NEWS

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The Davidson Film Club is pleased to invite you to a screening and discussion of the Oscar-nominated German film "Bagdad Cafe" on Saturday, April 4, at 7:00 pm at the Armour Street Theatre in Davidson.

“An exotic celebration of the beauty of human personality and friendship.” Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice

Directed by Percy Adlon

Germany (1987, 1h32)

In English

Discussion of the film will be led by Preston Toney, Davidson Film Club board member and confirmed cinephile.

Walk-ins are welcome, $9 (NC sales tax included) at the door, cash or check (no credit cards). Walk-ins must apply for a seat in advance at alsingerman@davidson.edu. Walk-in seats are limited by availability.

Refreshments (red and white wine, bottled water, and snacks) will be made available by the Film Club.

Film Summary:

German tourist Jasmin Munchgestettner (Marianne Sägebrecht) argues with her husband after car trouble strands them along a dusty highway in the American Southwest. Fuming, she storms off and travels by foot to the nearest outpost of civilization—the Bagdad Cafe. Upon arriving, she butts heads with the owner (CCH Pounder)...What begins as a few days' respite becomes a prolonged stay as Jasmine finds her niche within this eccentric truck-stop community.

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Song (“Calling You”). Winner of Best Foreign Film and Best Film of the European Community Awards at the Césars and the Berlin Film Critics’ Ernst Lubitsch Award for Best Comedy. Outstanding Feature Film and Best Actress prizes at the German Film Awards, Best Foreign Film at the Guldbagge Awards, the Danish Film Awards, and others. 14 wins and 6 nominations in all.

“"Bagdad Cafe" is an uplifting and distinctly humane culture-clash comedy which will thaw the coldest heart.” Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia

“The charm of "Bagdad Cafe" is that every character and every moment is unanticipated, obscurely motivated, of uncertain meaning, and vibrating with life.” Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Marianne Sägebrecht of Munich's avant-garde cinema is the unlikely heroine of Percy Adlon's first English-language film, "Bagdad Cafe," a gingerly, happy little fable about a Mojave Desert oasis run dry. With its foibles and quirks, it's something like a Sam Shepard play by way of the Black Forest.” Rita Kempley, Washington Post

“Wandering refreshingly through a delightful, offbeat, comedic story of new beginnings, the sometimes-surreal "Bagdad Café" reminds us all that there is no natural law that we must simply recline and decline.” Indie Film Minute

“"Bagdad Cafe" is an unassuming tale that quietly stirs the soul and lingers in the mind long after the burnt orange sun sets behind that little cafe just around the bend.” Bryn Tilly, Cult Projections

“It is a radiant, delightful comedy fantasy, with delicious performances from Sägebrecht, Jack Palance as Rudi Cox, a one-time Hollywood film designer desperate to paint her picture, and C C H Pounder as the diner’s irascible proprietor, Brenda.” Derek Winnert, at the website.

“Although 30 years old, the film has not aged a minute. Adlon's imaginative use of colour stands side-by-side with the beauty of these Nevada sunsets. The look is as unforgettable as the power that drives your emotional response...If you don't feel the warmth of tears on your cheeks, you have Arctic blood.” Angus Wolfe Murray, at this website.

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We are a non-profit, tax-exempt organization run by volunteers that only exists to bring you fine international fiction films and engage in stimulating discussion about them.

Hope that many of you will be at the April 4th screening of this wacky, heart-warming film!

Alan
Alan Singerman
President, Davidson Film Club
alsingerman@davidson.edu
(704) 231-6736