“The values of a small community provide insight on how a balance between individualism and a sense of 'common cause and humanity' can contribute to a more satisfying life.”

By The Arts Fuse Staff

Boston International Film Festival
April 16 – 21
Leow’s Boston Common

Boston’s “other” film festival is six days of yet-to-be-released and under-the-radar films with an emphasis on international features and shorts. There are always gems to be found in the lineup, so it’s good to do some research ahead. The opening film is Chris Kublan’s Friends and Romans, which is about a middle-aged, Italian-American fruit-truck driver whose passion is for playing extras in mob movies. A production of Julius Caesar accidently gets cast with a real gangster who fancies himself an actor. The Feds insert their own undercover agent to audition for Cassius. It features former Sopranos stars Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts), Anabella Sciorra, Michael Rispoli, and John Bianco.

The closing film is a documentary that may inspire on this Patriot’s Day: In A Small Good Thing Pamela Tanner Boll looks for sources of happiness among the working class  in the Berkshire community of Western Massachusetts. As she did in Who Does She Think She Is?, Boll’s colorful footage of American life is accompanied by testimonials. The values of a small community provide insight on how a balance between individualism and a sense of “common cause and humanity” can contribute to a more satisfying life. The people in the film include a livestock farmer, a yoga teacher, produce farmers,  a student, and social worker.

This article was originally published on The Arts Fuse:

http://artsfuse.org/125905/fuse-coming-attractions-what-will-light-your-fire-this-week-66/