Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 17, 1989 Sleepwalk treads ,on narrative tradition BY MARK SHAIMAN There is a currently a series on avante-garde/experimental films be- ing shown on campus. This week- end's showing of Sleepwalk, while not a part of it, fits right in with the theme. Although it's a full length feature film, it defies many of the narrative conventions found in to- day's motion pictures. This film by Sara Walker has a thin thread of a story line from which images are woven. Suzanne Fletcher plays a translator for a small publishing firm; she's hired to adapt a rare Chinese manuscript. Once she begins to do so, her life undergoes some unexplainable hap- penings. Subtitled "Year of the Dog," Walker's film has many images concerned with canines. The name of the man who brings the manuscript Festi~val Continued from Page 7 of his newest toy. An amazing shot of the baby as seen by the toy through a cellophane wrapper is im- pressive evidence of the power com- puter animation can have if put to imaginative use. It deserves the Oscar nomination it just received for Best Animated Short, and another nomi- 'nee, "The Cat Came Back," is also being shown in the Festival. Three brief films made by stu- dents at the Cal Arts animation school, "The Thing That Lurked in the Tub," "Winter," and "Lea Press On Limbs" are basically one-joke af- fairs, but are nonetheless funny, well animated, and imaginative. (Yes, that last one is a parody of the TV ads for pre-fabricated fingernails.) "The Wizard of Speed and Time," a semi- live action film made almost ten years ago, has a refreshing spontane- ity to it; its makers do not seem to care that the film is imperfect and silly, and that is part of its charm. In our decade, as ultra-sleek MTV- influenced filmmaking has become the norm, it's nice to see a film, however short, that has few qualms about letting its seams show. Other worthwhile shorts in the Festival include the monster mash "Les Assassins," the Calvin and Hobbes-esque "Nitemare," and "Primiti Too Taa," which consists purely of typed and spoken nonsense words. It is unfortunate, though, that the Soviet-made "The Door" is not as good as it could have been; like at least one of the Soviet films in the previous animation compilations, it lasts much too long, and in addition does not have the light stylistic touch needed to make its adventurous brand of comic surrealism work. Still, even this, the least entertaining of the Festival 's films, is interesting to watch. So take a break from ie- Man. Skip Kissyfur this week. Go to the Festival and see what anima- tion is really all about. Java and Jazz features multi- instrumental ist If you've forgotten what it's like to enjoy music in a setting smaller than a hockey arena, the Eclipse free concert series Java and Jazz provides a refreshing reminder every third Sunday in the comfortable surround- ings of the Michigan Union Taif Room. This week's artist is Michigan native multi-instrumentalist and composer Yussef Shalom Farah. From a young age, Farah felt so., ciety overemphasized specialization in one instrument. Starting at the age of eight with the ukelele, he learned guitar, percussion, bass, and piano (which he took up because "I hated to tune the guitar"). Farah composes and plays music of several styles, though influences like Chick Corea were instrumental in pointing him primarily toward modern jazz. YUSSEF SHALOM FARAII will play Sunday from 4-7 p.m. in the Michigan Union Tip Room. Admission is free. -Michael Tschirhart Suzanne Fletcher portrays a translator whose life takes on bizarre dimensions after she begins adapting a Chinese manuscript. You won't need a translator to follow the narrative, but it'll take some work. to Fletcher translates to "dog," and one of the many odd people that she encounters on the street simply barks at her. This may seem remi- niscent of My Life As A Dog, but the images here are much more ab- stract. The other people that Fletcher encounters cover a range of peoples - a nice change from the usual WASP-predominated cinema. The companion of the Chinese man who wants the manuscript translated is a tall, thin Black man. Fletcher's son is an Asian-American, and her roommate is a French woman. This last character is played by Ann Magnuson (Making Mr. Right), and she's the most interest- ing part of the film. She is the type of character that buys a new, un- needed pair of shoes, then borrows money for cab fare so that she doesn't have to take the subway. Her temper runs hot and cold, keeping her character from being tepid. And her fiery red hair begins to shed like that of a dog. The position of being tepid is left to Fletcher, an unskilled actress. However, her lack of talent almost lends itself to the role because the character is trapped in a life that she cannot control. In an unusual supporting role is normally-a-director Jim Jarmusch (Down By Law, Stranger Than Par- adise), who here takes the part of cameraman. He lends his unique, dark-comedy style to this film, and mixing that with Driver's script, provides an adventure into the world of somnabulism. THE PROGRAM IN FILM & VIDEO STUDIES PRESENTS Stan~ Bak-hage One of the most prolific, honored, and influential independent filmmakers in the history of the medium, Professor of Film Studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and author will be present for a two-evening screening of some of his most important films as part of the Yon Barna Memorial Symposium on Avant-Garde Cinema Traffic Continued from Page 7 characters through a re-enactment of the days before, and the hours after, the bomb was dropped on Hi- roshima. . Through the chilling scenes acted out by Dowling and Strim- ling, the audience enters into the horror and suffering of people who died long ago. An unscathed sur- vivor is mortified by the fact that she has escaped harm while her fel- low humans lay maimed and muti- lated around her... a teenager makes a tape of her favorite songs so that when the bomb drops, she can just put on her headphones and tune out... These situations are all woven together in theatrical storytelling Cinema Guild SLEEPWALK on 8:30, and 10 p.m. in Angell Hall. will present Saturday at 7, at Auditorium A that uses poetic images rather than preaching to convey its points. The play focuses on two extremes, avoidance of and obsession with nuclear war, and in the end, we are meant to realize the medium be- tween the two. In other words, as Director Arthur Strimling observes, "I don't think this play will convert anybody, but it has other uses. Anti-nuclear activism takes im- mense amounts of faith and energy. It's easy to burn out. People need some spiritual replenishment, and we can provide some." IN THE TRAFFIC OF TIHE TARGETED CITY will be per- formed at the Performance Network Feb. 16-26. Tickets are $10 in ad- vance, $12.50 at the door. Curtain times are 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 2 p.m. this Sunday, and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26. Forest Terrace NOW LEASING! Large 2 Bedrooms (Three different layouts) Furnished Heat and Water Included Laundry Facilities Parking Included *Security System with Intercom Burnham Associates 543 Church Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (313)761-152 Thursday, February 16th Architectural show forecasts the future A tremendous wave of the archi- tectural future is crashing into Ann Arbor this weekend. The Master of Architecture Candidates, College of Architecture & Urban Planning, are flooding the DKE Shant with their best work in a juried exhibition this Friday through Sunday. The show has been judged by a jury of six, including two students. There were 48 pieces submitted, of which the 14 pieces that showed the most conviction and creativity were selected. Included in the exhibition is a memorial/celebration of the life and work of the late Professor William Scott and a temporary courtyard in- stallation of work by students of visiting professor Dan Hoffman from Cranbrook. The opening reception is Friday at 6 p.m. The exhibition will be open for additional viewing Friday from 5-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. -D. Mara Lowenstein Friday, February 17th Faustfilm: An Opera - -irg9rmqrmqrmwmvp4r" Desistfilm Dog Star Man The Dante Quartet (1954) (1987) , (1961-1964) Faust's Other: An Idyll (1988) (1987) Faust 3: Candida Albacore (1988) The First Complete Showing of the Faust Trilogy Thursay, February 16th & Friday, February 17th Both Events are at 7:30 p.m. Lorch Hall Auditorium Admission is Free . ? 7 000000000004~ COUPON With this entire ad- FREE 12 oz. drink expires 2-23-89 COUPON BRING IN THIS AD FOR. A GREAT MOVIE DEAL! (ONE TICKET PER COUPON) -L --l Take full advantage of Library services. Use MTS. The University Library has a number of valuable services for students and faculty. And they are all accessible by phone or in person. But did you know that some services are also accessible through MTS? 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