Page 15
June 13, 2018
Socially Conscious Films Round-Out Fest County
C ontinued froM p age 6
leadership of a grassroots movement to
document the deforestation and environ-
mental problems that are masked in gov-
ernment reports. A good education about
Liberia and a solid depiction of what real
leadership looks like.
“Gold Seekers” is the work of two
Paraguayan filmmakers, Juan Carlos
Maneglia and Tana Schembori, who
achieved some international success
with their film “7 Boxes” a few years
back. Although this one doesn’t appear
to be headed for quite so much attention,
it similarly offers a (in this case comic)
window into the realities of life for ordi-
nary Paraguayans, inside a very painless
package. Its story is built on the popular
belief that treasure remains hidden all
over Paraguay, buried by the victims of a
war that ended in 1870. The film’s trio of
protagonists, all hoping for a way out of
chronic poverty, go on a fast-paced trea-
sure hunt that starts out Indiana Jones
and turns into a kind of heist film, as they
come to believe treasure is hidden on the
grounds of the embassy of an African na-
tion. The film doesn’t attempt anything
very complex in terms of characters or
ideas, but it offers a diverting adventure
into the lives of folks who would never
make it to the screen in our country.
“Doubtful” is the first film of Israeli
director Eliran Elya, inspired by his own
experiences working with delinquent
youth. The film follows Assi, a poet and
filmmaker who, as part of community ser-
vice after a motorcycle accident, spends
a few weeks teaching filmmaking to kids
in trouble. The parts of the youths—in-
cluding Eden, the troubled teenager in
whom Assi finds himself making an extra
investment—are played by kids with no
acting experience, so some of what the
director is doing is offering an empathet-
ic and realistic look at this population of
kids. Because of its realistic depiction
of a marginalized population, this film
has been compared to the work of the
Dardenne Brothers (whose films “The
Unknown Girl” and “Two Days, One
Night” both made it onto my top ten lists
in 2017 and 2014, respectively). I think
the Dardennes’ films contain more craft
and social insight than this film does, but
Elya does display a promising quality of
attention here that may well make him a
filmmaker to watch.
“Genesis” tells interrelated stories of
three protagonists with connections to a
series of racially motivated murders in
Hungary. The first of the three stories-
-about a young Roma boy who loses a
number of family members in the vio-
lence--is by far the most compelling and
vivid, depicting the challenging circum-
stances of his life with his family and then
what happens when his world is shattered.
The boy barely escapes with his life, and
the film then follows his response to trau-
ma. The two other stories--involving a
girlfriend of one of the perpetrators and a
lawyer for one of them-- is nowhere near
as compelling as the first, but the film is
beautifully shot and offers an interesting
window into Hungarian society.
“Time Trial” will sit with fans of cy-
cling. But for those who, like me, need a
reason to care about a sport that involves
Sues Trump
C ontinued froM p age 3
Three stories intertwine in “Genesis,” a film which explores characters who
are affected by racially motivated violence in Hungary.
“Gold Seekers”
follows the
adventures
of three
Paraguayans
plagued by
poverty as they
attempt to find
the oft-rumored
treasure left
over from a
nineteenth
century war in
their country.
watching a sea of 200 white men race on
bicycles, this film is unlikely to give you
one. It focuses on David Millar, a com-
petitor whose stint at the top of British
cycling was eclipsed by Lance Armstrong
and who then, like Armstrong, got busted
for doping. Unlike Armstrong, he admit-
ted to the behavior and was banned for
two years. This film captures what he in-
tended to be his comeback, holding him-
self out as an advocate for clean cycling
and hoping for a last successful run before
retiring. His body doesn’t cooperate, and
lots of disappointment and aggrievement
ensues, but I found Millar’s self-indul-
gence distracting. The filmmakers put a
lot of technical effort into capturing what
it feels like to compete in these particular
big leagues; my advice is to watch only if
you already care.
The fun of film festivals is the opportu-
nity to sample so many films at once, on
the big screen, where all films deserve to
be seen. Seattle’s festival is well-run and
packed with films worth seeing; I only
wish I could manage the whole festival.
I’ll be back next year!
Darleen Ortega is a judge on the Ore-
gon Court of Appeals and the first wom-
an of color to serve in that capacity. Her
movie review column Opinionated Judge
appears regularly in The Portland Ob-
server. Find her movie blog at opinionat-
edjudge.blogspot.com.
“The administration wants programs
based on wishful-thinking. That doesn’t
work, Mr. President,” Multnomah Coun-
ty Chair Deborah Kafoury said, when
she announced the lawsuit being filed on
Friday. “Teens, parents and teachers need
accurate information so young people
can make healthy choices.”
Three years ago, the county received
a five-year grant used to train middle
and high school teachers, in partnership
with community nonprofits, that focused
on safe sex, consent, contraception, and
established methods to reduce teen preg-
nancy and spread of sexually transmitted
diseases.
When the funding was cut two years
prematurely, Multnomah County joined
a federal class action lawsuit against the
Trump administration which required
them to re-establish the grant. Since then,
the administration has changed the guide-
lines to privilege abstinence-only sex-ed.
The county is suing with the help of non-
profits Democracy Forward and Pacifica
Law Group to make sure halt the grants
implementation.
The county was originally awarded
$1.25 million each year to educate 15,000
teens, train 107 teachers, and engage 329
parents and caregivers in 32 middle and
high schools, county officials said.
From 2005 to 2015, teen pregnancy rates
declined in Multnomah County 57 percent,
according to county data. The grant helped
support that trend, officials said.
Oregon law also requires the inclusion
of information on contraception and dis-
ease reduction measures alongside absti-
nence education.