A crowd of about 70 gathered Dec. 12 to watch
"Lilya 4-ever," Cinema Art Bethesda's latest offering. The film club
meets one Sunday morning a month from September through May at the
Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, below, to watch a foreign film hand-picked
by Beverly Zeidenberg, the group's founder. After the film, the group
holds a discussion. |
Bethesda Club Is Keen on the Screen
By Cari Shane Parven
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, December 23, 2004; Page GZ05
Beverly Zeidenberg doesn't like American movies. "I don't get what I want with American shoot-'em-up and sci-fi movies." So she started a film club where she can watch the kind of flick she fancies, one that tells a psychological story.
The Bethesda psychotherapist is not alone in her movie preferences. Zeidenberg's Cinema Art Bethesda has about 50 annual members and draws an additional 40 to 50 "drop-ins" each month.
Eight years ago, Zeidenberg, 65, grew disenchanted with spending $12 for parking just so she could participate in the Sunday morning film and discussion at the Key Theatre in the District. "I thought, 'This shouldn't be too hard to do in Bethesda,' " where there's ample free parking. A few phone calls later (she makes it sound that simple), Zeidenberg had a board of directors, a list of film distributors, a movie theater (the Bethesda Theater Cafe) and a new film club.
Once a month on Sunday mornings from September to May, a group of mostly 50-, 60- and 70-somethings gather for a foreign flick that's hand-picked by Zeidenberg. The group meets at the Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda, but over the years it has also used the theaters at the National Institutes of Health and Mazza Gallerie.
While showtime is 10 a.m., filmgoers gather in the Landmark's lobby as early as 9:30 a.m. for bagels and coffee. Breakfast is part of the price of admission, which is $120 per year for 10 movies or $14 per film for drop-ins. Zeidenberg knows the fee sounds high but says it's not a for-profit price.
"We need about 40 drop-ins at the door each month just to break even," she said. The whole process is quite a financial undertaking considering the theater rental, which is $500 a month (up from $300 last year), film rental ($250 to $300), shipping (another $60 or so) and the breakfast.
For Zeidenberg, there's a lot of manual -- or visual -- labor because she's the one who chooses the movies, something she's not willing to give up to members of her board. "I read every movie review and festival review," she said. "I see every independent film I can find. I think I have a great feeling for what the group would like. I look for psychological depth and cultural input."
During the summer, when the movie club takes a hiatus, Zeidenberg is working overtime. In June, she orders about 25 films from a variety of distributors. Then, in July, she watches them, sometimes five to 10 a week. "It's arduous, but it's the part I love the best."
As far as she knows, her selections have never disappointed her film club members. "No one has ever told me they didn't like the movie," she said. "Though many have said, 'I didn't like the film until you had the discussion.' "
Like a typical book club, the discussion period can be heated, with many different opinions flying at once, which is the fun part for some members. "When you hear the discussion, it's a different perspective on the movie. Hearing the perspectives is fascinating," said eight-year club veteran Stan Levin, 56. Film is "not an objective medium."
"The film club is a chance to give your wisdom where wisdom is accepted," said Ari Kopolow, 60, a member along with his wife, Judy Tyson, 62. "It makes you think," Tyson said.
And so does the discussion leader. Each month, a different club member leads the discussion, prompting the filmgoers to think about the film in a way they may not have. "One of the most difficult parts of being a commentator is to not give an opinion," said Robin Levien, 53, of Bethesda, who led the November discussion after "The Barbarian Invasions," a Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand about a father-son relationship. "You just need to direct traffic during the discussion."
Discussion leaders also must watch the movie about a week before the rest of the film club to set up the film for the viewers, perhaps suggesting they keep an eye out for a particular character or think about other films the club has viewed.
Sometimes there's also a Sunday morning speaker. Over the years, Cinema Art Bethesda has had its share of speakers. "In discussing an Iranian film, we had one of the Iranian hostages commenting," Zeidenberg said. "And once we had the actor who had actually appeared in the film. We have many foreign service people [as members] who have been stationed [overseas with] intelligence or diplomacy, and they add considerably to the discussion."
Zeidenberg said she looks "for different geographic and cultural input," choosing films from Africa, China, Israel, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Canada and even Afghanistan.
"I really feel that movies are an art form and that's why I'm so happy to be part of it. It's enlightening and exciting. They can say so much," said Zeidenberg, who has only missed one movie in eight years, and that was because her daughter had a baby.
Others see their Sunday morning film experience as a five-star event. Kopolow, a psychiatrist who lives in Bethesda, said, "Movies are fast food, but films are like fine dining."
Cinema Art Bethesda's schedule for the rest of the season: "Rashomon," Jan. 9; "Swimming Pool," Jan. 30; "The Son's Room," Feb. 27; "Since Otar Left," March 20; "Gloomy Sunday," April 10; and "The Mother," May 1. For more information, visit www.cinemaartbethesda.org.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
Reprinted from washingtonpost.com with the author's permission.