PETITION LA COUR DES PLAIGNANTS
U.S. PREMIERE
PETITION, directed by Zhao Liang, is a unique testimony about China today. Since
1996 Zhao Liang has filmed the “petitioners,” who come from all over China to make
complaints in Beijing about abuses and injustices committed by the local authorities.
Gathered near the complaints offices, around the southern railway station of Beijing,
living in most cases in makeshift shelters, the complainants wait for months or years
to obtain justice. Zhao Liang has accompanied several of them, particularly a mother
and her daughter, whose full story we follow over ten years. A film shot right up to
the start of the Olympic Games in direct contact with realities, showing the persistent
contradictions of China in the midst of powerful economic expansion.
CHINA, FRANCE 2009 | MANDARIN W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 120M
Director: Zhao Liang; Producer: Sylvie Blum; Cinematographer: Zhao Liang
OCTOBER 17 1:30PM 20 1:15PM DOLE
INVISIBLE KILLER / OLD PARTNER
RIO BREAKS
U.S. PREMIERE
RIO BREAKS tells the story of two best friends, Fabio and Naama, as they navigate
their way between life in the slums and the surfing on their favorite beach. Their goal:
to win the contest and become professional surfers. Thirteen-year-old Fabio and 12-
year-old Naama live at Favela do Pavao, an enormous slum near Arpoador Beach, in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pavao is home to Commando Vermelho, Red Command, one of
Rio’s most heavily armed drug gangs. What will happen to these best friends? Will
any of them win the contest? Will their friendship survive Fabio's aggressive personal-
ity? Can surfing offer a way out for Fabio or will he follow in his father's footsteps and
join the drug gang? This is the story of RIO BREAKS.
UNITED STATES, BRAZIL 2009 | PORTUGUESE W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 84M
Director: Justin Mitchell; Producer:Vince Medeiros, Justin Mitchell;
Cinematographer: Justin Mitchell; Script: Vince Medeiros, Justin Mitchell;
Cast: Fabio, Naama
DRIFTER / WHITE THUNDER
OCTOBER 19 9:00PM 21 2:15PM DOLE
STATE OF ALOHA
WORLD PREMIERE
Directed and produced by Anne Misawa (TREELESS MOUNTAIN, HIFF 2008), STATE
OF ALOHA traces the journey of Hawaii’s fifty years of statehood through over thirty
key interviews. Interviewees cover a representative span of the Hawaii population,
including witnesses from the political arena, arts and entertainment, business, and
academia. STATE OF ALOHA represents the culmination of a larger research project
entitled the Hawaii Statehood Project, prepared by the University of Hawaii’s
Academy for Creative Media back in 2004. In addition, the film provided an opportuni-
ty for ACM students to work alongside professionals on all aspects of production.
Anchored by personal stories, the motivating paths toward statehood are addressed
as well as the legacy left behind.
UNITED STATES 2009 | 80M
Director:Anne Misawa; Producer: Anne Misawa, Connie Florez; Cinematographer:
Bennett Cerf; Cast: Jason Scott Lee, Ah Quon McElrath, Daniel Inouye, Don Ho, John
Waihee
OCTOBER 18 2:45PM 22 2PM DOLE
NINOY / PIDGIN
OCTOBER 15-25, 2009 HIFF.ORG 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100