2012 Miami International Film Festival: 6 Must-See Movies

South Florida film buffs unite! The 2012 Miami International Film Festival runs March 2-11. It promises to have something for everyone. This year marks the festival’s 29th edition, which will showcase more than 100 films from 35 countries. When I read the list of films, I admit, my toes curled with delight. From ballerinas and a Venezuelan pop-disco-funk band to forbidden love in the Gaza Strip and the Italian South, here are the movies that I’m eyeing for MIFF12.

La Casa del Ritmo:
A Film About Los Amigos Invisibles

 La Casa Del Ritmo (The House of Rhythm) tells the story of Los Amigos Invisibles, the Latin Grammy award-winning band from Venezuela that has traveled the world bringing their brand of funk, disco, and pop to the masses. The film – one part interviews, one part concert – captures the 20-year journey that have brought Los Amigos Invisibles to this point and the infectious energy of the group’s live performance. I have seen Los Amigos Invisibles twice in concert, and they know how to turn the party out. Don’t be surprised if you’re shaking your hips on your way out of the theater. Directed by Javier Andrade and executive produced by Juan Miguel Marin, the project was helped by a Kickstarter campaign petitioning Los Amigos fans for support. Six hundred backers and $31,500 later, the film is celebrating its world premiere at MIFF12. It’s wonderful recognition for a band that has stayed true to their unique sound and friendship through it all. (Word on the street is the band will be in attendance with the director. ¡Que viva la gozadera!)

Tuesday, March 6 @ 6:45 pm, Regal South Beach Cinemas (Screen 18), $12
English and Spanish w/subtitles

First Position

 I love dance and the amazing athlete-artists that make it come alive. So naturally, I love films about dance – especially ones that feature how the art form can transform young lives for the better. Enter First Position. This documentary shares the stories of six young ballet dancers “as they struggle to maintain form in the face of injury and personal sacrifice on their way to one of the most prestigious youth ballet competitions in the world.” This seems to follow the familiar competition documentary genre, which includes films such as Mad Hot Ballroom, Spellbound, Pressure Cooker, and Only When I Dance. In fact, First Position and Only When I Dance both focus on the run-up to the Youth America Grand Prix (although the latter follows students from the favelas of Brazil). I come into this movie already knowing that, at some point, I will cry tears of joy and admiration. But c’mon now. Kids doing positive things with their lives. Talent. Adversity. Determination. That’s one combination that never gets old for me.
Thursday, March 8 @ 6:30 pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $12
Friday, March 9 @ 6:15 pm, Regal South Beach Cinemas (Screen 18), $12

Habibi

Described as a modern day version of the ancient Arabic poem “Majnun Layla,” Habibi follows two star-crossed lovers in the Gaza Strip. While her traditional Muslim family searches for a suitable match, Layla falls in love with her classmate Qays. You can imagine that papa and the family are none too happy about it. As an act of love and defiance, Qays writes romantic poems for Layla on the town’s walls, stirring everyone into a frenzy. Forbidden to see each other, the only other option is for Layla and Qays to run away together — will they make it? In its East Coast premiere, Habibi is the first feature film for director Susan Youssef.

Saturday, March 3 @ 7:00 pm, Regal South Beach Cinemas (Screen 18), $12
Monday, March 5 @ 6:30 pm, Regal South Beach Cinemas (Screen 17), $12
Arabic w/English subtitles

Annalisa

The 2012 Miami International Film Festival also satisfies my love affair with Italian cinema, spotlighting two coming-of-age-films set in the less-traveled regions of southern Italy, from the heel to the toe. These two movies also mark feature film debuts for both of their directors.

Annalisa, from director Pippo Mezzapesa, takes place in the rural Puglia region, and follows a group of teen boys consumed by soccer and facing dismal prospects in a dead-end town. The boys soon turn their attention to Annalisa, the beautiful, mysterious woman who tries to jump from the roof of the local church. The talk of the town, Annalisa becomes the object of the boys’ desire. Adapted from the book by Mario Desiati, Annalisa on the surface gives me a hint of Y Tu Mamá También with a dash of Malèna, so it will be interesting to see how this story differs.
Tuesday, March 6 @ 9:30 pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $12
Wednesday, March 7 @ 9:30 pm, Tower Theatre (Screen 1), $12
Italian w/English subtitles

Corpo Celeste

In Corpo Celeste (Celestial Body), director Alice Rohrwacher introduces us to 13-year-old Marta, who just moved with her family from Switzerland to the city of Reggio Calabria and tries to adjust to her new life there. She is enrolled in catechism class to undergo Confirmation, a Catholic rite of passage, and soon becomes disenchanted. Everyone around her seems to be going through the motions – from the foolish, pointless activities in class to the disinterested local priest. Instead, Marta forges her own path on a discovery of faith, in the face of hypocrisy.
Saturday, March 3 @ 4:00 pm, Regal South Beach Cinemas (Screen 18), $12
Italian w/English subtitles

The Sleeping Voice

Making its U.S. debut, The Sleeping Voice gives a gritty, vivid portrayal of the Franco dictatorship in Spain in the wake of the Spanish Civil War, during the 1940s. The film presents the tale of two sisters, Pepita and the imprisoned Hortensia. Director Benito Zambrano takes an unflinching look at the emotional toll and the physical/psychological brutality of the regime, painting a picture of an era rarely seen by North American audiences.
Sunday, March 4 @ 9:30 pm, Tower Theatre (Screen 1), $12
Monday, March 5 @ 9:30 pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $12
Spanish w/English subtitles

For a full list of films, schedules, locations, and tickets, visit the MIFF12 website.

Want to keep track of your films? Download the handy MIFF12 iPhone app here.