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The Guatemalan Handshake

Suggests what Jacques Tati may have done with rural America

The Guatemalan Handshake
This quirky little tale of lost love, demolition derbies, electric cars, a sick turtle, a missing dog and a power outage will not appeal to everyone. In fact, those who like their narratives to be linear and obvious will least appreciate this oddly touching movie, though if they gave it a shot they just might find that it grows on them after a while... like an interesting, colorful fungus.

When Don (Will Oldham) disappears, Sadie (Sheila Scullin) does nothing but pine. Luckily, the perpetual loser Stool (Rich Schreiber) is there to comfort her and fill the void.

There will be people who say this film tries too hard to be weird, and there are places where that would be a valid criticism. Regardless, this is still an entertaining and visually exciting film. It has an oddly meandering pace that is riddled with quirky characters in weird situations. The entire project actually has the feel of "Napoleon Dynamite" as if remade by David Lynch, only without all the horrific elements he likes to toss into his work. Writer/director Todd Rohal put a lot of love into this baby, and it shows. It's too bad that some people won't appreciate his efforts, though, but that's always the case with any kind of art worth creating. (D. Brunell, Film Threat)

A free screening for Arts & Culture Week.

The Guatemalan Handshake

Free show!

Thu September 13, 2007, 7:00 only, Muenzinger Auditorium

USA, 2006, English, Color, 97 min, Unrated, 35mm (2.35:1) • official site

recommend

Tickets

10 films for $60 with punch card
$9 general admission. $7 w/UCB student ID, $7 for senior citizens
$1 discount to anyone with a bike helmet
Free on your birthday! CU Cinema Studies students get in free.

Parking

Pay lot 360 (now only $1/hour!), across from the buffalo statue and next to the Duane Physics tower, is closest to Muenzinger. Free parking can be found after 5pm at the meters along Colorado Ave east of Folsom stadium and along University Ave west of Macky.

RTD Bus

Park elsewhere and catch the HOP to campus

International Film Series

(Originally called The University Film Commission)
Established 1941 by James Sandoe.

First Person Cinema

(Originally called The Experimental Cinema Group)
Established 1955 by Carla Selby, Gladney Oakley, Bruce Conner and Stan Brakhage.

C.U. Film Program

(AKA The Rocky Mountain Film Center)
First offered degrees in filmmaking and critical studies in 1989 under the guidance of Virgil Grillo.

Celebrating Stan

Created by Suranjan Ganguly in 2003.

C.U. Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

Established 2017 by Chair Ernesto Acevedo-Muñoz.

Thank you, sponsors!
Boulder International Film Festival
Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

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Buy a Frequent Patron Punch Card for $60 at any IFS show. With the punch card you can see ten films (a value of $90).

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