Black Cat Cinema is an independent community project run under
the auspices of the SCFS and coordinated by former SCFS board member and programmer
David Barbarash. It's aims are to provide independent and intriguing films, mostly
documentaries, unlikely to be seen through mainstream avenues. The focus of Black
Cat Cinema films are primarily political and progressive themes, in addition to
spiritual and metaphysical concepts.
Monday nights — Weekly from September 8 to December
15
7:30pm, Roberts Creek Community Hall (doors open at 7pm) Admission is $5 with SCFS membership (available at
the door for $12/year or $3/night) Season Passes
are available for $55. Concession available with treats and hot drinks, juice,
etc.
More information from 604-886-2780
or blackcat@resist.ca.
September
8
No End In Sight: The American Occupation of Iraq USA,
2007, 102 min
The
first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into
guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, No End In Sight is
a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness
and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid
retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking
officials as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and prominent analysts. No
End In Sight examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S.
policy - the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of
Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding
of the Iraqi military - largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf
Iraq today. Winner of 8 “Best Documentary” awards, and nominated
for Best Documentary 2008 Academy Awards.
September 15
Lucio Spain, 2007, 93 min
There
are plenty of anarchists in the world who have committed robbery or smuggling
for their cause, but few have discussed strategies with Che Guevara or aided
radicals worldwide, including the Black Panthers and Baader-Meinhoff. There is
only one who has done all that, and also brought to its knees the most powerful
bank on the planet by forging travellers cheques, without missing a single day
of work in his construction job. He is Lucio Urtubia, from a tiny village in
the North of Spain. Lucio, 75, now lives in Paris. A fugitive, raconteur, visionary
and folk hero, the press called him "the good bandit", or the Basque
Zorro. He managed to swindle 25 million dollars from the First National Bank
(now Citibank), to later invest the money in causes he believed in. Miraculously,
he spent no more than a few months in jail throughout his career.
September 22
The
Union: The Business Behind Getting High Canada, 2007, 104 min
Ever think to include marijuana as one of British Columbia's most profitable
industries? If you haven't, think again. No longer a hobby for the stereotypical
hippie culture of the ’60s, BC's illegal marijuana industry has evolved
into a seemingly unstoppable business giant, dubbed by those involved as 'The
Union'. With 65% to 85% of all 'BC Bud' being exported to the United States,
and commanding upwards of $7 billion Canadian annually, the pot industry stretches
far and wide, directly and indirectly affecting all areas of our society. The
Union demystifies the underground market and brings to light how such a large
industry can function while remaining illegal. By interviewing experts from around
the globe, including growers, police officers, criminologists, economists, psychologists,
doctors, politicians and pop culture icons, this film explores the cause and
effect nature of the business behind getting high. Winner of 3 “Best Documentary” and
1 “People’s Choice” awards.
September 29
“What About Me?” UK,
2008, 118 min
Following the success of their first double Grammy nominated film & album, “What
About Me?” is the latest offering from 1 Giant Leap. This visionary project
visits over 50 locations in an exploration through music, the complexities of
human nature on a global scale, and reveals how we are all connected through
our creativity and beliefs, but most of all through our madness. Covering universal
topics such as God, Sex, Death and Money, “What About Me?” features
an incredibly diverse collection of collaborators from Noam Chomsky to Ram Das,
Maxi Jazz to Tim Robbins, Billy Connolly to Michael Stipe, Eckhart Tolle to Baaba
Mal, Deepak Chopra to Tom Robbins, plus Alanis Morissette, KD Lang and Michael
Franti, with Bedouin Musicians, Chinese rappers, Gabonese Pygmies, Tuvan throat
singers, Egyptian folk musicians, Japanese taiko drummers, and many others. This
is a poignant, emotional and entertaining time capsule of humanity at its most
inspirational.
October 6
The Real Dirt on Farmer John USA, 2006, 82 min
The epic tale of a maverick midwestern farmer. An outcast in his community,
Farmer John bravely stands amidst a failing economy, vicious rumours, and violence.
By melding the traditions of family farming with the power of art and free expression,
this powerful story of transformation and renewal heralds a resurrection of farming
in America. Through highly personal interviews and 50 years of beautifully textured
footage, Farmer John shares his haunting and humourous odyssey, capturing what
it means to be wildly different in a rural community. Defying all odds, his land
is gradually transformed into a revolutionary farming community, a cultural mecca,
where people work and flourish providing fresh vegetables and herbs to thousands
of people every week. Today, Angelic Organics is one of the largest Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States, a beacon of the booming
organic farming movement. Winner of 31 film festival awards, and selected for
the prestigious Roger Ebert's Film Festival.
October 20
Tableland Canada, 2007, 74 min
Tableland is a culinary expedition in search of the people, place and taste
of North American small-scale, sustainable food production. From the orchards
of BC, the inner city gardens of Chicago, to the Napa highlands and everywhere
in between, Tableland showcases the successful production of tasty, local and
seasonal food from field to plate. The characters in Tableland are passionate
people that are committed to their cause and bound by principles. They're not
just farmers and chefs; they are writers, teachers, activists and leaders of
the movement towards a sustainable food system. Tableland argues for the re-localization
of North American food systems, and contrasts this current destructive and dangerous
industrial system with positive working models of a more healthy, sane alternative,
with as much focus on delicious food and where it comes from as the economic
and ethical forces behind it. Winner of the NYC Food Film Festival award for "Best
Feature."
October 27
Shadow
of the Holy Book Finland,
2007, 90 min.
Some of the world's biggest international companies are translating the Ruhnama,
the "Book of Soul," an absurd government propaganda book from Turkmenistan,
into their own languages. Turkmenistan’s late dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov,
wrote this ludicrous book as a key tool in the government’s subjugation
of human rights and free speech. Yet many international companies give their
clandestine support to the Ruhnama and help suppress the country’s voices
of opposition and dissidence - in return for multimillion-dollar business deals.
Shadow of the Holy Book exposes the immorality of international companies doing
business with the dictatorship of oil-and-gas-rich Turkmenistan, thus helping
to hide its human rights and free speech abuses - all in the name of profit and
corporate greed. These companies help give the dictatorship the propaganda support
that it needs to survive. Now that Niyazov has died, the influence of the Ruhnama
remains as strong as ever, and its shadow continues to stretch beyond Niyazov’s
grave.
November 3 Darshan:
The Embrace Germany,
2005, 106 min
Darshan:
The Embrace is a powerful and moving look at Amma, one of India's
most celebrated, important and influential Mahatmas (spiritual guides) alive
today. Amma is known internationally for her charitable donations, her fight
for peace, and her work with illiteracy which all earned her the Gandhi King
Prize in 2002. (Past recipients include Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.) Known
as "the hugging saint" for her eager embrace, for the first time Amma
has allowed director Jan Kounen to document her passionate journey as she travels
across India from Jaipur to Calcutta, changing her country - and our world -
one embrace at a time.This intimate documentary captures her charisma and loving
spirit through conversations with Amma and those close to her. Official Selection
at the Cannes Film Festival.
November 10
A double bill of films by directors Pepe Ozan and Melitta Tchaicovsky.
Ganga
Ma: A Pilgrimage to the Source USA,
2001, 58 min
From
the mouth of the Ganges river to the Bay of Bengal to the Himalayan glaciers,
Ganga Ma follows the holiest pilgrimage of the Hindus and shows a vivid and insightful
vision of India, as seen through the eyes of a pilgrim, with striking images
of festivals, funeral ceremonies, art and the daily life of the ancient Hindu
culture thriving along the banks of the River. The funeral of the last Maharaja
of Benares, the Kumbha Mela 2001 - the largest gathering of people in the world
- is shown in an intense and engaging narrative of visuals and music. The images,
aided by spontaneous statements of holy and ordinary men, invite the viewer to
a journey of spiritual introspection. Winner of "Best Documentary" at
the Taos Mountain Film Festival.
Jaisalmer
Ayo!: Gateway of the Gypsies USA,
2004, 54 min
Shot in remote areas of Rajasthan's Thar desert, in northwest India, Jaisalmer
Ayo! captures the lives and journeys of vanishing nomadic communities who are
believed to share common ancestors with the European Roma (Gypsies). From the
open roads of the desert to their temporary encampments, for a period of seven
months the filmmakers followed the castes of Bhopas (storytellers), Jogis (snake
charmers), Kalbelyas (dancers), Banjaras (salt-traders), Gadolya Lohars (blacksmiths)
and Manganiars (musicians) who move from village to village in their struggle
for survival. The remarkable soundtrack of Rajasthani music merges with the images
of an ancient world, while presenting the way of life, music, dance and rituals
of the last generation of nomads remaining in the region. Winner of "Best
Documentary" at the San Francisco Video Fest.
November 17
Living
Luminaries (on the Serious Business of Happiness) USA,
2007, 92 min
Featuring the insights of some of the foremost, most inspirational individuals
of our day, here are some of the people that you will meet in Living
Luminaries:
Best selling authors such as Marianne Williamson, (A Return
to Love, Illuminata),
Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) , Don Miguel Ruiz (The
Four Agreements), Gary
Renard author of (The Disappearance of the Universe) and Matthew Kelly (Seven
Levels of Intimacy); Religious and spiritual leaders such as Nachum Shiffren
(The Surfing Rabbi), Rev. Robert A. Schuller (of the Crystal Cathedral), the
Venerable Tibetan Lama Chodak Gyatso Nupka, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Don Jose
Ruiz, Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey, and Dr. Harry Morgan Moses; Outspoken advocates
of civil rights, Geronimo Ji Jaga (Black Panthers), contemporary thinkers and
enlightened teachers such as Obadiah S. Harris, (of the University of Philosophical
Research), Robert Frager, Rabbi Yitchok Adlerstein of Loyola University and Rev.Dr.
William S. Epps.
November 24
A double bill of entheogenic films.
Shamans of the Amazon Australia, 2005, 52 min
Shamans
of the Amazon is a personal account of filmmaker Dean Jefferys who,
with his partner and one year old daughter, journeys deep into the heart of the
Ecuadorian rainforest to meet two Amazon shamans to learn about and experience
the ancient hallucinogenic ayahuasca ritual. Ayahuasca, which is thousands of
years old, allows the shaman to enter other dimensions where complicated healings,
shamanic battles, clairvoyance, initiations, ancestral knowledge exchange and
communications with the plant, animal and spirit world are possible. The film
brings to the viewer an intimate and fascinating look at the shamans of the Amazon,
their culture and their rituals that are fast disappearing. Featuring: Terence
Mc Kenna, Rick Strassman, Yatra De Silvera Babosa, Enrique and Raphael, Shamans
from Ecuador and Pablo Amaringo from Peru.
The Alchemical Dream USA, 2008, 55 min
Filmed in Prague with Terence McKenna portraying his usual erudite rendition
of the Irish Bard, this filmed classic takes us on a journey into the alchemical
renaissance of King Frederick V and his wife Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia. Playing
the role of John Dee, court magician for Queen Elizabeth of England, McKenna
shows us how the promise of a return to the tradition of alchemy was almost instituted
in Europe. He also shows us that this early attempt at the creation of an alchemical
kingdom actually lead to the European Renaissance and the institution of Cartesian
science and the beginnings of rationalism within the western mindset. This incredible
film is not only beautifully filmed but is Terence McKenna’s finest performance
and a worthy eulogy to his genius.
December 1
The Silent Revolution of Truth USA,
2007, 94 min
Shot in Switzerland, California and Nevada, this compelling documentary tells
the amazing story of "Billy" Eduard Albert Meier. In his own words,
as well as those of numerous witnesses, Meier reveals the details of his voluntary,
face-to-face contacts with extraterrestrial humans, beginning in 1942 when he
was just five years-old. The abundant physical evidence, startlingly clear UFO
photos, films, video, sound recordings and metal samples remain irreproducible
even with today's technology. Meier's impeccable record of prophetic accuracy
(two US wars with Iraq, AIDS, global warming, terrorism, cell phones, home computers,
etc.) dates back to the 1950s. There has been 21 documented attempts on his life.
Why have these contacts occurred? What do they portend for our future survival?
Is the Meier case the biggest hoax? Or one of the most important events in human
history?
December 8
Metanoia: A New Vision of Nature UK,
2008, 90 min
The conventional view that nature is dumb and mindless is no longer tenable;
Metanoia shows us that nature is better understood as a system of self-organising
intelligence. Employing a healthy blend of science, art and metaphysics, author
Simon G. Powell presents a radical new perspective on the meaning and significance
of life. Central to the film is the concept of 'natural intelligence.' Hitherto
unattested, this concept holds that the evolution of life on Earth is essentially
an intelligent information gaining process driven by an intelligently configured
universe. Despite the controversial nature of such a claim, Powell marshals plenty
of evidence to support this paradigm, and will guide anyone with an open mind
to a new appreciation and a new understanding of nature. So poised, our relationship
with the rest of the biosphere may yet be healed. Metanoia: from the Greek words
'meta' (to change) and 'noia' (mind).
December 15
Timewave 2013 USA, 2008, 88 min
In the film 2012 The
Odyssey, author Sharron Rose went on a quest to understand
the many prophecies around the year 2012. In this sequel to that film, Ms. Rose
speaks to many of the world’s experts on mythology, alchemy, astrology,
anthropology and ancient history: Jose Arguelles, Gregg Braden, Riane Eisler,
William Henry, Jean Houston, John Major Jenkins, Rick Levine, Dennis McKenna,
Terence McKenna, Daniel Pinchbeck, Geoff Stray, Whitley Strieber, Alberto Villoldo
and Jay Weidner. They discuss the shift of the ages, the galactic alignment,
global warming, the pervasive role of the media in our lives, the secret place
of refuge and the transformation of humanity. Journey to the Sacred Valley of
Peru where we sit in ceremony with the powerful Shaman/healers of the Q’ero
people and listen to their prophecies for the future of humankind. Timewave
2013 offers a clear, yet positive vision of what is to come.
The
first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into
guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, No End In Sight is
a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness
and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid
retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking
officials as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and prominent analysts. No
End In Sight examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S.
policy - the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of
Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding
of the Iraqi military - largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf
Iraq today. Winner of 8 “Best Documentary” awards, and nominated
for Best Documentary 2008 Academy Awards.
There
are plenty of anarchists in the world who have committed robbery or smuggling
for their cause, but few have discussed strategies with Che Guevara or aided
radicals worldwide, including the Black Panthers and Baader-Meinhoff. There is
only one who has done all that, and also brought to its knees the most powerful
bank on the planet by forging travellers cheques, without missing a single day
of work in his construction job. He is Lucio Urtubia, from a tiny village in
the North of Spain. Lucio, 75, now lives in Paris. A fugitive, raconteur, visionary
and folk hero, the press called him "the good bandit", or the Basque
Zorro. He managed to swindle 25 million dollars from the First National Bank
(now Citibank), to later invest the money in causes he believed in. Miraculously,
he spent no more than a few months in jail throughout his career.
Following the success of their first double Grammy nominated film & album, “What
About Me?” is the latest offering from 1 Giant Leap. This visionary project
visits over 50 locations in an exploration through music, the complexities of
human nature on a global scale, and reveals how we are all connected through
our creativity and beliefs, but most of all through our madness. Covering universal
topics such as God, Sex, Death and Money, “What About Me?” features
an incredibly diverse collection of collaborators from Noam Chomsky to Ram Das,
Maxi Jazz to Tim Robbins, Billy Connolly to Michael Stipe, Eckhart Tolle to Baaba
Mal, Deepak Chopra to Tom Robbins, plus Alanis Morissette, KD Lang and Michael
Franti, with Bedouin Musicians, Chinese rappers, Gabonese Pygmies, Tuvan throat
singers, Egyptian folk musicians, Japanese taiko drummers, and many others. This
is a poignant, emotional and entertaining time capsule of humanity at its most
inspirational
The epic tale of a maverick midwestern farmer. An outcast in his community,
Farmer John bravely stands amidst a failing economy, vicious rumours, and violence.
By melding the traditions of family farming with the power of art and free expression,
this powerful story of transformation and renewal heralds a resurrection of farming
in America. Through highly personal interviews and 50 years of beautifully textured
footage, Farmer John shares his haunting and humourous odyssey, capturing what
it means to be wildly different in a rural community. Defying all odds, his land
is gradually transformed into a revolutionary farming community, a cultural mecca,
where people work and flourish providing fresh vegetables and herbs to thousands
of people every week. Today, Angelic Organics is one of the largest Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States, a beacon of the booming
organic farming movement. Winner of 31 film festival awards, and selected for
the prestigious Roger Ebert's Film Festival
Tableland is a culinary expedition in search of the people, place and taste
of North American small-scale, sustainable food production. From the orchards
of BC, the inner city gardens of Chicago, to the Napa highlands and everywhere
in between, Tableland showcases the successful production of tasty, local and
seasonal food from field to plate. The characters in Tableland are passionate
people that are committed to their cause and bound by principles. They're not
just farmers and chefs; they are writers, teachers, activists and leaders of
the movement towards a sustainable food system. Tableland argues for the re-localization
of North American food systems, and contrasts this current destructive and dangerous
industrial system with positive working models of a more healthy, sane alternative,
with as much focus on delicious food and where it comes from as the economic
and ethical forces behind it. Winner of the NYC Food Film Festival award for "Best
Feature."
Darshan:
The Embrace is a powerful and moving look at Amma, one of India's
most celebrated, important and influential Mahatmas (spiritual guides) alive
today. Amma is known internationally for her charitable donations, her fight
for peace, and her work with illiteracy which all earned her the Gandhi King
Prize in 2002. (Past recipients include Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.) Known
as "the hugging saint" for her eager embrace, for the first time Amma
has allowed director Jan Kounen to document her passionate journey as she travels
across India from Jaipur to Calcutta, changing her country - and our world -
one embrace at a time.This intimate documentary captures her charisma and loving
spirit through conversations with Amma and those close to her. Official Selection
at the Cannes Film Festival.
From
the mouth of the Ganges river to the Bay of Bengal to the Himalayan glaciers,
Ganga Ma follows the holiest pilgrimage of the Hindus and shows a vivid and insightful
vision of India, as seen through the eyes of a pilgrim, with striking images
of festivals, funeral ceremonies, art and the daily life of the ancient Hindu
culture thriving along the banks of the River. The funeral of the last Maharaja
of Benares, the Kumbha Mela 2001 - the largest gathering of people in the world
- is shown in an intense and engaging narrative of visuals and music. The images,
aided by spontaneous statements of holy and ordinary men, invite the viewer to
a journey of spiritual introspection. Winner of "Best Documentary" at
the Taos Mountain Film Festival.
Shot in remote areas of Rajasthan's Thar desert, in northwest India, Jaisalmer
Ayo! captures the lives and journeys of vanishing nomadic communities who are
believed to share common ancestors with the European Roma (Gypsies). From the
open roads of the desert to their temporary encampments, for a period of seven
months the filmmakers followed the castes of Bhopas (storytellers), Jogis (snake
charmers), Kalbelyas (dancers), Banjaras (salt-traders), Gadolya Lohars (blacksmiths)
and Manganiars (musicians) who move from village to village in their struggle
for survival. The remarkable soundtrack of Rajasthani music merges with the images
of an ancient world, while presenting the way of life, music, dance and rituals
of the last generation of nomads remaining in the region. Winner of "Best
Documentary" at the San Francisco Video Fest.
Featuring the insights of some of the foremost, most inspirational individuals
of our day, here are some of the people that you will meet in Living
Luminaries:
Best selling authors such as Marianne Williamson, (A Return
to Love, Illuminata),
Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) , Don Miguel Ruiz (The
Four Agreements), Gary
Renard author of (The Disappearance of the Universe) and Matthew Kelly (Seven
Levels of Intimacy); Religious and spiritual leaders such as Nachum Shiffren
(The Surfing Rabbi), Rev. Robert A. Schuller (of the Crystal Cathedral), the
Venerable Tibetan Lama Chodak Gyatso Nupka, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Don Jose
Ruiz, Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey, and Dr. Harry Morgan Moses; Outspoken advocates
of civil rights, Geronimo Ji Jaga (Black Panthers), contemporary thinkers and
enlightened teachers such as Obadiah S. Harris, (of the University of Philosophical
Research), Robert Frager, Rabbi Yitchok Adlerstein of Loyola University and Rev.Dr.
William S. Epps
Shamans
of the Amazon is a personal account of filmmaker Dean Jefferys who,
with his partner and one year old daughter, journeys deep into the heart of the
Ecuadorian rainforest to meet two Amazon shamans to learn about and experience
the ancient hallucinogenic ayahuasca ritual. Ayahuasca, which is thousands of
years old, allows the shaman to enter other dimensions where complicated healings,
shamanic battles, clairvoyance, initiations, ancestral knowledge exchange and
communications with the plant, animal and spirit world are possible. The film
brings to the viewer an intimate and fascinating look at the shamans of the Amazon,
their culture and their rituals that are fast disappearing. Featuring: Terence
Mc Kenna, Rick Strassman, Yatra De Silvera Babosa, Enrique and Raphael, Shamans
from Ecuador and Pablo Amaringo from Peru.
Filmed in Prague with Terence McKenna portraying his usual erudite rendition
of the Irish Bard, this filmed classic takes us on a journey into the alchemical
renaissance of King Frederick V and his wife Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia. Playing
the role of John Dee, court magician for Queen Elizabeth of England, McKenna
shows us how the promise of a return to the tradition of alchemy was almost instituted
in Europe. He also shows us that this early attempt at the creation of an alchemical
kingdom actually lead to the European Renaissance and the institution of Cartesian
science and the beginnings of rationalism within the western mindset. This incredible
film is not only beautifully filmed but is Terence McKenna’s finest performance
and a worthy eulogy to his genius
Shot in Switzerland, California and Nevada, this compelling documentary tells
the amazing story of "Billy" Eduard Albert Meier. In his own words,
as well as those of numerous witnesses, Meier reveals the details of his voluntary,
face-to-face contacts with extraterrestrial humans, beginning in 1942 when he
was just five years-old. The abundant physical evidence, startlingly clear UFO
photos, films, video, sound recordings and metal samples remain irreproducible
even with today's technology. Meier's impeccable record of prophetic accuracy
(two US wars with Iraq, AIDS, global warming, terrorism, cell phones, home computers,
etc.) dates back to the 1950s. There has been 21 documented attempts on his life.
Why have these contacts occurred? What do they portend for our future survival?
Is the Meier case the biggest hoax? Or one of the most important events in human
history
In the film 2012 The
Odyssey, author Sharron Rose went on a quest to understand
the many prophecies around the year 2012. In this sequel to that film, Ms. Rose
speaks to many of the world’s experts on mythology, alchemy, astrology,
anthropology and ancient history: Jose Arguelles, Gregg Braden, Riane Eisler,
William Henry, Jean Houston, John Major Jenkins, Rick Levine, Dennis McKenna,
Terence McKenna, Daniel Pinchbeck, Geoff Stray, Whitley Strieber, Alberto Villoldo
and Jay Weidner. They discuss the shift of the ages, the galactic alignment,
global warming, the pervasive role of the media in our lives, the secret place
of refuge and the transformation of humanity. Journey to the Sacred Valley of
Peru where we sit in ceremony with the powerful Shaman/healers of the Q’ero
people and listen to their prophecies for the future of humankind. Timewave
2013 offers a clear, yet positive vision of what is to come.