Screenings Schedule

Select the movie of your choice

• 24 City
• The Pye-Dog
• The Drummer
• The Chaser
• Nerakhoon (The Betrayal)
• Muallaf
• Baler
• Cape No. 7
• Get Married
• Departures

24 City (Er Shi Si Cheng Ji)(2008)

China
Genre: Documentary
Director:  Jia Zhang-ke

24 City is eloquent testimony to a China that is vanishing with each swing of the wrecking ball. Blending fiction and documentary, Jia Zhang-ke puts a human face on the consequences of rapid industrial and economic growth in China. Shot in Chengdu in Sichuan province, 24 City documents the development of state-owned Factory 420 from the 1950s to the present. Once booming, it was demolished in 2007 to make room for an upscale apartment complex. Grounded by interviews with real factory workers and performances by three of the country’s most important actors (Joan Chen, Lu Liping, Zhao Tao).

Screening:  3:00 pm Thursday Oct 15 / Cinefest – Georgia State University
                  6:00 pm Friday Oct 16 / Georgia Perimeter College – Dunwoody

The Pye Dog (2007)

Hong Kong
Genre: Action/Drama
Director: Derek Kwok Tse Kin

Dui, a triad gofer who has a particular affinity for assembling, though not necessarily shooting guns, is sent undercover in an elementary school to ferret out the kid of a powerful gangster. The gangster is on his way back to Hong Kong to assume power, which threatens all sorts of triad muck-a-mucks who don't want anyone messing with the status quo. Dui's bosses are among the threatened, so they order Dui to find the kid to use him as a bargaining chip. Dui takes up a job as a janitor at the kid's school and sets about finding the boy, but his oddball personality soon attracts another oddball: young Wang, a seemingly mute kid who first catches Dui's eye when he's roughhousing with a bunch of kids over a collectible Japanese trading card. Their first encounter puts Dui at odds with Wang, but before long, the two forge some sort of common bond. Joining them is new teacher Miss Cheung who's a bit of an oddball herself. Together, the trio brave messed up field trips and difficult art assignments. Meanwhile, there's triad action afoot, as Dui can't spend all this time peddling around in school on someone else's dime. Soon, people start asking how his mission is going, and Dui has to respond.

Screening:  3:00 pm Sunday Oct 11 / Cinefest - Georgia State University

The Drummer (2007)

Hong Kong
Genre: Drama
Director:  Kenneth Bi

Awards:

• Winner - Best Supporting Actor, Golden Horse Film Festival

First film ever to be selected from Hong Kong and Taiwan for competition at Sundance Film Festival

In the East, the drum is the king of all musical instruments. The intense sound of the drum can penetrate a man's body. The solemn beat of the drum can open a man's heart. The powerful vibration of the drum can awaken a man's soul.

Sid, the rebellious son of Kwan, a controlling and savage triad boss in Hong Kong, has to flee to Taiwan upon enraging his father's adversary, a powerful tycoon and underground business leader. Hiding out in the mountains, Sid encounters a group of Zen drummers whose mesmerizing art, rigorous physical training, and austere way of life pique this hostile urban young man's interest and he requests to join the group. Although Sid despises his father, he is turning out to be a younger version of him: wild and defiant. Immersing in the world of the Zen drummers eventually converts him into a firm and focused young man. Sid's independence from the triad life and his father is profoundly challenged, however, when a twist of fate awaits him back home in Hong Kong and forces him to choose between loyalty to his family and his new found faith in himself …

Screening:  3:00 pm Saturday Oct 10 / Cinefest – Georgia State University

The Chaser (Chugyeoja) (2008)

Korea
Genre: Action/Drama
Director: Hong-jin Na

Eom Joong-ho is a former police officer turned pimp, and several of his girls have gone missing. One night he gets a call from a customer and sends Min-ji, one of his few remaining girls. Later he realises that the same customer was the last to see the missing girls, and believing that Min-ji might be in danger, goes to look for her. While searching for her he dents another car in an alley, and when he sees blood splattered on the unharmed driver's shirt, he senses that the man, Je Yeong-min, is the suspect. Yeong-min tries to run away, but Joong-ho catches him, and both men are taken to the police station.

At the police station, Yeong-min confesses to the murder of the women, and says that his last victim, Min-ji, may still be alive. But despite his confession, the police have no evidence to imprison him, and cannot detain him for more than twelve hours. As the police search for the bodies of his victims, Joong-ho is the only one who believes that Min-ji is still alive, and must find her before the killer is released.

Screening:  5:00 pm Sunday Oct 11 / Cinefest – Georgia State University
                  6:00 pm Thursday Oct 15 / Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody

Nerakhoon (The Betrayal) (2008)

Laos
Genre: Documentary
Director: Ellen Kuras & Thavisouk Phrasavath

Filmed over the course of 23 years, 'The Betrayal' is the extraordinary story of a family's journey from war-torn Laos to the mean streets of New York.

During the Vietnam War, the United States government clandestinely operated in the neighboring country of Laos -- recruiting Laotians for CIA-backed missions. When the U.S. withdrew, the new Communist regime sought vengeance. Thousands were imprisoned or killed. One family, the Phrasavaths, made the courageous decision to escape to America.

Epic in scope yet devastatingly intimate, renowned cinematographer Ellen Kuras' directorial debut is a collaboration with the film's subject and co-director Thavisouk Phrasavath. Featuring a score by Academy Award winning composer Howard Shore, 'The Betrayal' is an astonishing tale of survival and a testament to the resilient bonds of family.

Screening:  3:00 pm Saturday Oct 17 / Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody

Muallaf (2008)

Malaysia
Genre: Drama
Director:  Yasmin Ahmad

Awards: 2008 Tokyo International Film Festival ~ Special Mention Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film

21-year old Rohani and her 14-year old sister Rohana are two Malay girls on the run from their wealthy, abusive father.

Finding refuge in a smaller town, their secret little world collides with that of Brian Goh, a 30-year old Catholic school teacher.

The young man finds himself irresistibly drawn towards the sisters, and the extraordinary courage with which they face adversity, in a relationship that inevitably forces Brian to confront a haunting memory of his own troubled childhood.

In this story of lost souls who find comfort in each other, friendship opens the window to forgiveness and a reconcilliation with the past.

Screening:  3:00 pm Sunday Oct 11 / Mercer University Atlanta
                  6:30 pm Thursday Oct 15 / Miller Learning Center – Rm 0102 University of Georgia-Athens   

Baler (2007)

Philippines
Genre: Drama/Romance

Awards: Winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress - 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival
Director: Mark Melly

Baler is a tale of an overwhelming love of a young Filipina named Feliza Reyes (Anne Curtis) and Celso Resurrecion (Jericho Rosales), a Spanish-Filipino soldier, set in the backdrop of 1898 wartime action between a 57-man Rifle Batallion of the Spanish military and the Filipino forces, more popularly known as the 'Siege of Baler'.

Feliza is the beautiful daughter of Nanding (Phillip Salvador), who's a member of the rebel movement. This is the very reason why she and Celso have to keep their love a secret. Nanding, whose primary goal is to completely wipe out the Spanish soldiers stationed in the town of Baler, can never accept Celso, a half-Indio, half Spanish soldier who chooses to serve the enemies more than the Filipino insurgents who are struggling and fighting for their independence, their freedom.

Feliza is in love with the man her father despises but who and what could stop the two young people who are madly in love with each other?

Screening:  5:00 pm Sunday Oct 11 / Georgia Perimeter College – Dunwoody
                  3:00 pm Friday Oct 16 / Cinefest – Georgia State University

Cape No. 7 (Hai Jiao Qi Hao) (2008)

Taiwan
Genre: Comedy, Coming of Age, Drama, Romance
Director:  Wei Te-Sheng

Awards:

• Winner - 2008 Golden Horse Awards
• Best feature Film, Hawaii International Film Festival

Aga left Hengchun for Taipei in the hope of becoming the singer in a band. After ten years of hard work, he returns home, his dream unfulfilled. Tomoko is a Japanese model who is asked to put together a local warm-up band for an upcoming Japanese super star beach concert to be held in Hengchun. However, recruiting the band members proves to be as difficult a task as the search for the famous seven samurai. Together with five other ordinary Hengchun residents with no hopes of fame, they form an unbelievable band.

Screening:  3:00 pm  Sunday Oct 11 / Georgia Perimeter College – Dunwoody
6:30 pm Friday Oct 16 / University of Georgia - Athens, Room N106, Instructional Plaza Auditorium, Baldwin Street.

Get Married (2007)

Indonesia
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director:  Hanung Bramantyo

3 young man and a young girl who were born at the same day in their village has develop a strong bond that lasted to their adult life Mae the young girl, now living only a burden to her parent, Mr. Mardi dan Mrs. Mardi. To make light their responsibilities both her parent seeking a husband for Mae. Unfortunately every candidates who came ended up chased out by Guntoro, Eman , Rendy a rich good looking young man who is bored with the typical city girl which to his point of view they are looked all the same and nothing there to challenge for, came to know about Mae, and interested to participate. So he went to Mae’s house and found love at the first sight. In fact Mae also have the same feelong toward Rendy. But a miscommunication caused her three friends to think that Mae disliked Rendy and beat him up.

Over all the charade, Mae’s mother become ill. Mae got frustrated, and cannot think of anything better to do but for her mother good health. So she choose one of her best friend to become her husband. Upon hearing the news, Mae’s mother is suddendly well from her illness.  Meanwhile, Rendy is angry over the treatment he received from Mae’s friends. He gathered his friends and went to Mae’s village for revenge just as Mae about to be married. A clash ensued in the frenzied situation. Wedding was held off, bride and the groom jumped into the crowd, Mae accidently punched Rendy’s jaw, and when she realized it was Rendy she screamed out the crowd instructed to stop the fighting.  Now, who will be the groom?

Screening:  3:00 pm Saturday Oct 10 / Georgia Perimeter College – Dunwoody
                  6:30 pm Sunday Oct 11 / Miller Learning Center – Rm 0148 University of Georgia-Athens      

Departures (Okuribito) (2008)

Japan
Genre: Drama
Director: Yojiro Takita

Awards:

• 2008 Academy Award Winner - Best Foreign Language Film
• Japan Academy Prize Winners
  
• Best Film Winner - Palm Springs International Film Festival
  
• Winner - 32nd Montreal World Film Festival

Director Yojiro Takita and writer Kundo Koyama examine the rituals surrounding death in Japan with this tale of an out-of-work cellist who accepts a job as a "Nokanashi" or "encoffineer" (the Japanese equivalent of an undertaker) in order to provide for himself and his young wife. Daigo Kobayashi is a talented musician, but when his orchestra is abruptly disbanded, he suddenly finds himself without a source of steady income. Making the decision to move back to his small hometown, Daigo answers a classified ad for a company called "Departures," mistakenly assuming that he will be working for a travel agency. Upon discovering that he will actually be preparing the bodies of the recently deceased for their trip to the afterlife, Daigo accepts the position as gatekeeper between life and death and gradually gains a greater appreciation for life. But while Daigo's wife and friends universally despise his new line of work, he takes a great amount of pride in the fact that he is helping to ensure that the dead receive a proper send-off from this state of being.

Screening:  5:00 pm Saturday Oct 10 / Georgia Perimeter College – Dunwoody