Panida welcomes extraordinary films

It’s an extraordinary week of entertainment at the Panida Theater.

In addition to “April and the Extraordinary World”, the Panida will play host to “Papa: Hemingway in Cuba”.

n “April and the Extraordinary World”

Set in the heart of Paris where human progress has stalled before the invention of electricity, this terrific ‘toon’ calls to mind a lost era of animation — and storytelling in general. One showing will be in French with English subtitles and the another is dubbed in English.

In the film, a repurposed monastery known as the Musee des Arts et Metiers serves as a technological shrine to human innovation, where school kids marvel at all manner of inventions, from Foucault’s pendulum to the first robots and computers. Now think how different that museum’s treasures might be had all the world’s best scientists disappeared from the face of the earth at the turn of the previous century, leaving Paris mired in the Age of Steam. That’s the alternate reality that graphic novelist Jacques Tardi imagined in “April and the Extraordinary World,” which has now inspired a dynamic animated sci-fi adventure that delivers on the lofty, retro-styled promise of “Tomorrowland” — or more aptly, “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” — in a way that stimulates the intellect of all who watch.

The film opens over a century ago, imagining an alternate timeline that branches off when Napoleon III dies as a result of a science experiment gone awry. It turns out that Napoleon and his team were trying to develop a serum that would make their soldiers invincible. The story flashes forward decades to a cold, steampunk 1931 Paris. A young girl named April (voice of Marion Cotillard) watches as her parents try to finish the invincibility serum started so many years ago. Of course, the government wants to get their hands on this tool, leading to a chase scene that results in April being orphaned, her only companion her talking cat Darwin. Flash forward another decade (and it’s no coincidence that the bulk of this story lands in Europe in the era of World War II in “our” timeline) and April is trying to finish the experiment herself from a secret lair in the head of a statue. The police inspector who tracked her parents wants to find her — he never got April’s grandfather and is convinced that April’s parents are still alive — and, well, there are further surprises in store for April and her talking feline.

The film is showing at the Panida on Friday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. (French with English subtitles); Saturday, April 30, at 3:30 p.m. (English dubbed) and Sunday, May 1, at 1:30 p.m. (English dubbed).

n “Papa: Hemingway in Cuba”

“Papa” opens to a very select 300 theaters on Friday and the Panida was one of those chosen to show this film.

The special opening premier begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29. The film will play at the Panida through May 14.

Ernest Hemingway was one of the most important writers of the 20th century. The legendary Hemingway was on-hand, as a journalist, covering many of the 20th century’s biggest events: World War I, World War II, and the Spanish Civil War. He was also present in Havana for the Cuban Revolution. If you don’t know much about that period of time in his life the new film “Papa: Hemingway in Cuba” will take us all back on that journey when it opens to a very select 300 theaters nationwide this Friday at the Panida, starring Adrian Sparks (who first portrayed Hemingway onstage in 2005) as the legend affectionately known as ‘Papa’ in the telling of this true story.

Tracing back through his time there, with the focus on his friendship with a younger Denne Bart Petitclerc (Giovanni Ribisi) we meet Eddie. At first Eddie is intimidated by the old man, whose bushy beard and barrel chest admittedly create an imposing image, but he quickly finds that the real Hemingway is shy and somewhat self-conscious. Early in their first meeting Hemingway declares ‘less is more’ and asks him to choose a number between one and 10. When Petitclerc picks the number six, Hemingway starts scratching away with a pen and paper to write a story in 6 words. The powerful results prove that the famous writer never needed an excess of words to get a point across. His writing style in his novels “A Farewell to Arms,” “The Sun Also Rises,” and “The Old Man and the Sea” changed literature forever.

Due to the honor of being chosen as one of the exclusive arthouse theaters for the premiere, the Panida will be showing Papa at varied times from April 29 through May 14. Both Wednesday showings are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to accommodate individuals and groups unable to catch a weekend showing.

“Papa: Hemingway in Cuba” opens in theaters April 29 at 5 p.m. Showings will take place April 30, 7:30 p.m.; May 1, 3:30 p.m.; May 3, 6:30 p.m.; May 4, 1:30 p.m.; May 5, 7:30 p.m.; May 7, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30; May 8, 3:30; May 10, 6:30 p.m.; May 11, 1:30 p.m.; May 14 p.m., 1:30 p.m.

The film is rated R (for language, sexuality, some violence and nudity.