DMS Goes to DIFF - Day Two

Punch

The story is about a high school student Wan Deuk (Yoo Ah-in of K-drama Fashion King) who lives with his small hunchback father and a simple minded adopted uncle. His father was a tap dancer in the local cabaret before it was shut down. Now his dad and uncle must travel to market places using their song and dance to sell sole inserts. Wan Deuk is pretty much left alone to fend for himself. The rooftop neighbour is his home room teacher Dong J (Kim Yoon-seok) who bickers with Wan Deuk to the point where Wan Deuk prays to God to kill him. There's also the other neighbour (Kim Sang-ho) who constantly complain about the noise lives with his sister a writer of existential martial arts novels. Wan Deuk's discovers that his mother (Jasmine Lee) is alive and well and wants to see him. Plus she's Filipino. In order to process this information, Wan Deuk takes ups kick boxing. He's not very good being mostly a street fighter, but he's persistent and keeps going back to the gym. Based on the novel "Wandeugi" (2008) by Kim Ryeo-ryeong with a screenplay by Kim Dong-woo and directed by Lee Han touches on the issue of multicultural families in Korea. Mixed families have grown three fold over the past five years as the population has become more diverse. It's a funny look at this young man's life with a variety of characters that transcend age, disability, race and class status in which all audiences can relate.

Low and Clear

Directors Kahlil Hudson and Tyler Hughen explore the relationship between two fly fishermen T. Van Zandt and Alex "Xenie" Hall, Both men are avid fly fishers who met in Colorado when Van Zandt decided that he wanted to truly explore the sport. He moved from Florida to work in a fishing store where he heard of local legend "Xenie". The two totally opposite in character and disposition went from being student and mentor to being best fishing buddies. Van Zandt lives in Florida building flat bottom canoes which he uses to solitary fish off the coast. Xenie runs a firewood business spending his days cutting wood and fishing. He's amassed boxes, books and pictures of all the fish he's ever caught over the years. He's brash, loud and swears a blue streak compared to the almost zen fishing of Van Zandt. In this film the men travel to a snowy British Columbia seeking out streams with the perfect fishing pockets. Xenie manages to catch fish after fish, while Van Zandt tries to find his groove. While most don't understand the joy of hiking to remote areas and standing in frigid waters trying to get fish to bite a lure you created, you will feel a calm and sense of adventure besides enjoying the breath taking scenery and the music by Van Zandt and his father Townes.

Brooklyn Castle

Director Katie Dellamaggiore's documentary on the chess team of Brooklyn middle school IS 318 grew for a New York Times article about a talented chess player from a neighborhood close to hers. Conferring with writer Michael Weinreb who wrote he Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Genuises Who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team Dellamaggiore discovered IS 318 and their talented coaches and team. Following the dedication of the teachers, the students and their supportive parents who have continuously won regional and national chess championships over the years. The film also covers the enormous budget cuts in the school systems that threaten the chess program and the schools' ability to send the gifted young chess players to compete in the championships. The students, teachers and parents mobilise to keep the programs open, but the future looks dire for the promising chess team. It's an amazing story with some special kids like Rochelle who becomes the first African-American female chess master during her freshman year of high school.

The Pact

Nicolas McCarthy expanded his short of the same name that played at last year's DIFF. Annie (Caity Lotz) reluctantly comes to her mothers funeral to find that her sister Nicole (Agnes Bruckner) has gone missing. Thinking she is just on a binge again, her cousin Liz (Kathleen Rose Perkins) disagrees since she would not leave behind her small daughter who is living with her. The creep factor comes in when Nicole starts hearing noises in the house and gets sucked into the closet never to been seen again. Annie also experiences some poltergeist activity when she is hurled around the room. The cop in charge of the mission person report Creek (Casper Van Dien) thinks she's a little nuts but comes to check it out. Annie also hires a blind psychic friend from highschool to check out the spirit activity. There are some good fights in this, but nothing that will keep you up at night.
(Review by reesa)