Introducing Amherst Cinema's At-Home Cinema Selections!

Friends,

We all know that watching a film in a theater, together with our community, is the best way to experience the power of cinema. We can't wait to be back at Amherst Cinema with you!

But, while we're all practicing social distancing, we don't want you to be without some great films. So, for the first time ever, we're using our twice-weekly e-newsletter to suggest films for you to watch at home, selected by our staff, board members, and volunteers. We hope that our At-Home Cinema Selections will help inspire, inform, and entertain you during these challenging times.

Feel free to reach out by email to tell us your thoughts on our picks plus what other films you're enjoying at home—we love hearing from you! You can also tag Amherst Cinema on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter and use #AmherstCinemaAtHome to show us which of our recommendations you're watching.

If you'd like to make a donation in support of our virtual curation efforts, you can do so on our website . You can also purchase our gift cards for use upon Amherst Cinema’s reopening. Your donations, gift card purchases, and Memberships are so important at this time, as these are our main revenue sources during our temporary closure.

Thanks and happy movie-watching!

Your friends at Amherst Cinema

info@amherstcinema.org

Rachel Hart, Outreach Manager, recommends:

HEART OF A DOG

dir. Laurie Anderson, 2015

I've found myself prescribing HEART OF A DOG to loved ones over the past few years. Its dream-like quality offers a unique assist during times when words alone fail to carry complicated meaning. This meditative tone poem on loss, grieving, and rebirth from multimedia artist Laurie Anderson is told with sincerity and humor, and even a piano-playing dog. I rewatched it last night and its many invitations for contemplation offered the stillness I needed. I hope this selection can offer you some solace too (in addition to its abundance of cute dog footage).

Available streaming at the Criterion Channel , to rent on Amazon , and on Blu-Ray & DVD

Salman Hameed, Chair and President of the Board of Directors, recommends:

DEEP WATER

dir. Louise Osmond & Jerry Rothwell, 2006

At a time of forced social isolation, here is a riveting documentary about the first solo, non-stop, round-the-world boat race that took place in 1968. DEEP WATER played at Amherst Cinema briefly in 2007, so if you didn't see it then, now is your chance! The twists and turns are stranger than fiction. I know it is a lot to trust, but it may be best to go into the film knowing as little as possible about the race. The film, which has a lot of original footage from race competitors, provides a fascinating (and disturbing) look at the psychological toll of such a race and of being alone in a vast ocean. From the producer of TOUCHING THE VOID.

Available to rent on Amazon/stream with the IFC Films Unlimited package

Alex Hornbeck, Creative Manager, recommends:

WORLD ON A WIRE, pts. 1 & 2

dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1973

I'd been looking forward to our planned screenings of the philosophical science fictions BLADE RUNNER and BLADE RUNNER 2049, so I'm instead revisiting WORLD ON A WIRE. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, perhaps best known for his melodramas, adapted an American sci-fi novel for German television, resulting in this mind-bending tale of a corporation that's built an advanced computer world, full of simulated individuals who believe they're real. This blend of film noir, contemplative sci-fi, and corporate espionage thriller is wrapped in effortlessly cool 70's West German aesthetics and feels decades ahead of its time.

Available streaming at the Criterion Channel and on Blu-Ray & DVD

Look for more recommendations soon! We'll be sending At-Home Cinema Selections in our e-newsletters on Tuesdays and Fridays.

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