Rare Glimpse into North Korea Headlines Asian Film Festival
May 4, 2009
Thought-provoking, poignant and insightful, the line-up of films for the second annual Asia Film Festival, May 7 to May 10 at the Richmond Cultural Centre, is sure to create even more buzz around the already successful cinematic event. This year's showings include one world premiere, six North American premieres and a rare glimpse into North Korean life, as the festival continues to focus on cutting-edge films and controversial topics from around the world.
North Korea, one of world’s least-known societies, is the focus of a State of Mind, a film that follows the the lives of two girls as they train for a massive gymnastics event. Bruce Wallace of the Los Angeles Times described the UK documentary as “ninety-three unblinking minutes of insight into . . .one of the last locked-down Communist dictatorships.”
Other films featured include Who Killed Our Children, an unflinching look at the devastation and the effect of China’s Sichuan earthquake disaster; four tales of village women in south India in Four Women; and Hip Hop Storm, a tale of two generations of hip hop dancers in Taiwan.
Tickets are $3 per session and a $5 annual membership. They are available at the Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate, or by telephone at 604-247-8300.
A new component to the festival this year is the inaugural DocuAsia, on Tuesday, May 5, a project of David Lam Centre. The first DocuAsia will put a spotlight on CNEX, a non-profit organization founded by a group of professionals from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, devoted to the production and promotion of documentaries related to the Chinese people and culture. Ben Tsiang, the founder and CEO of CNEX, will describe recent production and exhibition activities and the festival will show two documentaries from CNEX, Brave Father and Game Dream. The presentation begins 6:30 p.m. in Room 1800 at Harbor Centre, in Vancouver and is free.
The City of Richmond is one of the most culturally diverse metropolises in Canada, with more than 50 percent of the population from Asia, making it an ideal location for an international Asian film festival. Centred on contemporary themes related to Asian cultures, the festival was launched to encourage expression by new immigrants, stimulate critical thinking, and promote intercultural communications between different ethnic groups. It is co-presented by the Richmond Cultural Centre and the Cinevolution Media Arts Society.
After a successful inaugural festival, a monthly series was launched last fall, which included the first National Film Board retrospective of animation by Japanese Canadian filmmakers and a timely public form on gang violence. The monthly film series will continue through the year, including summer outdoor screenings.
For more information and dates and times of all screenings, please visit www.naff.ca or call 604-247-8300 or 778-869-3278
