16 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009 • TIMES FILM REVIEW

Dunya and Desie, directed by Dana Nechushtan. E. Sha Age, directed by Waro Hsueh. Half-Life, directed Jennifer Phang. Heartcut, directed by Anne Sewitsky. Katia’s Sister, directed by Mijke de Jong. Reflections, directed by Emanuela Ponzano.

Not your average chick flicks

Women Make Waves Film Festival focuses on the stories of women in contemporary transnational migrations

By Ho Yi Staff Reporter

his year’s Women Make Waves Film Festival (女性影展) and her much younger boyfriend, eight-year-old Timothy and focuses on contemporary migrants’ search for home and older sister Pam deal with the anguish of growing up by escaping identity and encompasses a wide range of fictional and into fantasies. non-fictional works, as well as a mini retrospective on The first feature-length film by an African-American woman TAfrican-American female director Julie Dash. director to receive a general theatrical release in the US, Dash’s 1991 The festival has come a long way from its humble origins 16 masterpiece, Daughters of the Dust tells the story of a Gullah family, years ago, but the recent economic downturn posed a challenge for composed of former African slaves and their descendants, who this edition. Sponsorship decreased by NT$1 million from last year, migrate from the Sea Islands to mainland US at the turn of the 20th according to festival director Azed Yu (游婷敬). century. Narrated through an unborn child, the film is imbued with Unlike the government-funded Taipei Film Festival (台北電影節) a mythical aura, weaving together dreamlike imagery and songs to and Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (台北金馬國際影展), this annual accentuate ancient African beliefs and traditions. Director Dash will showcase organized by the Women’s Film Association (台灣 attend the festival and hold lectures as well as question-and-answer 女性影像學會) faces financial uncertainty. sessions after screenings. Money aside, the now well-established Women Make Waves On the documentary side, director Sophie Bredier’s Looking Film Festival may need to delve deep within itself for new for Asian Women explore popular images of Asian women that ideas if it wishes to draw interest from younger generations have fascinated Western male audiences. In addressing this of festivalgoers and distinguish itself from the smorgasbord of controversial issue, Bredier conducts interviews with French Taiwanese film festivals. artists such as fetish photographer Romain Slocombe and graphic “The establishment of Women Make Waves Film Festival is designer Jean-Paul Goude. closely related to the rise of feminism and gender study in Taiwan. Anna, Seven Years on the Frontline is a profoundly affecting But what used to be influential social thought now seems to hardly documentary about Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist be an issue. The times have changed,” Yu said. and human right activist known for her opposition to the Chechen With a lineup of 60 films screened over 10 days, the event conflict who was murdered in 2006. Politkovskaya’s life story includes movies that examine various social issues. Among the most is told through the memories of her colleagues and friends and gripping is Begging Naked, an arresting documentary that took is interwoven with words from the journalist’s own expressive director Karen Gehres nine years to complete. The film, set primarily reporting. in Central Park, New York City, follows her friend Elise Hill’s startling journey through heroin addiction, stripping, prostitution, Women Make Waves will tour the country from Oct. 26 to Dec. 31. self-made artistry and homeless paranoia. In the festival’s Women in Diaspora: Journeys Before Home Festival notes: section, Katia’s Sister tells a poignant tale about 13-year-old Lucia and her all-female family of Russian immigrants in Amsterdam. With deliberate pacing, the hand-held camera follows the lonely What: The 16th Women Make Waves Film Festival 2009 第十六屆女性影展 teenager as she retreats more deeply into emotional isolation, (2009 ) helplessly watching the lives of her prostitute mother and stripper When: Today through Oct. 25 sister spiral inevitably downwards. Instead of preaching or Where: Shin Kong Cineplex, Taipei City (台北新光影城), 4F and 5F, indulging in its misery, the film imbues its bleak social portrait 36 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路36號4-5樓) with warmth and compassion, encouraging viewers to understand Admission: NT$160 for weekday matinee screenings, NT$200 for rather than pass judgment. weekday evening and weekend screenings, available through Half-Life centers on a dysfunctional Asian-American family NTCH ticket outlets or at www.artsticket.com.tw coping with life in a California suburban. Living with their mother Begging Naked, directed by Karen Gehres. Photos courtesy of Women Make Waves On the Net: www.wmw.com.tw

OTHER RELEASES Compiled BY Martin Williams

Ghosted The Informant! Evangelion 2.0 - Goemon Shanghai Film Festival Honor In a week with three film festivals, Matt Damon plays real-life executive You Can (Not) Advance Yosuke Eguchi stars as the titular The Spot theater, in conjunction The co-director of the Jean-Claude eight new features and three DVD Mark Whitacre, whose bizarre role The second in the rebooted, character in this period piece/ with the Taipei City Government, Van Damme vehicle Kickboxer offers promotional releases, the only film of self-aggrandizer while acting theatrical version of Japan’s Neon action romp. He’s a thief who is matching the mood of all things up another slice of hand-to-hand with a Taiwanese connection among as an FBI informant makes for Genesis Evangelion phenomenon attracts the attention of some very detente with this mini-festival of combat in this feature from 2006, also them might struggle to compete. This a juicy if platonic comedy from continues the saga of a gaggle of powerful officials in 16th century films under the misleading title of a DVD promotional release. Eclectic German/Taiwanese co-production is director Steven Soderbergh. Damon traumatized warrior teens, their Japan when he steals a precious “Shanghai” — the selection has fighting styles are at the fore as a directed by Monika Treut, who returns volunteers information to FBI agents nifty biomechanical vehicles and a box that contains a valuable secret. nothing to do with the city, and series of real-life wrestlers (Roddy to Taiwanese themes once more after about a price-fixing conspiracy range of lethal machines from outer This mixture of classic feudal is more a mish-mash of six films Piper, for example) and other fighters shooting documentaries on a local that sends him on a jetsetting space known as Angels that would intrigue, melodrama and high- of various themes and vintages, portray badass Los Angeles thugs and schoolgirl in 2005 and three notable journey looking for incriminating destroy all humanity. Warning: This impact combat has been praised including two animated films. war vets looking for or eschewing women the year before. In Ghosted, a evidence, but that’s not the half film punishes impatient viewers who for its visual innovation but not for Screens from today until Monday, so criminal glory. Notable for starring Taiwanese journalist (Hu Ting-ting, 胡 of it. Soderbergh’s Che films look walk out the moment the credits roll. its ability to engage with anything get in quick. Joanna Pacula, who seems to have 婷婷, daughter of Taichung Mayor Jason positively experimental compared more substantial, which might largely gone under the radar — but Hu, 胡志強) looks into the death of a with this one, yet even this has make this Japan’s answer to Zack who has worked consistently — since Taiwanese woman in and elements that many moviegoers will Snyder’s 300. coming to fame in 1983’s Gorky Park. hooks up with a German woman who not have seen before. If Michael Starts tomorrow. knew her to find out what happened. Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story There are ghosts and sexual attraction fails to secure a release in Taiwan, involved, but that hasn’t stopped the this jaundiced view of corporate film from attracting terrible reviews. America will do just as well.

Les Destinees Zandalee Director Olivier Assayas adds to No, this is not a remake of the his impressive CV with an epic Nicolas Cage potboiler about lust — but not bloated — story of how a More Than a Game and infidelity in the Deep South romantic relationship starts, changes Anyone who suffered through the — it’s the 1991 original, enjoying Sema, The Warrior of Ayodhaya and endures over several decades Taiwanese basketball doco Attitude a brief DVD promotional release Another film focusing on combat, in early 20th century . (態度) could be forgiven for wanting amid a more liberal censorship this time from Thailand, Sema tells Righteous Protestant minister Jean to steer clear of basketball flicks regime. So now’s your chance to the tale of a humble rural lad who A Perfect Getaway Skate or Die (Charles Berling) leaves his wife — no matter where they’re from. see a much younger Cage and Judge becomes a soldier and romances a Get away from it all with this ironically Two kids who spend most of their (Isabelle Huppert) after suspecting But this documentary from the US Reinhold (Beverly Hills Cop) spar woman betrothed to a powerful rival, titled eye-candy-filled suspense film time skateboarding are witnesses to her of being unfaithful and hooks about LeBron James’ famed high over Reinhold’s smoldering and triggering jealousy and many fight set in Hawaii. A couple (Milla Jovovich a murder and suddenly find that their up instead with admirer Pauline school team might make you think frequently naked wife Zandalee scenes. Released in 2003, this is the and Steve Zahn) hike out into the acrobatic skills will prove useful if (Emmanuelle Beart), whom he twice. Full of action, personality (Erika Anderson, who hasn’t made third DVD promotional release of wilderness and meet two other couples they are to avoid the same fate. A marries. After some time he is and real personalities, this pulled a film in the last decade). Real the week. Low-budget, but there’s in the process. Eventually the six French film with little fanfare and forced back into the family business, some good reviews in its limited movie buffs will jump at the chance, enough fight scenes and melodrama join forces after it’s revealed that even less critical support, this might which offers significant existential theatrical release last year, though however, to watch Joe Pantoliano to impress uncritical fans. a homicidal couple is loose — and be diverting enough for Francophiles challenges. With this cast and the Village Voice did warn of fact (The Matrix) as a gay confidant. possibly among their number. Any film and skateboard enthusiasts. But it is director you can’t go wrong, even if sanitizing by Nike and LeBron’s Steve Buscemi and Marisa Tomei that keeps critics guessing is probably the kind of film in which a cellphone it is a lengthy journey. Based on the PR team. Still, there’s more to this also star in this flick, which never worth a ticket, but in this case a good goes off at exactly the wrong time. book Les Destinees Sentimentales, show than LeBron. made it to US theaters. sense of humor seals the deal. which is the French title for the film.

TT-981016-P16-IB.indd 1 2009/10/15 09:27:42