Chocolate Rap (2005)
Wednesday, November 5, 7:00 pm, Wang Theatre
Co-sponsored by The Press Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York and the Taiwanese American Association of Long Island. Free admission. In Chinese with English subtitles.
In a unique twist on an old martial arts story where breakdancing replaces kung fu, Chocolate Rap follows the story of Chocko and his father who plays the role of spiritual teacher as he rises to prominence. Forming a crew with his manager and fellow dancer Pachinko, Chocko's future looks bright especially after he develops a relationship with concert pianist Ally, until he seriously injures himself in a car accident. With the help of Ally and his father, he regains his confidence and faces off against a spurned protégé who had been rejected by his former crew, King Kong.
Q&A to follow with Ms. Yee-Ching Lee, Independent Film Organizer. Free Admission.
Apu Sansar ("World of Apu," 1959)
From "The Apu Trilogy"
Thursday, November 6, 1:00 pm, Wang Theatre
Satyajit Ray’s world renowned and critically acclaimed Apu Trilogy comes to the Wang Center. Profoundly influenced by Jean Renoir and Italian neo-realism, this cinematic masterpiece considered by critics around the globe to rank among the greatest achievements of film. Ray, with a limited budget and non-professional actors chronicled the story of Apu, a destitute child growing up in rural Bengal, Benares, and Calcutta. Ray’s first films won top awards at Cannes, Venice, and London by enrapturing audiences in magical cinematic moments that emphasize the nuances of Bengali life and appeal to universal themes inherent in human relationships. The sensual and melancholic soundtrack is by Maestro Ravi Shankar.
“The great, sad, gentle sweep of The Apu Trilogy remains in the mind of
the moviegoer as a promise of what film can be. Standing above fashion, it
creates a world so convincing that it becomes, for a time, another life we
might have lived”–Roger Ebert
"Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without
seeing the sun or the moon"–Akira Kurosawa
Penniless and alone, Apu struggles as a recent graduate to fulfill his teacher’s wishes and his own goal of writing a novel until he marries. Apu and his new wife Aparna fall in love in Calcutta when catastrophe again strikes causing Apu to abandon his new family until an old friend convinces Apu to reconsider his decisions.Directed by Satyajit Ray. (In Bengali with English subtitles). Followed by discussion with Thora Wagner. Free Admission. All are welcome.
