<<< September 28 - October 1, 2006 >>>

Discuss this series with other film fans on:
http://www.myspace.com/americancinematheque

Some of the programs in this series are also playing at the Aero Theatre.

The National Geographic All Roads Film Project showcases breakthrough films and still photography from indigenous and under-represented minority cultures around the globe. Launched in 2004, All Roads supports diverse cultural perspectives with an international film festival, funding, networking, and distribution opportunities to bring together voices that celebrate the vibrant stories of our world. An asterisk * signifies an All Roads Seed Grantee. For more details: For more details: www.nationalgeographic.com/allroads

2006 All Roads Photography Program Awardees offer documentation and insight into their cultures: Saiful Huq, Bangladesh – Stolen Dreams: The story of the abandoned victims of political violence; Larry McNeil, USA – Fly by Night Mythology (perspectives on Native-American biculturalism); Sandra Sebastián Pedro, Guatemala - Inherited Violence; Newsha Tavakolian, Iran - Women in Axis of Evil.

OPENING NIGHT – ALL ROADS TO TIBET Preceding the screening, National Geographic Music presents the acclaimed Tibetan vocalist Yungchen Lhamo, known to many as the voice of Tibet, to open the program. Yungchen has spent a decade in exile, translating the pure strains of her native art into a distinctly modern musical language.

US Premiere! MILAREPA, 2005, Tibet-India, 95 min. Dir. Neten Chokling Rinpoche. This epic adventure is the story of Milarepa, the man who became Tibet’s greatest Buddhist mystic, but whose path to enlightenment began with revenge. In Tibetan with English subtitles.

NORTHERN LIGHTS Life is harsh in the Arctic North, but the people are warm. Put them together and unexpected lessons are learned about living.

LA Premiere! ARCTIC SON, 2006, Canada-USA, 76 min. Dir. Andrew Walton. Stanley Jr. escapes a hip-hop city life to join his father and his Gwich’in roots in the rugged Arctic, and embarks on the universal quest to discover who he is and where he belongs.

Preceded by the short: "The Hardest Of These Is Love" Finland, 2005, 25 min. The US Premiere of director Suvi West’s short about a young Sami woman who asks about love, marriage, and dating in her Sami town with humorous and frank results. In Sami with English subtitles.

LIVE CONCERT - National Geographic Music presents the US premiere tour of Emmanuel Jal, one of the hottest rappers to explode out of Africa. The former Sudanese child soldier now inspires millions with his music and lyrics.

WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY An expressive collection of women’s short works and what matters to them, through their eyes. The LA Premiere of director Sarah Del Seronde’s "Sa’ah" (Over There) US, 2005, 20 min. A trip to a medicine man reveals how the Diné walk in beauty, a philosophy that is central to their way of life. In Diné with English subtitles. The US Premiere of "Mare" Mexico, 2006, 11 min. Directed by Ana Santos Mejia & Luna Maran. A trip to the beach explores metaphorical meaning for a young Mixteca woman. The US Premiere of director Beck Cole’s "The Lore Of Love" Australia, 2005, 25 min. Indigenous Australian elders explore the themes of love, sexuality and traditional marriage with their granddaughters according to Australian indigenous traditions. In Pintupi, Warlpiri, Luntja with English subtitles. The Los Angeles Premiere of "Jaisalmer Ayo! Gateway Of The Gypsies" India-US, 2004, 54 min. Directed by Melitta Tchaicovsky & Pepe Ozan. A musical and dramatic look at the impact of globalization on several nomadic castes of Roma Gypsies in India. In Hindi, Rajasthani with English subtitles.

UNDER THE SAME SUN Captivating stories from people who live two identities, between two countries and in two distinctly different cultural worlds.

LA Premiere! THE JOURNEY OF VAAN NGUYEN, Israel-Vietnam, 2005, 84 min. Dir. Duki Dror. Vaan Nguyen, a young Israeli-born Vietnamese woman, confronts issues of her lost identity as she takes her first trip to Vietnam. In Vietnamese & Hebrew with English subtitles.

Preceded by the short: "Sueños Binacionales (Binational Dreams)" Mexico, 2005, 30 min. Dir. Yolande Cruz. Chatino and Mixteco Indian villages living on two sides of the Mexican border compare dreams of prosperity and community. In Chatino & Spanish with English subtitles.

ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION, Israel-Canada, 2005, 89 min. Dir. Elle Flanders. Love and national identity converge for gay & lesbian, Palestinian/Israeli relationships in Israel. In English, Arabic, Hebrew, with English subtitles.

Preceded by the short: The LA Premiere of "The Last Supper – Abu Dis" Palestine, 2005, 26 min. The Palestinian town of Abu Dis witnesses the precarious wall being built right in front of them. In Arabic with English subtitles.

SHORTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The World Premiere of director Sandra Hoffmann M.’s music video "Mi Papai (My Grandfather" * Chile, 2006, 5 min. A music video invites us inside the Mapuche world, and describes the beautiful landscapes of the country. The US Premiere of director Filoteo Gomez Martinez’s "Dulce Covivencia (Sweet Gatherings)" Mexico, 2004, 18 min. Following age-old traditions, a Mixe community grinds sugar cane into panela unrefined sugar in the forests of Mexico. In Mixe with English subtitles. Director Avie Luthra’s "Lucky" South Africa-UK, 2005, 20 min. An orphan must leave his Zulu village for the city of Durban and forms an unlikely bond with his intolerant neighbor. In Zulu, Tamil with English subtitles. The Los Angeles Premiere of "Taina-Kan, The Big Star" Brazil, 2005, 15 min. Dir. Adriana Figueiredo & Vincente Barcellos. A beautiful animated short of a Karaja Indian story that teaches a lesson about self-centeredness. In Portuguese with English subtitles. "Petroglyphs of Rapanui"* Rapanui, 2006, 8 min. Dir. Santi Hitorangi & Susan HitoShapiro. An artistic depiction of the beautiful and powerful petroglyph carvings on the small island of Rapanui (Easter Island), off the coast of Chile. The Los Angeles Premiere of director Tyrone Sanga’s "Plastic Leis" US, 2005, 17 min. A young hula dancer is torn between what tourists want and her Native Hawaiian tradition. In Native Hawaiian. Director Cedar Sherbert’s "Gesture Down: I Don’t Sing" US-Mexico, 2006, 10 min. A starkly beautiful first-person rumination on place, longing and identity from the Kumeyaay Nation along the US/Mexican border. In Kumeyaay Indian, English, Spanish, and Tipai with English subtitles. "De La Patada" Mexico, 2005, 2 min. Directed by Ana Santos Mejia & Luna Maran. This quick experimental animation leaves you to decide why a quiet boy kicks a ball. In Mixteca.

Sunday, October 1 - 5:30 PM

ANCESTORS, ELDERS & LAND Indigenous elders share what’s important to remember for the continuation of their culture.

US Premiere! 5 SEASONS, Australia, 2005, 52 min. Dir. Steve McGregor. Numurundi elders enjoy the benefits of the modern world while continuing to be guided by the changing seasons and the stories of the Dreamtime. In Numurundi & English with English subtitles.

US Premiere! MY FIRST CONTACT*, Brazil, 2005, 51 min. Dir. Mari Correa & Kumaré Txicão. Members of a rainforest tribe recall their first encounter with Western culture through historical footage and impromptu reenactments. In Ikpeng & Portuguese with English subtitles.