The Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series

FRIDAY AUGUST 15TH
ROOFTOP FILMS AND VERIZON FIOS PRESENT

WHERE YOU LIVE
 
Venue: On the roof of El Museo Del Barrio
Address: 1230 Fifth Ave. @ 104th St. (East Harlem)
Directions: 6 to 103rd St. or 2/3 to 110th St.
Rain: In the event of rain, show will be indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music 
9:00PM: Films
11:00PM-12:30AM: After-party on the roof: Open bar courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner
Tickets: $9-$25 at door or online
Presented in partnership with:Cinereach, New York magazine, & El Museo Del Barrio

No refunds. In the event of rain, the show will be indoors at the same locations. Seating is first come, first served. Physical seats are limited. This means you may not get a chair. You are welcome to bring a blanket and picnic.

MAP | SOUND FIX

WHERE YOU LIVE 
Since Rooftop Films earliest days, we have called for “films that show us where you live and how you live,” films that allow intimate looks into the lives of people and populations around the world. Because at Rooftop, we don’t screen in theaters—we screen in communities, and we attempt to make every event a unique connection between filmmakers and audiences, between venues and neighborhoods. We seek out new locations to host events, and bring together area-residents and non-natives for a shared, memorable experience. Tonight, we bring you a program of films that have that touch of local flavor, that bite of distinct hardships, and the comforting joy of community history.

THE FILMS:
La Tamalada (Curtis Craven | Austin, TX & Mexico | 15:55)
In the heart of tequila country, the town of Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception. From pre-dawn coffee to the early morning agave harvest, from giggling nuns making tamales to elaborate explosive devils, this restrained but invigorating documentary welcomes the viewer into every step of the celebration.

Au Centre de la Terre, des Puits et des Hommes (Ingrid Patetta | Niger & France | 25:00)
Traditional nomadic cattle breeders in the Niger desert, one of the harshest regions of the world, use all their strength, guile and determination to find water. Relying on the prognostications of goats, the magical properties of anteater eyes, and their own dangerous labors, they lower themselves into narrow pits hundreds of feet deep, spending years at a time chasing water from a single well.

A Film From My Parish: 6 Farms (Tony Donoghue | Ireland | 7:00)
There is the history of Ireland that chronicles famous battles, political movements, internationally-renowned artists. But in a land where many would consider the most important history that which is recorded in local songs, this gorgeous and intimate animated documentary captures the stories of farmers’ and families’ lives recorded in the handcrafted cupboards and quilts passed down for decades, repainted and repaired for generations.

INTERMISSION

La Caminata (The Journey) (Jamie Meltzer | Stanford, CA & Mexico | 15:00)
A small town south of the Mexican border decides to take control of their own community and stem the tide of migration to the US. This short documentary film chronicles their unique solution to stopping the exodus: the creation of a theme-park event, a simulated border crossing complete with fake 'border patrol' and balaclava-clad coyotes and guides.

Chungking Dream (Jean-Louis Schuller and Sam Blair | United Kingdom & China | 17:00)
This beautiful and atmospheric short focuses on daily life in the Chungking Guesthouse in Hong Kong. With 10,000 people, immigrants from around the globe, squeezed into fourteen stories spanning five blocks, Chungking is a small and fascinating world unto itself.

A City to Yourself (Nichole Macdonald | Detroit, MI | 24:30)
Detroit is a city that has lost a million people since the 1960s. Today, less than a million people remain. We know a lot of bad things happen when a city clears out. But is there anything good about it? This personal documentary from a life-long Detroiter looks at the plus side of having a city to yourself.

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers and musicians. In addition to our Summer Series – which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer – Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, teaches media literacy and filmmaking to young people, rents low-cost equipment to artists and non-profits, and produces new independent films. At Rooftop Films, we bring the underground outdoors. For more information and updates please visit our website at www.rooftopfilms.com.