Canada Screens Vancouver

Thursday, March 4th
District 319, Vancouver

PLEASE NOTE: Advance Tickets are now sold out. If available, Rush Tickets will go on sale at 7:20 pm on Thursday at the venue.

SHOW WRAP-UP - District 319 witnessed another sold-out, wildly successfull screening on March 4th. The evening started out with a wine reception with live music by Jessica Lui playing the Guzheng, the Chinese harp . We were then entertained by a lively Tiger Dance by the Shao Lin Hung Gar Kung Fu Association. This was followed by the film which received a very enthusiastic response and then socializing and discussing the film over wine back in the lobby bar. Thank you to all that attended and we hope to see you at the next show in April.

First Weekend Club's Canada Screens Series proudly celebrates this emotionally engaging and visually beautiful debut film from Chinese-Canadian director Lixin Fan. From the talents who brought us UP THE YANGTZE...

Last Train Home

**OFFICIAL COMPETITION, SUNDANCE 2010***
WINNER, Best Feature: IDFA International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
WINNER, Best Documentary: Whistler Film Festival
WINNER, Best Canadian Film: Rencontres International de Documentaire
WINNER, Best Documentary: Victoria Film Festival

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

First Weekend Club is proud to support the Year of The Tiger and as we are committed to celebrating global diversity within Canadian Cinema, we invite you to see, learn and share in this understanding. Through vivid 'imagery-without-borders', Last Train Home turns human grains of sand into a living universe, and a human tale is told.

Once a year during China's spring-time, a chaotic wave of millions of migrant factory workers -a force-field of human persistence and dog-eat-dog survival- pushes through turnstiles and squeezes down narrow passage ways for what is the considered the largest human migration on the planet. It is the one weekend they have this chance to make it home for the Chinese New Year.

The homes they seek are the rural villages and families they left behind for paid work in booming coastal cities. This epic spectacle shows us much about China, a country discarding traditional ways as it hurtles towards modernity and global economic dominance. Last Train Home draws us into the fractured lives of a single migrant family caught up in this desperate annual migration. Sixteen years ago, the Zhangs abandoned their young children to find work in the city, consoled by the hope that their wages would lift their children into a better life. But in a bitter irony, the Zhangs’ hopes for the future are undone by their very absence. Qin, the child they left behind, has grown into adolescence crippled by a sense of abandonment. In an act of teenage rebellion, she drops out of school. She too will become a migrant worker. The decision is a heartbreaking blow for the parents.

In classic cinema verité style, Last Train Home follows the Zhangs’ attempts to change their daughter’s course and repair their ruptured family. Intimate and candid, the film paints a human portrait of the dramatic changes sweeping China. We identify with the Zhangs as they navigate through the stark and difficult choices of a society caught between old ways and new realities. Can they get ahead and still undo some of the damage that has been done to their family?

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EVENT DETAILS:

When: Thursday, March 4th
Where: District 319 (319 Main Street, Vancouver)
Time: 6:30 PM: Pre-show celebration and wine reception (complimentary glass of wine) with Tiger Dance by the Shao Lin Hung Gar Kung Fu Association and music by Jessica Lui playing the Guzheng, the Chinese harp. 7:30 PM: Screening. Post-screening party to follow film.
Cost: $15 through PayPal or at 604-983-5373. Advance Tickets are now sold out. If available, Rush Tickets will go on sale at 7:20 pm on Thursday at the venue.

Tickets must be purchased in advance by March 3rd at 5pm or until tickets sell out. Please arrive at screening by 7:20 pm to ensure entry. No Minors. Thank you.

DISCOUNT GIFT CARDS

Save money per screening by buying Canada Screens Gift Cards in advance on our web site, at Videomatica, BIZ Books or at the screening. Gift Card holders please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 5pm March 3rd and arrive at screening by 7:20pm to ensure entry. Thank you. All seats for Gift Card holders, Ambassadors, Sponsors & Partners must be claimed by 7:20 pm after which unclaimed seats will be released for rush sales. Thank you.

DINNER & MOVIE DEAL

15% off at Boneta Restaurant

Before the movie, visit Boneta Restaurant for dinner and get 15% off dinner plus treats. #1 West Cordova St at Carrall St, just a few blocks from the theatre. Tel 604 684-1844. Bring your ticket print out or use the password: 'Last Train Home'.

Event Photography by Murielle Freoa