photo: Courtesy of the Artist

Friday, March 9 – Thursday, March 15, 2012
reRun Theater – Brooklyn, NY

The SXSW Film Festival and Factory 25 present CONVENTO, the phantasmagoric fave of SXSW, Edinburgh, and Rooftop Films that IFC News called “an unorthodox doc about an unorthodox family of artists.” Presented in a 68-minute extended cut featuring supplemental vignettes, Jarred Alterman’s directorial debut makes its NYC theatrical premiere with a week-long run, March 9 – 15.

Prima ballerina Geraldine, photographer Kees, and their two boys Christiaan and Louis left Holland in 1980 to take up residence at the Convento São Francisco de Mértola. Strategically situated at the convergence of two rivers in southeastern Portugal, this vacant monastery was left decaying for centuries until the Zwanikken family transformed it with their eccentric and earthy endeavors.

In the airy studio converted from the estate’s chapel, Christiaan builds kinetic sculptures from discarded electronics and the skulls and bones of deceased wildlife. Combining the family’s home movies with his own observant photography, Alterman artfully casts these fantastical creatures as supporting characters as they literally move across the landscape, animating the ancient grounds. (68 minutes. In English. Presented in Blu-ray. Unrated. A Factory 25 release.)

SHOWTIMES:
Friday, March 9 (7pm, 10pm) *Jarred Alterman in person*
Saturday, March 10 (10pm) *Jarred Alterman in person*
Monday, March 12 (7pm)
Tuesday, March 13 (7pm)
Wednesday, March 14 (7pm)
Thursday, March 15 (7pm, 10pm)

Click here to watch the trailer