CLOSING NIGHT
AUGUST EVENING
Directed by Chris Eska
United States/Mexico, 127 mins.
Drama/Foreign
Sunday, 7:15 pM, Salem Cinema
Filmmaker Chris Eska in attendance!
This beautiful story about the conflict between generations and the bonds of a family follows an aging, undocumented farm worker named Jaime and his young, widowed daughter-in-law, Lupe. As the rural Texas life they’ve known disappears, the two make their way to San Antonio, where they are forced into the sobering realization that their paths cannot remain the same indefinitely. Much more of a daughter to Jaime than his own, Lupe is torn between the prospects of a new life and her devotion to the past, while Jaime recognizes the unstoppable force of time. This poetic and lyrical look at the universality of human experience gently unfolds, finding resolution in the warmth of characters, the beauty in sadness and the blossoming hope for the future. Set among humming cicadas, meaningful glances and rustling leaves, August Evening recently won the John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award.
Film Hosted by La Margarita Co. RestaurantFilmography: First Feature
Awards: Independent Spirit Awards John Cassavetes Award; Los Angeles Film Festival Target Filmmaker Award, Outstanding Ensemble Performance; Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Award for Best Film; International Latino Film Festival Opera Prima Jury Award
Chris Eska (Director)
Chris Eska studied sociology and art at Rice University before attending UCLA's MFA film directing program. His short films have screened on PBS, at the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Competition, the Texas Filmmaker's Showcase, and at film festivals worldwide. Doki-Doki, his UCLA master's thesis film, premiered on the national PBS series Independent Lens with an introduction by Susan Sarandon. August Evening is his first feature and was nominated for two 2008 Spirit Awards, taking home the prestigious John Cassavetes Award.
