Heads up, film fans... Stephane Gauger's critically-acclaimed, award-winning festival favorite Owl and the Sparrow opens in select Southern California theaters this Friday, January 16. After missing it all along its festival run, I finally got a chance to watch it, and it's great. If you're in Los Angeles or Orange County, I can't think of a better movie to seek out in theaters this weekend. Seriously, what are you going to watch -- Paul Blart: Mall Cop?
The movie tells the story of Thuy, a scrappy ten-year-old runaway, forced to survived on her own, who sells postcards and flowers on the streets of Saigon. Lan, a flight attendant, is having a secret affair with an airline pilot. Hai, a zookeeper living on the park grounds in a shack, is nursing a broken heart after his fiancee left him. Somehow, these three lonely hearts find each other and form a sort-of surrogate family.
It's just a sweet, wonderfully made film. I'm kind of kicking myself for not having seen it sooner. Shot on location in the bustling streets of Saigon, Stephane Gauger's vision is simple, refreshing and authentic. I can't wait to see what he does next. In the meantime, see what he's doing now! Owl and the Sparrow is playing at:
January 16, 2009
Laemmle Sunset 5
8000 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Regal Garden Grove
9741 Chapman Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92841
(714) 534-4777
Edwards Westpark
3755 Alton Pky
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 622-8609
January 23, 2009
San Jose, CA - Camera 3
February 6, 2009
Houston, TX - TBD
Dallas, TX - TBD
February 13, 2009
San Francisco - Sundance Kabuki Theater
Come on out, spread the word, bring a friend. This is an indie film, which means they're self-distributing and counting on word-of-mouth to get people in those seats. For more information about the movie, visit the Owl and the Sparrow website here. And watch a bunch of YouTube video promos, including the trailer, here.
What's also interesting about Owl and the Sparrow is that it's actually the maiden theatrical release of Wave Releasing, a new distribution venture created by filmmakers Timothy Linh Bui, Stephane Gauger, Ham Tran, and producer Wyn Tran. Wave came as result of "a dire need for a contemporary, artist-friendly yet, business-savvy distribution in the face of the digital explosion." Hopefully, we'll be seeing a lot more from these guys in the future.