SFFS Screen Presents: Lion's Den

Lion's Den (Argentina 2008), Pablo Trapero's strongly sympathetic story of an imprisoned young mother struggling to keep custody of her newborn son and free them both, opens Friday, July 31 on SFFS Screen at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
Tragic and ill-fated Julia awakens on a bloodstained pillow with no memory of the murder she may or may not have committed the night before. Tried for the brutal stabbing of her lover and his cohort, the newly pregnant protagonist of Pablo Trapero's fifth feature must wait out a complicated trial process in prison custody, confined to a specialized ward for expectant women, mothers and their children. Offering a stark glimpse into the harsh struggle to raise and maintain a child in the Argentine prison system, Lion's Den follows Julia's transformation over a period of years from vulnerable and damaged youth to a loving mother determined to nourish and protect

her innocent offspring in an environment of unimaginable squalor. Argentine writer/director Trapero, a three-time veteran of the San Francisco International Film Festival (Crane World, 1999; Rolling Family, 2004; Born and Bred, 2006) returns having crafted a vigorously raw yet ultimately redemptive tale of the tenderness that can triumph and bloom in the most harrowing circumstances and hardship, anchored by a stunningly ferocious performance from Martina Gusman who brings a rich intensity to the victimized Julia. With skilled precision and sobering focus, Trapero elevates the female prison picture into a work of remarkable sensitivity. Much of Lion's Den was shot in maximum security prisons, utilizing staff and inmates in supporting roles.

Written by Alejandro Fadel, Martín Mauregui, Santiago Mitre. Photographed by Guillermo Nieto. Produced by Walter Salles. With Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro. In Spanish with English subtitles. 113 min. Distributed by Strand Releasing.

At the Sundance Kabuki all seats are reserved and an amenities fee is in effect for most shows. Tickets are available through the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas box office, at kiosks in the lobby and online at sundancecinemas.com/kabuki with print-at-home capability. San Francisco Film Society members receive discounted admission only to SFFS Screen programs and only at the box office, not online or at the lobby kiosks.
Now playing on SFFS Screen
Three Monkeys A man's agreement to take the fall for his employer's crime tears his family apart in this sensual, quietly heartbreaking film from Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

Coming soon to SFFS Screen
July 10: Julia Tilda Swinton gives a riveting performance as an alcoholic turned kidnapper in Erick Zonca's film, a take on John Cassavetes' Gloria.
July 17: The Window A bedridden, 80-year-old man takes one last stroll through the beautiful Patagonian landscape in this elegant, lyrical and humanistic film directed by Carlos Sorín.
July 24: Lake Tahoe A teenager in small town Mexico struggles to fix the family car in the aftermath of a minor accident and amid deeper emotional undercurrents in the latest film by Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke.

SFFS Screen will reopen September 4
September 11: Tony Manero Set in 1978 Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship, Pablo Larrain's drama focuses on a man whose obsession with John Travolta's character from Saturday Night Fever reflects the troubled state of Chilean society at that time.
September 18: Headless Woman Lucrecia Martel, a major figure in contemporary Argentine cinema, directs a complex and exquisite film about a bourgeois woman who may have been involved in a hit-and-run accident.
September 25: You, the Living Roy Andersson continues to display his unique take on humanity in this dryly humorous, surreal and unforgettable amalgamation of encounters and tableaux covering various facets of existence.

For full, complete and up-to-date information on all SFFS Screen programming, including buying tickets, visit sffs.org. Information and tickets are also available at sundancecinemas.com.

Ticket Info: $8 - $14