For 15 years The Kitchen Stove Film Series, presented by the Penticton Art Gallery, has been bringing international and independent films to the city.
“It’s hard to believe that a small film series has substantially grown and developed such a loyal following among film fans in the community,” said Rosemarie Fulbrook, administrator and film series co-ordinator.
The film series is an income development initiative of the Penticton Art Gallery and aims to inspire, challenge, educate and entertain while showcasing excellence in the cinematic arts.
Partnering with the Toronto International Film Festival Circuit Group and Landmark Cinemas they will be presenting four films this season including Before Midnight, No, The Hunt and Watermark.
Before Midnight is the first to screen in the series and stars Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick. This film continues the beloved tale that spans nearly 20 years as Celine (Delpy) and Jesse (Hawke) are enjoying the last few days of a vacation in Greece. Long gone are the early days of youthful romanticism discovered in Vienna (Before Sunrise, 1995) when Jesse and Celine were in their 20s, or even the regret of time passed and the unfulfilled promise of a missed opportunity found again in Paris (Before Sunset, 2004) when they are in their 30s. Now the couple, in their 40s, have been together for almost a decade and the friction of daily life shows. Mid-life is messier, more painful and far more complicated than cobblestone meanderings could have predicted. Built on the natural flow of interaction, the film engages on a level of insightful intimacy that is, at times, as uncomfortable as an overheard alcove conversation. Romance may be rocky for this couple, but perhaps it is also richer and more beautifully defined. This is a film to be cherished as a literary as well as cinematic achievement.
Director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, School of Rock, Before Sunset, Me and Orson Welles) is a self-taught writer-director and was among the first and most successful talents to emerge during the American independent film renaissance of the 1990s.
Before Midnight (14A) is showing at the Landmark Cinema 7 on Sept. 26 at 4 and 7 p.m. Series tickets are $38 for gallery members and students (with identification) and $44 for non-members and can be purchased at the gallery or the Book Shop. Single tickets can be pre-purchased at the gallery for $13 with no exchanges or refunds, and limited single tickets for $15 may be available at the door.