AAFF presents final film in this year’s new monthly screening series Nov. 6

Ann Arbor, Michigan—In partnership with the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities (www.lsa.umich.edu/humanities), the Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF) will present the final film in this year’s new monthly screening series Ann Arbor Film Festival Presents: the feature-length El Mar La Mar, to be screened at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, at the State Theatre (233 South State Street) in Ann Arbor. This is the only film in the series that was not seen at the recent 57th festival, held in March 2019.

El Mar La Mar is an abstract look at the Sonoran Desert on the U.S.–Mexico border. Canadian artist and filmmaker J.P. Sniadecki and AAFF alumnus Joshua Bonnetta combine oral histories from the area with hand-processed 16mm images of natural elements and belongings left behind by travelers. A sonically rich soundtrack adds to the eerie atmosphere. 

The film opens with a long tracking shot of the border itself—a visual meditation on the object that reinforces the divide. We then move through the night in the Sonoran desert. Ambient sounds mix with personal accounts and testimonials. “El Mar La Mar thoughtfully considers the humanity contained within this contested space at a pace that allows the viewer to reflect and digest,” writes festival director Leslie Raymond in her recent blog post about the film, at www.bit.ly/AAFFElMarLaMar. 

Everyone is welcome! Tickets are free for AAFF members and Michigan Theater gold card members. Ann Arbor Film Festival Presents is possible thanks to a partnership with Michigan Theater.

To become a member of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, simply visit the membership table at the screening of El Mar La Mar on November 6; or call the festival office at (734) 995-5356; or visit www.aafilmfest.org/become-a-member.

Tickets and seat selection are available at www.bit.ly/AAFFticket1119.

The 58th Ann Arbor Film Festival will take place March 24–29, 2020.