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Fire at Sea, The Cinema Travelers, The Freedom to Marry among award-winning slate at HIFF
Film lovers are finding a little bit of paradise in Hawaii. The Hawaii International Film Festival is well underway in Honolulu [November 3-13], attracting fans of both fiction and nonfiction films.
The documentary lineup features some of the most acclaimed films of the year, including Gianfranco Rosi'sFire at Sea [Fuocoammare], which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Last week the film earned nominations as best documentary from the International Documentary Association and the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. Rosi's film focuses on Lampedusa, the Mediterranean island that has seen thousands of migrants come ashore in recent months, fleeing war and unrest in North Africa and the Middle East. Thousands more have died en route, packed into dangerous vessels. Life on the island maintains its tranquil pace, however, and almost seems to exist outside of time. Fire at Sea next screens at HIFF on Sunday, November 13. Also at HIFF is We Are X, the story of the Japanese rock band X Japan and its compelling frontman Yoshiki. The film directed by Stephen Kijak has previously earned awards from the Sundance and SXSW festivals. It next screens on Wednesday, November 9. Related coverage: Gianfranco Rosi on Fire at Sea's main character: 'He's like a little boy with an old man head'
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An image from "Fire at Sea" directed by Gianfranco Rosi. Photo courtesy Kino Lorber
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"We Are X," directed by Stephen Kijak.
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The Cinema Travellers, a poetic examination of India's dying tradition of itinerant movie houses, won acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival, earning an award from the documentary jury headed by Gianfranco Rosi of Fire at Sea. Shirley Abraham and Amit Madeshiya directed the film, which also played at the recent New York Film Festival. It next screens at HIFF on Wednesday, November 9.
Related coverage: Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya podcast: the one scene that proved heartbreaking
Amit Madheshiya and Shirley Abraham after winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival. 5/21/16 Photo by Matt Carey
Some additional documentary titles at HIFF [descriptions provided by HIFF]:
THE FREEDOM TO MARRY
Wed, Nov 09 - 6:15PM
Fri, Nov 11 - 4:00PM
Epic and intimate, THE FREEDOM TO MARRY is the untold story of the same sex marriage movement, through the eyes of those who led the fight. This gripping character-driven documentary tells how Evan Wolfson, once seen as too fringe to be taken seriously, went on to lead one of the most successful civil rights campaigns of our time. His journey began decades ago, with the first case in Hawaii. Years later, this 'war room' style film follows Wolfson and his key colleagues on their thrilling quest to win it all - before the United States Supreme Court.
The first screening of this film will be followed by a special extended discussion hosted by law offices of Davis Levin Livingston.
THE FREEDOM TO MARRY
Wed, Nov 09 - 6:15PM
Fri, Nov 11 - 4:00PM
Epic and intimate, THE FREEDOM TO MARRY is the untold story of the same sex marriage movement, through the eyes of those who led the fight. This gripping character-driven documentary tells how Evan Wolfson, once seen as too fringe to be taken seriously, went on to lead one of the most successful civil rights campaigns of our time. His journey began decades ago, with the first case in Hawaii. Years later, this 'war room' style film follows Wolfson and his key colleagues on their thrilling quest to win it all - before the United States Supreme Court.
The first screening of this film will be followed by a special extended discussion hosted by law offices of Davis Levin Livingston.
An image from "The Freedom to Marry." Photo courtesy HIFF
MIFUNE - THE LAST SAMURAI
Sun, Nov 13 - 11:30AM
Toshiro Mifune (1920-1997) was the greatest actor from the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema and appeared in 170 films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948-65) with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in such films as RASHOMON, SEVEN SAMURAI. THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, and THRONE OF BLOOD (an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth.) Mifune twice earned the Best Actor Prize at Venice Festival for YOJIMBO (1961) and RED BEARD (1965).
Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary explores Mifune’s life and career with archival footage and interviews with Mifune’s family and co-stars. Together with iconic film director Akira Kurosawa, he created the genre of the wandering warrior protagonist that would later inspire filmmakers as diverse as Sergio Leone, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas. Clint Eastwood credits Mifune as inspiration for his own iconic Western characters.
This film is nominated for the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Documentary.
Actor Toshiro Mifune, subject of the documentary "Mifune - The Last Samurai." Photo courtesy HIFF
A NEW MOON OVER TOHOKU
Sun, Nov 13 - 5:00PM
Sat, Nov 19 - 1:00PM
A NEW MOON OVER TOHOKU is a moving story of human love, survival and old Japanese traditions and customs in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.
'Shingetsu' is a Japanese word meaning ‘new moon’, the moon that can’t be seen, yet it still exists in the darkness of the night sky. A young boy with a dream for the future and an old samurai with a new battle to fight, both determining their own paths through post 3/11 life. Shot on location over two and a half years in the coastal villages of three provinces affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, 'Tohoku no Shingetsu: A New Moon Over Tohoku' is the voices from Miyage, Iwate and Fukushima.
1000 HANDS OF THE GURU: SAVING BHUTAN'S SACRED ARTS
Tue, Nov 08 - 6:00PM
Thu, Nov 10 - 3:30PM
1000 HANDS OF THE GURU, directed by Hawaii-raised and Punahou graduate Tobias Reeuwijk, is an intimate portrait and important work that captures this endangered culture and the fight to sustain it for future generations.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small Vajrayana Buddhist country in the foothills of the Himalayas. A large part of their heritage is the use of thangkas – intricately painted scrolls that aid in meditation and act as a form of spiritual and historical storytelling. Bhutan’s Royal Princess gets unexpected help from an American art conservationist in a race against time to save the ancient paintings in a country which is rapidly becoming more modern.
Director Tobias Reeuwijk, along with the Princess of Bhutan will be in attendance for a special post-screening Q&A session.
DESIGN DISRUPTORS
Thu, Nov 10 - 6:00PM
Google. Facebook. Twitter. Lyft. Netflix. Silicon Valley, CA. These are the titans of our time. Companies that sprang from nothing, disrupted or created billion dollars industries seemingly overnight. What is their secret?
The future of business is being written by companies and products that shake billion dollar industries. In DESIGN DISRUPTORS we enter the world of 15+ industry-toppling companies (valued at more than $1 trillion dollars combined) with one unifying secret advantage: The transformative power of design.
The film team interviewed over 90 different design leaders who help demystifying for us how the design choices they make have directly impacted our daily lives.
Sun, Nov 13 - 5:00PM
Sat, Nov 19 - 1:00PM
A NEW MOON OVER TOHOKU is a moving story of human love, survival and old Japanese traditions and customs in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.
'Shingetsu' is a Japanese word meaning ‘new moon’, the moon that can’t be seen, yet it still exists in the darkness of the night sky. A young boy with a dream for the future and an old samurai with a new battle to fight, both determining their own paths through post 3/11 life. Shot on location over two and a half years in the coastal villages of three provinces affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, 'Tohoku no Shingetsu: A New Moon Over Tohoku' is the voices from Miyage, Iwate and Fukushima.
1000 HANDS OF THE GURU: SAVING BHUTAN'S SACRED ARTS
Tue, Nov 08 - 6:00PM
Thu, Nov 10 - 3:30PM
1000 HANDS OF THE GURU, directed by Hawaii-raised and Punahou graduate Tobias Reeuwijk, is an intimate portrait and important work that captures this endangered culture and the fight to sustain it for future generations.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small Vajrayana Buddhist country in the foothills of the Himalayas. A large part of their heritage is the use of thangkas – intricately painted scrolls that aid in meditation and act as a form of spiritual and historical storytelling. Bhutan’s Royal Princess gets unexpected help from an American art conservationist in a race against time to save the ancient paintings in a country which is rapidly becoming more modern.
Director Tobias Reeuwijk, along with the Princess of Bhutan will be in attendance for a special post-screening Q&A session.
DESIGN DISRUPTORS
Thu, Nov 10 - 6:00PM
Google. Facebook. Twitter. Lyft. Netflix. Silicon Valley, CA. These are the titans of our time. Companies that sprang from nothing, disrupted or created billion dollars industries seemingly overnight. What is their secret?
The future of business is being written by companies and products that shake billion dollar industries. In DESIGN DISRUPTORS we enter the world of 15+ industry-toppling companies (valued at more than $1 trillion dollars combined) with one unifying secret advantage: The transformative power of design.
The film team interviewed over 90 different design leaders who help demystifying for us how the design choices they make have directly impacted our daily lives.
An image from "Design Disruptors." Photo courtesy HIFF
PRISON DOGS
Mon, Nov 7 - 4:15PM
A story of love, loss, hope and redemption: PRISON DOGS focuses on the impact of a unique dog training program that gives a second chance to two of the most marginalized populations in our society — prison inmates and veterans.
Gloria Gilbert Stoga, a feisty, brilliant dog expert with a tough love, no-nonsense attitude, runs Puppies Behind Bars. The program teaches a select group of inmates to train puppies to become service dogs for disabled veterans, whether they suffer from PTSD or physical injuries that render them immobile.
Through the lives of the prisoners, veterans, and service dogs, PRISON DOGScaptures in detail how the powerful relationship between humans and animals can restore the lives of those deemed impossible to save.
Mon, Nov 7 - 4:15PM
A story of love, loss, hope and redemption: PRISON DOGS focuses on the impact of a unique dog training program that gives a second chance to two of the most marginalized populations in our society — prison inmates and veterans.
Gloria Gilbert Stoga, a feisty, brilliant dog expert with a tough love, no-nonsense attitude, runs Puppies Behind Bars. The program teaches a select group of inmates to train puppies to become service dogs for disabled veterans, whether they suffer from PTSD or physical injuries that render them immobile.
Through the lives of the prisoners, veterans, and service dogs, PRISON DOGScaptures in detail how the powerful relationship between humans and animals can restore the lives of those deemed impossible to save.
Aloha! Screening @prisondogsfilm at @HIFF #HIFF2016! Inmates train puppies to be #servicedogs for vets with #PTSD @perripeltz @GeetaGandbhir pic.twitter.com/QJvmRKIcNG
— Prison Dogs Film (@prisondogsfilm) November 4, 2016
LISTEN TO ME MARLON
Thu, Nov 10 - 8:00PM
Marlon Brando exploded onto movie screens in 1951 as Stanley Kowalski in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and revolutionized masculinity in the popular culture while ushering in the era of Method Acting. Soon he would be more interested in activism and civil rights for indigenous people, but stand-out acting jobs kept coming his way. To younger generations he is most remembered as Don Corleone in THE GODFATHER and Colonel Kurtz in APOCALYPSE NOW.
This is the definite Brando documentary; compiled entirely from hundreds of hours of private audio tapes the actor recorded at home, in business meetings, during hypnosis, in therapy, and during press interviews, accompanied by carefully selected footage. LISTEN TO ME MARLON sheds light on the artist and the man. No talking heads, no interviewees: just Brando on Brando.
Presented by Halekulani, this FREE screening will be followed by a special discussion with Marlon Brando’s granddaughter Rebecca Brando.
Related coverage: Listen to Me Marlon director Stevan Riley on how he recreated Brando's home, 6,000 miles away from LA
Marlon Brando with son Christian. Photo courtesy Passion Pictures
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS
Sat, Nov 12 - 4:15PM
Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries in Mongolia.
As every eagle can only have one master, the time has come for Aisholpan to capture an eagle of her own. Clambering down a sheer rock cliff with a rope, Aisholpan retrieves a fledgling eagle from its nest as its mother circles overhead. Her eagle will live, train, and hunt with her, until she releases it into the wild years later, so the cycle of life can continue.
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS is executive produced and narrated by STAR WARS’s Daisy Ridley. Like Ridley’s character “Rey,” Aisholpan never doubts her ability to be as strong or brave as any boy. She recognizes no obstacles and refuses to have her ambition denied. While she practices an ancient art, Aisholpan’s story is a modern and inspiring one because she represents a world where a young girl’s dreams—no matter how challenging—can come true.
Sat, Nov 12 - 4:15PM
Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries in Mongolia.
As every eagle can only have one master, the time has come for Aisholpan to capture an eagle of her own. Clambering down a sheer rock cliff with a rope, Aisholpan retrieves a fledgling eagle from its nest as its mother circles overhead. Her eagle will live, train, and hunt with her, until she releases it into the wild years later, so the cycle of life can continue.
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS is executive produced and narrated by STAR WARS’s Daisy Ridley. Like Ridley’s character “Rey,” Aisholpan never doubts her ability to be as strong or brave as any boy. She recognizes no obstacles and refuses to have her ambition denied. While she practices an ancient art, Aisholpan’s story is a modern and inspiring one because she represents a world where a young girl’s dreams—no matter how challenging—can come true.
An image from "The Eagle Huntress." Courtesy HIFF
6 more days left of HIFF! Get there before its over! #hpuhpn #hpuhiff #hiff2016 pic.twitter.com/EqVzQ3KUak
— ri (@mrahxx) November 8, 2016
Mahalo @abcstoreshawaii @FHBHawaii for sponsoring these important seminars! #HIFF2016 pic.twitter.com/bilENyAHpa
— Hawaii Intl FilmFest (@HIFF) November 7, 2016
Author
Matthew Carey is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. His work has appeared on Deadline.com, CNN, CNN.com, TheWrap.com, NBCNews.com and in Documentary magazine.
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