Three years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1973

In 1973, Richard Nixon was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States; George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier to become world heavyweight champion; The Vietnam War ended; Major League Baseball debuted the designated hitter; The Sears Tower became the world’s tallest building; Skylab launched; The Bahamas, Guinea-Bissau, and Papua New-Guinea became… Continue reading Three years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1973

On the western front, the Cuban makes mistakes

  I am Cuba (1964) Split into four separate stories joined only by a female narrator known as the “Voice of Cuba,” this film offers a dizzying portrait of Cuba during the Castro Revolution. In the first story, Maria works as a dancer in a Havana bar and lives an idyllic existence with her boyfriend, Rene,… Continue reading On the western front, the Cuban makes mistakes

When America was a young 200: A look back at 1976

In 1976, The Philadelphia Flyers played a hockey game against the Red Army team of the Soviet Union; Apple Computer Company was formed; The Seychelles were granted independence from the United Kingdom; The United States celebrated its bicentennial; The Summer Olympics took place in Montreal; The “Son of Sam” terrorized New York City; Frank Sinatra brought Dean Martin onstage at… Continue reading When America was a young 200: A look back at 1976

Best of the 2000s

  The Gleaners and I (2000) Agnes Varda’s beautiful film follows gleaners at work, from people who depend on the practice for survival to hobbyists. She exposes how connected we are and shines a light on our coldness to the needs of others as she pointedly interviews jurists about the seemingly arbitrary French laws which prohibit some forms of… Continue reading Best of the 2000s

Dead women tell tales

  Volver (2006) Three years after Soledad’s parents died in a fire, she discovers the ghost of her mother Irene while visiting her aunt Paula. When Soledad returns home, Irene’s ghost moves in with her. Meanwhile, Soledad’s sister Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) comes home to find her daughter Paula has killed her father during an attempted rape.… Continue reading Dead women tell tales