VISITING ARTIST—In his debut feature as director, Arriaga—who will present the film tonight as part of a series of Oregon screenings organized by the Cinema Pacific Film Festival—builds on the multi-faceted approach to storytelling he brought to his celebrated scripts for AMORES PERROS, 21 GRAMS, BABEL, and THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA. Shot in part in Portland and Coos Bay, THE BURNING PLAIN is an ensemble drama following several characters in different times and places: an Oregon woman trying to reconcile with her mother after a traumatic childhood, two teenagers trying to save their parents in a New Mexico border town, a young girl on a journey of redemption, and a couple dealing with their extramarital affair. Sylvia (Charlize Theron), Mariana (18-year-old Jennifer Lawrence in her first starring role), and Gina (Kim Basinger) are the central female characters who suffer from damaged pasts. Beautifully shot by the great cinematographer Robert Elswit (THERE WILL BE BLOOD), Arriaga’s intricate writing weaves together the intercut storylines in continuously dramatic fashion. (107 mins.)
Co-presented with the Cinema Pacific Film Festival in Eugene, April 17-20, with support from the Consulate General of Mexico in Portland.
THE BURNING PLAIN screens on Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30p.m. in our Whitsell Auditorium (located in the Portland Art Museum). Writer/director Guillermo Arriaga will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
Advanced tickets are available for purchase here.
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