Seattle International Film Festival

-- The Seattle International Film Festival is held simultaneously at the Egyptian, Harvard Exit, Neptune and Broadway Market Cinemas (opening night only is at The 5th Avenue Theatre). Here is an alphabetical listing of this year's movies, with locations and times of showings, and ticket prices. A full calendar of films and events is on pages 6 and 7. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A A A

`ABOUT LOVE, TOKYO'

Japan, 1992 Director: Mitsuo Yanagimachi Cast: Wu Xiao Tong, Asuka Okasaka, Hiroshi Fujioka, Qian Po 110 minutes

-- "About Love, Tokyo" tells the story of Ho Jun, a young college student and native of Beijing who moves to Japan to make a better life for himself. In a local pachinko parlor, he meets a pretty, Japanese-born Chinese girl and the two share a passionate, if short-lived, affair. With a cast of lively and colorful characters, the unfolding drama is full of hope and despair that hearkens back to the work of Bresson in its powerful resolve. June 1, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`THE ABYSS - SPECIAL EDITION'

USA, 1989/1993 Director: James Cameron Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio 171 minutes

-- More than half an hour of footage has been restored for this special edition of "The Abyss." This is a rare opportunity to see the film as James Cameron intended. The previously unseen footage is spread throughout this version, but the most significant additions

come in the final reels. May 31, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`ACCION MUTANTE' (`MUTANT ACTION')

Spain, 1992 Director: Alex de la Iglesia Cast: Antonio Resines, Frederique Feder, Alex Angulo, Juan Viadas U.S. premiere 95 minutes

-- The year is 2021, and the Earth is dominated by beautiful designer people. Vowing to destroy the society that ostracizes and oppresses them, a radical group of handicapped renegades known as Mutant Action struggles against the system. Madness, betrayal, envy, fratricidal war, blood and general zaniness follow in this twisted genre-bending spree. May 28, midnight, Egyptian, $5; May 30, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`ACLA'

Italy, 1992 Director: Aurelio Grimaldi Cast: Francesco Cusimano, Tony Sperandeo, Luigi Maria Burruano U.S. premiere 86 minutes

-- A beautiful 11-year-old boy is sold by his poor family to work in the sulfur mines. Condemned to work six days a week in stifling tunnels below ground, he rebels against the physical and sexual violence that are his fate. His abiding dream is to escape to the sea. Recalling Truffaut's "The 400 Blows," this is a story of how a child's innocent spirit is broken by forces beyond his control. May 17, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 21, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`ACTING IT OUT'

Germany, 1992 Director: Sonke Wortmann Cast: Jurgen Vogel, Kai Wiesinger, Gedeon Burkhard 93 minutes

-- A rambunctious road comedy about three struggling would-be actors. One of two movies in the festival by director Sonke Wortmann ("Alone Among Women" was Wortmann's first film). Johannes, Ingo and Al pool their strengths and weaknesses, hitting the road for Munich and a shot at roles in a big-time television series. May 24, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 31, 6:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`ACTING ON IMPULSE'

USA, 1993 Director: Sam Irvin Cast: Linda Fiorentino, C. Thomas Howell, Nancy Allen, Paul Bartel World premiere 92 minutes

-- This tongue-in-cheek thriller revolves around a successful Hollywood horror movie scream queen (Linda Fiorentino) and the obsessed fan who seems to be killing off the people around her. The film features the same blend of black comedy and murder mystery that enlivened director Irvin's previous SIFF entry, "Guilty as Charged." May 30, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 2, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`ALONE AMONG WOMEN'

Germany, 1992 Director: Sonke Wortmann Cast: Thomas Heinze, Jennifer Nitsch, Carin Tietze 92 minutes -- Three gorgeous feminists hatch a plan to turn a typical male chauvinist pig into a sensitive househusband in this sly comedic exploration of the battle of the sexes set in modern Germany. May 30, 6:30 p.m., Broadway Exit, $6.50; June 2, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`AMAZING GRACE'

Israel, 1992 Director: Amos Gutman Cast: Gal Hoyberger, Sharon Alexander, Rivka Michaely, Aki Avni 95 minutes

-- Set in Tel Aviv's gay community, "Amazing Grace" concerns a 17-year-old's desperate search for love. Jonathan (Gal Hoyberger) is breaking off an affair with a philandering boyfriend and becomes infatuated with the mysterious Thomas (Sharon Alexander). Thomas is both seductive and aloof, leaving his family and Jonathan no choice but to speculate on his secret torment. "Amazing Grace" was Gutman's last film; one of the least known but most courageous gay filmmakers, he died of AIDS in February. May 19, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 23, 12:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`AN AMBUSH OF GHOSTS'

USA, 1993 Director: Everett Lewis Cast: Stephen Dorff, Genevieve Bujold, Bruce Davison, Reilly Murphy 99 minutes

-- This ride through the hallucinatory mind of a teenager and his dysfunctional family tells the story of George Betts (Stephen Dorff) and his parents, who are haunted by the death of their second son. Through stylized flashbacks we see how the family's existence was shattered by the tragic accident that happened 10 years ago, and which they are still unable to reconcile. May 30, 9:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; June 2, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`AMONGST FRIENDS'

USA, 1993 Director: Rob Weiss Cast: Steve Parlavecchio, Pat McGaw, Joe Lindsey, Mira Sorvino 86 minutes

-- The hustlers of "Amongst Friends" are tough guys with a difference; they're not from New York City's mean streets, but from the well-off suburbs of Long Island. Andy, Billy and Trevor have been best friends since childhood, but Trevor is the one sent to jail for a busted drug deal that involved them all. Three years later he returns and can't resist the chance to get revenge. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 22, 3:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`ANGEL OF FIRE'

Mexico, 1992 Director: Dana Rotberg Cast: Evangelina Sosa, Lilia Aragon, Roberto Sosa, Noe Montealegre 90 minutes

-- This tale of incest, fanaticism and lost innocence is set amid ruins and squalor in the barrios of Mexico City. It follows the odyssey of 13-year-old Alma, a fire-eating trapeze artist with the decrepit Fantasia Circus. Upon the death of her father, she is forced to leave the troupe because she refuses to abort his child. She works the streets as a fire-eater until she meets a mother and her son who force her to undergo a rigorous purification ritual. May 19, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 27, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`AS IN HEAVEN'

Iceland, 1992 Director: Kristin Johannesdottir Cast: Pierre Vaneck, Tinna Gunnlaugsdottir, Alfrun H. Ornolfsdottir U.S. premiere 122 minutes

-- Set on a desolate farm on the west coast of Iceland in 1936, "As in Heaven" follows the musings of young Hrefna, who is heavily influenced by the superstitions of her grandmother and the tales of her older foster brother. Believing that the farm has been cursed since the 14th century, Hrefna imagines her family into the past in hopes of altering history and the course of destiny. May 24, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 1, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`AUTUMN MOON'

Hong Kong/Japan, 1992 Director: Clara Law Cast: Masatoshi Nagase, Li Pui Wai, Choi Siu Wan, Maki Kiuchi 108 minutes

-- The innocent friendship between Tokio, a hip young man from Japan, and Wai, a pouty teenage girl, is the basis of this perceptive, intriguing look at relationships in a chaotic world. The imminent repossession of Hong Kong by China lurks in the background, and the city's towering modern architecture imbues the film with a cool, unsettling beauty. May 16, 9:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 19, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

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`BAD BEHAVIOR'

Great Britain, 1992 Director: Les Blair Cast: Stephen Rea, Sinead Cusack, Phillip Jackson U.S. premiere 103 minutes

-- Stephen Rea ("The Crying Game") and Sinead Cusack play a married couple undergoing a midlife crisis or two (or three) in this largely improvised shaggy domestic comedy set in contemporary London. June 5, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 6, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`BARAKA'

USA, 1992 Director/cinematographer: Ron Fricke 96 minutes

-- Ron Fricke is best known for his work as cinematographer on "Koyaanisqatsi" (SIFF '84) and "Chronos." He spent five years and traveled to 24 countries to capture the images of "Baraka." Using large format 70mm cameras, Fricke made three complete journeys around the world to film at Mount Everest, Angkor Wat, Tiananmen Square, the Brazilian rain forest, the pyramids at Giza, the burning oil fields of Kuwait and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Presented in 70mm. May 16, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 21, 5 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`BEST OF THE SHORTS'

-- June 5, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`BETTY'

France, 1992 Director: Claude Chabrol Cast: Marie Trintignant, Stephane Audran, Jean-Francois Garreaud 103 minutes

-- A compelling exploration of character, "Betty" tells the story of a young woman trying to drown her sorrows in alcohol and the sympathetic older woman who befriends her (Stephane Audran). Betty is invited back to Laure's luxury hotel suite to sleep off her drunken condition and reveals the chain of events that led to her current predicament. But the more Betty confesses, the more she remains an enigma. May 21, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 23, 3:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $4.50.

`BILLY LIAR'

Great Britain, 1963 Director: John Schlesinger Cast: Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne 98 minutes

-- One of Schlesinger's earliest films, "Billy Liar" stars Julie Christie in her first major screen role. The titular Billy is played by Tom Courtenay, an undertaker's clerk who frequently escapes from drab reality into a fantasy world. Apparently incapable of telling the truth, Billy lies even when there seems to be no need, and it lands him in trouble, including two simultaneous engagements to girls he does not want to marry. May 15, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, free.

`BOUND BY HONOR'

USA, 1993 Director: Taylor Hackford Cast: Damian Chapa, Jesse Borrego, Benjamin Bratt U.S. premiere 180 minutes

-- Taylor Hackford ("An Officer and a Gentleman," "White Nights") directed this modern epic revolving around three Latino brothers in East Los Angeles. The story spans a period of 12 years, during which the adult brothers' lives take unexpected turns in their individual quests for survival and power. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`THE BOYS FROM ST. PETRI'

Denmark, 1991 Director: Soren Kragh-Jacobsen Cast: Thomas Villum Jensen, Morten Buch Jorgensen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas 110 minutes

-- Brothers Gunnar and Lars are ringleaders of a group of boys from the posh private school St. Petri. Their anti-Nazi pranks soon become deadly serious when they enlist the aid of a working-class youth who gains them access to German weaponry. May 25, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 29, 12:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- C C C

`CADILLAC GIRLS'

Canada, 1993 Director: Nicholas Kendall Cast: Jennifer Dale, Mia Kirshner, Gregory Harrison, Adam Beach World premiere 96 minutes

The challenges of being a parent and coping with parents as a teenager, are woven into this story of a mother-daughter relationship. Sally (Jennifer Dale) is looking to move on with her life when her 18-year-old daughter Page (Mia Kirshner) is arrested and Sally is forced to take custody. The pressures of being together take a toll as both try to protect their own interests and learn to love each other. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 1, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`CAREFUL'

Canada, 1992 Director: Guy Maddin Cast: Kyle McCullough, Gosia Dobrowolska, Sarah Neville 100 minutes

-- Like Guy Maddin's earlier movies ("Archangel"), "Careful" is set in a semimythical, brooding Nordic environment that symbolizes the dark forces of sexual repression and desire. In the village of Tolzbad, the threat of avalanche is so great that even the smallest sound can precipitate disaster. The inhabitants have long restricted their expression, so stifled emotions run riot just beneath the surface. May 20, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`LA CARPA'

USA, 1992 Director: Carlos Avila Cast: Jaime Gomez, Bryan Travis Smith, John Verea, Enrique Castillo 58 minutes

-- Set in 1938, "La Carpa" follows Ramiro Casares, a young migrant worker on the run from the law, as he finds refuge in a traveling sideshow, La Carpa Castillo, where his story finds a voice in a quickly improvised satirical skit. Shown with "Distant Water" (1991), Avila's prize-winning short about a young Mexican-American boy growing up in Los Angeles during the 1940s - a time of segregated swimming pools, World War II anxiety and the "pachuco" riots. May 25, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 30, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`CHAIN OF DESIRE'

USA, 1992 Director: Temistocles Lopez Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Linda Fiorentino, Elias Koteas, Seymour Cassel, Assumpta Serna 105 minutes

-- An erotically charged contemporary chronicle of interconnected sexual lives. Moving randomly across the New York skyline from one romantic liaison to another, the characters (including a few famous cameos) come and go with each encounter. Every imaginable combination of sexual politicking is explored -straight, bisexual, gay and anything in between. Complex in structure and substance. May 28, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 31, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`CHANGING OUR MINDS: THE STORY OF DR. EVELYN HOOKER'

USA, 1992 Director: Richard Kurt Schmiechen 75 minutes

-- A thoroughly engaging Oscar-nominated documentary, "Changing Our Minds" tells the story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker, whose trailblazing research lead to the dropping of homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental illnesses. Shocking archival footage, some dating to the 1930s, shows gays undergoing various torture techniques in attempts to "cure" them, and Dr. Hooker provides many valuable insights. May 14, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 19, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`CHILDREN OF FATE'

USA, 1993 Directors: Andrew Young, Susan Todd 85 minutes

-- Similar to Michael Apted's "35 Up," "Children of Fate" is a powerful documentary that tells two stories about the same poverty-stricken Sicilian family, with 30 years separating them. Footage taken in the slums of Sicily in 1961 and 1991 shows a struggling family and a courageous mother. Sundance Festival prize winner. May 23, 7 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 25, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`THE CLEAN MACHINE'

Canada, 1992 Director: Jean Beaudry Cast: Vincent Bolduc, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Delphine Piperni 90 minutes

-- A lighthearted comedy about a pair of friends who start a neighborhood cleanup business called the Clean Machine. Enlisting a group of younger kids leads to sabotage and labor strikes when the neighborhood children begin to resent the fact that they do all the hard work while the others collect the money. In the end, everyone learns a lesson about mixing business with friendship. Director Jean Beaudry made last year's Children's Festival entry "The Case of the Witch Who Wasn't." May 15, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50; May 26, 10:30 a.m., Metro, $3.50, $4.50.

`UN COEUR EN HIVER' (`A HEART OF STONE')

France, 1992 Director: Claude Sautet Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart, Andre Dussolier U.S. premiere 104 minutes

-- This new work by Claude Sautet relies on nuance and faith in the audience's intelligence. The story centers on Stephane (Daniel Auteuil) and Maxine (Andre Dussolier); friends since they studied music together, they are partners in a successful company. Over lunch one day, Maxine confesses to Stephane that he's fallen deeply in love with Camille (Emmanuelle Beart), who happens to be lunching in the same restaurant. Cesar winner. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 31, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`THE CONJUGAL BED'

Romania, 1992 Director: Mircea Daneliuc Cast: Gheorghe Dinica, Coca Bloos, Valentin Teodosiu 102 minutes

-- Mircea Daneliuc's "Conjugal Bed" is a pitch-black and controversial comedy that reflects the moral and material dilemmas facing postcommunist Eastern Europe. The story centers on the hapless manager of a rundown Bucharest movie theater who divides his time between the futile pursuit of his lissome ticket-taker, and raising capital to fund his haggard wife's abortion. Things go from bad to worse when his would-be mistress, Stella, starts demanding money for her favors. May 24, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 28, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`CRUSH'

New Zealand, 1992 Director: Alison Maclean Cast: Marcia Gay Harden, Caitlin Bossley, William Zappa 97 minutes

-- Set in the sulfurous, volcanic region of Rotorua, Alison Maclean's first feature is a modern fable that explores the shifting power in relationships with a biting, deadpan style. Two female journalists on the road to interview a famous author have a serious car accident. One is left in a coma, but the other is unaffected and without conscience she thrusts herself into the lives of the author and his teenage daughter. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; June 1, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- D D D

`DARK AT NOON'

France, 1992 Director: Raul Ruiz Cast: John Hurt, David Warner, Didier Bourbon, Lorraine Evanoff U.S. premiere 102 minutes

-- "Dark at Noon" is a blackly funny, absurdist horror tale that is as dazzling as it is obscure. Set in post-World War I Europe, the story centers on a young Frenchman who travels to Portugal after the death of his wealthy father. The coach's driver dumps him near the remote village, refusing to go near the "Village of the Dogs." With crutches springing from the earth as if from a Daliesque nightmare, Felicien ventures on, arriving at the door of his father's business partner, Anthony (John Hurt). May 24, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 30, 3:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`DAZED AND CONFUSED'

USA, 1993 Director: Richard Linklater World premiere 94 minutes

-- Set in the mid-70s, "Dazed and Confused" marks director Richard Linklater's follow-up to his 1990 SIFF hit "Slacker." Once again focusing on the predicament of "generation X," "Dazed and Confused" returns us to a time when sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll were the overriding preoccupations of a group of young friends nearing the end of their high-school days and staring the future in the face with bloodshot eyes. June 4, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 6, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`DEAD ALIVE' (BRAINDEAD)

New Zealand, 1992 Director: Peter Jackson Cast: Timothy Balme, Diana Penalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin 101 minutes

-- "A love story - with guts," says director Peter Jackson ("Meet the Feebles") of his latest horror comedy. Lionel lives a quiet life at home with Mum - until she's bitten by a carnivorous monkey and goes on her own flesh-eating rampage. May 14, midnight, Egyptian, $5; May 19, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`DON'T CALL ME FRANKIE'

USA, 1993 Director: Thomas Fucci Cast: Peter van Norden, Elizabeth Bowen, Martin Beck, Tom Prisco U.S. premiere 77 minutes

-- From the land somewhere between "Eraserhead" and "Delicatessen" comes this delirious black comedy about a man who keeps trying to commit suicide but keeps getting interrupted. June 5, midnight, Egyptian, $5; June 6, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- E E E

`EIGHT-TRAY GANGSTER: THE MAKING OF A CRIP'

USA, 1993 Director: Thomas Lee Wright 70 minutes

-- "Eight-Tray Gangster" is an incisive and powerful documentary focusing on the life of a boy from south-central Los Angeles. The film follows events from his early childhood, through his adolescent initiation into a Crips street gang, his first-hand participation in the riots following the Rodney King verdict and ends with his emergence as a community activist in the aftermath of the chaos. May 16, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 19, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`AN ENGLISHMAN ABROAD'

Great Britain, 1983 Director: John Schlesinger Cast: Alan Bates, Coral Browne 70 minutes

-- Alan Bates gives an indelible performance as Guy Burgess, the infamous high-ranking British Secret Service officer and enemy mole who has defected to Russia and now lives a dissolute life of self-loathing behind the Iron Curtain. Coral Browne plays a British actress who has an odd encounter with him.May 22, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, free. ------------------------------------------------------------------- F F F

`FAMILY PRAYERS'

USA, 1993 Director: Scott Rosenfelt Cast: Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Paul Reiser, Patti LuPone, Tzvi Ratner-Stauber 108 minutes

-- Set in Los Angeles in the turbulent 1960s, "Family Prayers" is a poignant ensemble film about growing up in a family that is breaking down. May 22, 6:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 25, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD'

Great Britain, 1967 Director: John Schlesinger Cast: Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Peter Finch, Terence Stamp 170 minutes

-- Based on the classic Thomas Hardy novel, this is a well-crafted and intelligent romance and one of Schlesinger's most ironic looks love. Julie Christie turns down marriage proposals by Alan Bates, avoids the gentlemanly advances of Peter Finch and gives her heart instead to dashing scalawag Terence Stamp. May 29, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian, free.

`THE FENCING MASTER'

Spain, 1992 Director: Pedro Alea Cast: Omero Antonutti, Assumpta Serna, Joaquim de Almeida 88 minutes

-- It is 1868, and Don Jaime Astarloa is the best fencing master in Madrid. Drawn to a mysterious young female pupil, Astarloa is simultaneously gripped by an elaborate web of treachery, violence and destruction. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 17, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`FINDING YOUR PLACE' (Shorts program)

-- Six short films from around the world for young people of all ages, which includes "Aibobo," "Creatures of Instinct," "The Door," "Rights from the Heart," "Dinosaurs Are Different" and "Lord of the Sky." The collection is made up of animated and live-action films. May 30, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50.

`FLAMING EARS'

Austria, 1992 Directors: Angela Hans Scheirl, Ursula Purrer, Dietmar Schipek Cast: Susanna Heilmayr, Ursula Purrer, Angela Hans Scheirl 84 minutes

-- This sci-fi lesbian fantasy is set in the year 2700 in a burned-out city ruled by women. Brimming with sex, violence and bizarre dialogue, "Flaming Ears" was shot in Super-8 and enlarged to 16mm. Emphasizing garish primary colors, hand-held camera shots and stop-action animation, it creates a deliberately artificial tone. May 17, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`FLY BY NIGHT'

USA, 1992 Director: Steve Gomer Cast: Jeffrey Sams, Ron Brice, MC Lyte, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Todd Graff 100 minutes

-- New York's hip-hop culture is explored in this film about Rich (Jeffrey Sams), a talented college dropout with a wife, a son and a dream to make a name as a rap star. But the world of rap does not blend well with the family life his wife envisions. "Fly by Night" is a portrait of the anger, frustrations and contrasting creative energy that fuel the inner-city rap scene. May 28, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 31, 3:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`THE FLYING SNEAKER'

Czechoslovakia/Canada, 1992 Director: Bretislav Pojar Cast: Ludek Navratil, Katka Pokorna, Katerina Machackova 90 minutes

-- When 11-year-old Alec receives a package of cocoons from his absent father, his room is soon filled with magnificent butterflies. One of them turns out to be a lovely fairy with magical powers. "The Flying Sneaker" combines live action and animation to create a tribute to the power of adolescent imagination. May 23, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50; June 2, 10:30 a.m., Metro, $3.50, $4.50.

`FOR A LOST SOLDIER'

Netherlands, 1992 Director: Roeland Kerbosch Cast: Maarten Smit, Andrew Kelly, Jeroen Krabbe, Freark Smink 92 minutes

-- A boy's sexual awakening to feelings of attraction for another man is the basis of this frank period drama set in Friesland during World War II. Though it is not explicit, no one under 21 will be admitted. May 30, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 2, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`FORBIDDEN LOVE'

Canada, 1992 Directors: Aerlyn Weissman, Lynne Fernie Cast: Lynne Adams, Stephanie Morganstern 85 minutes

-- An inspiring look at lesbian lives in the 1940s and 1950s, when being different meant being an outlaw. The documentary uses archival footage and interviews with a variety of women from across Canada. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 27, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`FORTRESS'

USA/France, 1992 Director: Stuart Gordon Cast: Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Loryn Locklin U.S. premiere 97 minutes

-- Stuart Gordon ("Re-Animator," "Dolls") directed this futuristic action adventure set in the year 2013. Christopher Lambert stars as a prisoner who struggles to escape from the most sophisticated maximum-security prison ever built - The Fortress - in order to be reunited with his pregnant young wife, Karen. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 4, midnight, Egyptian, $5. ------------------------------------------------------------------- G G G

`THE GAMES TEACHERS PLAY'

Japan, 1992 Director: Hideyuki Hirayama Cast: Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kazuhiko Kaneyama, Toshiya Fujita 105 minutes

-- This drama about an unconventional teacher struggling to reach his students is in the tradition of "Blackboard Jungle" and "To Sir, With Love." Mr. Mikami (Kyozo Nagatsuka) confronts his unruly and apathetic junior-high students with an aggressive approach. The film ponders the question of how to instill values in those youngsters who seem ready to drift into passive self-destruction. May 24, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 31, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- H H H

`HAMMERS OVER THE ANVIL'

Australia, 1993 Director: Ann Turner Cast: Charlotte Rampling, Russell Crowe, Alexander Outhred U.S. premiere 101 minutes

-- Ann Turner, who made a memorable debut as the director of "Celia," fashions a vivid, perceptive tale from a child's point of view. Set during the summer of 1910 in an Australian farming community, it deals with a budding writer crippled by polio. He idolizes the dashing horseman East (Russell Crowe) and dreams of being able to ride like him one day. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`THE HARVEST'

USA, 1993 Director: David Marconi Cast: Miguel Ferrer, Leilani Sarelle, Henry Silva, Harvey Fierstein 97 minutes

-- Charlie Pope is a struggling Hollywood screenwriter with writer's block. He jumps at the chance to take a short-term research trip to an exotic Mexican resort town where he becomes gripped by an undercurrent of mystery and corruption. May 27, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 30, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`HEART STRINGS'

China, 1993 Director: Sun Zhou Cast: Fei Yang, Zhu Xu, Wang Yumei, He Jielin 97 minutes

-- Jingjing is a Beijing Opera student sent to live with his grandfather after his parents' divorce. Initially, the boy and the old man, a retired opera star, have trouble finding common ground. But slowly their shared love of music becomes a bond. Director Sun Zhou is part of the so-called Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers who started working in the 1980s and made films that bravely defied convention in form and content. "Heart strings" qualifies on both counts. June 1, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; June 3, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`HERCULES RETURNS'

Australia, 1992 Director: David Parker Cast: David Argue, Bruce Spence, Mary Coustas, Michael Carman 80 minutes

-- "Hercules Returns" is a send-up of the cheesy 1960s sword-and-sandal genre; it focuses on a frustrated theater chain employee who quits his job to reopen a rundown movie palace. With a staff of two, he comes up with the idea of hosting a gala reopening party featuring an Italian gladiator epic. But the film arrives in its original Italian version without subtitles. In desperation, the theater staff salvages the evening by improvising the dialogue and sound effects. The resulting film-within-a-film is a camp classic a la Woody Allen's "What's Up Tiger Lily?" May 22, midnight, Egyptian, $5; May 29, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`HERESAY!'

USA, 1993 Director: Will Berlinger World premiere 89 minutes

-- "Heresay!" is a provocative, detailed documentary and examination of the U.S. nuclear energy industry with a bent toward propaganda and power politics. May 28, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`HOUSE OF ANGELS'

Sweden, 1992 Director: Colin Nutley Cast: Helena Bergstrom, Rikard Wolff, Sven Wollter, Reine Brynolfsson 126 minutes

-- Sexy, leather-clad Fanny creates quite a stir when she rides into a backwoods Swedish village. She's there to attend her grandfather's funeral and claim his estate. The locals' suspicion and hostility toward Fanny start to fade as her charm gradually win them over. May 29, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 31, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`HOUSE OF CARDS'

USA, 1992 Director: Michael Lessac Cast: Kathleen Turner, Tommy Lee Jones, Asha Menina, Shiloh Strong, Esther Rolle 109 minutes

-- Kathleen Turner stars in this story of a mother who struggles to come to grips with her daughter's autism. After the death of her husband, Ruth returns to the U.S. with her son and daughter, but finds it increasingly hard to ignore the erratic behavior of her 6-year-old. Sally spends hours obsessively constructing a house of cards, and takes to scaling trees and sitting on the roof of their home. May 21, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 24, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`HYENAS'

Senegal, 1992 Director: Djibril Diop Cast: Mansour Diouf, Ami Diakhate 110 minutes

-- Linguere Ramatou is a self-made millionaire who returns to her poverty-stricken village after a 30-year absence. She plans to donate a generous sum to the town, on the condition that her ex-lover be put to death. The villagers are astonished, yet their dire poverty is undeniable. Will they submit to this indecent proposal? Adapted from Friedrich Durrenmatt's novel "The Visit." May 27, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- I I I

`I KISS YOUR HAND, MADAME'

Germany, 1929 Director: Robert Land Cast: Marlene Dietrich, Harry Liedtke, Pierre de Guingand 88 minutes

-- This saucy romantic comedy affords a rare look at one of the early German-made films of legendary screen star Marlene Dietrich. Released the year before"The Blue Angel," it debunks the myth that Dietrich was plucked from obscurity by director Josef von Sternberg. May 29, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`I WANTED TO SEE ANGELS'

Russia, 1992 Director: Sergei Bodrov Cast: Alexei Baranov, Natasha Ginko, Lea Akeojakova 83 minutes

-- Habitues of the underground Moscow club scene that make up the cast asked director Sergei Bodrov ("Freedom is Paradise") to make sure the film played in Seattle because they knew that when Russian grunge was presented to fans of Seattle grunge, the matchup would be a natural. Russian rockers and their seedy lifestyle set the tone for this gritty story of youth in another culture. May 30, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 3, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`IN ADVANCE OF LANDING'

Canada, 1992 Director: Dan Curtis 90 minutes -- Filmmaker Dan Curtis traveled across North America in search of the UFO-obsessed for this documentary. A diverse collection of believers tell true stories of close encounters, intercut with archival footage and clips from old sci-fi films. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 23, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`INTO THE WEST'

USA, 1992 Director: Mike Newell Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin, Ciaran Fitzgerald, Ruaidhri Conroy 91 minutes

-- This new film from the director of "Enchanted April" and screenwriter of "My Left Foot" focuses on Papa Reilly (Gabriel Byrne) and his two sons. Their grandfather brings the boys a white stallion that the police confiscate, deeming it illegal for habitation in an apartment. The boys kidnap their beloved horse and head off into the wild west of Ireland. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 16, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- J J J

`JACQUOT'

France, 1991 Director: Agnes Varda Cast: Philippe Maron, Edouard Joubeaud, Laurent Monnier 118 minutes

-- "Jacquot" is a magical story of a boy obsessed with make-believe. The boy grew up to become Jacques Demy (Jacquot), whose films include "Bay of Angels," "Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and "Donkey Skin." The film is a loving tribute to Demy by Agnes Varda, his wife of 30 years. May 23, 6:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 26, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`JAMON, JAMON' (`SALAMI, SALAMI')

Spain, 1992 Director: Bigas Luna Cast: Penelope Cruz, Stefania Sandrelli 93 minutes

-- Wry humor and symbolism are rampant in this deeply twisted story that zigzags through the lives of pig farmers, butchers, prostitutes and underwear barons in the small Spanish village of Zaragoza. A little piglet named Pablito is the catalyst. May 29, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 3, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- K K K

`KING OF THE HILL'

-- See "Closing night" on Page 2. Special guest: Steven Soderbergh. June 6, 7 p.m., Egyptian, $15.

`KITCHEN AND OTHER ROOMS'

France, 1992 Director: Philippe Muyl Cast: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agnes Jaoui, Zabou, Sam Karmann U.S. premiere 96 minutes

-- Written by and starring renowned French stage actors Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnes Jaoui, "Kitchen and Other Rooms" comes to the screen after a highly successful theater run. With Chekhov and Pinter as their inspiration, they have constructed a film about a couple who invite an old friend to dinner who has recently become famous. The question is whether they've invited him as a friend or a TV celebrity. June 2, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 5, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- L L L

`LAST CALL AT MAUD'S'

USA, 1993 Director: Paris Poirier 75 minutes

-- Paris Poirier's documentary captures last call at Maud's, the oldest lesbian bar in America. Interviews with patrons, activists and authors are mixed with photos, memorabilia and home movies for a loving tribute to this San Francisco landmark. May 23, 9:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 26, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`LETTERS FROM PARIS'

Italy, 1992 Director: Ugo Fabrizio Giordani Cast: Roberto de Francesco, Lucrezia Lante Della Rovere, Stefano Dionisi, Laura Marconi U.S. premiere 96 minutes

-- At odds with his father, Sergio marries a beautiful young opera singer, which he hopes will raise him to the status of adult in his father's eyes. When a child arrives and Sergio proves he can't handle the responsibilities of marriage, his wife leaves him to pursue her career. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 15, 3:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $4.50.

`THE LONG DAY CLOSES'

Great Britain, 1992 Director: Terence Davies Cast: Leigh McCormack, Marjorie Yates, Anthony Watson 82 minutes -- Set in Liverpool in 1955 and 1956, this autobiographical film by Terence Davies ("Distant Voices, Still Lives") tells of 11-year-old Bud and joyous long summer days filled with trips to the movies, music on the radio, and boundless love from his mother, older sister and brothers. The only cloud is the struggle to adapt to life at a new school. Music plays a crucial role in the film, not only as a counterpoint to the action, but as part of the narrative. May 22, 6:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 25, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`AL LUPO, AL LUPO'

Italy, 1992 Director: Carlo Verdone Cast: Carlo Verdone, Servio Rubini, Francesca Neri, Barry Morse 100 minutes

-- The human need for emotional bonds drives this story of three siblings in search of their missing father. The brother and sisters rediscover their own ties during a cathartic evening and by dawn are off to the country retreat where their father is finally discovered. June 3, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 5, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- M M M

`MAN BITES DOG'

Belgium, 1992 Directors: Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel, Benoit Poelvoorde Cast: Benoit Poelvoorde, Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel 95 minutes

-- Meet Ben: the most enterprising and possibly the most entertaining serial killer ever committed to film. Ben takes great pride in his work, so when a documentary film crew approaches him about following his exploits on camera, Ben jumps at the chance. May 27, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 31, 9:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`MANUFACTURING CONSENT: NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA'

Canada, 1992 Directors: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonik 165 minutes

-- Noam Chomsky, world-renowned linguist and political activist, is the focus of this provocative documentary. Using material that spans nearly three decades, the filmmakers follow Chomsky around the world and document his many confrontations with the public and press. May 23, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`MARY FROM BEIJING'

Hong Kong, 1993 Director: Sylvia Chang Cast: Gong Li, Kenny Bee, Wilson Lam U.S. premiere 103 minutes

-- Ma Lei (Gong Li, "Story of Qiu Ju") is a Chinese citizen living in Hong Kong who would like to get a Hong Kong ID card so she can work legally and marry her boyfriend. While waiting, she meets her charming neighbor Ken. The boyfriend is reluctant to commit to marriage, so Ma Lei looks for happiness on her own. May 26, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 28, 5 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`ME AND VERONICA'

USA, 1992 Director: Don Scardino Cast: Elizabeth McGovern, Patricia Wettig, Michael O'Keefe, John Heard World premiere 92 minutes

-- In a shack on the New Jersey shore, Fanny (Elizabeth McGovern) is hiding from life when her older sister Veronica (Patricia Wettig) appears after a five-year estrangement. They struggle to come to terms with their shared upbringing and their stormy relationship. May 23, 6:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 27, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`MELINA'

France, 1992 Director: Vera Belmont Cast: Valerie Kaprisky, Stacy Keach, Gudrun Landgrebe, Nick Mancuso, Peter Gallagher World premiere 139 minutes

-- Set in Prague and Vienna in the 1920 and '30s, "Milena" is about a young girl in love with literature and Franz Kafka. A grand example of lush, intelligent European filmmaking with impressive performances. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 26, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`MENACE II SOCIETY'

USA, 1993 Directors: Allen and Albert Hughes Cast: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett,

Vonte Sweet U.S. premiere 104 minutes -- 21-year-old twins Allen and Albert Hughes give an unflinching look at life in the 'hood with this powerhouse debut feature. Set in the urban battlefield of LA's Watts district, it explores the hard truths of the street, where reality often clouds issues of good and bad. Though the themes are familiar - young black men, guns, crime, poverty and drugs - the presentation is new and more horrific than what came from the boys in that other 'hood. May 22, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 24, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`MIDNIGHT COWBOY'

USA, 1969 Director: John Schlesinger Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, Brenda Vaccaro 113 minutes

-- John Schlesinger's first American film brought a fresh eye to New York's mean streets. Slapped with an X rating upon its release, the film was the surprise critical and commercial success of 1969, winning Academy Awards for best picture, director and screenplay. May 27, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $7.50, including tribute to Schlesinger.

`MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING'

-- See "Opening night" on Page 2. Special guest: Kenneth Branagh. May 15, 8 p.m., 5th Avenue, $25.

`THE MUSIC OF CHANCE'

USA, 1993 Director: Phillip Haas Cast: James Spader, Mandy Patinkin, Charles Durning, Joel Grey 100 minutes

-- Down-on-their-luck wanderers James Spader and Mandy Patinkin get into a high-stakes poker game with country-bumpkin millionaires Charles Durning and Joel Grey. The end of the game is just the beginning of their losing streak. An evocative, darkly drawn tale of power, manipulation and self-delusion based on a novel by Paul Auster. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 17, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD'

Great Britain, 1993 Director: Timothy Forder Cast: Robert Powell, Finty Williams, Jonathan Phillips, Michelle Evans U.S. premiere 104 minutes 104 minutes -- Based on the final, unfinished novel by Charles Dickens, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is amurder mystery in a small British cathedral town. The church choirmaster is the focus as he hides behind a cloak of decorum even as he lusts after the young woman who is engaged to his nephew, Edwin. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 15, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- N N N

`NATIONAL VELVET'

USA, 1945 Director: Clarence Brown Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Anne Revere 123 minutes

-- Widely regarded as one of the classics of children's cinema, "National Velvet" is one of the defining examples of Hollywood studio filmmaking made famous by MGM. Elizabeth Taylor became a sensation as Velvet Brown, a 13-year-old with a passion for horses and winning. Look for a young Angela Lansbury in the role of Velvet's sister. June 6, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50.

`NIGHT AND DAY'

Belgium, 1991 Director: Chantal Akerman Cast: Guilaine Londez, Thomas Langmann 90 minutes

-- Julie and Jack have no phone, no friends and barely sleep so they can spend more time making love. One night Jack introduces Julie to Joseph. Soon Julie is spending her days not sleeping with Jack and her nights not sleeping with Joseph. But the delicate balancing act becomes increasingly precarious as the affairs go on. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`THE NORTHERNERS'

Netherlands, 1991 Director: Alex van Warmerdam Cast: Leonard Lucieer, Jack Wouterse 100 minutes

-- The hero of "The Northerners" is Thomas, a 12-year-old with an overactive imagination who lives in northern Holland on the only completed street of a housing development that has largely been abandoned. News on the radio is dominated by events in post-civil war Congo (the year is 1960), but for Thomas, his eccentric neighbors and their bizarre shenanigans are much more exciting. Felix winner. May 23, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 27, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`THE NUN AND THE BANDIT'

Australia, 1992 Director: Paul Cox Cast: Gosia Dobrowolska, Chris Haywood 92 minutes

-- Director Paul Cox uses the Australian outback in this morality tale of desire and revenge. Three brothers kidnap the granddaughter of their unscrupulous uncle and hold her ransom for their inheritance. In the process, they also end up with her aunt, Sister Lucy. May 18, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 23, 3:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- O O O

`THE OAK'

Romania/France, 1992 Director: Lucian Pintilie Cast: Maia Morgenstern, Razvan Vasilescu 105 minutes

-- This apocalyptic black comedy celebrates the spirit of anarchic rebellion and is a key for understanding the chaos and catastrophe of Eastern Europe today. The films of Lucian Pintilie were banned for years by the Ceausescu regime; he lived in exile in France for 15 years directing theater. This is his first film since returning to Romania in 1990. May 27, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`OFF SEASON'

Switzerland/Germany/France, 1992 Director: Daniel Schmid Cast: Sami Frey, Maddalena Fellini, Geraldine Chaplin, Arielle Dombasle 95 minutes

-- Director Daniel Schmid takes a nostalgic look at his boyhood growing up in a Swiss hotel. Sami Frey plays Schmid's alter ego on a visit to the huge hotel, wandering the empty corridors while a series of flashbacks remind him of the larger-than-life people he knew there as a boy. May 18, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 20, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`THE OLYMPIC SUMMER'

Germany, 1992 Director: Gordian Maugg Cast: Jost Gernstein, Verena Plangger, Otto Ruck U.S. premiere 85 minutes

-- Gordian Maugg's stylish first film was one of the discoveries of this year's Berlin Film Festival. It tells the story of a naive country boy who journeys to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics. On the way, he meets a wealthy widow who spirits him away for an idyllic summer of love. June 1, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; June 3, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`ON MY OWN'

Canada, 1992 Director: Antonio Tibaldi Cast: Judy Davis, Matthew Ferguson, David Mcllwraith 99 minutes

-- A haunting story about coming of age and coming to grips with family rifts. Simon, a 15-year-old at a boarding school, is looking forward to reuniting with his divorced parents during Christmas vacation. When he arrives home, he is met only by his father, who tells him his mother has been hospitalized. May 17, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 21, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`ORIGINAL SIN'

Japan, 1992 Director: Takashi Ishii Cast: Nami Tsuchiya, Makoto Hirano, Hideki Tsuchiya 117 minutes

-- Variety has dubbed this romantic triangle a Far Eastern "Postman Always Rings Twice." Based on a true story, "Original Sin" is a violent yet sensual portrait of an ordinary man's out-of-control passions. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 19, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`ORLANDO'

Great Britain/Russia/Italy/France/ Netherlands, 1992 Director: Sally Potter Cast: Tilda Swinton, Lothaire Bluteau, Billy Zane, John Wood, Quentin Crisp 93 minutes

-- A much-praised screen adaptation of Virginia Woolf's satirical novel that explores gender roles and sexual identity during the past several centuries. Tilda Swinton is the delicately handsome nobleman Orlando, who is commanded by Queen Elizabeth in the year 1600 never to grow old. He obeys and lives on for 400 years, changing gender midway. Appearing are Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth, Lothaire Bluteau as a khan and Billy Zane as an American adventurer who beds Orlando. June 5, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 6, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`OUR TWISTED HERO'

South Korea, 1992 Director: Park Chong-Won Cast: Hong Kyung-In, Ko Jung-Il, Choi Min-Suk, Lee Jin-Sun 119 minutes

-- An obituary for Han Byung-Tae's primary-school teacher brings back bittersweet memories to the now fortyish professor. His old classroom is a microcosm for Korean history: the illegal formation of violent political power, tyranny and its downfall. June 3, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`OUTBACK'

Romania, 1991 Director: Bogdan Dumitrescu Cast: Oana Pellea, Gheorghe Visu 90 minutes

-- This first feature by Romanian filmmaker Bogdan Dumitrescu is the story of a young woman who is abandoned at an isolated lighthouse on the coast of the Black Sea with a rugged caretaker. The two explore a run-aground ship that may be a metaphor for Romania, wrecked because it didn't see the warning light - or didn't want to see it,says the caretaker. May 26, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; June 1, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- P P P `PASSIN' IT ON'

USA, 1992 Director: John Valadez 58 minutes

-- In 1971, Black Panther leader Dhoruba Bin Wahad (aka Richard Moore) was convicted and sentenced for the shooting of two New York City policemen. In 1990, Dhoruba's conviction was overturned and he was released after serving 19 years in prison. "Passin' It On," ex-Seattleite John Valadez's directorial debut, is as much about the Black Panther Party in New York as about Dhoruba, who remains a committed activist. May 15, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50; May 19, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50. Double feature with "Seven Songs for Malcolm X."

`PEACH BLOSSOM LAND'

Taiwan, 1992 Director: Stan Lai Cast: Lin Ching-hsia, Chin Shih-chieh, Li Li-chun, Ismene Ting 107 minutes

-- Two very different theatrical troupes have booked the same rehearsal space for the same time in this comedy. One is staging a sob story and the other is shambling through a farcical parody of the classical play "Peach Blossom Land." May 21, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 25, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`PETER IN MAGICLAND'

Germany, 1992-93 Director: Wolfgang Urchs U.S. premiere 84 minutes

-- Based on the children's stories by Gerdt von Bassewitz, "Peter in Magicland" is an animated fable about two children and their peculiar adventures. Peter and Annabel, both high-spirited youngsters, travel to the moon with their friend Mr. Buzzworthy, a lovable beetle, to find his lost leg. June 5, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50.

`THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA'

USA, 1925 Director: Rupert Julian Cast: Lon Chaney Sr., Mary Philbin 90 minutes

-- Lon Chaney's chilling portrayal of the phantom in this silent classic helped cement his fame as "The Man of a Thousand Faces." The original two-strip Technicolor sequences have been restored to this new print, along with footage not seen since 1930. June 5, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`A PLACE IN THE WORLD'

Uruguay/Argentina, 1992 Director: Adolfo Aristarain Cast: Jose Sacristan, Federico Luppi, Cecilia Roth 95 minutes

-- This family drama about social injustice and personal struggle focuses on the efforts of a strong-willed teacher and his doctor wife, who return to a small community near Buenos Aires after a long political exile. Federico Luppi leads an effort in his community to gain a fair return for the local farmers from a ruthless landowner. His wife devotes herself to the medical needs of their neighbors and is aided by a local nun and a cynical geologist who regains a measure of optimism through his new friends' efforts. Nominated, then disqualified, for an Academy Award this year. June 4, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`PORT OF SEVEN SEAS'

USA, 1938 Director: James Whale Cast: Wallace Beery, Frank Morgan, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Beal, Jessie Ralph, Cora Witherspoon 81 minutes

-- Based on the play "Fanny," from Marcel Pagnol's Marseilles trilogy, "Port of Seven Seas" has been recently restored by Turner Entertainment. Director James Whale's ("Frankenstein," "The Invisible Man") emphasis on detail and a fluid camera is apparent in this touching drama about love and heartbreak on the Marseilles waterfront. Preston Sturges was becoming a major screenwriter by 1937 and this script shows his characteristic polish. May 22, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Q Q Q

`QUICK'

USA, 1993 Director: Rick King Cast: Jeff Fahey, Teri Polo, Martin Donovan, Robert Davi, Tia Carrere World premiere 97 minutes

-- A combination of "Midnight Run" and "La Femme Nikita," "Quick" follows the exploits of a hired hitwoman (Teri Polo), forced to go on the run with a Mafia accountant-turned-informer (Martin Donovan). Her assignment goes dangerously awry when the dirty cop who is also her employer (Jeff Fahey) gets a little too greedy. May 29, 6:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 31, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- R R R

`THE RED SQUIRREL'

Spain, 1993 Director: Julio Medem Cast: Nancho Novo, Emma Suarez, Maria Barranco, Carmelo Gomez U.S. premiere 114 minutes

-- Julio Medem ("Vacas," SIFF '92) has emerged as one of the brightest in a new wave of directors on the Spanish film scene. Standing on cliff's edge, Jota is stopped in the act of ending his life by a crashing motorcycle that flings its hapless rider onto the sand below. The rider loses her memory, and in a moment of prurient inspiration, Jota passes himself off as her boyfriend, which begins this droll tale of love and deception. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 24, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`RIPPLES ACROSS STAGNANT WATER'

China, 1992 Director: Ling Zifeng Cast: Xu Qing, You Yong 91 minutes

-- Raised in a small Chinese village at the turn of the century, Xu Qing accepts an arranged marriage to a mildly retarded but well-connected shopkeeper. After moving to a larger town, she takes a fancy to her husband's cousin and benefactor, a powerful man with shady dealings throughout the province. But her confidence begins to crack as "ripples" from the far-off Boxer Rebellion in Beijing begin to reach her community. Rich in period and detail. May 18, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 22, 12:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`ROAD SCHOLAR'

USA, 1992 Director: Roger Weisberg 81 minutes

-- Andrei Codrescu, Romanian expatriate, poet, writer and National Public Radio commentator, discovers America through new eyes in the ritual of the road trip. Being wry and ironic without ridiculing, Codrescu seems to home in on the strange as he sets off in his red 1968 Cadillac convertible dream car. He brings a poet's love of language to the task of describing the scene, and quotes freely from Whitman, Sandburg and Kerouac. May 15, 6:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 18, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`ROMPER STOMPER'

Australia, 1992 Director: Geoffrey Wright Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie, Alex Scott 92 minutes

-- Brutal and terrifyingly true to life, "Romper Stomper" aggressively charts the exploits of a gang of white supremacist skinheads. Russell Crowe's performance as the racist gang leader, Hando, makes him almost unrecognizable as the actor who appeared in "Proof" and "Hammers Over the Anvil." May 28, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 29, midnight, Egyptian, $5.

`RUNNING LATE'

Great Britain, 1992 Director: Udayan Prasad Cast: Peter Bowles 75 minutes

-- Recalling both "After Hours" and "Clockwise," "Running Late" revolves around George Grant, a smug, megalomaniacal television host whose life turns into a madcap race against time when he suspects his wife has left him for another man. May 21, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 23, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- S S S

`SAVIOR OF THE SOUL '92'

Hong Kong, 1992 Director: David Lai, Corey Yuen Cast: Andy Lau, Anita Mui, Aaron Kwok 100 minutes

-- A new entry in the Hong Kong sword-and-sorcery action genre. Andy Lau returns as the unintended hero Yen, this time off in search of the beautiful Ice Woman who lives in the snowy mountain from which adventurers never return. May 15, midnight, Egyptian, $5; May 18, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`SCHTONK'

Germany, 1992 Director: Helmut Dietl Cast: Gotz George, Uwe Ochsenknecht 110 minutes

-- The nonsense word "schtonk" was what Charles Chaplin used when he pretended to speak German in "The Great Dictator." This Oscar-nominated film is a black comedy about the faking of the so-called Hitler diaries, and a caustic satire of contemporary Germany. Oscar nominee, best foreign film. May 15, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 18, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`THE SCORPIO EATS THE GEMINI FOR BREAKFAST'

Hungary, 1992 Director: Gardos Peter Cast: Rudolf Peter, Eszenyi Eniko 93 minutes

-- Thirty-year-old Tamas has everything a man could want. Into his idyllic life - on the day his wife gives birth - walks a blonde tornado named Panni. Before long, Tamas is risking everything to pursue his blazing obsession with Panni, going to greater lengths to hold onto her even as she spins wildly out of control. May 16, 6:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 22, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`LA SENTINELLE'

France, 1992 Director: Arnaud Desplechin Cast: Emmanuel Salinger, Thibault de Montalembert, Jean-Louis Richard, Valerie Dreville 140 minutes

-- Recalling the work of such varied talents as Alfred Hitchcok, David Lynch and Claude Chabrol, "La Sentinelle" tells the haunting story of a young student of forensic medicine caught in a quagmire of political and psychological intrigue. On his return to Paris, necrology student Mathias Barillet is stopped at the border and subjected to a brutal, humiliating interrogation by a customs official. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 25, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`SEVEN SONGS FOR MALCOLM X'

Great Britain, 1993 Director: John Akomfrah World premiere 52 minutes

-- Filmed during the flurry of hype surrounding the release of Spike Lee's "Malcolm X," this documentary provides a detailed portrait of the black leader in an entirely different way. Using stylized portrayals of key incidents in his life, the film mixes archival footage and contemporary interviews with subjects such as Betty Shabazz, Spike Lee, novelist Thulani Davis and cultural critic Greg Tate. May 15, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50; May 19, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50. Double feature with "Passin' It On."

`SEX IS . . .'

USA, 1993 Director: Marc Huestis 80 minutes

-- "Sex Is . . ." presents 15 gay men of differing ages, races and backgrounds, who speak with refreshing, sometimes startling frankness about their sexual attitudes and experiences. Filmmaker Marc Huestis punctuates these interviews with a selection of film clips - some quite graphic - and creates a positive, honest film that brings gay male sexuality unashamedly out of the closet in the age of AIDS. June 2, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`SHELF LIFE'

USA, 1993 Director: Paul Bartel Cast: O-Lan Jones, Andrea Stein, Jim Turner 80 minutes

-- Tina, Pam and Scotty are literal extensions of the nuclear family in Paul Bartel's newest bizarre comic adventure. They've been locked in a fallout shelter for 30 years, their only contact with the world an ancient TV set. Sealed in by a commie-fearing father (now just a bag of bones), the three have spent the decades in a video-induced fantasy world. May 22, 6:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 26, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50.

`SHIRTLESS SOUL'

USA, 1992 Director: Kyle Bergersen Cast: Ron Phipps, Sally Mendzela, Taylor Laney, Sylvia Langdon U.S. premiere 88 minutes

-- Kyle Bergersen's debut feature deals with a man who claims immortality because of the worn-out shirt he wears. Recurring images of fire and water, wood and earth, rich and wasted landscapes make this uniquely Northwest vision reverberate with nuance and deeper meaning. May 16, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 20, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`THE SILENT TOUCH'

Great Britain/Poland/Denmark, 1991 Director: Krzysztof Zanussi Cast: Max Von Sydow, Lothaire Bluteau, Sarah Miles 100 minutes

-- The latest from Krzystof Zanussi ("Year of the Quiet Sun") is a tale filled with music and spiritual redemption. Bluteau plays a Polish music student who tracks down an elderly composer (Von Sydow), a broken man whose early promise has been replaced by alcohol and neurosis. Bluteau persuades him to complete the long-forgotten masterwork that has been haunting the young man's dreams. May 23, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 26, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`SILVERLAKE LIFE: THE VIEW FROM HERE'

USA, 1993 Directors: Tom Joslin, Peter Friedman 99 minutes

-- Co-winner of the best documentary prize at the Sundance Festival, "Silverlake Life" is a one-of-a-kind film about AIDS. Taking the form of a video diary, it follows Tom Joslin and Mark Massi from the time they are first diagnosed with the disease. The physical, mental and emotional ravages of the illness are recorded with eye-opening candor and defiant humor. The project was completed, after Joslin's death, by his friend and former student, Peter Friedman. Sunday Festival prize winner. May 26, 9:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 29, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`SNAKES AND LADDERS'

Mexico, 1992 Director: Busi Cortes Cast: Hector Bonilia, Diana Bracho, Arcelia Ramirez, Lumi Cavazos U.S. premiere 95 minutes

-- Busi Cortes' "Snakes and Ladders" is a keen-eyed period piece that chronicles the lives of two young women, Valentina and Rebeca, their coming of age and how their friendship persists against narrow-minded provincialism and the status quo of a male-dominated society. Their childhood game becomes real as they get caught in the intrigues of adult society. May 14, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 24, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`SOFIE'

Denmark, 1992 Director: Liv Ullmann Cast: Karen-Lise Mynster, Erland Josephson 146 minutes

-- Liv Ullmann makes her directorial debut with this rich period story of a young Jewish woman growing up in Copenhagen at the close of the 19th century. May 16, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 23, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`SOFT TOP, HARD SHOULDER'

Great Britain, 1992 Director: Stefan Schwartz Cast: Peter Capaldi, Frances Barber, Simon Callow 95 minutes

-- Reminiscent of the films of Bill Forsyth, this delightful road movie follows Scottish ice cream heir and struggling artist Gavin Bellini (Peter Capaldi) on his way home to collect the family fortune. As he makes his way from London to Glasgow in a battered Triumph, the least of Gavin's troubles are under his hood. May 21, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 24, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`STEPPING RAZOR - RED X'

Canada, 1992 Director: Nicholas Campbell 103 minutes

-- Splendid live concert and rare archival footage highlight this documentary on the life and mysterious death of reggae superstar Peter Tosh. Through his music, Tosh pursued the militant and spiritual approach from the 1960s until he was gunned down in an apparent robbery at his home in Jamaica in 1987. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 21, midnight, Egyptian, $5.

`THE STORY OF QIU JU'

China, 1992 Director: Zhang Yimou Cast: Gong Li, Lei Laosheng, Ge Zhijun, Liu Peiqi 100 minutes

-- Zhang Yimou, director of "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Ju Dou," adapts another Chinese novel about an iron-willed heroine, this time with a lighter touch. Qiu Ju is a resourceful peasant woman locked in a battle of wills with the village chief. The chief has assaulted Qiu Ju's husband in a petty squabble, and her fight for justice goes all the way to the top of modern Chinese bureaucracy. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`SUNDAY, BLOODY SUNDAY'

Great Britain, 1971 Director: John Schlesinger Cast: Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft, Vivian Pickles, Bessie Love, Jon Finch 110 minutes

-- Although a qualified success at the time of its release, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" has remained one of Schlesinger's most enduring achievements. The simple story follows 10 days in the lives of two people (Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch) who are both in love with the same young man (Murray Head), and observes the ways they come to terms with his departure from their lives. Jackson and Finch give what may be their most personal, deeply felt performances. Watch carefully to catch a glimpse of a young Daniel Day-Lewis as a boy glumly scratching the sides of parked cars. June 5, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian, free.

`SWEET EMMA, DEAR BOBE'

Hungary, 1992 Director: Istvan Szabo Cast: Johanna ter Steege, Eniko Borcsok 90 minutes

-- Istvan Szabo ("Mephisto") returns to his Hungarian roots with this story of two women caught in the transition of post-Communist Eastern Europe. Emma and Bobe are young teachers who have fled the countryside in hopes of a better life in Budapest. Their teaching specialty - Russian - is now useless, so they take evening classes in English and teach their students the phrases the following day. May 17, 7:15 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 22, 3:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- T T T

`TANGO ARGENTINO'

Serbia, 1992 Director: Goran Paskaljevic Cast: Nikola Zarkovic, Miki Manojlovic 88 minutes

-- A delicate movie from war-torn Serbia is no contradiction in terms. "Tango Argentino" looks at the life of a 10-year-old boy in post-communist Serbia. Nikola's mother has gotten into the entrepreneurial spirit by running a hospice for the elderly. Nikola gets from his new friends the warmth and understanding missing from home at the same time his energy breathes life into their dreary existence. Never mentioning politics, the film conveys the end of innocence. May 23, 9:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 26, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`THE THREE BEST THINGS IN LIFE'

Netherlands, 1992 Director: Ger Poppelaars Cast: Loes Wouterson, Victor Low, Jack Wouterse, Gerard Thoolen U.S. premiere 100 minutes

-- This Dutch romantic fable follows the adventures of Sacha, a successful violinist who lives in Paris and has just discovered she is pregnant. Sacha hops a train to Amsterdam to break the news to her boyfriend and meets a Czech fellow who persuades her to look after a box containing a duck. In Amsterdam, her boyfriend is out of town, and two men seem to be in avid pursuit of the box. Rescued by a pair of bums who have their own designs on her expensive violin, a new romance begins to blossom. . . . But what about the duck? June 2, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; June 3, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`TIME INDEFINITE'

USA, 1993 Director: Ross McElwee 117 minutes

-- Ross McElwee continues his autobiographic approach to documentaries in a film that picks up where "Sherman's March" left off. "Time Indefinite" is a wild ride through the ideas and unpredictable processes of McElwee's life as he fends off various friends and family members who offer mostly unwanted advice. June 2, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 4, 5 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`TOM AND JERRY . . . THE MOVIE'

USA, 1993 Director: Phil Roman Cast of voices: Richard Kind, Dana Hill, Henry Gibson World premiere 80 minutes

-- The first feature film starring the odd couple of cartoons finds Tom and Jerry homeless after their house is taken over for urban renewal. They meet up with Robyn, a young girl whose father has been lost in an avalanche. Forced to live with her evil Aunt Figg, Robyn is unaware that her father is still alive. But with her new friends' help, Robyn won't be alone for long. May 22, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50; May 29, 12:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $3.50, $4.50.

`TROUBLE BOUND'

USA, 1992 Director: Jeffrey Reiner Cast: Michael Madsen, Patricia Arquette, Florence Stanley, Seymour Cassel 89 minutes

-- Fast-paced and unconventional, this new film by director Jeffrey Reiner ("Blood and Concrete") recalls the black comedy and unpredictability in Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild." May 21, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 25, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`TWENTY BUCKS'

USA, 1993 Director: Keva Rosenfeld Cast: Linda Hunt, David Rasche, Brendan Fraser, Gladys Knight, Elisabeth Shue, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Lloyd, Spalding Gray 90 minutes

-- Like "Slacker," this film free-associates between characters, picking them up and dropping them as it follows the life of a $20 bill. The bill starts as a crisp new note straight from the cash machine, but as it passes through the hands of bag ladies, young lovers, petty thieves, bingo tycoons and police officers (among many others), all that's left is a tattered wisp of paper. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; June 1, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`TWIST'

Canada, 1992 Director: Ron Mann Cast: Hank Ballard, Chubby Checker, Cholly Atkins, Joey Dee, Mama Lu Parks & the Parkettes, Dee Dee Sharp 78 minutes

-- This playful film looks at the dance craze that took America by storm and marked the end of the repressive 1950s. Its most famous proponent, Chubby Checker, described the dance as drying your bottom with a towel while putting out a cigarette with both feet. "Twist" is a social document and a cultural portrait, mixing vintage rock 'n' roll footage with period news clips. May 14, 5 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 20, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- V V V

`VERMONT IS FOR LOVERS'

USA, 1992 Director: John O'Brien Cast: George Thrush, Marya Cohn, Ann O'Brien, Euclid Farnham 88 minutes

-- This bucolic comedy affectionately plays with the insecurities of a pair of New Yorkers who come to rural Vermont to be married. Nervous and apprehensive, Marya questions whether George is the right man for her, which naturally upsets George. Looking for sage advice, they interview an assortment of locals, asking how long they've been married and how they made it work. May 21, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 24, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`VERSO SUD' (`GOING SOUTH')

Italy, 1992 Director: Pasquale Pozzessere Cast: Antonella Ponziani, Stefano Dionisi, Pierfrancesco Pergoli 88 minutes

-- Paula and Eugene lead separate, lonely lives in the chaos of Rome's inner city. Released from jail, alone and awaiting trial, Paula is despondent over losing her child to foster care. Eugene is an alcoholic and a petty thief. Sharing the common bond of being down and out, they begin a passionate, tempestuous affair after meeting in a soup kitchen. May 20, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 22, 3:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`LA VIE DE BOHEME' (`BOHEMIAN LIFE')

Finland, 1992 Director: Aki Kaurismaki Cast: Matti Pellonpaa, Evelyne Didi, Andre Wilms, Kari Vaananen, Christine Murillo, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Laika 100 minutes

-- Aki Kaurismaki ("Match Factory Girl") freely adapts Henri Murger's classic 19th-century novel about life on the fringes of bourgeois society. A trio of down-and-out artists in contemporary Paris are thrown together by circumstances involving a repossessed apartment and a two-headed trout. May 27, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; May 30, 12:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`LES VISITEURS'

France, 1992 Director: Jean-Marie Poire Cast: Christian Clavier, Jean Reno U.S. premiere 103 minutes

-- A 12th-century knight and his faithful squire are the victims of a magic spell that mistakenly thrusts them forward in time to modern France. This fish-out-of-water comedy topped the French box office for two months this spring. June 4, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; June 6, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- W W W

`WALT DISNEY BEFORE MICKEY MOUSE'

USA, before 1932 100 minutes

-- Mickey Mouse was the product of nearly eight years of silent animation work by Walt Disney as he invented fresh cartoon characters and comic stories. Many of these early shorts amount to silent musicals, giving a taste of the jiving Mickey and the Silly Symphonies. Also included are Disney's 1923-27 Alice comedies, a mixture of live action and animation starring a little girl and a wild assortment of cartoon animals. Musical accompaniment will be provided by pianist Joel Salsman. Special guest: Virginia David McGhee, who starred as Alice. May 16, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $3.50, $4.50.

`WALT DISNEY IN THE JAZZ AGE'

USA, various years Director: Walt Disney 100 minutes

-- This unusual program devoted to the rarely seen silent cartoons of Walt Disney is presented by film historian Russell Merritt, author of "Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney." It features a selection of the best of early Disney. Musical accompaniment will be provided by pianist Joel Salsman. May 15, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian, $4.50.

`THE WARRIOR'S HEART'

Norway, 1992 Director: Leidulv Risan Cast: Anneke Von Der Lippe, Peter Snickars, Thomas Kretschmann 102 minutes

-- Illuminating a fragment of history little known in the U.S., "The Warrior's Heart" passionately explores the Scandinavian experience during World War II. When the husband of a young woman from a tiny Norwegian hamlet is called to serve on the Russian front in Finland, she works as a nurse for the Germans who have set up a camp nearby. The intimate personal struggles set on the larger historical stage recall other great war epics such as Renoir's "Grand Illusion." May 26, 9:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`THE WEDDING BANQUET'

Taiwan/USA, 1992 Director: Ang Lee Cast: Winston Chao, May Chin, Mitchel Lichtenstein U.S. premiere 83 minutes

-- Wai-Tung Gao seems to have it all: financial security, a beautiful brownstone in Manhattan and an American male lover who cooks great Chinese food. But the pressure from his parents to continue the family name creates complications. The lover proposes a seemingly simple solution: marry Wei-Wei, who desperately needs a green card. A registry wedding rapidly turns into a full-blown traditional Chinese banquet with mother and father in attendance. Co-winner of the Berlin Festival Golden Bear. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 18, 7:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50.

`THE WELL'

Bulgaria, 1990 Director: Docho Bodjakov Cast: Luben Chatalov, Vania Tzvetkova, Peter Popyordanov 123 minutes

-- "The Well" is a richly symbolic epic about communism's failed humanity that unfolds with the vividness of a dream - or a nightmare. Spanning several decades, the story opens in 1944 on the day the Communists seized power in Bulgaria. Two children are born the same night: a girl whose father is executed as a traitor and a boy whose father leads the slaughter. The lives and fates of the children prove inexorably linked, first as playmates, and later as young adults coping with the far-from-perfect world their parents created. May 25, 7:15 p.m, Broadway Market, $6.50; May 29, 3:30 p.m., Broadway Market, $4.50.

`WHERE IS MEMORY'

Canada, 1992 Director: Chris Gallager Cast: Peter Loeffler 108 minutes

-- This unusual docudrama on the Third Reich mixes fiction and documentary, and archival and contemporary footage in its tracing of a dreamlike journey through modern Germany by "the Sleepwalker" (Peter Loeffler). He embarks on his quest after finding a suitcase full of Nazi memorabilia. Visiting historic sites of the Third Reich and exploring the past with an antique movie camera. May 21, 5 p.m., Harvard Exit, $6.50; May 30, 12:30 p.m., Neptune, $4.50.

`WHITE BADGE'

South Korea, 1992 Director: Chung Ji-Young Cast: Ahn Sung-Ki, Lee Kyung-Young 123 minutes

-- The first Korean film to openly address the country's involvement in the Vietnam War and its lingering effects on veterans, "White Badge" blends the psychology of "The Deer Hunter" and the action of "Platoon." Journalist Han Ki-Jo is plunged into a nightmare when a strange phone call triggers memories of his war experiences and forces him to confront the inner fears he has tried so hard to forget. May 17, 9:30 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 21, 5 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50.

`WHITE MARRIAGE'

Poland, 1992 Director: Magdalena Lazarkiewicz Cast: Joanna Fraszynska, Agata Piotrowska, Teresa Budzisz-Krzyzanowska, Henry Bista U.S. premiere 105 minutes

-- In a small country manor just before to World War I, two sisters are beset with the troubles of adolescence. The sensitive and poetic Bianka is betrothed to the immature and emotionally indifferent Benjamin; the thought of sex fills her with fear. But Paulina fears nothing. In fact she seems to enjoy flirting with almost anyone, including her irrepressible grandfather and her sister's husband-to-be. June 3, 7:15 p.m., Broadway Market, $6.50; June 4, 5 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50.

`WILD WEST'

Great Britain, 1992 Director: David Attwood Cast: Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, Ronny Jhutti, Ravi Kapoor, Ameet Chana, Lalita Ahmed 85 minutes

-- This off-the-wall tale of a Pakistani country-western band from deepinahearta London stars Sarita Choudhury ("Mississippi Masala") and Naveen Andrews ("London Kills Me") as Zaf, a wannabe cowboy who dreams of Nashville stardom with his band, the Honky Tonk Cowboys. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Neptune, $6.50; May 26, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Z Z Z

`LE ZEBRE'

France, 1992 Director: Jean Poiret Cast: Thierry Lhermitte, Caroline Cellier, Christian Pereira 94 minutes

-- Hippolyte, a successful legal notary, and his gorgeous wife, Camille, a suburban schoolteacher, have two precocious children and a beautiful home - the only thing missing is the passion that once characterized their relationship. Hippolyte, determined to rekindle the romantic fire, embarks on a dizzying succession of farcical ploys to recapture Camille's affection in this comic Valentine. May 15, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian, $6.50; May 16, 3:30 p.m., Harvard Exit, $4.50.