Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, July 14, 1999, Page 22, Image 22

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July 1 4 ,1 9 9 9
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To S c r e e n at th e Film C e n te r July 15-21
rendering recent films and vid
eos produced by or about Indig
enous people from North, South
and Central America, the North­
west Film Center’s INDIGENOUS
AM ERICA S FILM FESTIV A L cel­
ebrates the diversity of Native com­
munities as it reflects on distinct
histories and cultural traditions of
specific Nations. These works bring
to life personal histories, the stories
of elders, artistic triumphs and also
canvas the changes brought about
by historical events over the past
two centuries.
The Festival also looks at images
mass media has manufactured as is
attempts to provide new insights
and ways to bridge cultural miscon­
ceptions. From the Arctic, the Great
P lain s of C a n a d a , V an couver,
Alaska to New Mexico, Mexico,
Guatem ala and Brazil, the Festival
looks at the creative, spiritual and
historical legacies of the Tlingit,
Hopi, Apache, Wintu, Pueblo, Zuni,
Tuscacora, Eskimo, Yaqui, Cree,
Cherokee, Iroquois, Ojibwa, Salish,
Mayan, Aztec and Toltecs and oth­
ers whose rich traditions need to be
honored and preserved. All films
will screen at the Film Center’s
Guild Theatre (829 SW 9,h and Tay­
lor). Admission is $6 general, $5 for
students, seniors and Portland Art
Museum members.
PORTLAND PREMIERE
IF ONLY I WERE AN INDIAN...
(CANADA 1995)
DIRECTOR; JOHN PASKIEVICH
JULY 16, 21
FRIDAY 16, 9 PM WED. 21, 6 PM
Im ag in e a c o u n try sid e in
Czechoslavakia in the 1990s, where
teepees are gracefully set up near
hillsides and people, dressed in loin­
cloths, feathers and moccasins, en­
gage in traditional Native Ameri­
can practices and traditions. But
these people are Czech and Slovak.
In 1992,Joseph Young and his wife
Iren e, C ree from n orth ern
Manitoba, and Barbara Daniels, an
Ojibway from Winnipeg, flew to the
former Czechoslavakia to meet this
group with an extraordinary inter­
est in Native American culture. A
subtle and beguiling work, IF ONLY
I WERE AN INDIAN coils seduc­
tively through such diverse issues
as radical environmentalism, cul­
tural appropriation, colonialism and
over-identification with the Other,
subverting accepted wis­
doms with wit, sincerity
and respect.”
PORTLAND PREMIERES
SUPER CHIEF
(U.S. 1999)
DIRECTOR; NICK KURZON
JULY 17, 21
SAT. 17, 7 PM WED 21, 8 PM
Part mystery-thriller, part politi­
cal dram a, Nick Kurzon’s SUPER
C H IEF has the intimacy and ten­
sion of B R O T H E R ’S K E E P E R
along with the charm of R O G ER
AND ME. In Minnesota, on the
White Earth Ojibwa Reservation,
trib a l le a d e r D arrell “ C h ip ”
Wadena, who calls himself Super
Chief, runs the prosperous Shoot­
ing Star casino, the Reservation’s
main employer. But the millions of
dollars the casino pulls in hasn’t
found its way to other members of
the tribe, many who live in sub­
poverty. Enter film m aker Nick
Kurzon, invited by tribal activist
Erm a to follow the upcoming elec­
tion for tribal chief, a position
Wadena has held for 20 years. Many
think his lasting power derives from
kickbacks, favoritism, fraud and in­
timidation.
Running against him are two de­
term in ed c a n d id a te s, Low ell
Bellenger, a semi-retired welder who
fishes in his backyard for dinner
and Eugene “Bugger” McArthur,
an earnest family man who has al­
ready lost three elections to Wadena.
What unfolds in the election pro­
cess are truths stranger than fic­
tions with plot twists galore as we
come to know the quality of the land
and its people. (75 mins.) P R E­
C ED ED BY
YUXWELUPTUN: MAN OF
MASKS
(CANADA 1999)
DIRECTOR; DANA CLAXTON
This portrait of Lawrence Paul
Yuxweluptun, a Salish artist, is an
up-close look at a man whose color­
ful paintings blend the modern and
traditional. A s if Salvador Dali
intrpreted the realists, Yuxweluptun
re-envisions the history and reali­
ties of First nation communities with
his profound and unforgettable im­
ages. (22 mins.)
The Jewish Federation of Portland and
The Mittleman Jewish Community Center
present
The F irst Annual
P ortland
J ewish
rribal leader, Darrell "Chip'’ Wadena, who calls himself super vnier rum, me
»hooting Star Casino in Minnesota. This film will be playing on July 17th and
21st at the Guild Theatre (829 SW 9** & Taylor).
Movie Rating Guide
Helps Parents
Are PG, PG-13 and R movies rated that way because of violence, sex or
profanity? Parents are often confused, and surprised, by the wildly divergent
content of some movies despite the same Motion Picture Association of
America rating.
A new web site offers details that let parents make their own choices. The
web site (www.kids-in-mind.coml. designed by a husband-and-wife team, looks
at movies objectively and lists noncritically - much like an ingredient list -
potentially objectionable m aterial contained in a movie. The web site has
1,500 movie reviews going back to 1992.
Aris T. Christofides, publisher and editor of the web site which was launched
in January, says the intent is not to pass judgement on a movie or talk about its
artistic merit.
Parents can decide, based on the list of “ingredients,’ which are broken
down into sex/nudity, violence/gore, and profanity, if this is something they
want their children to see. Each is rated on a scale of zero to 10.
-ESTIVAL
Sunday July 25 2:00-6*«00PM
Reed College Campus
3203 SW Woodstock Blvd
FREE!
Entertainment All Day!
Fun For The
Whole Family!
Music by the Schneiderman Sisters
featuring Stephanie Schneiderman,
opening act for the Lillith Fair!
Great Jewish Food from
Garbanzo's, Ron’s Center Deli,
Noah's Bagels and Morel
Showcase Concert with Michael
Jewish Arts Festival Booths.Retail
Booths, Children's Arts and Crafts.
Storytelling. Maccabi Games—
Allen Harrison and Friends
Sponsored by WELLS FARGO, Fred M eyer,
Q uality Food Center (QFC) and Don's Subaru and Honda
For More Inform ation Call 2 4 4 -0 1 1 1 or 2 4 5 -6 2 1 9