Film Seminars | Discussions | Intros

Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997. Now, never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages and accounts from those closest to him offer a portrait of the captivating singer.

Akira Kurosawa’s late-era masterpiece and Academy Award-winning adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear considers the disastrous consequences of an elderly warlord’s decision to split his kingdom among his three sons. Majestic in scope, RAN is a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed and the insatiable thirst for power.

Young farm boy Luke Skywalker is thrust into a galaxy of adventure when he intercepts a distress call from the captive Princess Leia. The event launches him on a daring mission to rescue her from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire. (Plays Mon, Aug 18 alongside Akira Kurosawa’s THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, a key influence of George Lucas in the development of his largest creation.)

Part of Staff Picks and programmed by Jo, who says: “It's Summer! I've picked the cult-classic British comedy WITHNAIL AND I. It's a bleak boozy misadventure and rain-soaked holiday vacation. The tea is cold, the humour's dry, and the countryside is terrifying.”

One of the most thrilling movies of all time, Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 epic tells the story of a 16th century village whose desperate inhabitants hire eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits — and seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment with delicate human emotions and relentless action, resulting in a rich, evocative and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

A moving humanist epic set in the snowy Siberian wilderness, Akira Kurosawa’s only film in Russian is the story of a friendship that develops between a Russian explorer and a native Nanai hunter named Dersu Uzala.

A young woman invites three of her free-spirited mom's former flings to her Greek island wedding — hoping to discover which one of them is her father — in this star-studded smash-hit jukebox musical featuring the songs of ABBA.

Socio-cultural hub, consumer mecca, and source of existential dread — the video rental store forever changed the way we interact with movies. With footage culled from hundreds of sources (from TV commercials to blockbuster films), Alex Ross Perry's VIDEOHEAVEN tells the story of an industry's glorious, confusing, novel, sometimes seedy, but undeniably seismic impact on American movie culture.

Growing up in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, aspiring artist Rocket uses his passion for photography to observe and avoid a life of drugs and crime. Through Rocket — as well as gang leaders Lil Zé and Knockout Ned — the film tells the story of the rise of organized crime in the ‘70s, and was a breakthrough hit in 2002, churning with energy and punctuated by a propulsive era soundtrack.

Our next Belcourt 100 Seminar, Nashville in Hollywood’s Golden Age, explores how local actors and filmmakers — from the historic stage of the Belcourt Theatre to Hollywood sets — shaped American film. Spanning the 20th century, this seminar uncovers Nashville’s surprising ties to cinema history, from early Pathé films to major studio productions. Highlighting careers from bit parts to Oscar wins, it reveals how the city’s theatrical roots and venues like the Belcourt served as launchpads and inspiration for generations of artists. Includes a screening THE YEARLING (35mm) immediately following at 12:00pm.