OUTDOOR CINEMA 2008

WEDNESDAYS FROM JULY 9 - AUGUST 27

PRE-SCREENING PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 7PM

FILMS BEGIN AT SUNSET

Weather permitting / free admission

Socrates Sculpture Park, in collaboration with Museum of the Moving Image and Partnerships for Parks, presents the 10th annual outdoor international film festival. Each evening focuses on a different country or culture and visitors are invited to sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic on the grass, listen to performances by local musicians, enjoy the cool waterfront breeze as the sun sets over the Manhattan skyline and watch exceptional international films on an outdoor screen.

Details are still subject to change. Please check back for updates or sign up to receive Socrates Sculpture Park’s e-mail bulletins

JULY 9

SLINGSHOT HIP HOP - PALESTINE

Introduction by the producer.

2008, 80 mins. Directed by Jackie Salloum. A breakout hit at this year’s Sundance and New Directors/New Films Festivals, the exhilarating documentary Slingshot Hip Hop tells the dynamic stories of young Palestinians who use Hip Hop to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty.

WHO’S ON FIRST - GREECE

Introduction by the director.

2006, 61 mins. Directed by Valerie Kontakos. What happens when Greece, a country with no history in baseball, has to field a team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens? In this engaging documentary, a charming underdog story turns into a parable of pride and capitalism.

PERFORMANCE; Live music by Mohammed Al Farra (from PR) and Abeer from Slingshot Hip Hop (from Lyd).

FOOD: Greek cuisine by Opa! Souvlaki

JULY 16

BAMAKO - AFRICA

2006, 115 mins. Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. With Aïssa Maïga, Danny Glover. In an outdoor courtroom in Mali, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are on trial. Far from polemical, this surprisingly lyrical movie is a poetic exploration of modern-day Africa.

PERFORMANCE: African beats and rhythms by DJ Stone

FOOD: Moroccan cuisine by Mundo Café in Astoria

JULY 23

CHOP SHOP - UNITED STATES

Introduction by the director.

2007, 84 mins. Directed by Ramin Bahrani. With Alejandro Polanco, Isamar Gonzalez. A deeply affecting slice of urban neorealism, this Queens-made film, set in the Willets Point “Iron Triangle” near Shea Stadium, follows a 12-year-old orphan who ekes out an existence with his teenaged sister.

PERFORMANCE: A mix of folk, rock, country and jazz, The Robe Crowe Situation will perform a blend of music and poetry.

FOOD: Homestyle American cooking by Josephine’s Soul Food Café in Queens

JULY 30

THE HOST - SOUTH KOREA

2006, 119 mins. Directed by Bong Joon-ho. With Song Kang-ho, Bae Doo-na. This satirical monster/horror movie about a rampaging mutant lizard that captures a young girl, The Host is Korea's biggest box-office hit to date. It is great fun and a timely spoof of rampant militarism and environmental recklessness.

PERFORMANCE: Song Hee Lee Dance Company

FOOD: Korean cuisine by Go Wasabi, Astoria

AUGUST 6

THE RED BALLOON - FRANCE

1956, 34 mins. Directed by Albert Lamorisse. A young boy and a red balloon wander through the streets of Paris in The Red Balloon, one of the most beloved children’s films ever made.

PERSEPOLIS - FRANCE

2007, 95 mins. Directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis is a coming-of-age tale about an Iranian girl’s struggles with love, religion, and politics, based on Marjane Satrapi’s popular graphic novel/memoir.

PERFORMANCE: The "lush and sinfully beautiful" sounds of Clare and The Reasons.

FOOD: French fusion cuisine by the French Café Bistro, 718 Restaurant in Astoria

AUGUST 13

8 1/2 - ITALY

1963, 138 mins. Directed by Federico Fellini. With Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée. Fellini's stunning, romantic autobiographical fantasy is a self-portrait of the filmmaker as a circus ringmaster. It is also one of the landmarks in contemporary world cinema.

PERFORMANCE: A five-piece band, Le Nozze di Carlo will perform a mix of Italian classic pop, folk and original music.

FOOD: Italian cuisine by Manetta’s in Long Island City

AUGUST 20

DUCK SEASON - MEXICO

2006, 85 mins. Directed by Fernando Eimbcke. With Enrique Arreola, Diego Cataño, Danny Perea. A lovely neighbor distracts two teen friends from their Bush vs. Bin Laden video game in this charming chronicle of adolescent life, a surprise indie gem.

PERFORMANCE: Bachelor Sound Machín – like the best garage of yore this quintet of Mexicans in NYC have found a way to turn their idiocy into art—channeling the traditional sounds of Veracruz through the Dada outbursts of punk.

FOOD: Mexican cuisine by Mojave in Astoria

August 27:

RAIN DATE