Twelfth Film Festival - Lunar New Year Film Series

Films are listed in order of screening dates and times.

Mother (South Korea, 2009) Screening Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 Director: Bong Joon-ho Rating: R Length: 128 mins. Awards: Official Selection – 2010 Cannes Film Festival and 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

A community is rocked by the horrific discovery of a murdered schoolgirl. Anxious to blame someone, detectives convict a mentally challenged man. But in the mind of his fiercely protective mother, this case is far from closed. To clear her son’s name, she’s willing to do whatever it takes. Critically-acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho (The Host) delivers a chilling look at the depths of maternal devotion in this beautifully crafted murder mystery.

Still Life (China/Hong Kong, 2006) Screening Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 Director: Zhang Ke Jia Length: 108 mins. Awards: Golden Lion Award – 2006 Venice Film Festival.

The Three Gorges dam is the largest electricity-generating facility in the world. A lake 650 km long will form behind it, forcing the relocation of 1 million people. The town of Fengie is under water, but its new neighborhood hasn’t been finished. Still Life distills the melancholy and apprehension of the villagers. They begin to let their old lives wash away and attempt to build new ones. Director Jia Zhang-ke, a supremely gifted visual artist with profound understanding for character and narrative, brings forth a critically acclaimed film of lyrical beauty that highlights China’s new reality.

Tokyo Sonata (Japan, 2008) Screening Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011 Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa Length: 119 mins. Awards: Jury Prize - Un Certain Regard Award - 2008 Cannes Film Festival

A portrait of a seemingly ordinary Japanese family until the father loses his job and hides the truth. The youngest son takes piano lessons without telling his parents; and the mother, who knows that her role is to keep the family together, cannot find the will to do so. Somehow, a single, chasm has appeared, threatening to disintegrate them. Director Kurosawa’s use of light and dark to express a sense of simultaneous hope and horror is awe-inspiring.