Free Screening: “The Bitter Stems” + Film Noir Presentation

Velvet Notes, a San Francisco-based independent arts, culture and politics magazine, in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, presents a rare screening of The Bitter Stems (Los Tallos Amargos, 1956), a classic noir film from Argentina. The screening is accompanied by a presentation on film noir by author Rafael Pineda and by a post-screening discussion and Q&A with Rafael Pineda, Velvet Notes editor Eugene Rodríguez and SFPL’s Latinx Center Librarian Luis Gonzalez.

Film: The Bitter Stems (Los Tallos Amargos, 1956)
Alfredo Gasper, a dissatisfied Buenos Aires newspaperman (Carlos Cores), partners with Paar Liudas, a clever Hungarian refugee (Vassili Lambrinos) who needs money to bring his family to Argentina. Together they create a bogus correspondence school, exploiting the hopes of would-be journalists. As their scheme succeeds beyond their wildest dreams, a mystery woman from Liudas’ past sparks Gasper’s suspicion: his charming colleague may be playing him for a sucker. Soon Gasper finds himself plotting the perfect crime – but fate has many twists in store.
Director: Fernando Ayala
NR, 93 mins., 1956. In Spanish with subtitles in English.

Presentation: "A Bitter World: Film Noir Across the Americas"
How far do the shadows of noir reach and why do they continue to provide inspiration in troubled times?
Rafael Pineda is a writer and cinephile with a profound passion for film noir. He writes an ongoing column for Velvet Notes.
Eugene Rodríguez is the editor of Velvet Notes and a multi-disciplinary artist. His work examines how popular media promotes a thin and anemic interpretation of history and simultaneously influences how we see each other, the world, ourselves and the future.

More info about the film: https://sfpl.org/events/2025/06/29/film-bitter-stems-film-noir-presentation-and-qa-0

1:30 Meet in the Program Room of the Bernal Heights Library (Lower Level). The film program will start at 1:30 p.m.
4:15 After the screening we will visit the nearby Moonlight Café (634 Cortland Ave) for coffee and conversation.48717917