Art Theatre hosting Oscar nominee
Orange County Register | Feb. 28, 2014
CHUNG SUNG-JUN, GETTY IMAGES
On the eve of the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Long Beach will have its own slice of the Oscar pie.
Director Rithy Panh, whose “The Missing Picture” is the first
Cambodian film nominated for an Academy Award, will attend a special
showing of the movie, followed by a question-and-answer session. The
movie will be aired at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Art Theatre, 2025 E.
Fourth St.
“I think it's great for the city,” said Prach Ly, co-founder and
director of the Cambodia Town Film Festival. “He's doing this a day
before the Academy Awards. He could be anywhere else, and he chose to be
in Long Beach.”
Panh, 51, has become something of a media sensation since his film received the nomination. Winners will be announced Sunday.
The movie blends first-person narration by Randal Duoc, as Panh, with
propaganda clips from the Khmer Rouge and archival footage.
Particularly striking is the depiction of Panh's deceased relatives and
other Cambodians through sculpted clay figurines.
Ly said that when the movie made its U.S. premiere a week ago in Long
Beach, a number of Cambodians reacted to the clay figures in ways they
wouldn't have to real actors.
“They said, ‘That's my mom' or ‘That's my dad,'” Ly said.
“The Missing Picture” has enjoyed critical success and awards,
including the “Un Certain Regard” prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Panh had actually submitted the film to the Cambodia Town Film Festival,
but it was withdrawn after a distributor was found.
Panh has been making films for 25 years. This is his second
submission to the Academy. His 1994 “Rice People” was not accepted. The
only other Cambodian film submitted to the Academy for consideration was
last year's “Lost Loves.”
Panh's film is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film with European
films “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” “The Great Beauty” and “The Hunt”
and Palestinian film “Omar.”
Ly says “The Missing Picture” is striking on many levels.
“I was in awe of it,” he said. “Every time I watch it I get something different.”
To Ly, Panh is a winner for all Cambodian filmmakers.
“We're already proud of what he's achieved. We're now in the same
breath with the international stage,” Ly said. “We're now
internationally recognized.”
No comments:
Post a Comment