Mill Valley Film Festival at BAMPFA 2023

October 7–15, 2023

BAMPFA is pleased to partner with the Mill Valley Film Festival to present selected screenings from MVFF46 in the Barbro Osher Theater.

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  • Fallen Leaves

  • Monster

  • Mountains

  • Anatomy of a Fall

  • The Taste of Things

  • Upcoming
    Films
  • Upcoming
    Events
  • Selected
    Objects
  • Past
    Films
  • Past
    Events

Past Films

  • Anatomy of a Fall

    • Sunday, October 15 6:30 PM
    Justine Triet
    France, 2023

    This gripping procedural, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, stars Sandra Hüller as an enigmatic writer whose husband (Swann Arlaud) died—either by suicide or murder. She’s the prime suspect, setting in motion Justine Triet’s fascinating mixture of marriage story and courtroom drama.

  • Skin of Glass

    • Sunday, October 15 1:30 PM
    Denise Zmekhol
    United States, 2023

    Nicknamed for its windowed facade, São Paulo’s twenty-four-story “Skin of Glass” was once a symbol of Brazil’s promising future. When she learns that squatters occupy the dilapidated building her late father designed, Bay Area documentarian Denise Zmekhol returns home to investigate—and make peace with her dad.

    Denise Zmekhol and Beto Villares in Person

  • Farming While Black

    • Sunday, October 15 4 PM
    Mark Decena
    United States, 2023

    Mark Decena’s visually eloquent documentary celebrates the rich heritage of Black farmers through the experiences of three people who make their living off the land. As the trio works toward reclaiming their agricultural heritage, they inspire a new generation to pursue self-determination.

    Mark Decena and Liz Decena in Person

  • Fancy Dance

    • Saturday, October 14 7 PM
    Erica Tremblay
    United States, 2023

    Closed captioned

    Elements of the mystery and road movie genres combine in Erica Tremblay’s moving narrative debut, focusing on teenage Roki and her Aunt Jax (Lily Gladstone) as they search for Roki’s missing mother. Grounded in cultural specificity and beautifully rounded characters, Fancy Dance tackles serious matters affecting Indigenous women with a sure hand and a light touch.

    Erica Tremblay in Person

  • Tótem

    • Saturday, October 14 4:30 PM
    Lila Avilés
    Mexico, Denmark, France, 2023

    Winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, Lila Avilés’s impressionistic drama observes the intimacies of a sprawling middle-class family in crisis through the eyes of a child. As her relatives prepare a final birthday celebration for her dying father, seven-year-old Sol navigates their chaotic world, wondering how to stop the inevitable.

  • Mountains

    • Friday, October 13 5 PM
    Monica Sorelle
    United States, 2023

    Monica Sorelle’s breathtaking first feature unfolds as a hypnotic slow burn of one family’s struggles, focusing on a Haitian demolition worker watching the gentrification of his Miami neighborhood. This deeply powerful, brilliantly subtle drama presents an eye-opening observation of the attraction and challenge of the American dream.

  • Fallen Leaves

    • Friday, October 13 7:15 PM
    Aki Kaurismäki
    Finland, Germany, 2023

    Closed captioned

    Finnish writer-director Aki Kaurismäki reasserts himself as the master of the wry, melancholy comedy with this tale of two lonely souls (Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen) forging a love connection in Helsinki. With lovely performances and a fine, droll tone, the film exudes a crisp, autumnal air—its quiet beauty as natural and effortless as the change of seasons.

  • The Taste of Things

    • Thursday, October 12 3 PM
    Trần Anh Hùng
    France, 2023

    Juliette Binoche is divine as a witty nineteenth-century chef in director Trần Anh Hùng’s Cannes prizewinner, a sumptuous and impossibly romantic tribute to love, food, and joie de vivre.

    Trần Anh Hùng in Person

  • The Teachers’ Lounge

    • Sunday, October 8 7 PM
    İlker Çatak
    Germany, 2023

    Closed captioned

    German director İlker Çatak’s gripping new drama examines racism and institutional bureaucracy, putting you through an emotional and moral wringer. Leonie Benesch stars as a middle-school teacher whose belief that she can make a difference in students’ lives leads to a split-second decision that brings her idealism crashing down.

  • The Disappearance of Shere Hite

    • Sunday, October 8 1 PM
    Nicole Newnham
    United States, 2023

    This beautifully crafted documentary, about the author of the bestselling 1976 Hite Report on Female Sexuality, stays close to the source, foregrounding sexologist Shere Hite’s writing and television appearances among an abundance of interviews and archival materials. A hardworking history student destined to make history, Hite revolutionized the cultural conversation about sex.

    Nicole Newnham in Person

  • La Chimera

    • Sunday, October 8 4 PM
    Alice Rohrwacher
    Italy, France, Switzerland, 2023

    In Alice Rohrwacher’s marvelous fantasy-comedy on the themes of love, loss, and Etruscan antiquities set in 1980s Tuscany, the terrific Josh O’Connor is Arthur, an archaeological scholar–turned–artifact robber who also yearns to reunite with his lost love. 

  • Monster

    • Saturday, October 7 3 PM
    Hirokazu Kore-eda
    Japan, 2023

    This Rashomon-like drama explores a troubling school incident from multiple perspectives. Shoplifters director Hirokazu Kore-eda presents a study of bullying and youthful yearning, illustrating how confusing life can be to both adults and children. Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto’s gorgeous score accentuates the delicate twists and turns of this exceptionally moving Cannes screenplay winner.

  • Perfect Days

    • Saturday, October 7 7 PM
    Wim Wenders
    Japan, 2023

    Wim Wenders’s poetic and contemplative new film, a prizewinner at Cannes, weaves together short stories revolving around Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), a contented middle-aged Tokyo toilet cleaner whose deep passion for music, books, and photography enriches his structured life. Delicate filmmaking captures Tokyo’s essence, set to a soundtrack brimming with 1960s pop.