1975.KIM SANG-JIN
Thursday, March 14, 2024, 10:00 AM
Directed by AN Byung-Kwon.
2022. South Korea. 75 minutes
Country/region featured: South Korea

Unavailable for virtual on demand viewing.

1975.KIM SANG-JIN tells the story of a young activist whose political suicide leads to mass campus demonstration and violent crackdown at Seoul National University, triggering a wave of student protests against the Park Chung-hee government following the events.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker
Contact: AN Byung-Kwon, anbyungkwon@gmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwIu_5fLNoEdt2pELqbTp_A

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Melting Icecream
Thursday, March 14, 2024, 11:15 AM
Directed by HONG Jinhwon
2021. South Korea. 70 minutes.
Country/region featured: South Korea

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with scholar Jihoon Kim (Author of Activism and Post-activism: Korean Documentary Cinema, 1981-2022 [OUP, 2024]).

In the warehouse of the Korea Democracy Foundation, old rolls of film titled, “Film damaged by the Flood” are mysteriously found.  Through the restored films and interviews with the photographers, the documentary reveals the once forgotten images and memories of labor struggles during a tumultuous time of Korean democracy. 

Distributed by Cinema DAL.
www.cinemadal.com
https://siff.kr/en/films/30806/

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Even the Women Must Fight
Thursday, March 14, 2024, 12:45 PM
Directed and Produced by Karen Turner and Phan Thanh Hao
2023. United States. 25 minutes.
Country/region featured: Vietnam

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with scholar Tri Phuong.

Rare interviews with female veterans of Ho Chi Minh's volunteer youth brigades. Women tell their stories of wartime hardship and post war challenges, backed by historical footage from Northern Vietnamese combat photographers. A new view of an old war.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker.
Contact: Karen Turner at kturner@holycross.edu
eventhewomenmustfight.com

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When the Tide Goes Out
Thursday, March 14, 2024, 1:30 PM
A film by Ajay Bhardwaj.
2021. Canada. 118 minutes
Country/region featured: Canada

Unavailable for virtual on demand viewing.

By tracing the history of intercommunity organizing in a strand of the South Asian diasporic labour movement in Vancouver after four decades, the film discovers the persistent albeit hidden patriarchal discourse, overwriting the gentle power that fuels the struggle. The patriarchy’s all-pervasive yet elusive presence is missing from movement art, erasing the gendered experience of organizing from the movement’s collective memory.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker.
Contact: Ajay Bhardwaj, ajayunmukt@gmail.com

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Building Bridges: Bill Youren's Vision of Peace
Thursday, March 14, 2024, 3:30 PM
Directed by John Chrissotoffels.
2022. Aotearoa/New Zealand. 82 minutes.
Country/region featured: China and New Zealand

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with scholar/filmmaker Richard Bullen.

A tireless campaigner for world peace, New Zealander Bill Youren courted controversy by visiting China in 1952, 1956, and 1960, where he witnessed events seminal in the first years of the People’s Republic, which he captured on his 8mm camera. He also collected Chinese art, which he exhibited throughout New Zealand as an alternative image of China to that offered by the government and mainstream press. Bill’s story is told through his letters and publications, and his own 8mm footage and slides.

Produced by Porter Pictures
https://www.porterpictures.co.nz
Distributed by Lime Light Distribution
https://www.limelightdistribution.co.nz/film/building-bridges-bill-yourens-vision-of-peace

Shadowlands
Friday, March 15, 2024, 8:30 AM
A film by Dostain Baloch and Nida Kirmani.
2023. Pakistan. 31 minutes.
Country/region featured: Pakistan

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

Shadowlands follows the stories of two residents of the area of Lyari in Karachi, Nawaz Laasi and Amna Baloch. Both have lost family members to gang violence in the area. Nawaz has lost four sons, two to gang violence and two at the hands of the police, and Amna’s husband was killed by the police. Through telling their stories, this documentary sheds light on the on-going ramifications of violence and questions whether peace has truly been achieved for the people of Lyari.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker
Contact: Nida Kirmani, nidakirmani@gmail.com
https://shadowlandsthefilm.org/

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We Are Human!
Friday, March 15, 2024, 9:05 AM
Directed by Ko Chanyu.
2022. Japan. 114 minutes.
Country/region featured: Japan

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

On March 6, 2021, Rathnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali (aged 33) died in a state of starvation and organ failure following seven months of detention in an immigration detention centre in Nagoya, Japan. The horrific circumstances of her death sparked a wave of citizen protests and brought the harshness of the Japanese government's legal and institutional control of immigrants and refugees into the public consciousness.

This documentary outlines the history of Japan's Alien Registration Act, established primarily to control the Korean population in Japan in the aftermath of WWII, and illustrates how the oppressive framework of control has continued through to the present day, bringing the non-Japanese interviewees to share a common cry: "we are not animals--we are human!"

Distributed by Alexander Street
https://alexanderstreet.com
https://ningenda.jp/

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All God’s Children
Friday, March 15, 2024, 11:00 AM
Directed by Robert Lemelson; Co-produced by Annie Tucker
2023. USA. 67 minutes.
Country/region feature: Indonesia

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmaker Annie Tucker.

The film tells the story of Idris, a nonverbal autistic teenager living in rural Central Java. Idris’s mother, Isti, struggles to understand Idris and meet their basic needs, especially since the two moved away from Idris’s neurotypical twin brother and biological father over thirteen years ago.

Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources
https://www.der.org
https://store.der.org/all-gods-children-p1073.aspx

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The Invisible Tong Talun

Friday, March 15, 2024, 12:25 PM
Directed by Keng-Khoon Ng & Goh Xin Le, Luke.
2023. Malaysia/Singapore. 33 minutes
Country/region featured: Semporna, Sabah Malaysia

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmakers Keng-Khoon Ng and Goh Xin Le, Luke

The Invisible Tong Talun depicts the publicly unknown lives of statelessness in Semporna, Sabah Malaysia, where the place was historically known as Tong Talun – the living shores of Bajau Laut boat-dwelling nomads. The three episodes render true stories of indigenous students, local youth leaders and teachers from Borneo Komrad, by excavating how a strong sense of fortitude, solidarity and resilience brings them together as a force of social change movements.

The documentary is co-produced by NUS College, the honour college of the National University of Singapore (led by Dr Keng-Khoon Ng) and Borneo Komrad, a Sabah-based NGO that advocates the right to education and nationality for the stateless children.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker
Contact: Keng-Khoon Ng, keng.ng@nus.edu.sg

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Cirque du Cambodia
Friday, March 15, 2024, 1:15 PM
Directed and produced by Joel Gershon.
2020. USA. 85 minutes
Country/region featured: Cambodia

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

Cirque du Cambodia follows the journey of two youths who live out every child's fantasy - to run away from home and join the circus. But not just any circus - they dream of taking the stage with Cirque du Soleil, the largest theatrical company in the world. Their home, a rural village in the ancient, faraway Kingdom of Cambodia, makes their quest even more extraordinary.

Self-distributed by filmmaker
filmhub.com
Contact: Director@cirqueducambodia.com
cirqueducambodia.com

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Padauk: Myanmar Spring
Friday, March 15, 2024, 3:00 PM
Directed by Jeanne Marie Hallacy and Rares Michael Ghilezan
2022. United States. 56 minutes.
Country/region featured: Myanmar

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

Padauk: Myanmar Spring takes the viewer to the streets of Myanmar during the heady days following the February 2021 military coup. Through Nant, a young, first-time protester, we meet three human rights activists whose lives have been turned upside down by the coup.

Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources
https://www.der.org

https://store.der.org/padauk-p1067.aspx

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Threads: Sustaining India's Textile Traditions
Friday, March 15, 2024, 4 PM
Directed and produced by Katherine Sender and Shuchi Kothari.
2023. United States. 58 Minutes
Country/region featured: India

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

Threads explores the relationship between traditional weavers and fashion designers in India. After decades of decline in a demand for legacy fabrics, collaborative relationships between designers and artisans (communicated and negotiated between social economic classes from different social positions) have led to fashion designers now recognizing the autonomy of artisan designers and the need to work with them.

Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources
https://store.der.org/threads-p1069.aspx

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Finding Vega
Friday, March 15, 2024, 5 PM
Directed by Joey Xuetong Zhao and executive produced by Fei Yan.
2023. United States. 22 Minutes
Country/region featured: United States, China

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmakers Joey Xuetong Zhao and Fei Yan.

A 12-year-old girl who lives in a Chinatown single-room-occupancy family with her vegetative state mother has a passionate love for the starry sky. While eagerly wanting to realize her self-worth, she experiences a collision of reality and realizes what is important.

Distributed by American Film Institute
https://www.afi.com
Contact: Joey Zuetong Zhao, xzhao@alumni.afi.edu
https://www.joey-zhao.com/finding-vega

Voices of the Silenced
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 8:30 AM
A film by Soo-nam PARK and Maeui PARK.
2023. South Korea/Japan. 137 minutes.
Country/region featured: South Korea, Japan

Unavailable for virtual on demand viewing

Voices of the Silenced delves into the historical experiences of Park Soo-nam, born in colonial-era Japan, retracing the journey of the history of ZainichiーKorean in Japan. Through the lens of two 16mm documentary films shot since 1985 and the restoration of unreleased footage, it resurrects the testimonies of witnesses. The film raises questions for audiences, probing what was lost through colonization and war, and serves as a record of the struggle to reclaim those losses.

Shedding light from the past to the present, it challenges us to ponder the essence of documentary filmmaking and raises inquiries about the significance of reclaiming what was lost in the face of historical injustices.

This film is a collaborative effort between the director Park Soo-nam, who has now lost her eyesight, and her daughter and co-director Park Maeui.

Distributed by ARTicle Films
Contact: emi@articlefilms.com

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Forever 17
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 10:40 AM
Directed by Kit Hung.
2019. Hong Kong. 36 minutes.
Country/region featured: Hong Kong

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmaker Kit Hung.(tentative)

After his partner of 40 years passed away, memories flood Ricky whenever he tidies up their bed. A flashback shows the love story between Ricky and Roger, and the story re-imagines a future: in 2029, Hong Kong legalises same-sex marriage.

Distributed by GagaOoolala.
https://www.gagaoolala.com/
https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/film/programme/films/detail/2236?r=en===

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Escaping Agra
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 11:30 AM
A film by Pallavi Somusetty.
2016. United States. 23 minutes.
Country/region featured: India

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmaker Pallavi Somusetty.

In Escaping Agra, a documentary by Pallavi Somusetty, college student Naveen Bhat chronicles their experience of being illegally detained in Agra, India after their gender and sexual orientation are discovered. As Naveen battles their parents in and out of court, they find support from the Indian Supreme Court's recognition of a third gender. The 23-minute film follows Naveen’s journey home to California as they piece their life back together.

Distributed by Chandi Films
chandifilms.com/watch-escaping-agra
escapingagra.com

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Trans Kashmir
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 12:30 PM
Directed by Surbhi Dewan and SA Hanan and produced by Surbhi Dewan and Afia Mushtaq
2022. India. 62 minutes
Country/region featured: Kashmir, India

Unavailable for virtual on demand viewing.

For generations, the transgender women of Kashmir have worked as matchmakers and performers but their gender, economic and socio-political realities make them some of the most vulnerable people in the world today. Offering an intimate glimpse into their unique culture, resilience, and beauty, this documentary chronicles their growing movement to secure basic human rights.

Distributed by Frameline
https://www.frameline.org/
https://www.paintedtreepictures.com/transkashmir

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Paradise
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 1:50 PM
Directed by Minki Hong and produced by Todd A. Henry
2023. South Korea. 31 minutes.
Country/region featured: South Korea

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

Paradise revisits South Korea’s era of authoritarian development (1970s-1980s) through the lens of queer livelihood.  Despite the harsh realities of successive dictatorships, compulsory military service, and expectations of marriage and childbirth, six elderly gay men reveal how they converted second-run theaters and nearby bars into popular sites of erotic liberation, same-sex friendships, and romantic encounters.  Using rare footage of Seoul’s only extant second-run movie house, visual archives, and historical animation, Paradise documents South Korea’s vibrant gay underground before the solidification of democracy and the introduction of the internet in the 1990s.  Along the way, it follows the pain and joy of queer citizens, whose stories appear for the first time in this empowering film of self-discovery and community building.

Distributed by Post Fin Co., Ltd.

http://www.postfin.co.kr/
Contact: Soyeon KWON, soyeon@postfin.co.kr
https://www.facebook.com/Paradise2023Official

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Khata: Poison or Purity?
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 2:40 PM
A film by Huatse Gyal.
2023. China. 45 minutes
Country/region featured: Tibet

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with scholar/filmmaker Huatse Gyal.

This documentary film explores the mass production and mass consumption of Khata with a special focus on discarded Khatas. The Khata is a ceremonial scarf used as a gift on many occasions in the Himalayan world, including births, weddings, graduations, and the arrival and departure of guests.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker
Contact: Hautse Gyal, huatse@rice.edu

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Stories of Pang Jai (風吹布動)
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 3:40 PM
Produced and directed by Jimmy Lo; Executive Producer: Ruby Yang
2023. Hong Kong. 50 minutes.

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmaker Jimmy Lo.

"Pang Jai" stands as a poignant relic of Hong Kong's fabric markets. Its hallowed lanes, etched with the essence of craftsmanship and tradition, echo with the indomitable spirit of resilient vendors. "Stories of Pang Jai" unveils the vivid tapestry of their everyday lives and the epic struggle against the juggernaut of forced demolition.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker
https://vimeo.com/jimmylo

Contact: Jimmy Lo, jimmylofilm@gmail.com

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24659544/reference/
https://theatrefilm.ubc.ca/profile/jimmy-lo/

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Yellow Jazz Black Music
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 4:45 PM
Directed by Marketus Presswood and co-produced by Marketus Presswood and Eric Sun
2021. United States. 54 minutes.
Country/region featured: China

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with scholar/filmmaker Marketus Presswood.

In the 1920s and 1930s, African American musicians in Shanghai became crucial to define that era. This documentary is about a story of “the half has never been told,” that is the history of jazz as experienced by African American and Chinese musicians in China from past to present. This film traces the story of some of the important historical figures past and present that shaped part of the Chinese music scene. Featuring musicians Jasmine Chen and Theo Croker.

Self-distributed by the filmmaker
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/yellowjazzblackmusiceduc
Contact: Marketus Presswood, marketus@gmail.com

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Let There Be Light
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 6:05 PM
Directed by Caroline Chu
2023. France. 34 minutes.
Country featured: England and France

Available for virtual on demand viewing. Register at Film Expo desk.

In-person Q&A with filmmaker Caroline Chu.

History is often told according to the interpretation and biases of prevailing historical actors, but remnants of the past, can help us tell History differently. By investigating through his family history, John has shed a new light on World War One’s mechanisms.

Distributed by Cinelora
https://www.carolinechu.net
Contact: Caroline Chu, carolinechu.uk@gmail.com