Oregon Premiere

When filmmaker Nanfu Wang (Hooligan Sparrow, AIFF2016 Best Documentary) first came from China to America, she had no plans to scrounge for food in garbage cans, wash her clothes in coffee shop bathrooms, or be jolted awake by sprinklers under a bush in a moonlit park. But then she meets Dylan, a charismatic young drifter who abandoned his comfortable home and loving family for a life on the streets. Fascinated by his decision to be homeless-by-choice and his rejection of mainstream society’s rules, she and her camera follow him on a journey across America that raises profound questions about the meaning of freedom and its limits. 

Director's Statement: Nanfu Wang 

It was in a hostel in the Everglades that I first met Dylan. He was 22 years old, young and fearless, and there was something about him that instantly captivated me. He was a traveler like me, but he made travel his life. I had never known someone who seemed so purely free. So when he offered to show me a glimpse of his life on the streets, I decided that I had to experience his lifestyle for myself. Little did I know, that spontaneous trip would mark the beginning of a four-year journey that took me all over America and reshaped my understanding of freedom, how the mind works, and the place of people who don’t fit—or refuse to fit—into society.


 

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COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS 

with Marla Estes & Kay Sandberg 

5:15-6:45pm | Elks Club, 255 E. Main St. (2nd St. & Lithia Way) | FREE (no ticket required) 

Friday, April 7: City of Joy
Saturday, April 8: I Am Another You
Sunday, April 9: Sacred

Join expert discussion facilitators Marla Estes and Kay Sandberg and special guests for in-depth conversations about how three provocative films affected you and other attendees. Your personal responses to the films’ revelations and possible social action points will be the springboard for discussion. See screenings of the powerful documentaries City of Joy, I Am Another You, and Sacred at AIFF2017, then come to the Elks Club and dive in deeper.
 

Marla Estes, M.A. is the founder of the School of the Examined Life. She gives workshops using lm watching as a lens for personal growth, and understanding oneself and others. 

Kay Sandberg, M.A. is passionate about film as a way to elevate our experience of being human. She has spent her career facilitating conversations that matter including the popular, “OLLI Goes to the AIFF.”