New Year Baby May 10, 2008

NEW YEAR BABY is the first documentary directed by a Cambodian-American woman about her family's survival. The film is a personal documentary - a search for the truth about how Socheata Poeuv's family survived the Khmer Rouge genocide and why they buried the truth for so long. NEW YEAR BABY will play Saturday, May 10 at 4:00 PM at the Northwest Film Forum. Doors open at 3:30 PM. There is no charge to attend this event. RSVP to [email protected] or call 1-800-930-6060 and press 3

Director Socheata Poeuv explains, "My father pruned our trees in a sarong with a kitchen cleaver. My mother stored stinky fermented fish under the sink. My parents made us go to Buddhist temple on Saturdays and Bible study on Sundays. In some ways, they never left Cambodia though we lived in Dallas, Texas.

While I thought everything about my parents was 'old country,' they were desperately trying to forget their past. They are survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide. In fact my whole family is, and it’s something they almost never talk about.

Last year, my parents took both my brother and me back to their homeland. Neither of us had ever been to Cambodia, save for my conception and my brother’s harrowing escape. When I asked my father about the worst he faced during those years in the labor camps, he told me it was that the Khmer Rouge controlled his speech and even his thoughts.

This documentary gives voice to his story and that of my family on their way to becoming Americans."

Join us after the film for a very special discussion featuring local Seattle area Cambodian Americans who will share their personal family stories. Socheata recommends that you watch this film with someone you love.

The local event is co-sponsored by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), KCTS Television Seattle, KBCS 91.3 FM, Colors NW Magazine, Amnesty International of Washington, and the Northwest Film Forum. Free to all.

WHAT: Special community screening of NEW YEAR BABY and discussion with local families
WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (doors at 3:30 PM)
WHERE: Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave (at Pike), Seattle 98122
WHO: ITVS, KCTS, KBCS FM, Colors NW, AI, & NWFF
HOW: RSVP to [email protected] or call 1-800-930-6060 and press 3

For more information on ITVS COMMUNITY, visit http://communitycinemaseattle.org/

Download the ITVS/PBS Discussion Guide (PDF) and watch a video preview here:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newyearbaby/getinvolved.html

Visit our NEW YEAR BABY events page here: http://spongecell.com/event_page/view/506632
or visit http://communitycinemaseattle.org/
BUS ROUTES TO NW Film Forum: 10, 11, 12, 43, 49, 60

PLEASE SHARE THIS INVITATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COLLEAGUES. WE WELCOME EVERYONE AT OUR FREE MONTHLY SCREENINGS.

ITVS Community Cinema, the national outreach program of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), works to bring communities together and connect them with information, resources and opportunities for education, engagement and positive change. ITVS Community makes public broadcasting into a powerful resource forindividuals, communities and organizations working on key social issues in Seattle, the Puget Sound, Washington State, and around the country.

The Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds and presents award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web and the Emmy Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Tuesday nights at 10 PM on PBS. ITVS is a miracle of public policy created by media activists, citizens and politicians seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television. ITVS was established by a historic mandate of Congress to champion independently produced programs that take creative risks, spark public dialogue and serve underserved audiences. Since its inception in 1991, ITVS programs have revitalized the relationship between the public and public television, bringing TV audiences face-to-face with the lives and concerns of their fellow Americans. More information about ITVS can be obtained by visiting itvs.org.Tickets: http://communitycinema.org

Official Website: https://spongecell.com/event_page/view/506632