The British Film Institute will release on Blu-ray acclaimed Spanish director Víctor Erice's film
El Sur a.k.a.
The South (1983), starring Omero Antonutti, Sonsoles Aranguren, Icíar Bollaín, and Rafaela Aparicio. The release will be available for purchase on January 23.
Estrella Arenas (Icíar Bollaín), a rural Spanish teenager with a rich imagination, dreams of her mysterious father Agustín (Omero Antonutti), a man who in recent years has drifted away from her. Estrella struggles to piece together Agustín's secret history and recalls her family's sudden unexplained move from Seville, Spain, to the northern countryside in her youth. Estrella decides to return alone to the South, a place warped by years of her father's hazy and nostalgic recollections.
Exquisitely beautiful and profoundly moving, with superb performances and an evocative soundtrack,
El Sur is regarded as one of the greatest films in Spanish cinema history. Directed by Victor Erice (
The Spirit of the Beehive).
ADDITIONAL UPCOMING TITLES:
The Glass Shield
The first black recruit in his squad, rookie cop J.J. Johnson (Michael Boatman) struggles to adapt to life on the force when confronted by the inherent prejudices and corruption of his precinct.
Immediately positioned as an outsider, along with fellow novice cop Deborah (Lori Petty), J.J witnesses at first hand the brutality and implicit racism of his Caucasian colleagues. When an unlawful search results in the arrest of Teddy Woods (Ice Cube) on dubious murder charges, J.J. risks his job and his life to reveal the truth.
Directed by Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep, To Sleep with Anger, My Brother's Wedding), this thrilling drama shines a light on the deep-rooted racial tensions of the American justice system and the toll of opposing institutionalised bigotry.
STREET DATE: JANUARY 23.
Franz Fanon: Black Skin White Mask
Starring celebrated British actor Colin Salmon (Arrow, Prime Suspect, Tomorrow Never Dies) as Fanon, and using reconstructions, archive footage and interviews with major theorists and writers (such as Stuart Hall, Françoise Vergès and Homi K Bhabha) Franz Fanon: Black Skin White Mask tells the story of the life and work of the highly influential anti-colonialist writer Frantz Fanon.
Together, artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien (Looking for Langston, Young Soul Rebels) and curator and producer Mark Nash (Documenta 11) undertake an intellectual and poetic exploration of Fanon's life, influence and legacy, from his early years in Martinique (then a colony of France) to his professional life as a psychiatric doctor and revolutionary in Algeria during the bloody war of independence with France.
Now, as the film's twentieth anniversary approaches and we witness Arab uprisings, religious fundamentalisms and the so-called 'War on Terror', Fanon and his work are more pertinent than ever.
Special Features:
- Stills Gallery
- Extensive booklet with essays and film credits
- Downloadable PDFs of extended essays and archive materials
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 20.
Two Films by Lino Brocka
Lino Brocka is one of the most important directors to ever emerge from South East Asia. Much of his work has for a long time been unavailable, but thanks to Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, two of his best,
Manila in the Claws of Light (1975) and
Insiang (1976) can now be seen, released as part of this limited edition 4-disc collection.
Manila in the Claws of Light
A fascinating portrait of life in Manila's corrupt, teeming and polluted urban jungle, Manila in the Claws of Light tells the story of Julio, a 21-year-old fisherman who arrives in the Filipino capital looking for his girlfriend. Immediately robbed of what little cash he has, he scrabbles to survive, drifting through a number of temporary jobs, while wandering the city in search of his beloved.
Insiang
After she is raped by her mother's boyfriend Dado, Insiang flees her home, seeking comfort in the arms of her would-be boyfriend, Bebot. Finding him to be little better than her attacker, she is forced to return home where she turns the situation upon itself and exacts her revenge.
STREET DATE: MARCH 20.