Lisandro Alonso

Thrilled to see that Northwest Film Forum is screening all 4 films of the young Argentine director Lisandro Alonso over the next 10 days. Reading film blogs and journals these days you can't help but be aware of the breathless assessments of Alonso's limited output, but until now not one of his films has shown in Seattle.

Three of Alonso's four films, La Libertad, Los Muertos and Fantasma, form a trilogy often compared to the first films of Jim Jarmusch. The first two feature solitary characters in isolated and otherworldly landscapes, working toward elusive goals. The third film, Fantasma, works as a curious commentary on the first two. In it, the lead actors of the first two features wander through a building looking for a screening of Los Muertos. His most recent film, Liverpool, follows a sailor on a lonely journey in the southernmost region of Argentina.

Lisandro Alonso will be on hand at the NWFF throughout the series, introducing the premiere screenings of all four films and conducting a master class. The series begins with La Libertad on Wednesday the 11th and concludes with Liverpool on Friday the 20th.