MUBI, the premier streaming service for curated independent films, has revealed its picks for December. The selection of films coming exclusively to MUBI includes the world premiere of Benoit Toulemonde's “Tripping With Nils Frahm,” an extraordinary musical trip that brings a unique concert experience to the screen, and “Cold Meridian,” the latest experimental short film by acclaimed director Peter Strickland. MUBI will also exclusively present “Liberté”, a period-piece provocation by visionary Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra as well as Kirill Mikhanovsky's award-winning comedy “Give Me Liberty.” For those in the mood to relive the vibrant 90's rave scene, MUBI is excited to present the streaming premiere of “Beats” from Scottish director Brian Welsh and executive producer Steven Soderbergh.
Also in December, MUBI is proud to launch a retrospective dedicated to prolific South Korean director Hong Sang-soo. Capturing the pleasures and perils of attraction in anti-romantic comedies, this selection includes the break-up/make-up comedy “Yourself and Yours”, which uses one couple's ups and downs to playfully interrogate the thrills and pitfalls of romantic relationships. Closing out the retrospective is “Claire's Camera,” a comic charmer featuring a refreshingly sunny performance from Isabelle Huppert.
To celebrate the thoroughly unique filmography of Alejandro Jodorowsky, MUBI will exclusively show a selection of films by the cult Chilean filmmaker in December and January. Beginning with “Fando and Lis,” his 1968 feature length directorial debut, the selection will also include the 1973 western “The Holy Mountain” as well as his latest work “Psychomagic, a Healing Art.”
Highlights from the December lineup are as follows:
EXCLUSIVELY ON MUBI
[Undiscovered] In her immersive, intimate documentary Faith (True/False ‘20), director Valentina Pedicini gains unprecedented access to the inner workings of an isolated Italian sect whose teachings merge strict monasticism with hardcore Kung Fu training. The result is an astonishing, unfettered exploration of power, spirituality, and blind devotion. Releasing Dec 2.
[MUBI Release] MUBI is proud to present the world premiere of Tripping with Nils Frahm, an extraordinary musical journey featuring the legendary artist at a legendary location. The concert film captures a series of mesmerizing live performances at the iconic Funkhaus Berlin on the pianist, composer and producer's sold-out, worldwide All Melody tour. The exclusive presentation will coincide with the release of Nils Frahm's live album of the same name from Erased Tapes Records. Releasing Dec 3.
[MUBI Spotlight] The newest film from provocative Catalan director Albert Serra will have its streaming premiere exclusively on MUBI next month. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize in Cannes, Liberté is an elegantly composed, but often explicit, chronicle of the sexual adventures of a group of 18th-century libertines. Releasing Dec 4.
[MUBI Spotlight] Next month MUBI will present the exclusive streaming premiere of Beats (Rotterdam ‘19), Brian Welsh's intoxicating ride into Scotland's underground, illegal rave scene of the 1990s. Produced by Steven Soderbergh, this post-Thatcher coming-of-age story is one of the most pulsating flicks of the year. Releasing Dec 5.
[Brief Encounters] Shot in the Portuguese countryside, Barbs, Wasteland (Cannes ‘17), from the promising young director Marta Mateus, follows in the footsteps of cinema giant Pedro Costa, borrowing his narrative style to tell a story of revolution. Releasing Dec 8.
[Luminaries] After debuting Peter Strickland's GUO4 earlier this year, MUBI is proud to once again present the exclusive online premiere of the British auteur's latest work. Cold Meridian (San Sebastián ‘20) is a beguiling short film that explores the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) YouTube phenomenon, following the repeated rituals of an online performer and the transfixing, hypnotizing effect she has on her viewers. Releasing Dec 11.
[MUBI Spotlight] Winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards earlier this year following its screenings at Cannes and Sundance, Kirill Mikhanovsky's Give Me Liberty is one of the most celebrated films to emerge from the recent festival circuit. This semi-autobiographical chaotic comedy will have its exclusive streaming premiere on MUBI next month. Releasing Dec 20.
[Rediscovered] MUBI is proud to present the online premiere of the new restoration of Jon Jost's most beloved film All the Vermeers in New York (Sundance ‘19). A perfect introduction to his prolific work for the uninitiated, this snapshot of New York in the 90's is a love story that mirrors the push and pull between the art and finance worlds. Releasing Dec 28.
SOLVING PUZZLES: THE CINEMA OF HONG SANG-SOO
MUBI is excited to return to the playful work of master South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo and his unmatched anti-romantic comedies. Often compared to Éric Rohmer, his brilliant use of dialogue and extended conversation exposes human miscommunication and the intricacies of modern romance. This series will present four of his most celebrated works, including his delightful collaboration with Isabelle Huppert in Claire's Camera (Cannes ‘17).
Woman Is the Future of Man — December 6
Tale of Cinema — December 9
Yourself and Yours — December 24
Claire's Camera — December 27
Our Take: Like his leads, Hong's films are festival darlings, completing the rounds, but with “Claire's Camera” reminding the viewer of so many of Hong's other films, is there enough humour and charm to offer anything new to audiences and his fans as it breezes by? Well, perhaps like So with alcohol: you don't need more, but you can always go for another round. (Andrew Thayne)
THE PSYCHOMAGIC CINEMA OF ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY – EXCLUSIVE
In December and January, MUBI will present the exclusive streaming premieres of six films by cult Chilean auteur and mystic writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. The selection features his first three films, which are foundational works that established his distinct surrealist visual language and garnered underground acclaim on the ‘70s midnight movie circuit. Most notably, this includes his iconic psychotropic western The Holy Mountain. This will be followed by Jodorowsky's three most recent films, displaying the director's shift toward autobiographical, personal filmmaking. Concluding the series is his newest film Psychomagic, a Healing Art, a documentary on his original theory of trauma therapy.
Fando and Lis — December 13
El Topo — December 19
The Holy Mountain — December 26
The Dance of Reality — January 10
Endless Poetry — January 17
Psychomagic, a Healing Art — January 22
DOUBLE BILL: JACQUES BECKER
Closing out the year, MUBI returns to underseen work of master French filmmaker Jacques Becker. Too often known only for his role as an assistant director to Jean Renoir, Becker is in fact a consummate auteur particularly attuned to group dynamics, whether of lovers, artists, gangsters, or convicts. This double bill includes the charming Edward and Caroline, often cited as an early precursor to the Nouvelle Vague.
Edward and Caroline — December 30
Ali Baba — December 31
SINGLES
A Family Tour — December 7 — Exclusive
Forced to live and work in exile in Hong Kong since the release of his 2012 feature “When Night Falls,” Ying Liang is one of the great Chinese filmmakers working today. MUBI is proud to present the exclusive online premiere of “A Family Tour” (Locarno ‘18), his autobiographical and perhaps most powerful film to date. Reflecting the director's own precarious situation, a filmmaker who has been living in exile in Hong Kong journeys to Taiwan for a film festival where she is able to discreetly reunite with her mother as she travels with a tour group.
Our Take: Liang Ying finally releases a vindicating story against censorship and oppression, because when freedom is so limited to the point that to do things as mundane as being able to be with your loved ones when they are having a bad time, you are not able to fulfill that, things aren't working as well as they seem. The brilliant cinematography by Ryuji Otsuka is narrated mainly based on master shots, with hardly any type of movement. Many times we see the family together in the same shot, but it is appreciated that in spite of being together in the frame, what they really are is far away from each other. (Pedro Morata)
Eureka — December 14
Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, Shinji Aoyama's epic film “Eureka” is a transcendent, visually stunning story of loss and redemption that is coveted by cinephiles worldwide. Now newly restored, MUBI is excited to revisit this modern masterpiece.
Our Take: “Eureka” is a slow film whose pacing fits with the kind of process its characters go through. While it maintains the private nature of their emotions, it allows a glimpse into the traumatized souls of these people, as well as the possibility to heal and start over. In the end, “Eureka” becomes a human tale about one of the most incredible traits of us all which is to start anew and live even though the violence of our existence has become an omnipresent background noise. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
