Films/Programs
Emerging Masters
Each year the Seattle International Film Festival selects four directors from around the globe who have, within the span of a decade or so, established themselves as potential cinematic masters. This series celebrates outstanding talents and visionaries whose films evince an original voice and possess a grasp of the craft that sets them apart from the preponderance of other modern day filmmakers. Make no mistake: these are artists of the highest order who will break into the mainstream of American film-goers’ consciousness in the near future—if not tomorrow. Past honorees have included Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), Miike Takashi (Audition), Michael Winterbottom (Welcome to Sarajevo), François Ozon (8 Women), Thom Fitzgerald (The Event), Hong Sang-soo (The Turning Gate), Ferzan Ozpetek (Facing Window), and Cédric Klapisch (L’Auberge Espagnole).
This year's quartet could not represent a nicer balance: from the UK, Adam Curtis with his challenging documentaries (The Century of Self: The Power of Nightmares); from China, Wang Xiaoshuai's socially aware dramas (Shanghai Dreams; The Days); from Brazil, the female-centric films of Andrucha Wadddington (The House of Sand; Me, You, Them); and to kick off the series, the visceral Pusher trilogy from Denmark's Nicolas Winding Refn (along with the documentary Gambler, chronicling Refn's efforts to complete the second and third installments of the trilogy).
-
United Kingdom, 2002, 240 min.
Adam Curtis’ brisk, insightful documentary follows the dissemination of Sigmund Freud’s influential theories of man’s unconscious drives into the larger world where advertisers, self-help gurus and even politicians get ahead by catering to the selfish demands of the id.
…
-
China, 1993, 80 min.
Echoes of Antonioni grace this black-and-white mini-masterpiece, a chronicle of the last days of the deteriorating relationship of two struggling painters in post-Tiananmen Beijing.
…
-
Denmark, 2006, 78 min.
Emerging Master Nicolas Winding Refn found himself drowning in debt after the box-office failure of 2003’s Fear X, so he decided to produce two sequels to his cult hit Pusher. This documentary takes a painfully funny (and sometimes just painful) look at the treacherous balancing act be
…
-
Brazil, 2005, 115 min.
Award-winning mother and daughter actresses (Fernanda Montenegro, of Central Station, and Fernanda Torres) shine in an inspirational story of three generations of women struggling for survival among the inhospitable sand dunes of northeastern Brazil. Also featuring the Brazilian guitarist Seu
…
-
Brazil, 2000, 104 min.
In a poor village in arid northeastern Brazil, a seemingly ordinary woman lives in a house with one, then two, then three men. From one she gets shelter, the next shares companionship, and the third provides sex. Together they form one complete husband, with a strong woman as their glue.
…
-
United Kingdom, 2005, 157 min.
One of the most provocative political films of the past decade, Emerging Master Adam Curtis’ film essay traces the ideological basis of the “politics of fear” that dominates contemporary government, exploring philosophical and historical ties between the two most important forces for political extre
…
-
Denmark, 1996, 105 min.
The opposite of THE SOPRANOS. In Nicolas Winding Refn’s debut feature, Frank and Tonny are small-time dealers about to maker the score of a lifetime, which involves increasing Frank’s debt to crime boss Milo. But their grand plan crumbles after a police bust, forcing Frank to scour the underworld fo
…
-
Denmark, 2004, 98 min.
The first of two long-awaited sequels, PUSHER II begins with Tonny’s release from prison. He quickly discovers that he not only has a child but also an outstanding debt with his own father—prominent gangster “the Duke”—which forces him back into the underworld.
…
-
Denmark, 2005, 105 min.
Five days into rehab for heroin addiction, Serbian crime boss Milo is preparing for his spoiled daughter’s 25th birthday party. Meanwhile, he’s gotten a shipment of ecstasy instead of heroin and a young Albanian gang is encroaching on his territory, in Refn’s powerful third installment.
…
-
China, 2005, 121 min.
19-year old Qinghong has grown up in the poor Guizhou province, where her parents settled as part of a government initiative. Guizhou is where her friends are, where she first experienced love and where she wants to stay, but her increasingly bitter father dreams of the good life in Shanghai.
…
