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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 14, 2005

Film series turns attention to humanitarian issues

Advertiser Staff

Brahmanand Swamigal appears in "Ayurveda — The Art of Being," screening Sunday. as part of the UH-Manoa/Bank of Hawaii series.
"Searching for Spirit" is the theme of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa/Bank of Hawaii Cinema Series, which continues at the UHM Architecture Auditorium and occasionally at Spalding Auditorium. In keeping with the theme, the series focuses on documentary and feature films that address humanitarian issues.

University faculty or community members will address issues before or after films that are relevant to their expertise. Also, the 3rd annual Kirk Cashmere Jewish Film Festival will be presented Jan. 28-30 to coincide with the visit of Hebrew University scholar and author Yehuda Bauer; see separate listings on this page.

Admission to each screening is $5 general, $3 students, unless otherwise noted. Children under 16 enter free when accompanied by an adult. 223-0130.

The films:

"Ayurveda — The Art of Being"

  • Directed by Pan Nalin; Germany/Switzerland; 2001, 102 minutes. In Hindi with English subtitles.
  • This documentary looks at how the Indian healing tradition can be applied in this modern age.
  • 5 p.m. Sunday

"The Last Wave"

  • Directed by Peter Weir; Australia; 1977, 96 minutes.
  • Richard Chamberlain stars as Australian lawyer David Burton, who defends a group of aborigines accused of killing one of their own. Chamberlain is scheduled to attend.
  • 7 p.m. Thursday, Spalding Auditorium. All seats $5.

"The Gem Hunter in Afghanistan"

  • Directed by Paul Reddish; Great Britain; 2002, 56 minutes.
  • Gary Bowersox, who spent 32 years in Afghanistan, offers a panoramic view of the country. Bowersox will attend.
  • 5 p.m. Jan. 23

"Indigo"

  • Directed by Stephen Simon; United States; 2005, 89 minutes.
  • This nationwide premiere of "Indigo" celebrates World Indigo Day. The film is about prescient children who can communicate via extra-sensory means and is the winner of the Santa Fe Film Festival Audience Choice Award.
  • 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30, Spalding Auditorium. All seats $10.

"Postmen in the Mountains"

  • Directed by Huo Jianqi; China; 1998, 90 minutes. In Mandarin with English subtitles.
  • Set in the remote mountains of Hunan, China, the film addresses a theme that is ancient and contemporary: communication between father and son.
  • 7 p.m. Feb. 3, 5 p.m. Feb. 6

"Shortcut to Nirvana: Kumbh Mela"

  • Directed by Maurizio Benazzo; United States; 2003, 86 minutes. In Hindi with English subtitles.
  • Documentary focuses on the Kumbh Mela, an Indian religious festival held on 12-year intervals for the past two millennia.
  • 7 p.m. Feb. 10, 5 p.m. Feb. 13

"The Yogis of Tibet"

  • Directed by Phil and Jo Borack; United States; 2003, 59 minutes.
  • A film produced with the cooperation of the monks of the Drikung Kagyu Tradition. With "Satya: A Prayer For the Enemy" (directed by Ellen Bruno; United States; 1994, 28 minutes): A film focusing on the personal testimonies of Tibetan nuns, who have taken the lead in resistance against the Chinese occupation.
  • 7 p.m. Feb. 17

"Scared Sacred"

  • Directed by Velcrow Ripper; Canada; 2004, 86 minutes.
  • This film examines the relationship between suffering and the sacred, including stories of goodness in Afghanistan during the Taliban and in New York City after 9/11.
  • 5 p.m. Feb. 20

"Doing Time, Doing Vipassana"

  • Directed by Ayelet Menahemi and Eilona Ariel; 1997, 56 minutes. In Hindi with English subtitles.
  • This documentary looks at how Vipassana meditation transformed India's toughest prison. With "Yogis of Tibet"; see above.
  • 7 p.m. Feb. 24

"Latcho Drom"

  • Directed by Tony Gatlif; France; 1993, 92 minutes. In Hindi/French/Spanish/Romany with English subtitles.
  • The migration of the Gypsies across Europe and Asia is told through song and dance.
  • 5 p.m. Feb. 27

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

  • Directed by Michel Gondry; United States; 2004, 108 minutes.
  • Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star in a twisting tale about love.
  • 7 p.m. March 3, 5 p.m. March 6

"Proteus"

  • Directed by David Lebrun; United States; 2004, 56 minutes.
  • An exploration of the life of 19th-century physician, biologist, painter and evolutionary scholar, Earnst Haeckel (1834-1919).
  • With "Pele Meets the Sea" (produced by UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology; 1990, 26 minutes): A team of divers from UH filmed the phenomenon of underwater lava plumes solidifying instantly into rock. (Q&A after the screening with Richard Pyle, Bishop Museum.)
  • 7 p.m. March 10

"Women of K2"

  • Directed by Jennifer Jordan; United States; 2004, 78 minutes.
  • Jennifer Jordan chronicles the five female pioneers of K2. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A session and signing of Jordan's new book, "Savage Summit: The True Stories of the First Five Women Who Climbed K2, the World's Most Feared Mountain."
  • 5 p.m. March 13

"Orwell Rolls in His Grave"

  • Directed by Robert Kane Pappas; United States; 2003, 76 minutes.
  • A documentary that critically examines the Fourth Estate, the press.
  • 7 p.m. March 17. Panel discussion after the screening about ethics in journalism.

"The Ring of the Buddha"

  • Directed by Jochen Bretienstein; Germany; 2000, 92 minutes. In Tibetan and German with English subtitles.
  • Swiss geologist Toni Hagen, the first European to pass through Nepal in 1950, returns in the spring of 1999.
  • 5 p.m. March 20.

"Santiago Calatrava's Travels"

  • Directed by Christoph Schaub; Spain; 1999, 77 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.
  • A profile of architect Santiago Calatrava, widely recognized as the greatest living designer of transportation structures.
  • 7 p.m. March 31, 5 p.m. April 3

"Carlos Castaneda: Enigma of a Sorcerer"

  • Directed by R. Torjan; United States; 2003, 87 minutes.
  • More than three years in the making, this film explores best-selling author Castaneda's impact, controversial teachings and cult following.
  • With "Yogis of Tibet"; see above.
  • 7 p.m. April 7, 5 p.m. April 10

"Ravi Shankar: Between Two Worlds"

  • Directed by Mark Kidel; France/ United States; 2002, 90 minutes. In Hindi and French with English subtitles.
  • Film documents two years in the life of Ravi Shankar as he travels between India and America.
  • 7 p.m. April 14, 5 p.m. April 17

"Go Further"

  • Directed by Ron Mann; Canada, 2003, 95 minutes.
  • Hemp activist Woody Harrelson and his buddies board a multi-colored bus and hit the Pacific Coast Highway, spreading the message of sustainable organic living.
  • 7 p.m. April 21

"Haleakala: A Sense of Place"

  • Directed by Jay April; United States; 2005, 46 minutes.
  • This film explains what the sacred site meant to ancient Hawaiians, and the integral role it played in their lives. With director April attending. With "The Power of Truth — According to The Dalai Lama" (directed by Irene Greve. Denmark; 2001, 59 minutes. In Tibetan with English subtitles): The Dalai Lama travels and talks about the three topics he considers his main concerns — the promotion of good human values, understanding among religions, and the Tibetan situation.
  • 5 p.m. April 24