Posted on: Thursday, October 21, 2004
Be sure to catch these 10 film-fest offerings
| • | Wenham in Hawai'i for fun, film festival |
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
One of the best ways to enjoy the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival, which opens today, is to embrace the diversity with an open mind, said Chuck Boller, film festival director.
Ten titles he recommends — and why:
• "A Taste of Tea," from Japan. "It's one of our nominated films, by Katsuhito Ishii, about the life of a Japanese family. The side story about him (Ishii) is that he had done 'Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl,' which showed here in 1997, and Quentin Tarantino liked him so much, he did the animation for 'Kill Bill.'" 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Dole, 6 p.m. Oct. 31 at Doris Duke.
• "Take Out," from Taiwan/Unites States. "It's about Chinese immigration in New York. It was shot digitally and is so realistically done; it's an extraordinary take on New York." 7:15 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Oct. 31 at Dole.
• Today through Oct. 31 on O'ahu, Oct. 29-31 on Neighbor Islands • Signature Dole Cannery 18 Theatres, Honolulu Academy of Arts' Doris Duke Theatre, the Hawai'i Theatre and University of Hawai'i-Manoa • Program guides free at Blockbuster Video stores and Starbucks statewide • Festival mini-guides free at Central Pacific Bank and City Bank locations on O'ahu • $8 adults; $7 students, seniors, children and military; $6 HIFF members • 528-4433, www.hiff.org • "Shanghai: City on the Sea," a short from Hawai'i. It will precede a screening of "Sentimental Remembrances of the Lute," a film from China. "The kids at Wai'anae High's Searider Productions went with us to Shanghai and created this documentary on cultural exchange." 4:15 p.m. Oct. 31 at Dole.
• "Goddess of Mercy," from China. "The director, Ann Hui, is one of China's best. This is an action romance drama that's wonderful." 4:30 p.m. Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at Dole. • "Travellers and Magicians," from Bhutan. "Anyone who likes Tibet and mystical things will find this feature great. This is one of those remarkable road pictures by the gent who directed 'The Cup,' Khyentse Norbu." 8:15 p.m. Wednesday at Doris Duke, 1:45 p.m. Oct. 30 at Dole. • "Arakimentari," from the United States. "Want controversy? This is about a Japanese photographer (Nobuyoshi Araki), whose works are considered pornographic but are brilliant. There are scenes here that are explicit and graphic, even shocking. Beyond that, this documentary is compassionate. We don't rate films, so we advise viewers in our synopsis that this is bold and graphic." 9:45 p.m. Monday at Dole, 8:15 p.m. Oct. 28 at Doris Duke. • "Steamboy," an animated film from Japan. "This has been 10 years in the making and our screening will be the American premiere, from the director of 'Akira' (Katsuhiro Otomo). It's incredible, ground-breaking, delightful." 8 p.m. Sunday, 7:45 p.m. Oct. 29 at Dole. • "Heaven's Bookstore," from Japan. "This is dedicated to the late Steve Hirano, one of our board members. It's a lovely story about a guy who dies and goes to heaven." 8 p.m. Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. Oct. 28 at Dole. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8067.
• "Untold Scandal," a film from South Korea. "It's a Korean take on 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses,' and it's a wonderful costume drama, with all the courtship and erotic dance ... and (targets) politics of the Korean royal court (the Chosun dynasty)." 8 p.m. Saturday, 8:15 p.m. Tuesday and 7:45 p.m. Oct. 30 at Dole.
"Untold Scandal" features beautiful costumes, romance and political intrigue in the Korean royal court.
• "Mr. Patterns," from Australia. "It's a fascinating documentary about a haole man who helped the Aborigines take their art, mostly sand paintings, on to canvas. It sounds like a dry subject, but it's exhilarating." 4 p.m. Sunday at Dole, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Doris Duke.
HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
