Last night, I was searching on my MoviePass app (I pay $10 a month and have access to one movie ticket a day for free) for a film to watch. I happened to look on the IFC cinema's movie listings and found a documentary that was having its US premiere that same night, with a Q&A afterwards. It was called Haiku on a Plum Tree and it is the story of a famous Italian family that was detained in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. It was an amazing film, and I highly recommend that everyone see it. It was such a personal story, and lucky me, the whole film was in Italian, with English subtitles. I tried my best to avoid looking at the subtitles, at all costs. I had actually spoken to one of the family members a few weeks before during an Italian class lecture, so I was thrilled that after the Q&A, I was able to speak with the director herself, in Italian, at a nearby bar where everyone had gathered afterwards.
Apparently, this is a very normal 'thing' at the IFC. They often premiere documentaries, have Q&A's with the creators afterwards, then have their own 'cinephile' pub crawl together after. I think I'm hooked, especially if they continue to host foreign films.
So here's my advice: download MoviePass, then start taking advantage of all of the foreign films being shown here in NYC!
If the idea of watching films that require English subtitles intrigues you, head on over to the IFC and check out their offerings, which change daily! I walk past it almost every day, and I can tell you that there is almost always a foreign language film being shown.
This theater is aesthetically very pleasing, and it shows captivating indie films! They are currently showing a film in Spanish, which has won several awards already! Don't forget to buy some yummy baked goods that they offer- they have a whole cafe area, so even if you aren't up to watching a movie, you can still take in this beautiful space!
Francophone films galore this week! Don't miss out on this unique theater! It is located near Union Square, perfect location, and it isn't a huge Regal or AMC. If you want to go back to the 'good old days' and listen to some good old Français, this place is for you!
Old 40's French film alert! There is a showing of a classic, Le Corbeau, going on right
now at this theater! Here, they also host many Q&A's, which will make you fulfill your secret dream of being a film major!
This cinema only has one theater- it is so classic and it shows many independent and foreign films, just as its name suggests! It is a quite gorgeous place, and going there will make you feel like a true celebrity!
I will definitely be taking advantage of my MoviePass this upcoming month, with all these French and Spanish movies being shown! Who knows, maybe I'll find the next language that I want to study by watching a movie at one of these places!
My last reminder: try your best not to look at the English subtitles, even if they might be enticing! Make this moviegoing experience a language learning experience as well!
Enjoy, and munch on some popcorn for me!