Eternal Spring (2022) Human Right Watch Film Festival 2022

 

“In China they will kill a thousand people just to get the right one”

Daxiong, comic illustrator and member of the  Falun Gong , recounts the story of the groups bold hijacking of the official state TV channel to broadcast a message counter to the official Chinese message that members of Falun Gong were dangerous terrorists. Horrific reprisals resulted where the government crushed and killed anyone they thought might have even been remotely part of the plan.

This  tale of a doomed plot to get the truth out is both heartbreaking and suspenseful. If you know anything about the Chinese government feelings toward Falun Gong you know that a lot of people are going to die. The group is their boogieman and they love to destroy its members in the most horrific ways. There have been numerous accounts of the criminal things they have done against the innocent people of the group and this is another. The suspense is there because you have to see how it was all done and how it played out. It’s a real version of the Star Wars Film Rogue One, but sadder, since the broadcast message didn’t change anything.

I was rocked.

What helps make this film work is the amazing animation. Designed by Daxiong, the animation adds so much to the tale. Not only does it allow events to be illustrated, it also results in a definite feel. We are in China at the turn of the millennium and not in the theater where we are seeing the film. Its beautifully done and gives the viewing a tactile quality that a straight live action recreation might not have ever achieved.

While the world is focused on the evils of Putin and Russia with their war in Ukraine, Eternal Spring is a reminder that China is probably worse and that we need to be very careful in our dealing with the Mainland government.

Highly recommended

Nightcap 7/26/15 SOUND + VISON, ANIMATION BLOCKPARTY and Randi's links

I know we've been doing mostly festivals the last month or so but there's more coming.
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Wednesday Lincoln Center’s newest annual series SOUND + VISION opens. This is a fantastic collection of music documentaries from around the world. On the basis of last year’s selections this year’s series should kick serious butt.

The selection runs the gamut from a film on Haydn (IN SEARCH OF HAYDN), to a film on ska (LEGENDS OF SKA) to a look at Musicians who have to make music despite a ban bu Islamic fundamentalists (YOU WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST) to a free but silent screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW where the audience will wear headphones. Its a completely ecclectic and wonderful slate of films that is a must see.

The thing of real interest for me is the films of Julian Temple. He directed some great documentaries and the chance to see films like CLASH NEW YEARS DAY 77,  JOE STRUMMER THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN or THE FILTH AND THE FURY on a big screen with big sound is too good to pass up. I’m hoping to get to see a few of them.

Coverage here at Unseen is going to be hit or miss. Because of scheduling conflicts anything I get to is going to be the a last minute decision.

For tickets, the complete slate and more details go to the series page here
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Animation Block Party starts Thursday here in New York. This is a glorious celebration of animation from around the world. It’s a killer showcase for films you may never see otherwise.

The fest begins with a free screening at Brookfield place down by the World Trade Center site before moving over to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for three days of insanity. There are some really cool things coming to the BAM. First is the anniversary screening of GHOST IN THE SHELL. More so than the manga that spawned it the film changed science fiction and how we view man/machine inter face. Its also a damn good film. The festival is also screening a collection Sesame street bits. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 45 years you know how good that stuff is.

For information on all the Animation Blog Party events in the city go here.

The BAM portion of Animation Block Party's information and tickets can be had here
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New releases mix with more Fantasia films this week. There is so much coming from Fantasia that reviews are coming straight through to August 7.

On the whole Fantasia's selections have been really good. There have been a few stinkers but largely this is once again a banner year.

I am trying to get the stuff reviewed before the films screen, but some times that isn't possible so if there is something you're curious about what I saw don't worry there is a good chance it maybe coming. On the other hand some things like ATTACK ON TITAN I haven't gotten access to.  Either way keep reading because more films than any sane mind can take in are coming .
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And now and over flowing bounty of  Randi's links

Images from a new Al Hirschfeld book
Memories of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Remember that weird TCM Dick Tracy Special?
Space Volcanos
All the Criterion DVD titles plus links to the lasers, special editions and announced but never was
The almost Tim Burton Superman
Cartel Land stories
The MUPPET SHOW  Comic Con panel
DOOMED on the Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie
MR TURNER sex scenes cause complaints
Old time radio
Robot Soccer
Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, and Grace Jones to star in Teutonic supernatural silent Western
Steven Universe
Embroidered Zoetropes (this is wickedly cool)
Which Angry New Yorker are you?
Chicago artist turns the city into a Monopoly gameboard
Being short at a concert
Giant animals you've never seen
Saving Pixar's THE GOOD DINOSAUR
A largely lazy list of the 100 best American films

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) — NYICFF 2013 (revised)

This review is based on watching an import  DVD of the import Japanese DVD. I have not seen the English dubbed version playing The New York International Children's Film Festival.

Directing a film that his father had planned Goro Miyazaki returns to directing with this adaption of the comic by Chizuru Takahashi and Tetsurō Sayama.

The story's set in the 1960s, not long before the Tokyo Olympics. The film follows Umi, a high school girl living in her grandfather's old home which is now a boarding house. One day Umi meets a boy named Shun who is the editor of the school paper when he pulls a stun to bring attention to the school wanting to demolish the club house where all of the schools clubs are located. The pair begin to grow close until one day Umi shows Shun a photograph of her father...

Amiable romance/drama/comedy is a solid film from Studio Ghibli. More akin to something like Ocean Waves rather than say Totoro. Full of great characters and wonderful moments (The film's occasional use of music is magical). Its a small scale gem of a film.

If here is a flaw it's that the film is so rooted in the Studio Ghibli style that it kind of blends in with everything else. There is nothing to have it stand out on it's own even if its story does.

One of the better of  the recent Ghibli films that actually works as a film where the sum of the parts is greater than each part separately. I say this because recent films like Ponyo or Arriety have these wonderful bits that never completely worked together. Something went boom at some point in the plotting of those films that doesn't happen here. This is a just a wonderful romance.

Definitely worth seeing when Gkids plays it this weekend as part of the New York International Children's Film Festival (all those screenings are sold out) or as part of it's regular theatrical run which starts Friday in select theaters.