A HANDFUL OF GRASS (Germany) 6:30 pm Feb. 21, 7:15 pm Feb. 22, BW

PREVIEW
As the World Turns
The Portland International Film Festival returns with films from around the globe.

BY JAY HORTON, BRIAN LIBBY, CHRISTOPHER MCQUAIN, ILIKE MEREY, SEYTA SELTER & DAVID WALKER
243-2122

BW Broadway Theatre, Southwest Broadway and Main Street
GU Guild Theatre, 829 SW 9th Ave.
FX Fox Tower, Southwest Taylor Street and Park Avenue
WH Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave.

General Admission--$7
Members--$6
Children--$4
Festival Pass--$175

Ninety-one films from 36 countries in 17 days. That's right, it's the Portland International Film Festival. This year's lineup includes an exciting schedule of films from some of the world's most acclaimed filmmakers. Deciding which ones to see can be difficult, but with a little luck, we might be able to make things easier for you. Here's the lowdown on the last week of the festival.

A HANDFUL OF GRASS
This German/Iranian picture is a riveting, socially aware action drama that follows the tortuous journey of a 10-year-old Kurdish boy from Turkey who, in hopes of a better life, is sent to Hamburg by his father to live with relatives, only to be neglected, abused and forced to deal drugs by his moblike clan once he arrives. He's eventually forced to choose between loyalty to his family and the elusive better life his father wished for him. The film mixes realism with a style that approaches but never succumbs
to slickness--director Roland Richter could be Germany's answer to Michael Mann. (Christopher McQuain)
(Germany)
6:30 pm Feb. 21,
7:15 pm Feb. 22, BW

SEVEN SONGS FROM THE TUNDRA
A Nenet native portrays life in the land of snow in a collection of intriguing shorts.
(Finland)
9 pm Feb. 21, BW

THE MISSION
Hot lead flies and bullet-riddled bodies pile up as Hong Kong gangsters square off over the life of a Triad crime boss. Sworn to protect their boss--who's got a price on his head--a posse of HK gangsters commences with the cold-steel dispensation of retribution. Falling somewhere between the fast onslaught of John Woo's direction and Beat Takeshi's casual pace punctuated by extreme violence, director Johnnie To Kei-Fung (Heroic Trio) has crafted a solid Hong Kong gangster thriller. (DW)
(Hong Kong)
7 pm Feb. 21, GU

GODDESS OF 1967
Feisty road-dog film with an oddball yuppie hot on the trails of his Citröen goddess.
(Australia/Hong Kong)
7 pm Feb. 22,
9:30 pm Feb. 23, WH

DEVILS ON THE DOORSTEP
Culture clash is rampant when a Japanese prisoner gets stranded in a Chinese village during WWII.
(China)
7 pm Feb. 22, BW,
3 pm Feb. 24, WH

LIFE IS A FATAL SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE
Slowly goes death...and meditations on death...such as this film by Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi. Starting with a bang in pleasant confusion about which character is the protagonist, Life Is a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease soon erodes when the main character emerges and learns that he is dying. The bulk of the movie involves Dr. Tomasz's shift from helper to helpless as he struggles with his illness and his role as physician. Though it's beautifully acted, the spiritual ruminations grow tiresome, and you may find yourself hoping he'll hurry up and kick the bucket. (Seyta Selter)
(Poland)

7 pm Feb. 21, WH,
7 pm Feb. 22, FX

ARISTOTLE'S PLOT
Jean-Pierre Bekolo's scathing indictment of American film in Africa is better in theory than execution. Frustrated with African audiences only being subjected to imported Hollywood trash, a filmmaker goes to battle against a gang of thugs who have no interest in African cinema. Bekolo's film raises interesting issues while offering some genuine laughs--many courtesy of actor Ken Gampu--but the film is uneven and at times a bit confusing. (DW)
(Cameroon)

6:45 pm Feb. 21, GU

CLOUDS OF MAY
A Turkish filmmaker returns to his village hoping to capture it on film, only to become so absorbed in his work that he loses sight of his family and their problems.
(Turkey)
9:15 pm Feb. 22, BW

WHEN THE RAIN LIFTS
How fitting that Akira Kurosawa's last screenplay is a classic samurai's tale. Set in 18th-century feudal Japan, When the Rain Lifts involves a ronin, or masterless samurai, whose kindhearted manner as much as his brilliant swordplay offsets his adversaries. Directed by Kurosawa's longtime cinematographer, Takashi Koizumi, the story draws from a centuries-old tradition of existential warriors reluctantly called to arms. With the languid pacing of a mountain stream, Kurosawa's story exhibits a wise, contemplative spirit steeped in more than half a century of moviemaking. This is one of the more tender samurai tales Kurosawa has ever told. (Brian Libby)

(Japan)
5 pm Feb. 23, GU


AMORES PERROS
It's not often we warn people off such a good movie, but dog lovers beware. Translated as "Love's a Bitch" and centered on a brutal car accident, Amores Perros effortlessly interweaves three stories of devotion and sorrow in Mexico City. Amid the travails of a jealous brother, an ailing supermodel and a father-turned-assassin, a profusion of pooches bite the dust. For brave-hearted viewers, however, Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu's debut is one of the more gritty, energetic movies to come out of Mexico in years. Iñarritu is like Tarantino with a touch of Latin enchantment--he's just no Bob Barker. (Brian Libby)
(Mexico)
7 pm Feb. 21, FX

MARSHAL TITO'S SPIRIT
On a small Croatian island, the ghost of longtime dictator Marshal Tito revives the sluggish local economy when scores of retired Communists come to pay homage. Even when they learn it's a hoax, the old Reds are undeterred in hopes for a Communist rebirth. This stale parody is directed by Vinko Bresan, who's How the War Started on My Island (which also played at PIFF) offered a similar brand of--gulp--Eastern European comedy. Bresan's manner is as subtle as a May Day parade and fresh as a Yakov Smirnoff routine. (Brian Libby)
(Croatia)
7 pm Feb. 23, WH

OUR LADY OF THE ASSASSINS
Director Barbet Schroeder's latest film, a grisly romance between a middle-aged writer and an assassin swimming in the drug world.
(Colombia)

9:30 pm Feb. 23,
1 pm Feb. 24, GU

A RUN FOR MONEY
Selim is as upstanding a citizen as one can get--until he finds a bag bursting with half a million dollars of stolen money.
(Turkey)
9 pm Feb. 21, BW

SKY HOOK
Building a basketball court lends purpose to the lives of a couple of men trying to cope during the 1999 Belgrade bombings.
(Yugoslavia)
9:15 pm Feb. 21, GU

TO AND FRO
A Mexican peasant returns to his native land after living in the United States and discovers that much has changed.
(Mexico)
9:15 pm Feb. 22, FX

KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS
Animated family fare featuring a courageous baby's battle against the forces of evil.
(France)
1 pm Feb. 24, WH

THE DISH
In the summer of '69, as Apollo 11 rockets toward the moon, a sleepy little Australian town--whose radio telescope will help broadcast the lunar landing on television--is eager to be part of history. But when radar operator Cliff Buxton (Sam Neill) and his team face last-minute mishaps, tensions in this bucolic burg rise like a Saturn V. Based on true events, The Dish is a lighthearted comedy about pride, risk and the transcendence of great events. Indeed, both the movie and the little town are mild curiosities enlivened by history. (Brian Libby)
(Australia)
8 pm Feb. 24, WH

STARTUP.COM
This documentary may be seen as more of a time-capsule piece from the Internet years than an entertaining story. Chronicling the rise and fall of govWorks.com, a web business geared for expediting dealings with local government, Startup.com shows the setbacks and successes of two high-school buddies and cyberspace entrepreneurs, Tom Herman and Kaleil Isaza Turzman, as their company grows from eight employees to 233 in two years. This vast tale of frat boys turned millionaires explores the harsh impact of their business venture on personal relationships through endless board meetings, cellular calls, and heart-to-hearts with family members. (Seyta Selter)
(United States)
7:15 pm Feb. 23,
3:30 pm Feb. 24, GU