In the days leading up to Maryland Film Festival 2013, our programmers would like to direct your attention to a few titles for your consideration. Up today: 16 Acres, the rigorous documentary about the rebuilding of Ground Zero; and the challenging Mexican art-house mind-bender, Post Tenebras Lux.
16 ACRES
16 ACRES (Richard Hankin)
16 Acres is a riveting documentary about the many behind-the-scenes wrangles, some of them tense and some of them humorous, surrounding the debate of how to rebuild the World Trade Center site after 9/11. While the film is respectful and poignant in its handling of the tragedy at the starting point of this intricate story, it focuses neither on tragedy nor on patriotic fervor, but rather on a very practical question: what forces, public, private, and governmental, get involved when 16 of the most valuable acres in the world suddenly become available? Furthermore, how do these forces interact, and what obstacles do they put in each other’s paths as they all develop their own visions of how to rebuild this immensely valuable and emotionally charged real estate? The story unfolds with remarkable access to the major figures involved, and is masterfully constructed by director Richard Hankin, who edited the seminal documentary Capturing the Friedmans.
You have two chances to see 16 Acres within MFF 2013, with director Richard Hankin presenting! Read our program notes and get showtime and ticket information here: http://mdfilmfest.com/festival/film-guide/29
POST TENEBRAS LUX
POST TENEBRAS LUX (Carlos Reygadas)
If Andrei Tarkovsky were alive, young, and working in Mexico today, the results might look something like this dreamlike and controversial art-house mindbender. Carlos Reygadas, the director of challenging art-house favorites Battle in Heaven and Silent Light, returns with his most personal and transgressive film yet, a masterful meditation on natural wonder, sudden violence, and the human condition. If you go to the movies hopeful to see something startlingly new—and are willing to approach material that may take days to process—Post Tenebras Lux might just be the film for you. We’re overnighting a 35mm print of this title, by the way, so our audiences can experience its rare and unusual beauty on film! You can read Manohla Dargis’ Critcis’ Pick review here.
You have two chances to see Post Tenebras Lux on 35mm within MFF 2013! Read our program notes and get showtime and ticket information here: http://mdfilmfest.com/festival/film-guide/23
Documentary filmmaker and MFF Alum Laura Poitras is now at the center of the story about government surveillance whistleblower Edward J. Snowden. The story appears on the front page of Saturday’s edition of The New York Times. Click here for the article.
Start off your Artscape 2013 weekend early with Maryland Film Festival at 
