Oddball Films
and guest curator Christine Kwon present The Hand: Peninsula Performances.
With live accompaniment by Korean American musician Donghoon Han on the cine-stage, this program explores political and social powers that be, employing a diverse slate of
films set against Han's unique fusion of nostalgic Korean pop and futuristic
synth-based melodies. The program is bookended with sublime nature pics Earth:
Man's Home (1970) and The Milky Way (1970s), which locate humankind
in the larger phenomenon of creation. In between, Western-produced
ethnographies of Korean and Chinese civilizations are revealed in The Korean
People (1961) and Heart of the Dragon (1984). The centerpiece of the night features stunning
puppet animation by Czech artist Jiri Trnka in The Hand (1966), a
gripping allegory about a simple man, his beloved flower, and the dictatorial
power that crushes his only joy. Filmic treats interspersed include a live
action vision of hell in Dante's Inferno (1935), the disturbingly jolly
claymation The Lost Sun (1968) and a moving portrait of mid-century
world affairs in News Parade of the Year 1947.
Date: Thursday, August 30th, 2012 at 8:00pm
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 Limited Seating RSVP to programming@oddballfilm.com or (415) 558-8117
Featuring:
Earth: Man's Home (1970, Color)
Air, food, water, a certain temperature
range — it seems that's all required for a planet to sustain humankind in this
study of habitable areas of the Earth, Man's “home,” in relation to the
universe.
The Korean People (1961, Color)
This ethnographic portrait locates
Korea on the map, including Busan, fish markets, children at play and famed
missionary-founded women's institution Ewha University.
The Lost Sun (1968, Color)
Fittingly made during one of the most
politically charged years of the 20th century, this claymation tells
the story of a barnyard trio of cuddly creatures in search for the sun on a
rainy day.
Heart of the Dragon: Marrying (PI) (1984, Color)
In this exploration of new communist
China, villagers in Maoping in Zhejiang province are documented as marriage and
the politics of pregnancy face cultural shifts.
A detailed study of the birth and
development of the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly gives new meaning to graphic
film, with closeups showing all stages of metamorphosis from caterpillar to
full-blown winged creature.
The Hand (1966, Color)
A lonely puppet man takes pleasure in
one thing: a potted flower in which he devotes his love. But this helpless
citizen must contend with larger forces, namely the terrifying omnipresence of
a giant hand in this striking allegory by Czechoslovakian artist Jiri Trnka.
Dante's Inferno (1935, B+W)
A vision of hell is presented by a
father on his deathbed in hopes of turning his son from a ruinous path. Starring Spencer Tracy.
News Parade of the Year 1947 (1947, B+W)
A silent and moving portrait of the year in 1947 as seen from the Western perspective. The British Royal Family visits the “Dark Continent,” President Truman is all grins in his goodwill tour around the world, natural disasters plague Florida and the East Coast, and the Yankees capture the World Series. A disturbing and all-too familiar slice of politics, sports, and crisis.
A silent and moving portrait of the year in 1947 as seen from the Western perspective. The British Royal Family visits the “Dark Continent,” President Truman is all grins in his goodwill tour around the world, natural disasters plague Florida and the East Coast, and the Yankees capture the World Series. A disturbing and all-too familiar slice of politics, sports, and crisis.
The Milky Way (1970s, Color)
A family examines the skies wherein the first stars were born.
Curator’s Biography
Christine Kwon is the Managing Director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where she is a senior film curator. She is also the producer of feature-length documentary Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story, and is the creator/writer of the comedy series Nice Girls Crew.
Christine Kwon is the Managing Director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where she is a senior film curator. She is also the producer of feature-length documentary Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story, and is the creator/writer of the comedy series Nice Girls Crew.
Donghoon
Han is an Oakland-based musician originally from Busan, Korea. He produces under
the name Mohani, and his work is notable for its unique fusion of electronic
music with vintage Korean pop. His music can be found at http://soundcloud.com/mohani.