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"Race,
Class, and Identity:
Cultural Understanding Through Cinema"
Asia
Society's Southern California Center hosted
a series
of film screenings and discussions on Asian films.
The
following screenings were hosted by distinguished professors and
lecturers.
"Pushing
Hands"
Directed by Ang Lee
Film:
Winner of the Best Film Award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival.
This is Ang Lee's first film, which was nominated in nine categories
of Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan in 1991,and won three, including
a Special Jury Prize for his direction. Dr. Stanley Rosen, University
of Southern California and Dr. Tianwei Xie, California State University,
Long Beach share views on cross-cultural understanding and explore
cultural shock and conflict.
Website:http://www.pacasiamuseum.org
"Snow Falling
on Cedars"
Film:
Screenplay is based on David Guterson's best selling novel.
Set in the 1950's, lingering memories of WWII, internment camps
and racism helps fuel suspicion of a Japanese-American fisherman
to fight the distrust and prejudice of his neighbors on a remote
island in Puget Sound. Dr. Monique Taylor, Occidental College
and Dr. Edward Fowler, University of California, Irvine, looks
at various facets of racial prejudice and racial conflict in the
human conditions.
Website:http://www.library.ci.glendale.ca.us/index.php
"The Debut"
Film:
"The Debut" explores a journey of a gifted high school
senior who struggles to fit into American life and reject his Filipino
heritage. This heartfelt independent feature film is one of the
first theatrical motion pictures to celebrate the Filipino American
experience. Join Gene Cajayon, the filmmaker and Abraham Ferrer
of Visual Communications to discuss the various facets of identity
crisis and cultural conflict.
Website:http://www.usc.edu
"Restless"
Film:
"Restless" follows an American woman in her twenties through
the streets of contemporary Beijing. Together with her group of
friends -both Chinese and American, speakingin both English and
Mandarin languages - she parties, experiments, and tries to cope
with the fact that adulthood looms ahead. "Restless" is
the first English-language film set in contemporary Beijing, and
the first ever US-China film co-producton. Jule Gilfillan, director,
Dr. Stanley Rosen, University of Southern California, and Dr. Michael
Berlin, College for Developmental Studies discuss a tale of
people discovering where they fit in set against the backdrop of
China.
Website:http://www.bowers.org
"Good Men,
Good Women"
Film:
"Good Men, Good Women" weaves three different periods
in Taiwanese/Chinese history. Best known Stateside for "Daughter
of the Nile" (1987),"A City of Sadness" (1989) and
"The Puppetmaster" (1993), director Hou Hsiao-hsien continues
his dramatic contemplation of human nature in history: the true
color and energies of men and women. "Good Men, Good Women:
may be the most disturbing, demanding, yet exhilarating film shown
in a long time. Wu, Chia-chia, co-contributor of Hou's analogy,
Anne Shizuka Inoh (invited), actress, and Dr. Robert chen (invited),
Taiwan Art Institute look at the shift of human ideals against
the background of Taiwanese history.
Website:http://www.lacma.org
"Fire"
Film:
"Fire" tells a clash of modern and traditional ideals
leading the women away from the heartache and inadequacies of their
husbands and into each others arms. From snatched erotic moments
blossoms the dawn of love and rebellion which ships you up inot
its volatile arms and takes you to chasm where taboo and dseire
entwine. "Fire" is Deepa Mehta's first of a trilogy (with
Earth, and Water) sees a departure from the usual idiosyncratic
Asian sife who exists only on a level of servitude. Dr. Monique
Taylor, Occidental College and Dr. Glen Mimura, University of California,
Irvine discuss gender and identify surrounding this one fo the
best Indian films of all time.
Website:http://www.pacasiamuseum.org
"True"
Film:
"True" tells a story of a Korean adoptee raised by a Caucasian
family in small town USA setting out to make his mark in the world
as an actor. His unique identify challenges his new girlfriend who
shares her racial but not her cultural identity. Jay Koh, director,
and Dr. Kyeyoung Park, University of California, Los Angeles,
explore truths about one's self and myths about race.
Website:http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/index.php
"Three Seasons"
Film:
"Three Seasons" is the Winner of Best Dramatic Picture,
Cinematography, and the Audience Award at the 1999 Sundance Film
Festival. "Three Seasons" provides a resonant and fascinating
window into the last moments of an irrevocably changing culture.
It is also groundbreaking historically, as the first American film
shot in Vietnam since the war, and the first to be acted in Vietnamese,
by Vietnamese actors. Tony Bui (invited), director, Zoe Bui,
actress and Dr. Michael Berlin, College for Development Studies,
discuss how the Vietnam of today is still defined by the constant
battle between the past and the present, and how the American influence
has never been completely eradicated.
Website:
http://www.bowers.org
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