Thursday-Sunday, October 4-7, 2007 at various timesorder tickets
Images from Crocodile Dreaming, top; and A Shout Into the Wind, bottom. Photographs courtesy Darlene Johnson (top), and Katja Gauriloff
From a gripping rite of passage in the ancient Maori forest, to a young romance tragically cut short by oppression in Kurdish Turkey, to an offbeat journey from the Seminole culture, this year's All Roads Film Festival showcases another remarkable selection of stories from indigenous and underrepresented minority cultures around the world. Launched in 2004, the Festival supports diverse cultural perspectives, not just with screenings but with funding, networking, and distribution opportunities to bring together voices that celebrate the vibrant cultural stories of our world. Check out the schedule for this year's D.C. festival below, or find schedules for the festival in other cities on the All Roads website.
*All Roads Seed Grantee Thursday, October 4
Opening Night
7 pm—Super Amigos (Mexico/2007/82 min) Spanish with
English subtitles Arturo Perez Torres
In Mexico
City, five ordinary men, dressed as “lucha libre”
wrestlers, become modern-day superheroes
to fight for social justice and human rights.
9 pm—Dol (Turkey/2006/90 min) Kurdish with English subtitles Hiner Saleem
Love struggles to survive amid
violence and oppression in the Kurdish regions
of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.
Friday, October 5
7 pm—Sonam…The Fortunate One (India/2005-06/
120 min) Monpa (Arunachalee dialect) with English subtitles Ahsan Muzid
Follow Himalayan Monpa yak
herders from a remote region in India in their
tale of love, lust, and repentance.
9:30 pm—Live Concert
“This is the dance
party of the new millennium,” Paste
magazine said in describing a concert
by the critically acclaimed group
Balkan Beat Box, whose explosive
sound encompasses a whirlwind of
musical traditions from punk, reggae,
and rock, to Arabic, Balkan, Syrian, and
Moroccan. The result is an infectious, energetic blend that is
definitely the perfect ingredient for a crazy good time! This
concert will take place in the National Geographic Courtyard. Free event—no tickets required!
Saturday, October 6
Noon—Waban-aki: People from Where the Sun Rises
(Canada/2006/104 min) French/English with English subtitles Alanis Obomsawin
A vivid portrait of the Abenaki people, from
a young artist determined to continue the tradition of
birch-bark canoes, to the damning legacy of the Indian Act.
2 to 4 pm—Photography Program
Cultures on the Edge
Four 2007 All Roads photography awardees—A Yin,
Mongolia; Akintunde Akinleye, Nigeria; Altaf
Qadri, Kashmir; and Oded Balilty, Israel—share
images reflecting the rapid rate of change in their
homelands. Renowned photographer Li Zhensheng,
from China, who documented the Cultural Revolution,
will join them and present images from that era. Free event—no tickets required!
4:30 pm—Under the Same Sun
Four Sheets to the Wind* (USA/2007/85 min)
English/Muscogee with English subtitles Sterlin Harjo D.C. Premiere. Cufe Smallhill, a Seminole, fulfills his father’s unorthodox
burial wishes and sets off on a journey of mourning,
self-discovery, and cultural identity. Miss Navajo* (USA/2007/60 min) Navajo with English subtitles Billy Luther
No ordinary beauty pageant, the Miss
Navajo Nation competition is an opportunity for
young women to honor and strengthen Navajo culture.
7:30 pm—Cocalero (Bolivia/2007/94 min) Spanish with English subtitles Alejandro Landes
This captivating documentary
follows Evo Morales, who won a seemingly impossible
bid to become Bolivia’s first indigenous president.
Sunday, October 7
Noon—Women Hold Up Half the Sky
Enemies of Happiness (Denmark/2006/58 min) Dari/Pashtu
with English subtitles Eva Mulvad and Anja Al Erhayem
An inspiring documentary about Malalai Joya, the
woman who became a young folk hero when she
launched her parliamentary campaign in 2003 in
newly democratic Afghanistan. Gene Boy Came Home (Canada/2007/25 min) English Alanis Obomsawin
The story of Eugene Benedict,
who left the Odanak reserve at the age of 15 to
find work in the U.S., served as a marine on the
front lines in Vietnam, and at long last found his
way home to Odanak.
Noon—A Conversation with Indigenous Artists
Natural Resources and Traditional Art
Four traditional artists will address using natural
resources in the artistic process, recycling art supplies,
and the cultural relevance of nature in artistic expression. Free Event—no tickets required!
2 pm—A Short Trip Around the World Please note that the lineup for this program reflects changes from the published schedule
Tavake (Tonga-USA/2006/14 min) Tongan with English subtitles Paul Stoll
In the Kingdom of Tonga, a young man
bristles against the old-fashioned values of his
traditional father. Land and Airwaves (Canada/2006/12 min) Attikameks with
English subtitles Patrick Brown and Alland Flamand
Like the tribal drums of the past, a community radio
station serves as a unifying instrument for the
Attikameks people and their language. 133 Skyway (Canada/2006/21 min) English Randy Redroad
As his health fails, a homeless man endeavors to get
his guitar out of hock, relying on a troubled friend
and the kindness of a lonely pawn shop employee. My Brother Vinnie (Australia/2006/24 min) English Steven McGregor
An intimate look at the relationship
between Aaron, a successful actor, and his disabled
brother, Vinnie, who after years under Aaron’s care is
finally on the road to independence. Nana (Australia/2007/5 min) English Warwick Thornton
A heart-warming, humorous story about a granddaughter’s
love for her grandmother. Taua* (New Zealand/2007/15 min) Maori with English subtitles Tearepa Kahi
Take a sensory-rich journey through
the ancient Maori forest, where an act of compassion
speaks to the true value of leadership. Menged (Ethiopia/2006/21 min) Amharic with English subtitles Daniel Taye Workou
A lot can happen on the way
to the market in the Ethiopian countryside. A father
and son follow good advice along the way and come
back to their senses.
5 pm—Ancestors, Elders, & Land
Hush (Australia/2007/5 min) English Dena Curtis
A young woman goes looking for her mother
and discovers her mother’s secret life. Daf (Kurdistan-Iran/2004/45 min) Kurdish with English subtitles Bahman Ghobadi
A large, impoverished family
survives in the rugged terrain of Kurdistan by
skillfully making and playing the traditional Iranian
tambourine called daf. A Shout into the Wind* (Finland/2007/57 min) Finnish/Skolt
Sámi with English subtitles Katja Gauriloff
The Skolt Sámi
people struggle to keep their traditions and memories
alive in the hands of a few determined individuals. Crocodile Dreaming* (Australia/2007/25 min) English
and Yolngu with English subtitles Darlene Johnson
This is a
modern-day, dreamtime legend about two estranged
brothers who are brought together through the spirit
of their mother.
All Roads Photography Program Exhibit:
Thursday - Sunday, October 4 - 7, 10 am - 10 pm Free event—no tickets required!
All Roads Art Market
Saturday- Sunday, October 6 -7, 11 am - 5 pm The All Roads Art Market supports the work
of minority and indigenous artists from around
the world. All proceeds from Art Market sales
go directly to participating artists. Free event—no tickets required!
Location
Tickets
Grosvenor Auditorium
National Geographic Society
1600 M Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
+1 202 857 7700
