Highest 2 Lowest at Real Art Ways

“This is a journey. This is a ride. Highest 2 Lowest is Lee and Washington, reunited and good as ever.” – Mashable

“It’s a movie that gleefully kicks its characters out of their comfy environs to plunge them into New York’s rattling, noisy crowds — and it’s worth watching with the biggest audience you can find.” – The Atlantic

“Everywhere there are grace notes — cameos, recreations of art from Spike Lee’s own collection, in-jokes — to complement the pulsing, vibrant, rousing, seriously musical, and occasionally even profound entertainment that is Highest 2 Lowest.” – NPR

“Landscape, ancient and punishing; this rarefied air, 200 miles above the Arctic Circle; these young people, on the precipice of adulthood, learning the value of self-reliance and kindness – it all begs for the kind of soulful treatment Folktales delivers.” – Austin Chronicle

“Dog lovers shouldn’t miss this one. Honestly, no one should.” – RogerEbert.com

“With formal polish and deep compassion, it proves to be the most heartwarming film of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.” – The Daily Beast

In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s life-affirming documentary, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway where they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. In Norse mythology, the three “Norns” are powerful deities who weave the threads of fate and shape humans’ futures. Today, Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway aims to produce a similar life-changing effect on its students. FOLKTALES tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional “gap year” learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. Guided by patient teachers and a yard full of heroic Alaskan huskies, they discover their own potential and develop deep relationships with the land, animals and humans around them. Through intimate verité storytelling and exhilarating cinematography, Ewing and Grady examine humans on the cusp of adulthood, finding themselves at the edge of the world.

“In his coolly damning documentary “Riefenstahl,” the German filmmaker Andres Veiel joins a persistent cohort of skeptics and detractors who have long challenged Riefenstahl’s self-serving identity as an innocent artist.” – The New York Times

“…a fascinating exposé of the filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who in the wake of her work with the Nazis spent decades obscuring her own history.” – Wall Street Journal

“…it lets a beautifully restored collection of photos, audio, film strips, documents, and video segments relating to Riefenstahl and her colleagues speak largely for themselves.” – Slant Magazine

98% on Rotten Tomatoes

Filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia are defined by their fascist aesthetics, perfectly-staged body worship, and the celebration of all that is “superior” and victorious, simultaneously projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak.

But Riefenstahl — who first broke into the German film industry as an actress — spent decades after the war denying her association with Nazi ideology, and claiming ignorance of the Holocaust. How did she become the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker if she was just a hired hand?

Riefenstahl examines this question using never-before-seen documents from Leni Riefenstahl’s estate, including private films, photos, recordings and letters, uncovering fragments of her biography and placing them in an extended historical context. During her long life after the fall of Nazism, she remained unapologetic, managing to control and shape her legacy; in personal documents, she mourns her “murdered ideals.” Meanwhile, her work would experience a renaissance, gaining esteem for its masterful technical skill.

Today, Riefenstahl’s aesthetics are more present than ever. Is that also true for their message? In an era where fascism is on the rise again, fake news is prevalent, and the meaning of political imagery is constantly dissected and debated, Andres Veiel’s mesmerizing new film shows that Leni Reifenstahl is more relevant than ever.

“…a loving ode to one of the most impressive and important athletes of all time.” – RogerEbert.com

“What makes Clemente such a treasure for baseball fans, then, are the extensive interviews with his teammates, especially the players on the 1971 championship squad. It’s a wonderful group including Manny Sanguillen, Richie Hebner, Steve Blass, Al Oliver and more, each player sharing their respect and love for Clemente and offering this tangible proof that his “value” wasn’t related to homers or outfield assists.” – The Hollywood Reporter

Roberto Clemente is one of baseball’s most iconic figures. As the first high-profile Latino player to play in MLB in the United States, Roberto’s extraordinary career opened the door for generations of Latino baseball players to come. It is, however, Roberto’s remarkable life off the field that defined his legacy. Committed to uplifting society’s marginalized and under-represented, he fearlessly fought for social justice and racial equality with steadfast resolve. Proudly celebrating his Puerto Rican heritage he remained unwavering in his commitment to uphold his personal values and sense of self. His career and fame served as a platform to further amplify his life purpose dedicated to family, community, and giving back.

The tragedy of his untimely death on a mission to deliver aid to the victims of the 1972 Nicaraguan earthquake shocked the world with the loss of “The Great One.” This is the story of a man who showed that a life lived with passion and conviction can truly change the world. This is the story of an icon.

As part of the theatrical release, Magnolia Pictures proudly presents 26 minutes of exclusive, remastered footage from a rare solo performance at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA, filmed on February 19, 1994. This previously unreleased set will screen immediately after the film, offering fans and newcomers a rare opportunity to experience Jeff Buckley’s raw, unfiltered brilliance.

—

“[T]he music is terrific, and the time capsule aspect of his early 1990s life in New York’s East Village will surely delight many.” – The Daily Beast

“It’s a deeply personal film, a life story told by the people who knew and loved Jeff. It hums with the emotion and vibrancy of Buckley’s music.” – RogerEbert.com

“Berg approaches Buckley’s life with the same intense empathy that Buckley himself approached his art.” – Filmspotting

98% on Rotten Tomatoes

The new documentary explores the life of a rising young star with an otherworldly voice and boundary-pushing artistry, who left the ’90s music world reeling when he died suddenly, at age 30, after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album “Grace.”

Told through never-before-seen footage from Buckley’s archives and intimate accounts from his mother Mary Guibert, former partners Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, Jeff’s former bandmates, including Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred, and luminaries like Ben Harper and Aimee Mann, IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY illuminates one of modern music’s most influential and enigmatic figures.

“…for superfans, “Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation” will play like a party, and probably drive the repeat reader right back to the book. What’s true about “On the Road” — like most books with broad appeal to those still in the throes of youthful idealism — is that when you return to the text, you encounter not just the book but also yourself, who you were when you first read it and all the selves you’ve been in the meantime. Even if you haven’t hopped in a car or a train and struck out for another coast, that’s a journey worth taking.” – NYT

“It tackles the American dream through the perspective of an immigrant who, in his attempt to understand a country that once felt foreign to him, has etched his name forever into its mythos.” – In Session Film

KEROUAC’S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION explores Jack Kerouac’s legacy through stories of modern “on-the-roaders” and those who knew or were inspired by him. Featuring Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Matt Dillon and more, it reveals a rarely seen side of Kerouac and offers a fresh take on On the Road and its lasting impact on America.

“For all of his genre-bending on display, Kurosawa is interested in something more real and more dark about humanity’s capacity for greed and bitterness, and the quiet ways that the internet can further mutate those diseases in us.” – New York Times

“Unfolding at a hauntingly subdued register before unleashing its pent-up tension during its final act, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud skewers the anonymity that characterizes our presence in online spaces.” – Chicago Reader

92% on Rotten Tomatoes

A stylish, subversive thriller from suspense-maverick Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse), concerning Yoshii, an ambitious, yet directionless, young factory worker from Tokyo who side hustles in the murky realm of black market reselling, cheating buyers and sellers alike. After swindling his way into loads of cash, he becomes slowly disconnected to humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend, and hiring a devoted assistant. After a series of mysterious, sinister incidents occur, he begins to suspect his former victims could be plotting the ultimate revenge.

A master of carefully simmering tension to a bloody crescendo, Kurosawa delivers a searing portrait of digital greed and vengeance.

“What writer/director Kate Beecroft achieves exists in its own unique realm. A Stunning feature debut that captures the beauty and pain of the modern American West in intimate detail. Tabatha Zimiga May be playing herself, but she’s also giving an incredibly delicate, nuanced performance that harkens to the work of the 1970s American cinema icons like Gena Rowlands, Ellen Burstyn, and Karen Black” – Harrison Richlin, IndieWire

“A hard-changing, unbreakable drama powered by immeasurable tenacity. Kate Beecroft’s directorial debut is a lyrical semi-biographical drama whose quiet grandeur uplifts an unyielding, fractal story.” – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

“Three generations of South Dakota women put a new face on the western. From the first shot to last, Kate Beecroft’s ‘East of Wall’ expands our perception of those iconic horse wranglers to consider the women so often overlooked. Those shots of Porshia Zimiga bolting across the horizon faster than her mom’s pickup truck can keep up… Well, there’s just no faking that” – Peter Debruge, Variety

Sundance 2025 NEXT Audience Award Winner

EAST OF WALL is an authentic portrait of female resilience in the “New West” inspired and played by the women and girls who live it. Set in the Badlands of South Dakota, Tabatha, a young rebellious rancher, who rescues and resells horses, must make hard decisions to deal with her fractured family, the financial uncertainty of losing her ranch, and unresolved grief, all while providing refuge and the skills of the horse trade to a group of wayward neighborhood teens.

“A raw, beautiful and demanding essay on the fate of our collective home.” – Washington Post

“Architecton is quite the transcendent experience and makes you view the world in a more aware, alert light.” – San Jose Mercury News

“As Kossakovsky’s contemplative images envelop the vision and spark the mind, his film mines profundity from beneath our feet.”  – AV Club

95% on Rotten Tomatoes

From filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky (Gunda, Aquarela) comes an epic, intimate and poetic meditation on architecture and how the design and construction of buildings from the ancient past reveal our destruction — and offer hope for survival and a way forward.

Centering on a landscape project by the Italian architect Michele de Lucci, Kossakovsky uses the circle to reflect on the rise and fall of civilizations, capturing breathtaking imagery from the temple ruins of Baalbek in Lebanon, dating back to AD 60, to the recent destruction of cities in Turkey following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in early 2023.

Rocks and stone connect the disparate societies, from ghostly monoliths stuck in the earth to tragic heaps of concrete rubble waiting to be hauled off and repurposed anew. Through Kossakovsky’s inquisitive lens, the grandeur and folly of humanity and its precarious relationship with nature posits the urgent question: How do we build, and how can we build better, before it’s too late?

“This is the kind of film that sneaks up on you, funny when least expected and affecting without being cloying. And it officially announces the arrival of Victor as a performer and filmmaker to keep on your radar.” NPR

“Tough, tender and observational, “Sorry, Baby” suggests that Victor’s promising career has been suitably launched. The best, with luck, is yet to come.” – Washington Post

“This is a diamond of a screenplay. Based on just those merits alone, “Sorry, Baby” is a tremendous artistic triumph on the healing power of friendship and queer relationships.” – San Jose Mercury News

97% on Rotten Tomatoes

Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. When a beloved friend on the brink of a major milestone visits, Agnes starts to realize just how stuck she’s been, and begins to work through how to move forward.

American political economist, professor, author, and social media sensation Robert Reich worked under presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. He served as Secretary of Labor in President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, and as a member of President Barack Obama’s economic transition advisory board. Reich is known for his work on economic inequality and as a champion of public education and American democracy. He is one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals.

The Last Class is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of Reich as he reflects on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. It is also a love letter to education. The former Secretary of Labor might be famous for his public service, best-selling books, and viral social media posts, but he always considered teaching his true calling.

Now, after over 40 years and an extraordinary 40,000 students, Reich is preparing for his last class.

Throughout the film, Reich confronts the impending finality, and his aging with increasing candor, introspection, and, ultimately, emotion. He displays a rawness of feeling he has never shared publicly before. Drawing on his lifetime in politics, he uses his class, “Wealth and Poverty,” to offer a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society.

One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich’s wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation’s ability to take on the fight is inspiring.

“This film is a perfect place to kick off our Filmmaker Spotlight: Ang Lee series because it highlights a central theme in all of Lee’s work: Finding meaning through human relationships. While the framework of Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is art (in this case, cooking) it is the familial relationships that are both fulfilling and confounding.” – Ian Ally-Seals, Film Programming Coordinator & Curator for this series

“This is a startlingly superior piece of craftsmanship, with the flavour of life and richness of the script conveyed via uniformly wonderful performances.” – Empire Magazine

“Eat Drink Man Woman may not just amuse and entertain you. It’s likely to make you very hungry, too-perhaps for more than food.” – Chicago Tribune

“Wonderfully seductive, and nicely knowing about all of its characters’ appetites.” – New York Times

“A spicy, well-written comedy about family, food and independence.” – San Francisco Chronicle

88% on Rotten Tomatoes

Master Chef Chu (Sihung Lung) is semi-retired and lives at home with his three unmarried daughters, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), a religious chemistry teacher; Jia-Chien (Chien-Lien Wu), an airline executive; and Jia-Ning (Yu-wen Wang), an employee at a fast-food joint. Life at the family’s house revolves heavily around preparing and eating an elaborate dinner every Sunday. The stability of these meals gives them all strength as they deal with new romantic relationships and disappointments.

A family gathers around a dinner table for an elaborate meal.

“When discussing his approach to making Hulk, Ang Lee stated that he was, “attempting to make filet mignon from American hamburger.” You can see this approach in every frame of the film. Ang Lee dives deep into the comic book form, bringing everything from complex panel structure to epic themes onto the big screen. It is a quirky, playful experiment in adaptation. The film also has bombastic and thrilling fight scenes. It is the Hulk, after all.” – Ian Ally-Seals, Film Programming Coordinator & Curator for this film series

“An interesting effort to give one of the staples of mass entertainment something extra in the way of insight and feeling.” – Observer

“Where The Hulk excels is in Schamus and Lee’s almost academic attempt to reinvent the superhero movie according to the rules of its source material.” – Premiere Magazine

“A comic-book movie for adults, that, while it finally flies wide of its intended ‘classic’ mark, is shockingly ambitious in nearly everything it attempts…”- Austin Chronicle

Eric Bana (“Black Hawk Down”) stars as scientist Bruce Banner, whose inner demons transform him in the aftermath of a catastrophic experiment; Jennifer Connelly portrays Betty Ross, whose scientific genius unwittingly helps unleash the Hulk; Nick Nolte plays Banner’s brilliant father, who passes on a tragic legacy to his son; and Sam Elliott portrays the commander of a top-secret military research center.

Large green man-monster climbing uphill on the street in San Francisco