Mississippi Burning
Dir: Alan Parker
USA, 1988, English, 128mins, DCP
Cast: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif
Inspired by the shocking true events, Parker’s star-studded drama follows a pair of FBI agents as they descend into the segregated South to investigate the disappearance of three civil rights activists, only to find themselves in a hostile and fiercely prejudiced community that refuses to acknowledge their authority or respect laws of equality they see as little more than Communist propaganda. Sixty years after the savagery depicted onscreen, Mississippi Burning remains as powerful and troubling as ever, due to the simple realisation that nothing has changed. America remains a country divided over issues of race, gender, and individual freedom, where the barbaric whims of the radical far-right continue to permeate all tiers of government, all the while spewing baseless, bigoted rhetoric to justify their unforgivable actions.
Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Actor
Academy Awards: Best Cinematography and 6 nominations
1/6 (Sun): Film talk with Ernest Chan
EMP Cinemas Times Square (TS)
PREMIERE Elements (PE)
Chinese Subtitles
Post-screening talk
