Cinefest Film Theatre at Georgia State University
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Thursday, October 8th - Italian Film Series

Written and directed by Lina Wertmüller Swept Away tells the story of a rich woman, Raffaella,who with some friends has rented a yacht to sail the Mediterranean Sea during summer. The woman verbally abuses Gennarino, a long-suffering crew member, regularly insulting his communist views. The sailor obviously does not like this woman, but has to put up with her arrogantly bad behavior. One day Raffaella, wakes up late in the afternoon and asks to be taken to the land where everyone had gone earlier. During the trip the boat breaks down leaving the pair stranded at sea. They end up on a deserted island and Raffaela is no longer the one in control. The role reversal leads to a predictable but contentious love affair.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 60% | Audience 80%

CRITIC REVIEW:
Swept Away... is disappointing because it raises difficult questions about sex, class and eroticism which should be explored by women directors; yet its impact is to reinforce many man-made myths.
by Karen Margolis / Spare Rib / September 22, 2021

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CRITIC REVIEW:
"Swept Away" is as relevant today as it was when it was made. The power that lovers wield is as psychologically transient as any political ideology of the day, and just as predictable.
Cole Smithey / ColeSmithey.com / July 16, 2017

Monday, October 3rd - Sunday, October 9th

A problem with Miguel Angel Vivas’ lengthy and dreary home invasion picture is that he sends out mixed messages and can never be sure where he wants to lead the audience.

Jaime and Marta are a middle-aged couple with a teenage daughter named Isa. The family is in the process of moving into a big new house. Marta wants to gather the family for dinner at home to celebrate. Isa has her own plans; she wants to go out with her boyfriend. Jaime is stuck in the middle of it all. Everyone's evening is ruined when a gang of masked hoodlums pay a visit to the home.

While director Miguel Angel Vivas brings a lot of style and originality to the way his thriller is shot, Kidnapped suffers from unlikable characters and an overkill in violence and brutality.

There will be no screening on Thursday, October 8th at 7pm

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 44% | Audience 49%

Although technically impressive the film is narratively repellent with its the unremittingly grim and violence. Kidnapped has proven difficult for many viewers to take. One wonders why it was chosen to be screened by the Cinefest Film Theatre. Perhaps college students have a higher tolerence for such violence

CRITIC REVIEW:
Starting as a coldly realistic thriller, this film eventually loses its bearings as the director Miguel ngel Vivas succumbs to a fit of nihilism, transforming "Kidnapped" into gruesome tit-for-tat torture porn.
Stephen Holden / New York Times / June 16, 2011

~~~

CRITIC REVIEW:
This is the horror of hopelessness and nihilism made thrillingly visceral, without any of the distancing buffers of monsters or the supernatural.
Anton Bitel / Projected Figures / September 6, 2011

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
*** John M / Jan 13, 2022
Brutal and violent with a straight forward plot. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The ending will leave you shocked.

**** Trky B / Oct 27, 2014
From open to close you won't want to look away, not saying you won't though, this film is gruesome. There are some moments spread throughout that are slow and feel like they could be cut down or out even, but when we get to the third act you won't wanna miss a thing.

* Frank R / Aug 29, 2014 A hostage horror film, dubbed, about rather stupid people, the family. At a crucial point the father has possession of a gun, the thief s unconscious next to him and, incredibly, the father does not shoot him. Earlier, the daughter has a very hard time climbing out of a window. Why? Gotta keep the horror moving, I guess. And, the beginning and the final scene do not seem to be from the same script. At the start the father is rescued and makes a call to his home. His daughter tells him that the mother was shot. The final shot is of the daughter being disemboweled by the thief the father failed to shoot. I must have missed something.

Saturday, October 8th - One Night Only! Rare 35mm Print!

DEEP RED is a mystery / thriller / horror film. A classic Argento film.

A psychic who can read minds picks up the thoughts of a murderer in the audience and soon becomes a brutally murdered victim. An English pianist, Marcus Daly, gets involved in solving the murder since he was the one who discovers the body. A reporter, Gianna Brezzi, hoping for a big scoop by solving the case, works with the musician. However Marcus finds many of his avenues of inquiry cut off by new murders, and he begins to wonder how the murderer can track his movements so closely. Marcus & Gianna realize they must work fast to uncover the murderer's identity or they might become the maniac's next victims. Directed by Dario Argento.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 93% | Audience 86%

CRITIC REVIEW:
Director Dario Argento provokes excruciating suspense but gets carried away with bloody flourishes. As ever, Hemmings is awfully convincing.
Linda Gross / Los Angeles Times / Oct 27 2021

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CRITIC REVIEW:
Operating under the principle that a moving camera is always better than a static one, and not above throwing in a terrifying evil doll, Deep Red showcases the technical bravado and loopy shock tactics that made Argento famous.
Keith Phipps / AV Club / October 17, 2011

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
**** An N / April 22, 2022
This movie fits with the classic Halloween style slasher. If you don't like that, you won't like this one. It's got great visuals, musical score, and creative killings. I LOVED the automaton scene! However, I hated the very end of the movie. But for the fun of the rest of the movie, it is worth it. WARNING! There is a real dogfight cutaway that is far more disturbing than the movie. If you can't see that, you may want to skip this.

***** Dario B / Mar 23, 2021
Best example of the Italian 70's mystery/horror school. The movie is a bucketful of suspense from the beginning to the end.

** Jimmy W / Aug 18, 20214 It's embarrassing to see the amount of aspiring hipsters who have rated this movie. It's too bad they chose something so mediocre to champion

Monday, October 10th - Sunday, October 16th

For approximately 12 months through 2009/10 Rossi shadows journalists on the newly created Media Desk, a department started to tract the transformation of the media landscape and map how new digital advances are going to shape the future of the industry. This unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom and the lives and daily tasks of three writers yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity. Directed by Andrew Rossi.

• There will be no 5pm or 7pm screening on Tuesday, October 11th.
• There will be no 7pm or 9pm screening on Wednesday the 12th.
• Also, no screening on Thursday the 13th at 7pm.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 79% | Audience 75%

CRITIC REVIEW:
It is a snapshot of a very specific place and time, an engaging look at a changing world and an industry struggling to keep up.
Matthew Lucas / From the Front Row / August 5, 2019

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CRITIC REVIEW:
Morris, whose previous work includes the remarkable The Thin Blue Line and The Fog of War, does not hesitate to provoke.
Derek Malcolm / London Evening Standard / September 23, 2011

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
*** Michael P / Mar 20, 2020
An interesting look behind the scenes of the New York Times. Nothing less, nothing more..

** TR J / May 07, 20161
This documentary is not broadly about being "Inside the New York Times," but instead is much more narrowly focused on the dilemma of current newspapers as they try to survive in an era of internet coverage that has largely supplanted the papers in the public mind. It's a weak documentary, skipping around in its focus on a handful of key figures at the Times in 2010, trying to make a case for the traditional newspaper journalism while occasionally following the staff's pursuit of a particular story of note. I strongly favor the continuation of newspapers like the NY Times and agree that the resources and structure they bring to news gathering is essential to a healthy democracy

**** Joanna B / Mar 01, 2016 Has the newspaper industry reached its peak? Is print in ashes? Will the great Grey lady called the New York Times cease to exist, and if so what does that mean? As newspapers smack head on into the wall of its most tumultuous time in history, filmmaker Andrew Rossi gains unprecedented access to newsroom of the iconic New York Times to document either its demise or survival.

Monday, October 17th - Monday, October 24th

Directed by Gustavo Hernández, The Silent House is a mystery/thriller/horror film.
Laura and her father settle down in a cottage which seems to be off the beaten track in order to update it since its owner will soon put the house on sale. They will spend the night there in order to start the repairs the following morning. Everything seems to go on smoothly until Laura hears a sound that comes from outside and gets louder and louder in the upper floor of the house.

There will be no screening on Thursday, October 19th, at 7pm as well as no screenings after 3pm on Friday the 20th, through the rest of the weekend.
There will be screenings the following Monday at 11am and 1pm.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 58% | Audience 37%

CRITIC REVIEW:
If this one-shot approaches imposes a strict unity of time and place on Hernandez's film, nonetheless the story will prove to be no more straight than the house is silent.
Anton Bitel / Sight & Sound / June 20, 2013

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CRITIC REVIEW:
The catch of this Uruguayan horror film is its structure, one continuous shot that takes us through a perplexing tale of disturbance, murder and madness.
Anthony Quinn/ Independent (UK)/ May 25, 2011

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
***** Julie F / Mar 02, 2019
Very near perfection.

*** Michael T/ March 18, 2017
Interesting experiment in taken in one shot...only natural it lacks in effects and dramaturgy....nonetheless more soul than many big budget productions

** Jane D / Mar 22, 2014
The idea of one continuous shot was gold, but it wasn't fashioned in an eminent manner. In fact, most of the time it just looked like poor acting. The atmosphere was fantastic, riddled with tension and suspense, but the ending failed to deliver. Yes, the movie did succeed in delivering a twist ending, but the twist was so fantastical and unrealistic, it was cringe-worthy. I am giving this movie 2 stars, only because of the fantastic idea behind it, and it's great atmosphere..

Monday, August 27th - Sunday, September 2nd

Directed by Ridley Scott, Prometheus is supposedly a quasi-prequel to Alien. A team of explorers travel to to the darkest parts of the universe in search to the origins of mankind on Earth. There, the scientists & their shipmates must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 73% | Audience 68%

CRITIC REVIEW:
With great artistry and poise , Ridley crafts a fantasy world that combines high-tech science, human frailty, primal beginnings, and sheer horror.
Dwight Brown / National Newspaper Publishers Association / November 9, 201

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CRITIC REVIEW:
I enjoyed the bulldozer intensity of the climax, even if the movie's logic ultimately spirals down into a vortex of hysteria, horror and hokum, which barely keeps a lid on the crackpot cult movie that's wrestling for the soul of this... blockbuster.
Tom Charity / CNN.com / November 9, 2016

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
***** Ryan P / Mar 05, 2022
I've watched this movie 10 times at least and it's amazing. The cinematography is incredible - Ridley Scott is a genius. If you like movies that require you really pay attention (and possibly read for 15 hours on reddit to figure out what's going on) then this movie is for you

****1/2 Jordan M Apr 02, 2022
This was near-instantly better than every sequel to the original (including Aliens) because of the incredible sense of grandness and magnitude. A gigantic budget is exactly what the franchise needed. The starry supporting cast didn't seem like they were just there to die, the premise was very intriguing by itself (they could've done a lot worse and still made a compelling movie) and the filmmaking execution was perfect. One of the biggest highlights was that they made it relatively recently and so the special effects were thoroughly impressiv

***** Everton TB / Feb 10, 2022 Absolute Must See!!! Specially if you're sci-fi fan!.

**** Jacob B / Feb 24, 2018 Prometheus: It's the movie that everyone loves and everyone hates. For some, it ruins the sense of mystery that made the original Alien movies great, for others it's a thought-provoking movie that explores the idea of a peaceful coexistence between religious beliefs and scientific knowledge. It's an Alien prequel but it doesn't rely on fanservice (no, not THAT fanservice) to appeal to those who loved the movies from the Sigourney Weaver era. Ridley Scott explains that it takes place in the same universe as Alien but explores its own mythology and ideas. I liked it.

Thursday, August 30th - Italian Film Series

Directed by Fausto Brizzi, Notte Prima Degli Esami (Night Before the Exams) takes place in Italy in the mid-1980s. High school student Luca brazenly insults his literature professor but fails to anticipate the teacher's participation in his oral exams. He thus makes a concerted effort to win the prof over, while pining for the class sex kitten whom he soon realizes, is the offended professor's daughter! Luca will try everything to win back Professor Martinelli's admiration and the two of them begin meeting after school under the excuse that he needs revising for the exams. They eventually start to meet because they have become, well almost, friends.

2022 UPDATE:
IMDb review
Notte Prima Degli Esami, for the most part is a rather good teen movie. It shows the last days of high school for a group of friends before the final exams. In the first scene, Luca does what may be the fantasy of every student- telling his hated teacher what he really think about him. Nevertheless, a relationship grows between them as the film proceeds.
Most of the themes, love, coming of age, friendship, various accidents, shown in the movie are typical of this type of comedy, but are presented in a way which really feel true. Although many of the secondary characters are not really developed, they are enjoyable anyway. Some of the dialogue is really funny and well written. But the two things that makes this movie great are the ones that makes it enjoyable to two different audience: the ones who were young in the '80's, the time when Notte Prima Degli Esami is set, who can appreciate the great soundtrack and many subtle details, and the thbose who are about the same age of the characters. The film just feels so true: the anxiety, the accidents, the stress.
9/10* Marco FrullantiJun 17, 2008

Thursday, August 30th - Monthly Event

The last Thursday of each month we will be showing the classic film Lady Terminator.

Come on out and have fun with this Indonesian cheesy horror with more than the occasional nod to the eighties classic The Terminator. Lady Terminator, was a former sexy anthropologist on holiday becomes possessed by the spirit of an ancient and evil South Seas Queen after going for a swim in the sea. Lady Terminator, who is invincible to gunfire, can't wait to go on a murderous rampage to get revenge on those who have wronged her. as well as finding some male company for some sexy pleasures.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics - | Audience 49%

CRITIC REVIEW:
It's the kind of movie best randomly discovered on cable at 4 AM, but if you dig guys with mullets, director H. Tjut Djalil has some serious treats in store for you.
Cliff Doerksen / Chicago Reader / February 8, 2010

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
***** Sam P / Apr 17, 2022
Lady Terminator (the actual title translates as Revenge of the South Sea Queen) and is one of the most incredible movies I've ever seen. It takes its structure from Terminator (which is in itself ripped off from two Harlan Ellison stories, "Demon With a Glass Hand" and "Soldier") and infuses the mythology of Indonesia. While this may not have been the first film in which mankind battled Nyi Roro Kidul, the Queen of the South Sea, it is definitely the only time that she repeatedly shoots men in the penis with an M16. Director Jalil Jackson is actually H. Tjut Djalil, the same artist who made Mystics In Bali.

** Mattew P /Sep 10, 2015
Lady Terminator is the kind of movie that you'll randomly come across on a cheap channel, and when I say "cheap", I mean Syfy channel cheap.

Tuesday, September 4th - Sunday, September 9th

There will be no 7:00pm screening on Wednesday nor 9:00pm screening on Thursday or Friday night due to special event

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a romance/ comedy directed by Lorene Scafaria.
As an enormous asteroid nears Earth, a mild-mannered insurance salesman, Dodge, finds himself alone when his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart after his young neighbor, belatedly delivers a letter from Dodge's former sweetheart. Dodge and his neighbor embark on a road trip. The neighbor inadvertently puts a wrench in his plans.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 55% | Audience 53%

CRITIC REVIEW:
The film unfortunately invites a lethal dose of scepticism towards its cutesy last-ditch matchmaking, obligatory road-trip plotting, and thinly funny jibes at the rest of humankind.
Tim Robey / Daily Telegraph (UK) / July 13, 2012

~~~

CRITIC REVIEW:
With uneven laughs, sensitivity and bittersweetness in one tidy package, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World is a credible directorial debut for Scafaria but it only becomes watchable after the first 45 mins.
Katie Smith-Wong / Flick Feast/ November 26, 2019

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
**** Clive E / Mar 30, 2022
An unexpectedly charming little film. The idea of pairing up Steve Carell and Keira was at first odd, but it worked. I found it profound, thought provoking but ultimately just sweet -and tender. A little gem

***1/2 Jake C / Dec 23, 2021
I thought the overall concept of the movie was great. The idea of people being themselves and living life in the moment of impending doom is always intriguing to me. The story does get a little sappy towards the end but then again, I feel like that was the writer's intent hence the name of the title. The only gripe I truly have is the dialog from the main protagonist. I do agree with some of the other critics on here; his voice does sound a little creepy at times but if you can overlook that one character flaw this movie is actually pretty good especially if you're into obscure rom-coms.

***1/2 Tim W / Apr 19, 2018 Against all odds I enjoyed this. I thought it would be awful, but the two main leads carried the film. They were, it's true a very odd couple, though I'll let them off given the circumstances. Real life Hollywood and half the royal families of Europe have weirder couples. I just hope that when the balloon goes up, I'll get my last chance too. Steve Carrell is 4 years older than me

Wednesday, September 5th - Special Screening

Thursday, September 6th - Sonic Nitrate Film Series

Instrument:Ten Years with the Band Fugazi is a documentary film directed by Jem Cohen. Cohen's relationship with band member Ian MacKaye extends back to the 1970s when the two met in high school in Washington, D.C. The film takes its title from the Fugazi song of the same name, from their 1993 album, In on the Kill Taker.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics - | Audience 90%

CRITIC REVIEW:
No critic reviews.

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
****1/2 Good B / Sep 18, 2018
Wonderful documentary about one of the 90s best and most important post hardcore bands.

*** Mike P / Dec 20, 2009
Instrument is everything i expected a documentary about the mighty Fugazi to be, artistic, vague, educational, and a DYI feel to it. Fugazi never marketed themselves. Their values and beliefs would never be anyones profit. Hell they really never profited, so anything thing on the band has always been practically impossible to find. I always loved the fact that Ian would charge a question fee when interviewed. For every question you had to pay him. The only way to ever "get to know the band" would be through their music and their music only. So i was really happy to finally see this film for a band I've followed since their incarnation. And as cool as it was to see Fugazi behind the scenes i gotta admit feeling a bit bummed by the fact that any time there was a performance the song they would be playing is never shown in whole.. Theres some great concert footage here and you get to see half of a song!? And for a film thats practically 2 hrs long theres no reason to not show some of these performances all the way through. Fugazi fans need only apply

**** Brock S / Jul 30, 2009
i doubt any "non-fan" of fugazi would agree

Friday, September 7th - VHS Nites Film Series

Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa, The Street Fighter is a martial arts caper. Terry Tsurugi is a tough, mercenary, master of martial arts and perhaps an assassin-for-hire. When an important business magnate dies, leaving billions to his daughter, Sarai, the Mafia and Yakuza try to hire Terry to kidnap the daughter. Unwilling to pay his exorbitant price, the Mafia and Yakuzathen try to kill him to conceal their secret plans. He promptly offers his services to protect her.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics - | Audience 81%

CRITIC REVIEW:
Many wild and woolly moments in this above-average action romp.
Matt Brunson / Film Frenzy / April 16, 2019

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
***** Dwayne B/ Aug 31, 2021
My third favorite movie of all time behind Casablanca and 12 Monkeys. I became a lifelong Sonny Chiba fan after watching this movie. Yeah, Enter The Dragon is the best martial arts film ever, but The Street Fighter is the most fu

***1/2 Micah S / Nov 14, 2020
This is a gloriously excessive and hilarious martial arts film that is very much a product of it's time which isn't a bad thing at all in this instance. ‘Street fighter' has just the right amount of silliness and stockpile of formulaic cliches to make it entertaining.

**** - / May 08, 2019
Sonny Chiba is king, in this comic-bookey, inventive, over-the-top Kung Fu flick.

Monday, September 10th - Sunday, September 16th

Directed by Gareth Evans,The Raid: Redemption offers tremendous action and martial arts sequences, along with a lot of drama. An an elite team of commandos becomes trapped in a high-rise apartment block run by a ruthless and brutal crime lord called Tama and his army of killers and thugs. Rama, a rookie member of the commandos takes command and leads the remaining team on a violent charge through the building to not only complete the mission, but also to survive. Garett Evans' filmmaking and fight choreography are brilliant.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics 87% | Audience 87%

CRITIC REVIEW:
The Raid is fun of a kind: the kind liked by the brainless everywhere and by the intelligent in moments of elective brainlessness, such as a drunken Saturday night..
Antonia Quirkes / Antonia Quirke/ Financial Times / May 17, 2012

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CRITIC REVIEW:
Guaranteed to be a word-of-mouth hit. Expect to be introducing people to The Raid for years to come.
Matt Bochenski / Little White Lies / May 17, 2012

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
***1/2 Anthony F / Apr 12, 2022
Pure and simple violence for violence sake, not that that is a bad thing. The fight sequences are well choreographed and executed, if completely illogical and beyond any sense of reasonableness. My guess is that the pitch went something like: let's find an abandoned building and kill a lot of people with guns and martial arts, and call it a movie.

**** Paul B / Apr 04, 2022
This film is the golden money shot of action movies. There aren't enough superlatives to describe it ... It's just that good.

***** Anthony V / Oct 16, 2015
This film is a game changer, just like the Hong Kong bullet ballets from the late 80's/early 90's were. The violence is hard core. The stunt work amazing. A minimal plot to extract the maximum amount of action. Expect this film to influence other action fare (and to get an American remake)X

Thursday, September 20th - Special Screening

Soon after the Cuban revolution was won, Fidel Castro commissioned five new schools. They were to be the best art schools in all the world.
In 1961, three young, visionary architects were commissioned by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara to create Cuba's National Art Schools on the grounds of a former golf course in Havana, Cuba.

Even before the buildings were completed, they were occupied and used by students, who helped in their construction. Dancers, musicians and artists from all over the country reveled in the beauty of the schools. But before any of the buildings were totally completed, the Communist culture of Cuba changed. Becoming much more Soviet, anything not prefabricated or functional was scorned as elitist and bourgeois. Two of the three architects left Cuba as a result of their sudden stigmatization.
The more complete buildings were used by students, then later by a circus, and still later by a TV series about aliens. But they now stand, mostly, as unused space.

Forty years later the schools are in use, but remain unfinished and decaying. Castro has invited the exiled architects back to finish their unrealized dream.

2022 UPDATE:
RottenTomatoes Tomatometer
Critics - | Audience 80%

CRITIC REVIEW:
A fine, clear-eyed documentary about the fates of the 5 Cuban art schools commissioned by Fidel Castro when he first took over Cuba.
Mark Feeney / Boston Globe / December 14, 2011

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CRITIC REVIEW:
Cuban Communism doomed 5 modern wonders to ruin. It’s not great cinema, but if the subject matter appeals to you, it’s a good way to spend 90 minutes.
Marty Mapes / Movie Habit / November 3, 2011

AUDIENCE REVIEWS:
**** Dan A / Apr 16, 2012
A fascinating journey from the optimistic, radical, utopian spirit that followed the Cuban revolution to disillusionment and repression as Soviet influence supplanted revolutionary ideals. ..... A documentary about Cuban architecture may sound dry, but it is really quite interesting, aided in large part by the frequent appearance of the highly charismatic Ricardo Porro, a cheerful iconoclast & provocateur who designed two of the art schools. An elderly Fidel Castro also makes an appearance, making a bizarre and implausible series of excuses about why the projects were defunded despite his claimed love for them.

**** Steven G/ Mar 02, 2012
An informative and engaging documentary about a unique piece of Cuban architecture and how it was affected by the ebb and flow of Communist politics there.