February on MUBI sees the UK streaming debut of the latest from a rising Spanish filmmaker, a fantastical Georgian romance, a Hirokazu Koreeda double bill and more.
Alcarràs
Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale 2022, Alcarràs (2022) from Carla Simón (Summer 1993, 2017) is a sun-dappled, deeply moving ensemble portrait of the countryside and a community's unbreakable bonds. The film is inspired by Carla's own farming family from Alcarràs in the Catalonian region of Spain.
In the small village of Alcarràs in Catalonia, the peach farmers of the Solé family spend every summer together picking fruit from their orchard. But when new plans arise to install solar panels and cut down trees, the members of this tight-knit group suddenly face eviction – and the loss of far more than their home. Following its theatrical release in January, this tender and beautiful film arrives exclusively to MUBI this February.
What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?
Arriving exclusively to MUBI this February is the celebrated second feature from rising auteur Alexandre Koberidze, What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? (2021), a beautiful romantic drama unlike any other packed with wit and charm.
This enchanting film transports us to the Georgian riverside city of Kutaisi, where summertime romance and World Cup fever are in the air. After a pair of chance encounters, pharmacist Lisa and soccer player Giorgi are smitten. They arrange a date, but fate has other plans in store: they both awaken the day of their rendez-vous magically transformed — with no way to recognise or contact each other. As the would-be couple tries to reunite, their eyes are opened to a whole new world, with surprises awaiting them in every cafe, courtyard, and cinema.
And the Oscar Goes To…
With awards season in full swing, MUBI has announced the return of their annual Oscar Season, bringing to you a fantastic selection of winners and nominees from over the years. First up is the Turkish drama Mustang (2015) which was France's submission for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016, followed by Changeling (2008) starring Angelina Jolie, which was nominated for a multitude of awards including three at the 2009 Academy Awards. The Argentinean black-comedy Wild Tales (2014) directed by Damián Szifrón, will also be arriving to the platform this month.
Family Matters: A Hirokazu Koreeda Double Bill
To mark the upcoming theatrical release of Broker (2022) this February, MUBI presents a very special double bill, bringing two of Hirokazu Koreeda's beautiful films to the platform. Thought to be one of the greatest contemporary auteurs of Japanese cinema, Koreeda's humanist approach to filmmaking creates a certain honesty and warmth, exemplified in his beautiful tale of childhood imagination and resilience, I Wish (2012). With a cast of Koreeda regulars and gifted young performers, it's a heartwarming story of emotional discovery that hinges on the promise of magic for the fractured family at its centre.
Like Father, Like Son (2013) is of a similar thematic nature surrounding the importance of family and Koreeda once again expertly captures the tender legacy of fatherhood in this rich drama. One day, Ryota and his wife get an unexpected phone call from the hospital and they learn that Keita, the six-year-old boy they have raised, is not their son.
Bill Forsyth Double Bill
MUBI's second double bill shines light on the work of acclaimed filmmaker Bill Forsyth, bringing his first two feature films That Sinking Feeling (1979) and Gregory's Girl (1981) to MUBI this February. Forsyth's hilarious and imaginative That Sinking Feeling (1979) provides an authentic depiction of 1970s Glasgow youth culture, following unemployed and aimless teenager Ronnie and his friends around Glasgow. The charming coming-of-age Gregory's Girl (1981) arrives on February 21st, where teenage knucklehead Gregory falls hard for Dorothy, a hotshot female player who takes his spot on the boys' school soccer team.
Girl Trouble: A Desiree Akhavan Double Bill
To celebrate LGBTQ+ history month this February, MUBI brings acclaimed filmmaker Desiree Akhavan's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) and her feature debut Appropriate Behaviour (2014) to the platform.
The sharply observed yet quietly sensitive The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) follows Cameron, who is sent away to a treatment centre to receive gay conversion therapy after being caught in the backseat of a car with the prom queen. In Appropriate Behaviour (2014) Akhavan plays a version of herself as Shirin, a headstrong Irianian-American bisexual woman struggling with heartbreak. Her family doesn't know that she is bisexual and following a family announcement she embarks on a private rebellion.
Artist Focus: Emilija Škarnulytė
MUBI's artist focus on Emilija Škarnulytė spotlights two mesmerising works by the Lithuanian visual artist reflecting on the future, offering sharp commentary on climate change and our complex relationship with the environment. Blending documentary and the imaginary, Aphotic Zone (2022) observes a fascinating marine world in the Gulf of Mexico, dealing with ravages of human greed while Burial (2022) is a sensorial, geological, and geopolitical trip into the structures of a now decommissioned nuclear power plant in Lithuania.
Best of the Fest: Berlinale
While the cinematic festivities take place in the bustling German capital, MUBI's Berlinale festival focus revisits past editions of the international film festival with a series of diverse, independent, and daring highlights.
This season includes: Ruth Beckermann's Mutzenbacher (2022) – a humorous and nonjudgmental look at contemporary male sexual attitudes towards women, fantasy, porn and morality – Natalia López's Silver Bear Jury Prize winner Robe of Gems (2022), which masterfully weaves an ever-expanding web of characters touched by violence and trauma, Cyril Schäublin's thrilling, unconventional tale of love, solidarity, anarchism and watchmaking in the Swiss Alps Unrest (2022), and more.
A Wild Patience Has Taken Me There
Winner of a Special Jury Award at Sundance for its ensemble cast, Érica Sarmet's short film A Wild Patience Has Taken Me There (2021) is a poignant meditation on intimacy, community and sexual gratification that touches on the politics of contemporary Brazil. The film follows Vange, a middle-aged motorcyclist, whose life changes after a chance encounter with four young lesbians she meets at a party.
The Lion Has Seven Heads
A Latin-American insurgent and a local liberation leader join forces to free an African nation and fight against the imperial forces. Shot in 22 days during the transition from colonial rule to the People's Republic of the Congo, Glauber Rocha's The Lion Has Seven Heads (1970) is an anti-colonial satire composed of a succession of living allegorical paintings. The first film shot by the Brazilian director during his exile in Europe.
