Cinema Paradiso
Center for Contemporary Arts film lineup this week is full of bangers
As any local cinephile will tell you, Santa Fe’s movie-going options are practically unparalleled. Sure, we’re talkin’ per capita here, but we’ve an insane number of theaters for the size of our population, and we’re lucky to be in a position to catch docs, foreign works, one-offs, revival screenings and more at a place like the Center for Contemporary Arts.
This week’s lineup is, frankly, bonkers, too, from the opening of indie powerhouse production company A24’s The Brutalist—that’s the László Toth architecture movie starring Adrien Brody that everyone’s talking about—to Danish post-WWI drama The Girl With the Needle and literacy documentary The Right to Read.
CCA also continues its Amplified: Film and Music series with a 2K restoration screening of the 1981 music documentary Bix: Ain’t None of Them Play Like Him Yet from documentarian Brigitte Berman (Hugh Hefner’s After Dark: Speaking Out in America). This one tells the tale of Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke, an influential cornet player and early proponent of horn solos who went relatively unknown for ages. Berman’s film feels particularly important in Santa Fe, where jazz and rock lovers mingle to talk shop, and where a little bit of trailblazing goes a long way.
Next month’s films also look killer, including the Oscar-winning Brazillian film I’m Still Here and a one-night-only screening of Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre. In summation, if you’re looking to see something that doesn’t feature Marvel or Chalamets, you needn’t look any further than our own backyard.
(Alex De Vore)
Films at CCA: Various times Wednesday, Jan. 22-Tuesday, Jan. 28. Various ticketing options. 1050 Old Pecos Trail, (505) 982-1338
Wrestling With Righteousness
When Santa Fe Community College art teacher John Boyce brought a group of students to Marfa, Texas, as part of an art class, he wasn’t expecting to stumble across the artwork of Julie Speed. Boyce was blown away by Speed’s pieces, and has since managed to get the work to SFCC for the new Cain and Abel exhibit. Speed’s large-scale gouache and collage paintings blend Hieronymus Bosch-esque religious themes with elements of Dali-like surrealism. Speed is also inspired by 15th century Iranian paintings and ink drawings known as Siyah Qalam, which depict wrestling demons—an apt if unexpected parallel to the biblical story of brotherly murder. Sadly, Speed is unable to attend the opening of her exhibit, but trust us—the art speaks for itself. (Adam Ferguson)
Julie Speed: Cain and Abel (Opening): 3-6 pm Wednesday, Jan. 23. Free. SFCC Visual Arts Gallery, 6401 Richards Ave., (505) 428-1501
Hot Homage
Calling all locals of a certain age! Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery this weekend continues its new dance event series with roots in the Santa Fe of yesteryear. We’re talkin’ about ¡Club Alegría!, a dance party that pays homage to the club that formerly operated within Tumbleroot’s hallowed walls, and one that became one of the more popular music and dance destinations in local nightlife history. This time out, find the border folk fusion stylings of Frontera Bugalú lighting things up. That means a style culled from music played along the Texas/Mexico border—a melange of Latin-tinged and traditional tunes by way of contemporary stylings and culture. Will it be hot? How could it not? (ADV)
¡Club Alegría! Cumbia Sabor Tropical w/Frontera Bugalú: 7 pm Saturday, Jan. 25. $10-$15. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, 2791 Agua Fría St., (505) 303-3808
Lions and Dragons and Snakes, Oh My!
The year of the dragon has passed and it’s the snake’s time to shine. The Lunar New Year is fast approaching, Santa Fe, which means it’s time to celebrate the arrival of spring with a lion dance. This Sunday, in conjunction with the Museum of International Folk Art, Albuquerque-based Quang Minh Temple Lion Dance Group and traditional taiko drumming troupe Santa Fe Waikaido have quite the celebration planned. The day is packed full of art activities, a screening of the short film Thread—including a Q&A with director Terry Ngo—two parades and two drumming performances. Oh, and it’s totally free for New Mexico residents, so don’t forget your ID. Happy New Year! (AF)
Lunar New Year Celebration: 11 am-4 pm Sunday, Jan. 26. By admission (free for NM residents). Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Caminio Lejo, (505) 476-1204