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September 28, 12:00 p.m.
Presented by Professor Liam C. Kelley, University of Hawaii

At the turn of the twentieth century, members of the scholarly elite in Vietnam began to engage in a practice which they had always scorned–spirit possession. They did so in a radical attempt to deal with the trauma of the French conquest and control of their land. In the process, some of the messages and ideas that they received from spirits at the time would serve to bolster nationalist sentiments that were emerging at that time. This talk will examine the origins of this movement, and then will look at the actual spirit writing phenomenon and its connections with modern Vietnamese nationalism.

Liam Kelley is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His focus lies on Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Thai history, The Sino-Vietnamese Cultural Relationship, and Modern Southeast Asian History.

Wednesday, 26 September
6:30 p.m. – Korean Studies Auditorium

Directed by Auraeus Solito
Philippines, 2006, 100 minutes
Tagalog with English Subtitles

An effeminate 12-year-old who dutifully plays mother to his criminal father and older siblings experiences a crisis of conscience after befriending an honest Manila cop in the sophomore feature from director Auraeus Solito. A young innocent whose devotion to his family finds him taking the place of his own deceased mother, Maxi spends most of his days cooking and doing the household chores. In the evening hours, Maxi can often be found on the streets shopping and taking in a film at the local DVD stand with the many homeless children who seek a momentary escape from their bleak existence. When Maxi is rescued from a group of local thugs late one night by kindly rookie police officer Victor, his attraction to the kind-hearted and trustworthy Victor soon finds him torn between the criminal behavior of his family and his desire to follow a more honorable path in life. – Independent Spirit Awards

IMDB Website | Variety Review

Wednesday, 19 September
6:30 p.m. – Korean Studies Auditorium

Directed by Bertrand Tavernier
France, 2004, 128 minutes
French with English Subtitles

Holy Lola is the story of Pierre (Jacques Gamblin) and Geraldine (Isabelle Carre), a young couple from rural France who travel to Cambodia to adopt a child. The documentary-style narrative is punctuated by voice-over recordings that Pierre and Geraldine make for the prospective child. Ruminations on their experiences in Cambodia: the fervour of the Water Festival, the frustration of waiting for their child to arrive and become part of their lives, all are mixed with contemporary issues of international adoption and its implications for adopter and adoptee alike.

Friday, 14 September 2007 at 12:00 PM at Korean Studies Auditorium
Presented by Professor I Nyoman Sumandhi, artist-in-residence in the Asian Theatre Program at UHM

Prof. Sumandhi will speak on dance education and dances on the island of Bali, present video clips, and – as a highlight of his lecture – also perform examples of topeng mask dance.

Prof. Sumandhi was born in a family of dalangs, or traditional Balinese puppet masters. His father was a famous dalang, and Sumandhi himself is now a renown performer of shadow puppetry, a leader in musical traditions such as gender wayang and gong kebyar, as well as a master of topeng mask dance.

Prof. Sumandhi has been performing and teaching in many places throughout the U.S and many other countries including Japan, Korea, Singapore, Italy, Australia, Iran, etc. He was the principle of Sekolah Menengah Karawitan Indonesia (SMKI), a High School of Performing Arts, Denpasar in Bali (1991-1999), a visiting professor at the Music Dept. at the University of California, Santa Cruz (1993,) and an instructor at SMKI (1965-1991).

Wednesday, 12 September
6:30 p.m. – Korean Studies Auditorium

Directed by Woo Yen Yen and Conlin Goh
Singapore, 2006, 105 min
Mandarin and Hokkien with English Subtitles

Singapore Dreaming is a story about a family with big dreams, living on a small island. Disappointed by his failed dreams, Loh Poh Huat vents his frustrations on his family. So when he wins the lottery, everyone believes that maybe this windfall will deliver them from their struggles. But something happens which pitches the family into a battle where the stakes are the very meaning of life itself…

Singapore Dreaming is a poignant, yet darkly humorous story about a typical Singaporean family coming to grips with their aspirations. It weaves a layered and moving tale about a family dealing with loss, ambition and the search for what really matters in life.

Wednesday, 5 September
6:30 p.m. – Korean Studies Auditorium

Directed by Jira Maligool
Thailand, 2001, 105 min
Isan Dialect and Thai with English Subtitles

A favorite on the festival circuit, and a blockbuster in Thailand as well, director Jira Maligool’s film mixes folk beliefs about mysterious ‘dragon lights’ emanating from the Mekong River with the skepticism of Bangkok scientists and news media out to prove the phenomenon is not what it seems. Add a layer of Buddhist monks doing their own sleuth work and you get an affectionate display of everyday culture in Thailand’s fascinating northeast region of Isan. This is also the first Thai feature film where most of the script is written in the Isan dialect, thus necessitating standard Thai subtitles so that Thai audiences could follow along. -Tip o’ the cap to Joe Cummings