NORTE, THE END OF HISTORY
11:00 a.m. Bijou Art Cinemas
Tickets: $6 students/seniors, $8 general public
The Philippines, 2013
Directed by Lav Diaz
Screenplay by Rody Vera and Lav Diaz
Cinematography by Larry Manda
Editing by Lav Diaz
Music by Corinne De San Jose and Mark Locsin
Cast: Sid Lucero, Archie Alemania, Angeli Bayani, Angelina Kanapi, and Soliman Cruz
Run Time: 250 Minutes
In the northern Philippine province of Luzon, a law-school dropout commits a horrific double murder; a gentle family man takes the fall and receives a life sentence, leaving behind a wife and two kids. At their best, Lav Diaz’s marathon movies reveal just how much other films leave out. In his devastating twelfth feature (at four-plus hours, one of his shortest), the broad canvas accommodates both the irreducible facts of individual experience and the cosmic sweep of time and space. A careful rethinking of Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment shot in blazing color, this tour de force offers a masterful recapitulation of Diaz’s longstanding obsessions: cultural memory, national guilt, and the origin of evil. The wounds and defeats of Filipino history loom large in each of Diaz’s films. Fabian, Norte‘s tortured anti-hero (superbly played by Sid Lucero), may well be his most indelible creation: a haunting embodiment of the dead ends of ideology. James Quandt of Artforum proclaimed, “Lav Diaz’s Dostoyevskian mini-epic—at four hours, a mere sip for this hitherto-oceanic filmmaker—may prove the greatest work of the Philippine New Wave.”
MASTERS OF CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS
12:30 -3:20 p.m. Gerlinger Gym on the University of Oregon campus
Free
Join the UO Confucius Institute and UO Wushu Club as they host a series of performances by extraordinary practitioners of wushu, the Chinese martial arts sport, from the West Coast. The program will be highlighted by special performances by visiting masters Hu Jianqiang, the highest-ranking Wushu master in the West, and Zong Jianmei, special guests from the Shaolin Wushu Center in Los Angeles.
| 12:30 pm | Refreshments |
| 1:00 pm | Welcome |
| 1: 05 pm | UO Wushu Club |
| 1: 10 pm | Introduction of all participants, performance sections and styles |
| 1: 20 pm | Performance: 5 minutes by Master Hu Jianqiang Performance: 5 minutes by Portland Club |
| 1:35 pm | Performance of Master Liang |
| 1:40 pm | Performance by Master Liang’s disciples |
| 1:50 pm | BREAK—refreshments, outside stands with info |
| 2:00 pm | Screening of clips from Master Hu’s appearances in classic martial arts films |
| 2:10 pm | Performance by Master Hu (following the movements of the film clips) |
| 2:25 pm | Performance Master Zong Jian-mei |
| 2:35 pm | Performance Portland Wushu Club |
| 2:40 pm | Final group performance UO Wushu Club |
| 2:50 pm | Open floor for practice by audience members with Masters |
A RIVER BETWEEN US
With Jason Atkinson and Jeff Martin
1:00 p.m. 156 Straub Hall, on the University of Oregon campus
Tickets: $6
The United States, 2014
Directed by Jeff Martin
Screenplay by Jeff Martin and Jason Atkinson
Cinematography by Jim Standridge
Editing by Steve Felts and Jim Standridge
Music by Sam Martin
Cast: Jason Atkinson (as narrator)
Run Time: 90 minutes
A River Between Us tells the story of the longest running and most bitterly disputed water war in the western United States today. The film’s primary focus is the environmental disaster on the Klamath River; however, in this case, the most dangerous toxin polluting the water is 30 years of bad blood between the local farmers, ranchers, Native Tribes, members of the Tea Party, state politicians, and federal government.
A River Between Us examines the complicated history of this conflict: how anger, fear, and distrust have undermined the Klamath’s communities for decades. Balancing the sheer beauty of the river’s surface with its underlying ills of injustice and inequality, the film focuses on the personal stories of a group of individuals who finally chose to put the past behind them and came together to create a historic water rights compromise for the good of all.
Ultimately, A River Between Us isn’t about fish or water rights or even a 40-year water war, it’s about the harm people do to each other, and by extension, the damage people have done to one of this country’s greatest wild rivers. Most importantly, this documentary provides a solution and a call to action to end this generations-old conflict: in order to save a river, you must first heal a people.
UO Law’s Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Center and Environmental and Natural Resources (ENR) Law Center are joining with Cinema Pacific to host a post-screening discussion with former Oregon legislator and current environmental activist Jason Atkinson and his co-director on A River Between Us, Jeff Martin. Joining them will be ADR Center director Jennifer Reynolds and UO Law Associate Professor Adell Amos.
TAI CHI ZERO
With a Skype dialogue with Daniel Wu
4:00 p.m. Straub Hall 156 on the University of Oregon campus
Tickets: $6
China, 2012
Directed by Stephen Fung
Screenplay by Chia-lu Chang and Hsiao-tse Cheng
Cinematography by Yiu-Fai Lai
Editing by Hsiao-tse Cheng, Matthew Hui, Zhang Jialu, Zhang Weili
Music by Katsunori Ishida
Cast: Hark-On Fung, Stephen Fung, Xiaochao Yuan, Qi Shu, Wai-Keung Lau, Siu-Lung Leung, Daniel Wu
Run Time: 98 minutes
Tai Chi Zero tells the origins of the Chen style of martial arts called t’i chi ch’uan and is the debut of lead actor Jayden Yuan, the 2008 Olympic wushu champion. It is a creation of Daniel Wu and Stephen Fung’s production company, Diversion Pictures, and impressive evidence of their ambition to revitalize the wuxia film genre. Here, they surprisingly and effectively inject steampunk elements into the wuxia brew.
Our hero, Yang, stumbles upon a small mountainous village in which Chen-style kung fu is practiced. However, it is forbidden for the villagers to share these secrets with an outsider. After a particularly tough battle against Yuniang, the beautiful daughter of Master Chen, Yang is more determined than ever to master the art of Tai Chi . . . but he needs the Master’s permission first. Meanwhile, a frightening steam-powered machine arrives at Chen Village, powered by Fang Zijing. Fang has bribed government officials to permit him to build a railway right through the center of the village. Yang decides to join forces with Yuniang to defeat Fang and destroy the monstrous machine—a brave and dangerous act that might just win the hearts of the villagers . . . and the girl.
Noel Murray writes for The A.V. Club that “stylewise is where the movie makes its mark. Director Stephen Fung is making a martial arts movie for the Internet age; the fight sequences have additional videogame-style graphics showing angles of attack, and rather than putting the cast’s names in the opening credits, Fung introduces them whenever they show up in the movie, and adds each actor’s best-known credit next to his or her name.”
BALIKBAYAN #1 (aka MEMORIES OF OVERDEVELOPMENT)
With director Kidlat Tahimik and tasty Filipino refreshments!
6:45 p.m. Bijou Art Cinemas
Tickets: $6 students/seniors, $8 general public
The Philippines, 2015
Directed by Kidlat Tahimik
Screenplay by Kidlat Yahimik
Cinematography by Santos Buyacca, Kawayan de Guia, Kidlat de Guia, Abi Lara, Lee Meily, Kidlat Tahimik, and Boy Yniguez
Editing by Malaya Camporedondo, Charlie Fugunt, Chuck Gutierrez, Abi Lara, and Clarence Sison
Music by Los Indios de Espana and Shanto
Cast: Mitos Benitez, Jeff Cohen, Kabunyan de Guia, Katrin de Guia, Kawayan de Guia, and Marita Manzanillo
Run Time: 140 Minutes
The latest piece by acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik (The Perfumed Nightmare) was 35 years in the making. Winner of the Caligari Prize at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, Balikbayan #1 tells the story of Enrique of Malacca, Magellan’s slave and arguably the first person to ever circumnavigate the globe. “In the film, Enrique (played by the director himself) does not appear as the object of European exploitation, but rather as a kind of shrewd cosmopolitan from the Global South. Kidlat Tahimik began working on his film about Enrique in 1979, but for personal reasons never completed it. Not until more than three decades later has he now been able to finish it, almost without a budget—partly thanks to new developments in media technology (some of the new footage was shot with an iPhone)” (Tilman Baumgartel). Giovanni Marchini Camia stated in Filmmaker: “A sui generis historical epic, the film freely mixes genres, integrates a variety of formats, and features a carousel of actors spanning three generations—it may very well be Tahimik’s magnum opus.” Adam Cook raved in Mubi’s Notebook: “such inexplicable and whimsical beauty! Karaoke history lessons, digressions on Filipino art, and the overwhelmingly lovely and warm personality of the film’s director, which is present in every line of narration, every edit, every shot choice!”
Kidlat Tahimik’s visit is supported by a gift by Mark and Joy Gall.
(USA, 2015) UO Sociology Professor Michael Dreiling is the codirector of this exciting and revelatory new feature documentary, previewing here in its nearly final form as a work-in-progress. More than 60 years ago, Costa Rica became one of the only nations in the world to disband their military and to redirect national resources towards education, health, and the environment. Since then, Costa Rica has earned the number one spot in the Happy Planet Index, a ranking of countries based on measures of environmental protection and the happiness and health of its citizens.
8:30 p.m. 
9:30 p.m. Game App Demo by Mountain Machine Studios (Portland)
10:15 p.m. Performance by Filipino filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik
Once Upon a Time in China is set in the late 1800s, with China in turmoil. Western influence is threatening the pride and sovereignty of the Chinese people, who are being enslaved for foreign labor, or becoming addicted to opium. It falls upon Wong Fei Hung, a renowned doctor, healer, patriot, and kung-fu artist, to stand up and fight. Charged with protecting the region with his militia, Fei Hung becomes embroiled in political intrigue and martial arts rivalries as corrupt foreigners and corrupt Chinese attempt to gain control of the region. When a rival martial arts master joins the foreigners, Fei Hung faces his greatest challenge yet. Can he save his true love Yee (Rosamund Kwan), as well as right the wrongs against his beloved land of China?
A globally acclaimed classic of the wuxia genre, A Touch of Zen is an epic masterpiece that centers on a somewhat clumsy intellectual named Ku (Hsu) who becomes embroiled in a plot to save a female fugitive, Yang (Shih), from execution. Yang is endangered by the corrupt Eunuch Wei’s (Bai) plan to eradicate all traces of her family due to Yang’s father’s threat to expose his corruption. Both protagonists must fight off the East Chamber guards and Yang, at least, has the necessary skills. The situation calls for some of the most brilliantly choreographed fight scenes in the history of cinema.
Kyle Steinbach, UO’11, pulled together a crew that included many talented alumni of Cinema Pacific Adrenaline Film Project productions, and directed this impressive debut feature. Bad Exorcists, a horror-comedy, premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Diego in February. The film follows three very uncool high school friends: Charlie, Matt, and Dana. In a last-ditch effort to earn their classmates’ respect, the trio aims to win the local horror film festival. Things might finally be going their way—until their attempt to film an exorcism scene results in the demonic possession of their lead actress. The boys are in for a raucous and hilarious weekend as they try to save the girl and somehow finish their film, all while navigating the treacherous world of high school.
Rong-ji Chang’s Touch of The Light offers a partially fictionalized depiction of the rise of its star and subject, Yu-Siang Huang, a precocious blind pianist. Spurred by encouragement from his supportive mother, Huang journeys from his small Taiwanese village to the nation’s capital after he is offered placement in the selective Taipei School of Music. The young prodigy navigates an unfamiliar world while surmounting the ridicule of his peers. A blossoming romance between Huang and a young dancer most certainly helps the young pianist adapt to his new world.
The wildlife-inspired art of media and performance artists Vanessa Renwick and Deke Weaver will be discussed by the artists, joined by environmental studies scholar Ted Toadvine (head of UO Philosophy department) and artist Carla Bengtson (UO Department of Art). Renwick’s video installations Hunting Requires Optimism and Medusa Smack are on display April 25–June 29 in the Schnitzer Museum. Her three-screen film and live music performance Hope and Prey, featuring powerful footage of wolves in the wild, will be presented the night before this panel, preceded by Deke Weaver’s multimedia performance Wolf. The artists will present additional examples of their work and discuss with Toadvine and Bengtson the artistic and environmental concerns that inform their creative efforts.
The Lifeguard chronicles the tenure of a peculiar lifeguard with an unfortunate aversion to water. Despite this limitation, the tanned, dreadlocked Mauricio performs his duties with an admirable resolve that seems out of place on the Chilean coast. He may look like a chilled-out surfer dude, but he is anything but. He stringently enforces every rule of the beach, but when someone needs saving, all he can do is watch. Mauricio is not popular with the young male teens who like to test his authority, nor with his rival, Jean Pierre, whose every infraction Mauricio reports.
A talk by Kelly Matheson
The Internet has provided a medium of expression that can, in the hands of courageous individuals, counter the power of repressive regimes. Forbidden Voices accompanies three brave young cyberfeminists as they risk their lives to challenge their governments. Eyewitness reports and clandestine footage show Yoani Sánchez’s brutal beating by Cuban police for criticizing her country’s regime on her blog, Generación Y; Chinese human rights activist Jinyan under house arrest for four years; and Iranian journalist and women’s advocate Farnaz Seifi forced into exile, where she blogs under a pseudonym. Tracing each woman’s use of social media to denounce and combat violations of human rights and free speech in her home country, Forbidden Voices attests to the Internet’s potential for building international awareness and political pressure.
Brian Lindstrom, Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher, and Penny Allen discuss documentary filmmaker James Blue
Optometrist Weichung has the perfect family he always wanted, complete with an adoring young son and beautiful wife. Unfortunately, he can’t quite quell his one misgiving about their relationship—his partner is of the wrong sex. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? playfully examines the intricacies of sexuality in a changing Taiwan. Weichung’s marital pretense is juxtaposed with the seemingly doomed engagement of his sister, who wavers despite extravagant courtship from her suitor. Both siblings aggressively seek to remedy their relationships to avoid a pervasive fear of life lost to regret.
Wolf is the third chapter in Deke Weaver’s life-long endeavor, The Unreliable Bestiary, a performance for every letter of the alphabet, each letter represented by an endangered species. Inspired by the literary concept of the unreliable narrator and the medieval bestiary, which gave every living thing a spiritual purpose, The Unreliable Bestiary is an ark of stories about animals, our relationships with them, and the worlds they inhabit. With climate change and an exploding population pushing half the species on the planet into extinction, and with the lions and tigers and bears of our ancient myths and stories threatened, Weaver’s project makes us wonder: What will we do when our dreams disappear?
In Takao Dancer, an attempt to escape the confines of an insular Taiwanese fishing village ruptures the lives of all those involved. The paths of childhood friends Chi, Yi, and Kong grow increasingly discordant after a jointly botched crime renders Chi a lifelong fugitive. Having successfully migrated to the big city, Kong joins the police force and is set to marry Yi when she starts receiving secret letters from Chi. By this point a seasoned and accomplished criminal, Chi is soon under investigation by his former best friend, laying the groundwork for a perilous love triangle. The film is far from a simple thriller, however. Directors Wen-shing Ho and Ouchul Hwang accentuate Takao Dancer with a pervasive artistic energy that defies categorization.
Come see the results of Eugene’s fifth Adrenaline Film Project. On Wednesday, April 23, several teams of filmmakers will be assigned a genre and given a line of dialogue and prop to be incorporated into their productions. For the next seventy-two hours, they will pitch, write, shoot, and edit their films, turning them in at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 26. The mentors who guide them through the seventy-two-hour process (Jeff Wadlow, Leigh Kilton-Smith, and Omar Naim,) will host the films’ premieres, and the assembled crowd will vote for an Audience Award. A jury of film professionals will also give one film its top prize, the Kalb Award, and the mentors will select a third-prize winner. Following the screening, your ticket will get you into the celebratory Adrenaline Afterparty, featuring music and refreshments in the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art!
After a nearly 23-year hiatus, Chilean surrealist Alejandro Jodorowksy returns with a radiantly visceral film that is—and is much more than—an autobiography. The legendary filmmaker was born in 1929 in Tocopilla, a coastal town on the edge of the Chilean desert where the film was shot. It was there that Jodorowsky underwent an unhappy and alienated childhood as part of an uprooted family.
A talk by David MacDougall
A talk by Wen-shing Ho
A talk by Jung Henin
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. 
With special guests Richard Blue, Gerald O’Grady, Christina Kovac, and Gill Dennis
John Jeffcoat, the director of acclaimed indie feature Outsourced, has collaborated with Seattle band Tennis Pro for this unconventional hybrid of scripted and documentary material. It premiered to great acclaim at the South by Southwest festival in March.