What Is Truth?
Two films each from Germany and China mark the beginning of the 12th EuroAsia Shorts film showcase. Using the theme “What is Truth?”, the films address the individual relationships to truth in our lives. We might wish the truth were always simple, but in reality it rarely is. How true are we with others in our daily lives? Does censorship foster truth, or hinder it? And when we fail to live up to the truth—through infidelity, lies, or being untrue to our own self—what do we do? The truth can vary from person to person, let alone one culture to another, and yet we all struggle with it. Wherever it leads, we seek it.
Brief discussions following each evening’s screenings will compare and contrast the films and the topics with several panelists.
Bear (Bär)
Germany, 2014, 8 min.
Director: Pascal Floerks
My grandpa’s past was always very present. It would break through in something that he would say or do, but he would never talk about it. Only now, by revisiting his life and personality as I knew it, do I feel the weight of his inheritance.
Erledigung einer Sache (The Last Will)
Germany, 2014, 21 min.
Director: Dustin Loose
To fulfil his mother’s last will, young Jakob Adler needs to meet his biological father, who is an inmate in a psychiatric hospital for murdering his own brother 25 years ago. Before he meets his father, Jakob wants to talk to the doctor in charge, Dr. Weiss, who reveals the true scale of the tragedy.
Blowing in the Wind
China, 2016, 11 min.
Director: SONG Jun
A young girl was bullied by other children for her prominent facial birthmark. An open-minded young girl offers friendship and they become inseparable. Their friendship gives her the support and bravery to stand up to her bullies. The two girls plant a tree to commemorate their bond and make a promise to each other. However, they encounter a big challenge to fulfill this lifelong promise of life.
© LUO Wei
Eye in the Sky
China, 2017, 21 min.
Director: LUO Wei
On a stormy night, a young man from a poor family caused a horrific car crash that injured many people. For his punishment, he was sentenced with an enormous fine. This accident changed the lives of this family.
Panelists
Dr. Jing Jin – visiting professor from Beijing Language and Culture University
Dr. Hester Baer - Associate Professor and Head of Germanic Studies at the University of Maryland
No charge; reservations requested. Seating is limited. More information at the website in the right-hand column.
EuroAsia Shorts is to enhance mutual understanding and familiarity among different cultures. Following each evening’s screening, a discussion with several panelists looks at how the topic has been addressed in the films.
Jointly sponsored by EuroAsia Shorts Partners: Alliance Française, Asian American Pacific Film Festival, Confucius Institute US Center | Miami Dade College | George Mason University, Goethe-Institut Washington, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Japan Information and Culture Center, the Korean Embassy’s KORUS House, the Embassy of the Philippines, Reel Plan and the Embassy of Spain.
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