Art, lion dancers highlight film fest's second night
'Summer Art Walk' accompanies Asian movies
Ashton Do, staff writer
June 2, 2007

Photo by Joe Nguyen Artwork from children ages 7-17 sit atop white podiums June 1 at the Downtown Aurora Visual Arts center in Aurora. The pieces were made from inspiration from photographers Zhang Jianguo and Li Gang who captured Chinese landscape.

AURORA – Lion dancers paraded East Colfax Avenue June 1 for the second night of the 10th annual Aurora Asian Film Festival.

They surprised patrons waiting in line for movie tickets and made stops along the “Summer Art Walk,” which featured two Asian-themed art galleries that will be open for viewing through June 3.

One art show, hosted by The Other Side Arts (TOSA), highlighted more than 20 pieces by local artists for its Asian collection. Four of them came from Christopher Beikmann, who crafted exotic digital collages of eastern religious icons.

“They just stood out to me,” art enthusiast Delores Bain said, referring to Beikmann’s work. “They draw you in.”

Beikmann did not take the religious aspects of his work lightly. The collages were made from carefully selected photographs he shot himself.

“Most all of these have a little bit of legend or mythology,” Beikman said. “Part of enjoying the art is understanding it.”

At the Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA) center, ceramic pieces created by local youth held their own against Chinese landscape photography by Zhang Jianguo and Li Gang.

“We’ve been a pretty fluid environment for young kids to get together for the last thirteen years,” said Susan Jenson, executive director at DAVA. “(When) the Chinese photographers came in, we launched a project about landscape (for the young kids), and the two really came together beautifully.”

The Fox Theatre had its own gallery featuring the work of Mami Yamamoto-Finke, whose style was inspired by traditional Japanese calligraphy, but with a modern twist.

Photo by Joe Nguyen Lion dancers entertain audience members June 1 at Fletcher Plaza, just down the street from the Aurora Fox Arts Center. The dancers had performed inside the theater prior.

“I wanted to bring more (of) my myself (in a) more contemporary way,” Yamamoto-Finke said. “Sometimes I just get inspired, close my eyes and let my brush go.”

Complementary pedicabs will be available through Sunday night to shuttle attendees between the galleries.

Moviegoers filled the Aurora Fox Arts Theatre to watch “The Go Master,” a celluloid account of a Chinese man who moved to Japan to become the greatest Go player in the world. When audiences came out from the movie, their reactions were mixed.

“We liked it,” one couple said. “The artistry was wonderful, the photography was wonderful.”

Others felt the movie lacked pacing and context.

“I didn’t like the movie,” a patron said. “I liked the concept and the story, but I felt kind of lost.”

While “The Go Master” audience cleared the auditorium, action-film enthusiasts eagerly awaited their screening of “Exiled.”

Director Johnnie To’s “Exiled” was an action-packed gangster thriller that took place during the transfer of the Portuguese colony Macau to China in 1998. The crowd’s reaction was generally positive.

“I liked it,” moviegoer Carey Simon said. “I’ve never seen an Asian gangster movie before.”

Some attributed the main characters loyalty to one another as a strong point for the film.

“They were loyal to their buddy, their lifelong buddy,” event organizer Jeff Seifried said.

Moviegoers like Julia, who declined to reveal her last name, said that the amount of violence and gore made the experience less enjoyable.

“I thought it was really violent," she said. "I wasn’t expecting that at all.

Joe Nguyen contributed to the article.

Ashton Do is a staff writer for AsiaXpress.com. Ashton can be contacted via e-mail at Ashton.Do@asiaxpress.com.