First Annual Asian Pacific Film Series Screens At Community College Of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA, February 28, 2003 – Community College of Philadelphia launches the first annual Asian Pacific Film Series beginning March 15. The series features films from five Asian countries representing their different cultural styles. The films were chosen for their diversity, content, style, and quality. An opening ceremony on Saturday, March 15 will feature a lecture concerning Muslim conflict in the Philippines, the topic of first film in the series, Bagong Buwan (New Moon). All screenings will be held at Community College of Philadelphia, 17th Street between Spring Garden and Callowhill Streets. The series is the first of its kind in the region. For more information regarding the series, please contact Ely Marquez at 215-751-8675.

• March 15
Opening Ceremony, 2pm, BG-16.
Bagong Buwan (New Moon), Philippines 2001, running time: 134 minutes.
3:10 p.m. Small Auditorium, BG-11, Bonnel Building.

Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s provocative film explores the Muslim conflict in the Philippines. The film centers on Ahmad (played by famed Filipino actor Cesar Montano), who, after the death of his son by the hand of Anti-Muslim vigilantes, leaves his home in Manila to make funeral arrangements in war-torn Mindanao. After spending several weeks of witnessing first hand the injustices suffered by the Muslim residents of Midanao, Ahmad begins to re-examine his personal beliefs and moral ideologies.

• March 17
Uttara (The Wrestlers), India 2000, running time: 99 minutes.
2 p.m. Small Auditorium, BG-11, Bonnell Building.

Director Buddhadeb Das Gupta’s film focuses on a small railway station in a rural Indian community and examines the friendship that occurs between two stationmasters who share a passion for wrestling.

• March 18
Mua Oi (The Season of the Guavas), Vietnam/France, 2000, running time: 100 minutes.
3:30 p.m. Small Auditorium, BG-11, Bonnell Building.

Director Dang Nhat Minh’s heartwarming film traces the life of Hoa, who, after being removed by government force from his home after the Vietnam War, returns often to relive old memories. Beautifully shot and well acted, this profound film thoughtfully connects the different generations of Vietnam.

• March 19
Maori Merchant of Venice. New Zealand, 2002, running time: 3 hours.
11:30 a.m., Small Auditorium, BG-11, Bonnell Building.

Director Don Selwyn transports this Shakespearean play from Elizabethan culture and implements the rich world of Maori culture. The film is told in the Maori language with Maori actions, music, and a stylized set incorporating Maori carvings and Mediterranean-influenced designs.

• March 22
Wo De Fu Qin Mu Qin (The Road Home), China, 1999, running time: 120 minutes.
3:00 p.m., Small Auditorium, BG-11 Bonnell Building.

Returning home upon the death of his father, Luo Yusheng confronts his past and his culture as his mother insists upon a traditional burial for her dead husband. The film incorporates a beautiful story of romance and elegant cinematography.