What's on the Jakarta International Film Festival

What's on the Jakarta International Film Festival

JAKARTA (JP): The following are titles, screening venues, show
times and a synopsis of the films to be screened on Saturday.

Cyclo, Senayan 21, 1 p.m. Directed by Tran Anh Hung, the
award-winning 1995 Vietnamese film shows the city of Saigon today
which is bound by crime, violence, weird sex and madness.
Director Hung earlier made the highly acclaimed Scent of the
Green Papaya.

Taxandria, Senayan 21, 3:55 p.m. Directed by Raoul Servais,
the 1996 anime film tells the story of a prince who leaves his
guardian to visit a nearby lighthouse. There he learns of a
secret world where all machines, progress and time have been
banned.

Surat Untuk Bidadari (Letter to an Angel), 1992, TIM 1, 4:55
p.m. Directed by Garin Nugroho, the film tells the story of a 10-
year-old boy who must deal with the daily problems of his small
village in Sumba, including a culture clash and violence.

Invitation to a Wedding, Usmar Ismail Film Center, 5 p.m.
Directed by Curtis Levy, Australia/Indonesia. This is a
documentary that captures the nature of Islam in Indonesia and
chronicles the disasters which dogged the film's production.
Includes a memorable interview with Abdurrahman Wahid back in
1995.

Hana Bi (Fireworks), Senayan 21, 5:30 p.m. Directed by Takeshi
Kitano, 1997. After his wife dies and his partner is shot, police
detective Nishi quits his job to put his violent life behind him
only to find he gets caught up in bigger trouble.

Ratcatcher, Djakarta Theater, 5:30 p.m. Director: Lynne
Ramsay, U.K., 1999. A bittersweet coming-of-age drama which tells
the story of a 12-year-old boy who must deal with his
dysfunctional family and a terrible secret of an accident in a
local canal.

Petualangan Sherina, TIM 2, 5:35 p.m. Dir: Riri Riza, 2000.
Child singer sensation Sherina stars as a youngster who
reluctantly moves with her family to a plantation in West Java
only to face criminals who kidnap her new friend. A huge box
office success.

The Thin Blue Line, TIM 1, 7:05 p.m. Director: Errol Morris,
U.S., 1988. This controversial, must-see documentary is credited
with overturning the conviction of an alleged killer who was
about to be executed. Hailed as one of the most important films
of the decade.

Punitive Damage, Usmar Ismail Film Center, 7:15 p.m.
Dir: Annie Goldson, New Zealand, 1999. A documentary about the
mother of a 20-year-old New Zealand/Malaysian political activist
who was murdered in an East Timor riot on Nov. 12, 1999. Contains
shocking footage of the slaying.

Not One Less Djakarta Theater, 7:45. Director: Zhang Yimou,
China, 1999. A 13-year-old girl becomes a substitute teacher in a
rural area and tries hard not to lose her students. An
interesting film from noted director Yimou, it is played by
nonprofessionals.

Zhi Feng (Eating Air), Senayan 21, 7:45 p.m. Dir: Kelvin Tong
Weng Kian & Jamine Ng Kin Kia, Singapore, 2000. A papergirl and a
notorious truant get entangled in a romance during a hot summer
in Singapore. A stylish film which tells its story with pictures
more than dialog.

Nang Nak, TIM 2, 7:45 p.m. Director: Nonzee Nimibutr,
Thailand, 1999. A ghost story based on an ancient legend set in
the 19th-century countryside where a warrior returns home not
knowing that his wife and son have died and turned into ghosts.

Aguire or The Wrath of God, TIM 1, 9:15, director: Werner
Herzog, Germany, 1972. Considered prominent director Herzog's
dramatic masterpiece, the film tells the story of a Conradian
journey into the heart of darkness, which is said to have heavily
influenced Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

Under Suspicion, Usmar Ismail Film Center, 9:30 p.m. Director:
Stephen Hopkins, U.S., 1999. A police inspector on a small
Carribean island calls in for questioning a U.S. criminal
attorney who is a witness to the rape and murder of two young
girls.

Long Night Journey into the Day, TIM 2, 9:45 p.m.
Director: Frances Reid and Deborah Hoffman, South Africa-USA,
1999. An award-winning documentary that revolves around the
efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South
Africa to heal the country's wounds after the collapse of the
apartheid policy.

High Fidelity, Djakarta Theater, 10 p.m. Director: Stephen
Frears, USA, 2000. A highly praised romantic comedy tells the
story of an owner of a nonsuccessful record store and a music
junkie dealing with adulthood. Features another great performance
by John Cusack. (jaw)