SUNDAY DECEMBER 2, 2007, at 6:30 PM
CINEMA of MIGRATION
Painful, tragic, exasperating, irritating, exile and migration are not and never have been a negative influence on the arts. We probably ought to think of exile or migration as one of the conditions under which we moderns live and exercise our creativity. We might also note that living within a tranquil, balanced, satisfied social, economical, and political order rarely provide creative inspiration and stimulation.
There are many reasons for filmmakers working in a strange land, far from home; their place of origin. The theme of exile and émigré filmmakers, as their works illustrate, can be addressed within a wide range of contexts. However, the two films of Youssef Delara, Iranian émigré filmmaker we will be presenting in the Film Society show that the concern of his cinematic practice is at once specific to the social, political, cultural, and national context within which the works were produced. The films in this program acknowledge a distinct aesthetic sensibility and social consciousness that is the result of the mix of creative talent and collaborative energies. They also show that the history of the cinema from its inception has been shaped by international contributions.
Hassan Fayyad
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AIR
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Youssef Delara (director) Amir Delara (producer)
and Roya Aryanpad (actress)
a short film by:
Youssef Delara
With Sam Mehrizi, Roya Aryanpad, Allison Brainard, and Fariborz
Yo Amrani (Sam Mehrizi) is a young Persian-American boy with a dream, to own a pair of AIRs, the coolest, most expensive sneakers around. Convinced that this is the only way he can win the heart of Carrie Ann (Allison Brainard) the cutest girl in school, Yo becomes distraught by his father's (Fariborz) refusal to buy him the coveted shoes. Wh
en a golden, but less than noble, opportunity finally presents itself, Yo is faced with the kind of moral dilemma that ~II help to define the man he is to become. With the help his father's tough love and his mother's (Roya Aryanpad) quiet wisdom, Yo ultimately finds the courage to make a tough choice and stay true to himself.
Click Here to See Gharib Afshar Interviewing
Roya Aryanpad
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Click Here to See Gharib Afshar Interviewing
Hassan Fayyad
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Clicl Here to See Gharib Afshar Interviewing
ESL
a film by Youssef Delara
Crossing the border into a land of opportunity and peril, a young man risks everything to sup
port the family he had to leave behind.
Youssef Delara’s riveting new film, ESL, artfully explores the explosive issues of immigration and acculturation as it follows the harrowing journey
of hope against staggering odds of an illegal Mexican immigrantinto the U.S. The title, taken from the academic acronym for “English as a Second Language,” reflects the challenging choices immigrants must make to succeed in the dominant culture, while not forsaking their own native cultures. It’s a rich and complex portrayal of the charged dynamics at work for millions of Latin American immigrants to the U.S. The story centers on Bolivar de la Cruz (Kuno Becker) who has left his loved ones in Mexico in search of a better life for them. Faced with the brutal reality that jobs in the U.S. are hard to come by, he decides that learning English is critical for his survival. His life is further complicated when he meets Lola Sara (Danielle Camastra). Caught between two cultures herself, she’s an educated Latina from a prosperous family who’s intent on destroying herself. These two individuals, who share so much and so little, unexpectedly find in each other the strength to redeem their lives and ultimately be true to their dreams.
YOUSSEF DELARA, Writer/Director/Producer
The director, Youssef Delara, a native of Los Angeles, studied at Loyola Marymount University Film School. Delara’s vision for ESL stemmed from his own experiences living in polyglot Los Angeles. Through his carefully and sensitively realized characters, he has created an accomplished and insightful film depicting the struggles and triumphs of countless immigrants. Delara’s credits include work as a Visual Effects Coordinator on Paramount Television’s series Star Trek Voyager, Visual Effects Supervisor for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as the Star Trek feature films Generations and Insurrection. He is also currently writing and set to direct his next feature film, a Urban Latino theme project which centers around the struggles of a young Latino slam poet and his dream to break through the lucrative and insidious world of rap and hip hop music titled “SPITBROWNBUCK”.
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