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The Northwest Film Center presents:

OCT 4 SUN 7 PM—VISITING ARTIST

US 2009 | DIRECTOR: HAYDN REISS

Much of the writings and activism of Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford (1914-1993) focused on the potential for reconciliation as a counterpoint to the choice for war. During World War II, Stafford spent four years in public service camps as a conscientious objector, and began keeping a daily journal which he continued throughout his entire life. Based on these journals, Reiss's film confronts collective beliefs surrounding war: Why do we believe war is inevitable? Why do we believe it is necessary? While many recent films chronicle what happens once a war is launched, Reiss, through the example of Stafford's personal exploration, untangles the myths of war that abound before the first shot is fired.  Joining Stafford (as voiced by Peter Coyote) are noted activists and literary voices Alice Walker, W. S. Merwin, Maxine Hong Kingston, Robert Bly, Coleman Barks, Michael Meade, Naomi Shihab Nye and Kim Stafford. Together they embark with Stafford on a search for a wiser and less violent world. (32 mins.) Haydn Reiss will introduce the film. Sponsored by Beyond War.

FOLLOWED BY

US 2009 | DIRECTORS: SARAH KUNSTLER, EMILY KUNSTLER

In the 1960s and 70s, famed civil rights lawyer William Kunstler (1919-1995) fought for social change with everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to activists protesting the Vietnam War. When inmates took over Attica Prison, or Native Americans engaged the federal government at Wounded Knee, they asked Kunstler—a self-described "radical lawyer"—to represent them. To his daughters it seemed that he was at the center of everything important that had ever happened. But while they were growing up, Kunstler also stood up for some of the most unpopular members of society—people accused of rape, terrorism, organized crime and police killings. Who was William Kunstler? Why did he choose the life he did? What is his legacy, and where did his family fit in? (90 mins.)

OCT 9 FRI 8 PM

US 2009 | DIRECTOR: Joel Berlinger

Berlinger's new film focuses on the infamous "Amazon Chernobyl" case, a 16-year battle between indigenous communities in Ecuador nearly destroyed by oil drilling, and Chevron, one of the world's largest oil companies. In a sophisticated take on the classic David and Goliath story, Berlinger (BROTHER'S KEEPER) crafts a portrait of the incredible team in the US and Ecuador who have pursued this case against all odds. We see the perspectives of all those involved: the scientists and lawyers employed by Chevron; Ecuadoran judges, activists and humanitarian organizers; and Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, who chose to dramatically intervene in the case. (101 mins.)

OCT 11 SUN 7 PM—VISITING ARTIST

US 2009 | DIRECTOR: TOM CHAMBERLIN

Kerala is a small, densely populated state on the southwest coast of India. While it has an annual per capita income of only about $300, paradoxically it has a low infant mortality rate, one of the highest literacy rates in the world, and life expectancy on par with the developed world. Kerala's citizens enjoy guaranteed affordable healthcare, free public education, and food programs that ensure that no one goes hungry. One of the most progressive communities in the world, at the heart of the culture is a citizen activism that encompasses everything from economic fairness, education and democracy to women's rights and environmental protection. Portland filmmaker Tom Chamberlin journeyed to Kerala to explore this unusual culture, emerging with a personal perspective on the values and lessons to be learned as this small society wrestles with the challenges of globalization and attempts to preserve its hard-won values. (90 mins.) Tom Chamberlin will introduce the film. Sponsored by the Coalition for a Livable Future.

OCT 18 SUN 7PM—VISITING ARTIST

US 2008 | DIRECTOR: SUSAN MORGAN

In 1968, while covering the Vietnam War for the Associated Press, Eddie Adams photographed a Saigon police chief, General Nguyen Nygoc Loan, shooting a Vietcong guerilla point blank. Many regard the shot, which brought Adams fame and a Pulitzer Prize, as the photograph that ultimately ended the war. Vietnam was just one of 13 wars and humanitarian tragedies Adams covered, but it was the one that changed his life indelibly, and which led to a heralded career as a famed celebrity and magazine photographer—an escape from witnessing war and struggle. Adams' story, like that of many photographers whose work was influential in public perception and political outcome, reveals the high price of artistic engagement. (90 mins.) Susan Morgan will introduce the film.

OCT 21 WED 7 PM

BRAZIL 2009

DIRECTOR: MARCO BECHIS

Bechis' intriguing film addresses fundamental human rights issues through a compelling, original story. In Mato Grosso do Sul, a state in southern Brazil, the farmers lead a wealthy and leisurely existence. Their huge fields at the edge of the forest draw hordes of birdwatchers. The Guarani-Kaiowá, indigenous Indians who are the legitimate owners of these sacred lands, are reduced to living on a nearby reservation and serving as impoverished theatrical props for the tourists. No longer willing to accept the authority of the white men who claim to "own" the land, tribal leader Nadio and a local shaman are compelled to organize protests. As an ancient spiritual culture clashes with one built on tyranny, the complexities of a changing society unfold with surprising results. "Furious in its politics and its beauty, the film plays almost like THE GRAPES OF WRATH by way of Herzog's AGUIRRE, while remaining startlingly original."—Travis Miles. (108 mins.)

OCT 25 SUN 4:30 PM

GREAT BRITAIN/DENMARK 2008 | DIRECTOR: ANDERS ØSTERGAARD

Armed with pocket-sized video cameras, a tenacious band of Burmese reporters face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country. In 2007, after decades of self-imposed silence, Burma became headline news across the globe when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. More than 100,000 people took to the streets protesting a cruel dictatorship that has held the country hostage for more than 40 years. Foreign news crews were banned, the internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world. So how did we witness these events? Enter the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), aka the Burma VJs. Compiled from the shaky handheld footage of the DVB, Østergaard's film pulls us into the heat of the moment as the VJs themselves become the target of the Burmese government. Winner of the Joris Ivens Award and Human Rights Award at the International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam. (85 mins.) Post-film panel discussion hosted by Project Maje and the Burma Action Committee.

OCT 28 WED 7 PM

FRANCE/US/SOUTH KOREA 2008 | DIRECTOR: N.C. HEIKIN

For nearly 60 years, North Koreans have been governed by a totalitarian regime that controls almost all information entering and leaving the country. A cult of personality surrounds its two recent leaders, Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il. For Kim Jong Il's 46th birthday, a hybrid red begonia named kimjongilia was created, symbolizing wisdom, love, justice, and peace. Heikin's film draws its name from the rarefied flower and reveals the extraordinary stories told by survivors (interviewed in South Korea, where they now live) of North Korea's vast and largely hidden prison camps. Their experiences are interspersed with archival footage of North Korean propaganda films and original scenes that illuminate the contours of daily life for people whose every action is monitored and whose every thought could bring official retribution. Far from being a litany of travails or a simple indictment of a government's actions, KIMJONGILIA is a totally original and ultimately inspiring consideration of the extremes human beings can suffer, while still cherishing hope for a better future. (75 mins.)

Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum: 1219 SW Park Ave.

Admission Prices: $8.00 General, $7.00 Members, Students, Seniors or free with Museum admission