weekly and scheduling is subject to change. In the event of rain, the first cancelled film will be rescheduled to August 29. Please call to confirm programming or sign-up for weekly updates here.

The films for Outdoor Cinema 2007 have been selected by Chief Curator David Schwartz and Assistant Curator Livia Bloom, Museum of the Moving Image.

JULY 11 TURKEY
CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL
2005, 90 mins. Directed by Fatih Akin. A tour of Istanbul's unique musical scene, with its pungent blend of rock, modern, and traditional sounds, this film "uses music to paint a portrait of a vibrant cosmopolitan city and provide a window into a rich and varied national culture." (Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times)

JULY 18 BRAZIL
THIS IS BOSSA NOVA
2005, 126 mins. Directed by Paulo Thiago. This enthralling chronicle of the Brazilian sound that became an international sensation traces the music's roots from 1950s samba. The mix of rare archival footage, interviews, and contemporary performances focuses largely on the living musical legends Roberto Menescal and Carlos Lyra.

JULY 25 JAPAN
LINDA LINDA LINDA
2005, 114 mins. Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita. A girl band rehearses for a rock festival in this dryly-funny charming film that is named for its irresistible theme song. "An extremely well-written, emotionally complex coming-of-age tale that has a John Hughesian respect for teenage angst."
(G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle)

AUGUST 1 USA
THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T
1953, 88 mins. Directed by Roy Rowland. With Tommy Rettig. Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) wrote the screenplay and lyrics for this wildly inventive musical fantasy about a young boy whose dreams and nightmares are sparked by the fear of his overbearing piano teacher.

AUGUST 8 INDIA
KAL HO NAA HO
2003, 186 mins. Directed by Nikhil Advani. This Bollywood extravaganza is a Romeo-and-Juliet tale set, and partly filmed, in New York City. This film "has little notion of restraint. Its luxuriant running time allows lots of room for spectacular musical numbers and dramatic climaxes." (Dave Kehr, The New York Times)

AUGUST 15 CUBA
CALLE 54
2000, 105 mins. Directed by Fernando Trueba. With Tito Puente. A stylish and loving tribute to the Latin American jazz scene. "The film is such a pure expression of the director's love for the music, a love so infectious it should leave you elated." (Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times)

AUGUST 22 SOUTH AFRICA
U-CARMEN E-KHYELISTSHA
2005, 120 mins. Directed by Mark Dornford-May. Georges Bizet's Carmen is magically transported to modern-day South Africa. "The setting brims over with the same wicked froth of danger, exoticism, and passion that 19th-century Seville must have had before it got stylized into oblivion." (Julia Wallace, Village Voice)

Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when a coalition of artists and com-munity members, under the leadership of sculptor Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park for local residents. Today, it is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also serves as a vital New York City park offering a wide variety of free public programs. The Park's existence is based on the belief that reclamation, revitalization and
creative expression are essential to the survival, humanity and improvement of our urban environment. Socrates Sculpture Park is open 365 days a year from 10am to sunset and is located at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City.

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The 2007 Outdoor Cinema program is supported by funding from the New York City Council and The New York Times Company Foundation.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The film series is made possible by the generosity of Scharff Weisberg, and by contributions from Costco Wholesale, and Spacetime C.C.

Special thanks to the City of New York, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Councilmember Eric Gioia, and the Department of Parks & Recreation, Commissioner Adrian Benepe.