• theartofrevolution

    Oct 18, 11:48 AM by administrator

    The Art Of Revolution

    Sun. Nov. 4th, 1:30 PM

    To quote François de la Rochefoucauld, “The only thing constant in life is change.” So the questions we ask are: what changes do we want to make and will what we want to change remain constant, if not how can we change something that is always evolving? How do we determine collectively what the mandate of change is? Media is one of the most powerful instruments of change – not only can it affect attitudes, feelings but how people think about certain subjects. In ART/FILM/REVOLUTION, the filmmaker looks at words and images of change. Then in BYSTANDING, the filmmaker makes a powerful anti-war statement while PILGRIMAGE witnesses how a trip to an abandoned Japanese American concentration camp transforms into a symbol of solidarity. Finally, Ling Liu’s OFFICER TSUKAMOTO documents the unsolved murder of one of the first Asian American police officers in the U.S. These shorts will be followed by a panel discussion that addresses 2007’s milestone anniversaries that led to important changes in Canada and how art can initiate a revolution of ideas.

    Prilgrimage



    Director: Tadashi Nakamura | Writers: Karen Ishizuka, Tadashi Nakamura | Producer: Karen Ishizuka
    Documentary | Beta | Colour | 2006 | 22 minutes | USA

    With a hip music track and never-before-seen footage, PILGRIMAGE tells the inspiring story of how an abandoned WWII concentration camp for Japanese Americans has been transformed into a symbol of retrospection and solidarity for people of all ages, races and nationalities in our post- 9/11 world.

    Previous Screenings/Selected Awards:
    San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
    Chicago Asian American Showcase
    California Independent Film Festival
    Newport Beach Film Festival
    Los Angeles Asian & Pacific Film & Video Festivall

    Canadian Premiere

    Bystanding: The Beginning of an American Lifetime



    Director: Karen Lin | Writer: Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai | Producer: Karin Chien
    Narrative | Beta | Colour | 2007 | 5 minutes | USA

    A convergence of the music video style of in-camera performance and the spoken word poetry of acclaimed artist Kelly Tsai, “Bystanding” captures the powerful words of this antiwar poem against a backdrop of charged New York City images.

    Previous Screenings/Selected Awards:
    VC Film Fest
    Chicago Asian American Showcase
    Media that Matters Film Festival
    Black Lily Film Festival

    Canadian Premiere

    art/film/revolution



    Director/Writer/Producer: Valerie Soe
    Experimental | Beta | Colour | 2007 | 1 minutes | USA

    A short look at the connections between creative work and social change, using words and images from five prominent revolutionaries and artists.

    Previous Screenings/Selected Awards:
    ReNew Media 20th Anniversary Celebration

    Canadian Premiere

    Officer Tsukamoto



    Director/Writer/Producer: Ling Liu
    Documentary | Beta | Colour | 2006 | 27 minutes | USA

    In 1970, Ron Tsukamoto, one of the first Asian-American police officers in the U.S., was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop. More than 30 years later, the police re-opened the cold case and arrested suspects who they believe were members of the Black Panther Party.

    Previous Screenings/Selected Awards:
    New York Asian American International Film Festival
    Slant Asian American Film Festival
    DisOrient Asian American Film Festival
    Austin Asian Film Festival

    Canadian Premiere

    Panel Discussion to Follow

    The Art Of Revolution

    2007 marks significant anniversaries for Asian-Canadians in Vancouver:

    Please join this distinguished moderator and panelists for a lively discussion on the historical and community contexts of these anniversaries. What were the catalysts for social change, past and present? What are current challenges for social justice and equality for Canadians? What is the role of media and artists in promoting progress and equality? What can you and I do?

    The Panelists

    Jim Wong-Chu

    Jim Wong-Chu is a community activist, historian and writer. He is a founding member of the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society and Pender Guy, a community radio program on CFRO that lasted for 6 years during the late 1970’s.




    Dr. Henry Yu

    Dr. Henry Yu specializes in the study of trans-Pacific migration and settlement. He is concurrently an associate professor in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia as well as a faculty member of the Asian American Studies Centre at the University of California, Los Angeles. For Dr.Yu, who himself is both a second and fourth generation Chinese Canadian, a fuller understanding of Canada’s Pacific history, present and future is both a research focus and a personal mission.

    Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai

    Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai is a Chinese Taiwanese American spoken word artist currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She has been featured at over 225 performances worldwide including notable venues like the Nuyorican Poets Café, House of Blues, Apollo Theater in Harlem, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and three seasons of the award-winning “Russell Simmons Presents HBO Def Poetry.” Current projects include her debut spoken word CD INFINITY BREAKS and her first full-length book of poems to be published by UpSet Press in Summer 2008. (yellowgurl.com) (myspace.com/yellowgurl_poetry)

    Ho Tam

    Ho Tam was born in Hong Kong and educated in Toronto and worked in advertising firms and community psychiatric facilities before turning to art. He works in a diverse mix of disciplinary including painting, video, photography, print and public art and has exhibited in various cities across North America. He currently teaches at the University of Victoria.


    Hayne Wai

    Moderator: Hayne Wai has been a long time community advocate including community protests against Chinatown freeways and the urban renewal destruction of Strathcona, the development of the Chinese Cultural Centre, and community campaigns racist media programs. He worked for the BC Ministry of Multiculturalism and the federal Canadian Human Rights Commission; and is presently a sessional instructor at UBC. Hayne is president of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC.


    Celebrity Host for this program:

    Kevan Ohtsji


    Kevan Ohtsji: one of Vancouver’s top emerging Asian actors, is flying high. This brooding and diverse actor is well known for his roles on STARGATE SG-1, ANDROMEDA, and SMALLVILLE. Filmed in Montreal, the highly anticipated Discovery Channel mini-series
    RACE TO MARS stars Kevan as one of lead astronauts in the first manned mission to Mars.


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