Page 10
Black History Month
February 10, 2016
Films Feast on World Diversity, Languages
C OnTinued frOm P age 6
as a chauffeur for a retired colonel
who, now senile, has no memory
of his own brutal actions years
before when Magallanes served
under him. Magallanes remem-
bers, and carries scars as a result
-- and the old wounds trouble him
afresh when a woman enters his
cab whom he recognizes as a war-
time captive of the colonel from
years before. Magallanes sets out
on a quest for redemption for his
own part in the woman’s suffer-
ing that reveals just how elusive
true redemption can be when the
systems that enabled the origi-
nal sin remain untouched. This is
a very sensitive story, carefully
told and full of small details that
make it feel more true than many
ilms about the victims of war and
atrocities -- and it is anchored by
two especially ine performances,
Damián Alcázar as Magallanes
and Magaly Solier as Celina, the
Indian woman whose life was for-
ever altered all those years ago
and whose power emerges in the
course of this retelling. This is a
ine irst feature from director Sal-
vador del Solar, and plays on Feb.
13 and 15.
Another one to make time for
is “The Idol,” a Palestinian ilm
inspired by the true story of Mo-
hammed Assaf, who emerged the
victor of the 2013 season of Arab
Idol. It’s the irst ilm to be (par-
tially) shot in Gaza in decades
and, though it follows the expect-
ed underdog formula (think “Un-
derdog Millionaire”), it doesn’t
feel as manipulative as many in
its genre -- perhaps because it
is not a Hollywood product and
feels consequently better ground-
ed in the culture that it represents.
This feel-good story also offers
an interesting window into As-
The Portland International Film Festival presents ‘The Idol,’ a new
ilm based on a true story of Palestinian singing sensation Mo-
hammed Assaf, who went from being a wedding singer in Gaza
to winning the TV singing contest ‘Arab Idol’ in 2013. Shows Feb.
20 and Feb. 25 at the Northwest Film Center located inside the
Portland Art Museum.
saf’s childhood in a refugee camp
and into what pop culture looks
like in (and how it impacts) the
Arab world. And Assaf sings like
an angel -- he is an inspiring ex-
ample of the inexplicable power
of music to move and unite and
elevate the human soul. The ilm
plays on Feb. 20 and 25.
The festival runs through the
end of the month, and you can
ind info and order tickets or a
screening pass at nwilm.org or at
the box ofice inside the art mu-
seum. Paper guides are all over
town and the online guide con-
tains links to previews of most of
the ilms. It pays to show up at
least a half hour ahead of every
show with an advance ticket, as
Portland shows every year what
a great movie town it is by the
enthusiastic audiences who come
out in force. I’ll have more re-
views next week of some of the
40 ilms I plan to see. Come join
the feast!
Darleen Ortega is a judge on
the Oregon Court of Appeals and
the irst woman of color to serve
in that capacity. Her movie re-
view column Opinionated Judge
appears regularly in The Port-
land Observer. Find her movie
blog at opinionatedjudge.blog-
spot.com.