Taking Woodstock
Ang Lee:
Taking Woodstock (USA, 2009)
122 min. - English - Finnish subtitles
Taking Woodstock is a blithe comedy by the Oscar-winning Ang Lee. The film, based on memoirs by Elliot Tibet, is starred by an impressive ensemble of actors and was one of this year's Palme d'Or nominees in Cannes. It is filled with classic 60s hit songs ranging from The Doors to Jefferson Airplane. Amongst all the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll Taking Woodstock is an innocent breath of fresh air, a trip to the time when everything seemed possible.
Taking Woodstock tells the story of a young interior designer Elliot. As he tries to get his parents' run-down motel back on its feet Elliot offers the motel area as a place to organise an outdoor concert. Without knowing it he starts an event that will be known as the mother of all festivals. The concert draws half a million hippies in the little town to spend a weekend filled with peace and love.
Ang Lee tells this mythical story with wistful nostalgia. Taking Woodstock is a journey to youth, getting drunk for the first time, unforgettable experiences and the languid beauty of the small hours of the festival.
—
ANG LEE
Born in 1954 in Taiwan, Ang Lee has become one of today's greatest contemporary filmmakers. Ang graduated from the National Taiwan College of Arts in 1975 and then came to the U.S. to study more. After Lee wrote a couple of screenplays, he eventually appeared on the film scene with Tui shou, a dramatic-comedy reflecting on generational conflicts and cultural adaptation. The third movie in his trilogy of Taiwanese-Culture/Generation films was Yin shi nan nu, Eat Drink Man Woman, which received a Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination, but it was Wo hu cang long, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that swept the Oscar nominations, eventually winning Best Foreign Language Film, as well as Best Director at the Golden Globes. Lee won the 2005 Best Director Academy Award for Brokeback Mountain.
