Sunday, October 21, 2007
Film Theory
If Film Theory has caught your attention, you might want to click HERE in order to read more about the process of making films...
Monday, October 15, 2007
Weekend Review Part 1
Film festivals are mainly about films and shorts, but they are also about the art of film making or, sometimes, they showcase thought-provoking discussions about media. Such was the case on Saturday morning at 11:30 A.M. THE NEW MEDIA: A WEB2.0 PANEL was a rare and fascinating presentation by industry experts and filmmakers about the latest in technology and how it affects marketing. I went in thinking that we were going to talk about YouTube. It was about YouTube--but it was a lot more... The next 10 years of media technology were also part of the discussion. I could go heavily into Marketing and New Media content, but that falls outside the scope of film festival coverage. If you are interested, check out my blog about such matters: New Media and Marketing.
NANKING (directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman) was staged like a play reading. But it also contained a lot of archival footage about one of the worst aspects of WWII--the Japanese invasion of China's capital at that time. For those who might not be aware, Nanking was subjected to a now common form of warfare--aerial attacks. The bombarded city was then attacked by ground troops who murdered and raped the population at will. Astonishingly, a small band of Westerners got together in order to establish a Safety Zone. They stood up to the Japanese government and asked Japan to respect their decisions. They are credited with having saved over 200,000 lives! Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway, and Jurgen Prochnow were three of the readers. We don't learn from history. Our capacity for cruelty is stunning...
How do you get as far as you can from the horrors of war? That's right, you watch ANIMATION: THE ILLUSION OF LIFE. This collection of shorts had everything--but mostly humor. BADASS MOFOS (directed by James Jaculina) is a funky and groovy animation with a beat. In a psychedelic mode, the 60s and 70s came to life with the attitude of today. Lacking in clear story line. But what fun... COLE NEEDS WOMEN (directed by David Chai) is an animation about a man who isn't content with wanting one woman--he wants them all! The consequences are funny in this fantasy. It is not what you areexpecting.
THE BASTARD (directed by Dave Quion) is a technically powerful animation. CYCLONE ARMOR GUARDIAN (directed by Gary Liew) is also strong in terms of technical skills--the story line seems to be an afterthought. Both short films show potential.
NANKING (directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman) was staged like a play reading. But it also contained a lot of archival footage about one of the worst aspects of WWII--the Japanese invasion of China's capital at that time. For those who might not be aware, Nanking was subjected to a now common form of warfare--aerial attacks. The bombarded city was then attacked by ground troops who murdered and raped the population at will. Astonishingly, a small band of Westerners got together in order to establish a Safety Zone. They stood up to the Japanese government and asked Japan to respect their decisions. They are credited with having saved over 200,000 lives! Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway, and Jurgen Prochnow were three of the readers. We don't learn from history. Our capacity for cruelty is stunning...
How do you get as far as you can from the horrors of war? That's right, you watch ANIMATION: THE ILLUSION OF LIFE. This collection of shorts had everything--but mostly humor. BADASS MOFOS (directed by James Jaculina) is a funky and groovy animation with a beat. In a psychedelic mode, the 60s and 70s came to life with the attitude of today. Lacking in clear story line. But what fun... COLE NEEDS WOMEN (directed by David Chai) is an animation about a man who isn't content with wanting one woman--he wants them all! The consequences are funny in this fantasy. It is not what you areexpecting.
THE BASTARD (directed by Dave Quion) is a technically powerful animation. CYCLONE ARMOR GUARDIAN (directed by Gary Liew) is also strong in terms of technical skills--the story line seems to be an afterthought. Both short films show potential.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Sex and Relationships
A few years ago, I asked the San Diego Asian Film Festival staff why there were no Middle Eastern entries in the festival. I was told that they had to draw the line somewhere. What a difference a war makes. Suddenly, Middle Eastern entries are Asian after all (now if we could just convince Turkey and Russia to come back to the fold...). Anyway, SDAFF has shown courage in showing some of the visual images. In keeping with our new-found interest in war and war-related topics, things are coming back that we as an audience haven't wanted to deal with in the past few years.
In addition to Vietnam (from the Vietnamese perspective for a change), this year we are also dealing with the Cambodian experience vis-a-vis the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. NEW YEAR BABY (directed by Socheata Poeuv) is a historical yet highly personal account of those tragic years. One quarter of Cambodia's population was killed in the idealistic yet misguided attempt to establish a perfect classless society. The worst thing about this time is the enduring silence about the atrocities and hardship. In the hospitals, patients died because the pills, made from roots and bark, had no effect.
Everyone was in survival mode in the concentration camps. Angkar, the central party, decided everything--who lived, who died, who got food, and who got married to whom. People tried to make the best of the situation--but not many could stand up to the "clean sweep of the past." The years of desperate despair ended when the Vietnamese soldiers liberated Cambodia (however, one gets the impression that the despair never really went away completely--just the desperation...). The animation sequences employed to depict the Khmer Rouge times are artistically beautiful. There were some interesting comments like having to make knots of trouser legs so as to store rice when relief came.
All in all, a touching family journey into a horrific past with references to the refugee camps in Thailand. The father married a woman whose husband died as a direct result of the regime. He took on the responsibility of all the children while making four dangerous crossings--in the name of family. He is the quiet and unspoken hero. In a different realm altogether was SHANGHAI KISS (directed by Kern Konwiser and David Ren). This film was about relationships and identity. David Ren (who was also the writer) admitted that the film was made in part to "bring his father back into his life." He also shared that his real father (as the father in the movie) struggled with alcoholism. Also in the Q & A following the film, David confessed that real life is not like the movies. Resolution in his personal life has been harder to find.
The film was shot in L.A. and Shanghai (with a minor location shoot in New York thrown in) with an excellent cast. How does a 18 year old come up with such great actors and production values by the age of 22? This story about Liam Liu (played by Ken Leung) who is addicted to meaningless encounters with stereotypical California blondes, revolves around the search for identity and love. Along the way, he befriends a 16 year old (played by Hayden Panettierre) who is probably more mature than he is at 28. He also has a sexual relationship with a beautiful Chinese woman In China (played by Kelly Hu). This is a good and refreshing comedy. Luckily for the producers and investors of this movie, most of the actors have become famous since the movie got made (due to other roles). Ken is funny and Hayden is charming. The best part of the movie is that david credits the commentaries on DVDs for his film education!
Continuing the relationships theme (and adding a heavy dose of erotica--some definitely from a feminine point of view...), THE TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE (directed by Gene Rhee) was filmmaking at its best. Through the casting of some beautiful people (Kip Pardue, David Eigenberg, Roger Fan, Sheetal Sheth, Emily Liu, Josie Davis, Jordan Belfi, and Jennifer Siebel) and very high production values (not to mention some clever dialogue in very mature settings), this film achieved in four vignettes what Hollywood generally can't do in multiple movies. Like HBO productions, this work certainly pushed the limits. I interviewed a fresh aspiring actress a few years ago at this very venue--Sheetal Sheth. I felt she would go far. Talent and beauty are potent forces in the film industry. I feel vindicated. The performances in this film sizzle.
In addition to Vietnam (from the Vietnamese perspective for a change), this year we are also dealing with the Cambodian experience vis-a-vis the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. NEW YEAR BABY (directed by Socheata Poeuv) is a historical yet highly personal account of those tragic years. One quarter of Cambodia's population was killed in the idealistic yet misguided attempt to establish a perfect classless society. The worst thing about this time is the enduring silence about the atrocities and hardship. In the hospitals, patients died because the pills, made from roots and bark, had no effect.
Everyone was in survival mode in the concentration camps. Angkar, the central party, decided everything--who lived, who died, who got food, and who got married to whom. People tried to make the best of the situation--but not many could stand up to the "clean sweep of the past." The years of desperate despair ended when the Vietnamese soldiers liberated Cambodia (however, one gets the impression that the despair never really went away completely--just the desperation...). The animation sequences employed to depict the Khmer Rouge times are artistically beautiful. There were some interesting comments like having to make knots of trouser legs so as to store rice when relief came.
All in all, a touching family journey into a horrific past with references to the refugee camps in Thailand. The father married a woman whose husband died as a direct result of the regime. He took on the responsibility of all the children while making four dangerous crossings--in the name of family. He is the quiet and unspoken hero. In a different realm altogether was SHANGHAI KISS (directed by Kern Konwiser and David Ren). This film was about relationships and identity. David Ren (who was also the writer) admitted that the film was made in part to "bring his father back into his life." He also shared that his real father (as the father in the movie) struggled with alcoholism. Also in the Q & A following the film, David confessed that real life is not like the movies. Resolution in his personal life has been harder to find.
The film was shot in L.A. and Shanghai (with a minor location shoot in New York thrown in) with an excellent cast. How does a 18 year old come up with such great actors and production values by the age of 22? This story about Liam Liu (played by Ken Leung) who is addicted to meaningless encounters with stereotypical California blondes, revolves around the search for identity and love. Along the way, he befriends a 16 year old (played by Hayden Panettierre) who is probably more mature than he is at 28. He also has a sexual relationship with a beautiful Chinese woman In China (played by Kelly Hu). This is a good and refreshing comedy. Luckily for the producers and investors of this movie, most of the actors have become famous since the movie got made (due to other roles). Ken is funny and Hayden is charming. The best part of the movie is that david credits the commentaries on DVDs for his film education!
Continuing the relationships theme (and adding a heavy dose of erotica--some definitely from a feminine point of view...), THE TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE (directed by Gene Rhee) was filmmaking at its best. Through the casting of some beautiful people (Kip Pardue, David Eigenberg, Roger Fan, Sheetal Sheth, Emily Liu, Josie Davis, Jordan Belfi, and Jennifer Siebel) and very high production values (not to mention some clever dialogue in very mature settings), this film achieved in four vignettes what Hollywood generally can't do in multiple movies. Like HBO productions, this work certainly pushed the limits. I interviewed a fresh aspiring actress a few years ago at this very venue--Sheetal Sheth. I felt she would go far. Talent and beauty are potent forces in the film industry. I feel vindicated. The performances in this film sizzle.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
8th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Begins
For some reason, the San Diego Asian Film Festival staff didn't see the need for coverage from sandiego.com (my employer of choice for the past two or three years of San Diego film festivals). But once film festivals get under your skin, you can't let them go. Call it a safe and sweet addiction... If you want to check out former articles on sandiego.com (other film festivals), click HERE. If you want direct links to the postings on sandiego.com, scroll down to the bottom of this blog.
Though I will be using the more personal "I" form (since it is a blog), I will attempt to remain objective as I have in the past--call it going back to my roots... KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE was the first hour and a half of shorts that kicked off the festival. ILLEGAL (directed by Andrew Oh) continues a trend that I have noticed in film and the arts. Violence, brutality, torture, and "stark" reality are filtering down from battlefields to our screens. Don't get me wrong--violence has always been a staple of American culture. But there is a meanness that is not aimless anymore. How can war mentality NOT affect us?
Without giving away too much of the story, ILLEGAL is about a couple trying to achieve the American dream. Hiring an illegal sets Daniel and Jessica on a path they didn't plan on going. A scene in the film looked so much like the way we are now handling our prisoners. OFFICER TSUKAMOTO (directed by Ling Liu) is a documentary about how ambiguous life really is. The unsolved murder of one of the first Asian American police officers in America, it makes us question what is right and wrong--how should minorities behave in a multicultural society?
And then, there was a music video--not the usual MTV kind. IRAQ-TIMZ (directed by Ron Najor) is a politically charged song that asks the difficult questions some people are asking. As the director, who was in attendance during the premiere, said: "It's not that I am wrong and you are right--but rather, why are we not seeing all sides of the war? Why is media coverage so one-sided?" Indeed... UNDERPASS (directed by Rain Breaw) was another morally ambiguous short. A Cambodian Khmer Rouge survivor turns an illegal immigrant in to the authorities. He moonlights as a grafitti painter in San Diego in the early 90s.
On the other side of the spectrum, LOST AND FOUND (directed by Tam Tran) is the touching story of an undocumented girl from the Phillipines. When she turns 18, adulthood brings bewildering questions into her life--questions that most of us don't have to deal with on a daily basis. The last short film in the collection, PILGRIMAGE (directed by Tadashi Nakamura), is the story about a topic that is now being discussed very openly--the concentration camps we set up for Japanese-Americans during WWII. Yes, it happened here. Yes, it is relevant in our climate of fear post 9/11.
Obviously, FINISHING THE GAME (directed by Justin Lin) was going to be the big draw for opening night--it was, after all, the designated Opening Night Film (not to mention the fact that MC Hammer attended the screening as he is in the cast). However, for my money, BOLINAO 52 (directed by Duc Nguyen) should have had that honor. A hard-hitting film about the Vietnamese boat people--in this case, a 110 people fled from Vietnam in 1988. Only 52 survived the journey. This the ultimate reality show. This film showed what mental and physical endurance really means. When there is nothing left but hope and a strong belief in faith--when food and water are at stake.
Survival is the main theme in this compelling drama. It is such a raw and emotional story that production values don't matter, but they were still good. "Making it to America" was all that these poor people wanted. But, the U.S.S. Dubuque didn't consider this human cargo worthy of respecting International Naval laws. The captain was more fixated on going to war.As a result, during the 37 days at sea, the refugees ran out of food and water. Their boat's engine stopped working. At some point, they had to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. "Did it taste good?" was the question they were asked of their ordeal.
And yet, it is also a story of forgiveness. As it was quoted in the movie, "Healing is not to hang on to our wounds but to move on gracefully." The captain was court-martialed. Incredibly, the refugees asked for him to be pardoned. Everyone should have to watch this film about the enduring human spirit--how ordinary people become heroes in their own way.
And here are the promised links...
The specific articles are:
San Diego Film Festival--Third and Fourth Days
San Diego Film Festival 2007--The Second Day
Looking for Gems in all the Right Places
2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival: Wrapup
2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival: Midweek
"SRV" Films on the Menu
2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival
Though I will be using the more personal "I" form (since it is a blog), I will attempt to remain objective as I have in the past--call it going back to my roots... KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE was the first hour and a half of shorts that kicked off the festival. ILLEGAL (directed by Andrew Oh) continues a trend that I have noticed in film and the arts. Violence, brutality, torture, and "stark" reality are filtering down from battlefields to our screens. Don't get me wrong--violence has always been a staple of American culture. But there is a meanness that is not aimless anymore. How can war mentality NOT affect us?
Without giving away too much of the story, ILLEGAL is about a couple trying to achieve the American dream. Hiring an illegal sets Daniel and Jessica on a path they didn't plan on going. A scene in the film looked so much like the way we are now handling our prisoners. OFFICER TSUKAMOTO (directed by Ling Liu) is a documentary about how ambiguous life really is. The unsolved murder of one of the first Asian American police officers in America, it makes us question what is right and wrong--how should minorities behave in a multicultural society?
And then, there was a music video--not the usual MTV kind. IRAQ-TIMZ (directed by Ron Najor) is a politically charged song that asks the difficult questions some people are asking. As the director, who was in attendance during the premiere, said: "It's not that I am wrong and you are right--but rather, why are we not seeing all sides of the war? Why is media coverage so one-sided?" Indeed... UNDERPASS (directed by Rain Breaw) was another morally ambiguous short. A Cambodian Khmer Rouge survivor turns an illegal immigrant in to the authorities. He moonlights as a grafitti painter in San Diego in the early 90s.
On the other side of the spectrum, LOST AND FOUND (directed by Tam Tran) is the touching story of an undocumented girl from the Phillipines. When she turns 18, adulthood brings bewildering questions into her life--questions that most of us don't have to deal with on a daily basis. The last short film in the collection, PILGRIMAGE (directed by Tadashi Nakamura), is the story about a topic that is now being discussed very openly--the concentration camps we set up for Japanese-Americans during WWII. Yes, it happened here. Yes, it is relevant in our climate of fear post 9/11.
Obviously, FINISHING THE GAME (directed by Justin Lin) was going to be the big draw for opening night--it was, after all, the designated Opening Night Film (not to mention the fact that MC Hammer attended the screening as he is in the cast). However, for my money, BOLINAO 52 (directed by Duc Nguyen) should have had that honor. A hard-hitting film about the Vietnamese boat people--in this case, a 110 people fled from Vietnam in 1988. Only 52 survived the journey. This the ultimate reality show. This film showed what mental and physical endurance really means. When there is nothing left but hope and a strong belief in faith--when food and water are at stake.
Survival is the main theme in this compelling drama. It is such a raw and emotional story that production values don't matter, but they were still good. "Making it to America" was all that these poor people wanted. But, the U.S.S. Dubuque didn't consider this human cargo worthy of respecting International Naval laws. The captain was more fixated on going to war.As a result, during the 37 days at sea, the refugees ran out of food and water. Their boat's engine stopped working. At some point, they had to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. "Did it taste good?" was the question they were asked of their ordeal.
And yet, it is also a story of forgiveness. As it was quoted in the movie, "Healing is not to hang on to our wounds but to move on gracefully." The captain was court-martialed. Incredibly, the refugees asked for him to be pardoned. Everyone should have to watch this film about the enduring human spirit--how ordinary people become heroes in their own way.
And here are the promised links...
The specific articles are:
San Diego Film Festival--Third and Fourth Days
San Diego Film Festival 2007--The Second Day
Looking for Gems in all the Right Places
2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival: Wrapup
2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival: Midweek
"SRV" Films on the Menu
2007 San Diego Latino Film Festival
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