Hear From The Filmmakers In ‘Cinema Live’

“Cinema Live,” conversations and new films hosted online by Sag Harbor Cinema, continues Sunday, January 31, at 4:30 p.m. with a live discussion featuring award-winning “Identifying Features” director Fernanda Valadez, offered in collaboration with Cinema Tropical.

“One of the great joys of our path towards the new Sag Harbor Cinema has been discovering how supportive filmmakers and artists in general are,” said SHC’s artistic director, Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, who will moderate the discussion. “Their in-person participation has made so many of our screenings special. Given that a virtual appearance has no geographic limitations we thought that, for these conversations, we may as well reach far and bring Rome, Paris, Mexico City and Pasadena to Sag Harbor.”

“Identifying Features” tells the story of middle-aged mother Magdalena (Mercedes Hernandez) who has lost contact with her son after he took off with a friend from their town of Guanajuato, Mexico, to cross the border into the United States, hopeful to find work. Desperate to find out what happened to him — and to know whether he’s even alive — she embarks on an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous journey to discover the truth. At the same time, a young man named Miguel (David Illescas) has returned to Mexico after being deported from the United States, and eventually his path converges with Magdalena’s. From this simple but urgent premise, director Valadez has crafted a lyrical, suspenseful slow burn, equally constructed of moments of beauty and horror, and which leads to a startling, shattering conclusion. “Identifying Features” will be available in the virtual cinema starting January 29.

Other offerings in the series include Pietro Marcello, who discusses his latest passionate and enthralling film “Martin Eden” live on Saturday, February 6; and NPR’s John Powers joins discussing Wong Kar-wai’s romantic and stylish films on Sunday, February 14. Both talks begin at 4:30 p.m.

Also, coming up with date to be determined is a conversation with Ramin Bahrani, director of “The White Tiger,” a film now available on Netflix, and beginning February 5, SHC will offer “Escher: Journey to Infinity,” an entertaining and eye-opening portrait of the artist M.C. Escher through his own words and images.

Visit sagharborcinema.org to access all films and conversations.