For the first time in its 17-year history, the Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival (CMU IFF) will be featuring a Taiwanese film. "Goddamned Asura" is scheduled to premiere in Pittsburgh on March 25, followed by an online Q&A session with director Lou Yi-an.
CMU IFF takes place in the spring and presents 14-18 international narrative features, documentaries, and shorts each year. The screenings also include community-focused programming, such as director appearances, panel discussions, and live performances, to help connect audiences to a film they may not have otherwise heard of.
Goddamned Asura was Taiwan’s official entry for the 2023 Academy Awards, and Wang Yu-xuan won Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Horse Awards. The film opens with a tragic incident: For some mysterious reason, an 18-year-old went on a random shooting spree in a crowded night market. The multi-layered psychological drama delves into the shooting through six characters, a popular video game, an alternate reality, and a circle of reincarnations.
“When I started writing the script, I was under an impulse after reading news reports about random killings ……, Perhaps becoming a god or a demon depends on one choice made in a given situation. To show how a murderer can also demonstrate that he has a good side, we ask this question: If there are parallel times and spaces, is it then possible for people to be different ? ”Lou Yi-An, director and scriptwriter of the film, said in a director’s statement provided for the film.
CMU IFF is organized by undergraduate and graduate students from universities located throughout Pittsburgh. The core purpose of the festival is to provide the Pittsburgh community with all-encompassing programming that promotes cultural exchanges and expression. Each year, CMU IFF focuses on a different theme. This year’s subject is “Faces of Change.” As stated on CMU IFF’s official website, change is integral to how we approach and navigate our lives. Faces of Change seeks to explore the ways it manifests, the anxieties it represents, and the hope it promises.
For more information, please visit: https://www.cmuiff.com/goddamned-asura
【Screening Info】
Goddamned Asura
March 25 at 6:00 pm at McConomy Auditorium, Jared L. Cohon University Center (5032 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213)
Directed by Lou Yi-an
Run Time: 114 mins
Release Date: 2022 (Taiwan)
Language: Mandarin Chinese