AsiaLENS
AEMS Documentary and Independent Film Series
at the Spurlock Museum
AsiaLENS is a series of free public film screenings and lecture / discussion programs -- organized by AEMS in collaboration with Spurlock Museum -- presenting recent documentary and independent films on issues reflecting contemporary life in Asia.
Local and visiting experts introduce the films and lead audiences in post-screening discussions.
All AsiaLENS screenings are FREE and open to the public.
For Fall 2016, screenings will be held on the third Tuesdays of September, October, and November at Spurlock Museum, located at 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL.
Full schedule for Fall 2016 is listed below.
Information on past screenings:Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016
AsiaLENS Upcoming Spring 2016 Calendar:
My Life In China
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 - 7:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL
Threads: The Art and Life of Surayia Rahman
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 7:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana IL
All Eyes and Ears
Tuesday, November 16, 2016 - 7:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL
My Life In China
Directed by Kenneth Eng. Produced by Ehren Parks. 2016. 81 minutes. China / USA.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 - 7:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, Knight Auditorium, 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL
Introduction and post-screening discussion by director Kenneth Eng.
Special Engagement: Join a discussion with filmmaker Kenneth Eng earlier in the day at the Asian American Cultural Center's (1210 West Nevada Street, Urbana, IL) Food for Thought program at 12:00 pm.
Description:
This personal film takes viewers on a journey to rural China where an emotional revelation takes place. A story of migration is passed down from father to son, retracing the precarious steps risked in search for a better life. Was the risk worth it? What if he had never left? What was ultimately achieved by immigrating?
Resources:
Distributed by My Life In China, LLC.
mylifeinchina.org
View a trailer of the film here.
View comments by Kenneth Eng here.
Reviews:
Unseen Films
Boston Globe
* This screening is co-sponsored by the Asian American Cultural Center.
Threads: The Art and Life of Surayia Rahman
Directed by Cathy Stevulak. Produced by Cathy Stevulak and Leonard Hill.
2015. 30 minutes. In Bengali and English with English subtitles.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 -7:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, Knight Auditorium, 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL
A special pre-screening introduction by co-producer Leonard Hill will be presented by the Spurlock Museum Guild Lecture and Performance Series. Madhu Viswanathan, the Diane and Steven N. Miller Centennial Chair in Business, will lead a post-screening discussion with Leonard Hill.
Special Engagement: Join a discussion with co-producer Leonard Hill earlier in the day at the Asian American Cultural Center's (1210 West Nevada Street, Urbana, IL) Food for Thought program at 12:00 pm.
Description:
A self-trained and passionate artist, Surayia Rahman is an unconventional Bengali woman who frees herself, other women and families from poverty and social hardships, by guiding hundreds of underprivileged women in Bangladesh to create masterworks of exquisitely hand-embroidered art that has been gifted to dignitaries and admired in collections throughout the world.
Resources:
Distributed by Kantha Productions LLC.
kanthathreads.com
Reviews:
The Indian Express
* This screening is co-sponsored by the "Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and U.S. Department of Education Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language program, Spurlock Museum, University Library, and Asian American Cultural Center.
All Eyes and Ears
Directed by Vanessa Hope.
2016. 90 minutes. China / USA.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - 7:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL
Introduction and post screening discussion TBA.
Description:
A timely exploration into the complex links between the U.S. and China, this documentary evokes the personal and the international with its accent on diplomacy, activism and individual experience. Interspersed with remarks from journalists and experts, All Eyes and Ears interweaves the stories of U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, his adopted Chinese daughter, Gracie Mei, and blind legal advocate Chen Guangcheng as they find purpose, identity and resolve amid the two nations’ evolving relationship. This film adroitly illuminates the delicate, intersecting layers of history, ideology and politics at play behind current diplomatic maneuvers.
Resources:
Film Website: alleyesandears.org
Distributed by Outcast Films
outcast-films.com
Reviews:
New York Times
Last Updated August 26, 2016.
