LAFF2014: Film Reviews: "The Well", "A Thousand Times Goodnight", "The Road Within"

Los Angeles Film Festival Diary

Wednesday, June 18, 2015

"The Well"

"The Well" is an apocalyptic thriller set in a barren Oregon valley where water has become scarce. The valley has been without rain for over ten years and the once fertile land is slowly becoming a desert. The main protagonist is 17-yr-old Kendal (Haley Lu Richardson), who is the only healthy surviving occupant of a compound that once belonged to The Wallace Farm for Wayward Youth. The entire valley has been claimed by a sinister man who kills the old and the sick but keeps the young alive as part of his militia. This man is keen on killing anyone "stealing" water from his valley. Kendal has been successful at evading capture and survives by skillfully hiding a well inside an abandoned barn while tending to his sick boyfriend who is suffering from a kidney disease.

The film has enough atmosphere of dread but it doesn't fully rise to the promise of its subject matter. There is not enough and consistent suspense to fully engage the audience and the climactic combat feels forced unfortunately. Most of the characters are not fully developed and they seem to just pop in and out of the narrative whenever convenient. The presence of the little boy that Kendal is providing daily ration of water and his significance to the narrative (besides adding tension to the story) is somewhat lost to me, too.

This movie is probably designed to attract the midnight crowd but I don't think they will find the movie any different than how i find it. The photography is impressive.

Rating; 2 Stars

"The Road Within"

This movie can be easily described as a road movie that doesn't seem to go anywhere. It is bursting with endearing and winning performances from the three main protagonists. Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel and Zooey Kravits play young adults suffering from certain kinds of health challenges. Robert plays someone with a severe case of Tourette syndrome, Dev is obsessive-compulsive while Kravitz plays an anorexic woman who is just one heart attack away from dying.

The three meet in a rehabilitation facility and circumstances lead them to steal a car and drive to California to see the ocean. Their road trip is not without challenges. They fight, a couple fall in love and another realizes the potential of him finally getting well if he just takes that one extra step.

I wish I could say that i completely loved the movie. There was something missing in the movie. It is funny but not the kind that warms your heart. What is good about it is that it deals with serious mental and health issues lightheartedly without becoming offensive.

Rating: 3 ½ Stars

"A Thousand Times Goodnight"

We have all seen many pictures taken from war zones all over the world. The images we saw have moved us, some even compelled us to take some action. But have you ever wondered about the lives of the photo journalists who have risked their lives documenting those wars and taking those pictures so that the world learns of what's going on elsewhere? This movie tries to answer that question.

Juliette Binoche is Rebecca. She is a celebrated war photographer who also happens to be a wife and a mother of two girls. The movie tries to take us in to the domestic turmoil that Rebecca's job causes their family. Her husband is on the verge of giving up on the marriage while her eldest daughter can't seem to move on from the trauma brought by an incident that almost took her life.

The movie plays like a domestic drama but keeps the audience continuously reminded that there is a bigger conflict outside of this particular home that needs more attention. But how do you choose between your family and your vocation? Would you sacrifice your safety for the sake of bringing justice to the oppressed? Or, would you sacrifice your family for the same reason? Conversely, would you turn your back on the world just because your family fears for your life?

The movie is bookended by two powerful scenes set in Afghanistan. The scenes are similar but the power evoked by each scene is different. The opening scenes introduces us to the character of Rebecca while the closing sequence introduces us to her tortured soul --- and we all leave the theater shattered and broken with no confident answers to the question we raised. There's a silver lining, however, Juliette Binoche's terrific performance!

Rating: 4 Stars

XXX

Raymond Lo 

Los Angeles Film Festival: 5 Films Not to Miss

The 20th edition of one of the biggest film festivals in Los Angeles is set to begin in a week's time. From June 11 through June 19, cinephiles, movie buffs, or whatever you call us will have a feast of some of the most interesting, imaginative, original, ground-breaking films at the fest. The venue is still at the Regal LA Live in downtown Los Angeles and parking will not be bad.

All that said, here are five films that i think we all should not miss. From "The Butler's" David Oyelowo's buzzy perf in "Nightingale" to the highly anticipated new Patricia Highsmith adaptation "Two Faces of January".

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NIGHTINGALE

World Premiere, Tuesday, June 17th at 9:15pm

Director: Elliot Lester

Writer: Frederick Mensch

Cast: David Oyelowo

Synopsis:

A provocative drama that probes the darkest corners of a disturbed mind, NIGHTINGALE tells the story of Peter Snowden and his obsession with an old army friend named Edward. The film follows Peter as he records his private thoughts and feelings -- his nightingale song -- in the days leading up to his reunion with Edward. Before long the hostile world outside Peter's door begins to threaten the idyllic future that he's so desperately trying to build.

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TWO FACES OF JANUARY

Premiere, Tuesday, June 17th at 7:30PM

Director/Writer: Hossein Amini

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac

Synopsis:

Screenwriter Hossein Amini (The Wings of the Dove, Drive) makes a stylish directing debut with this sleek thriller set in Greece and Istanbul, 1962, and adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel. Intrigue begins at the Parthenon when wealthy American tourists Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his young wife Collete (Kirsten Dunst) meet American expat Rydal (Oscar Isaac), a scammer working as a tour guide. Instead of becoming his latest marks, the two befriend him, but a murder at the couple’s hotel puts all three on the run together and creates a precarious bond between them as the trio’s allegiance is put to the test.

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CUT BANK

World Premiere

Monday, June 16th at 6:30PM

(2^nd Screening: Wednesday, June 18th at 4:15PM)

Director: Matt Shakman

Writer: Roberto Patino

Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Billy Bob Thorton, Bruce Dern, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Oliver Platt

Synopsis:

DWAYNE MCLAREN (Liam Hemsworth, Hunger Games), a high school star athlete recently turned auto mechanic, dreams of getting out of tiny Cut Bank, MT – the coldest town in America – and whisking his pageant-hopeful girlfriend, CASSANDRA (Teresa Palmer), away to the big city. But his plan to do so sets in motion a deadly series of events and thrusts him into a police investigation headed by SHERIFF VOGEL (John Malkovich), the protector of Cut Bank and the closest thing Dwayne has to a father figure. Panic sweeps across the community in mere hours, but things are not what they seem. Cassandra’s father BIG STAN STEELEY (Billy Bob Thornton) is the only one who seems to realize this. However, the damage is already done and the events that unfold change Dwayne’s life – and the life of the town – forever.

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THE LIFE AND MIND OF MARK DEFRIEST

World Premiere

Friday, June 13th at 9:30PM

(2^nd Screening: Monday, June 16th at 7:00PM)

Director/Writer: Gabriel London

Cast: Mark DeFriest, Scoot McNairy, and Shea Whigham

Synopsis:

It isn't a prison sentence; it's guerrilla warfare. That's Mark DeFriest's philosophy concerning incarceration. Initially sentenced to four years over a misunderstanding, he's now spent three decades behind bars, amassing a laundry list of disciplinary reports and earning a reputation as the "Houdini of high security prisons."

"There's an art to everything," asserts DeFriest, who has demonstrated considerable creativity with his 18 escape attempts, whether dosing prison medical staff with LSD or coming out with handmade zip guns blazing. (In the Wild West, he would've assuredly gone out like Butch and Sundance, rather than withering away in a cell.) With fantastical animated sequences conveying DeFriest's past exploits and delving into his troubled psyche, Gabriel London's documentary questions how redemption can possibly be achieved when an unforgiving system simply won't allow for such things.

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FRANK

Premiere

Saturday, June 14th, 7:00PM

(2^nd Screening: Tuesday, June 17, 1:50PM)

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

Writer: Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy

Synopsis:

Jon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.

See you at the festival!

XXX

Raymond Lo

LAFF2014 Diary: Must-see Films!

Got my official accreditation approval notice last night to this year's fest. I haven't checked the entire line-up yet but i have been steadily receiving messages and e-mails about certain movies screening in the festival that i should not miss.

Here are five of the films that are already on my ever-expanding list of movies to see.

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EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL

Winner of FULL FRAME 2014 - GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST DOCUMENTARY

Winner of FULL FRAME 2014 - FILMMAKER AWARD

Winner of DALLAS FILM FESTIVAL 2014 - SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

Documentary Feature Los Angeles Premiere Summer Showcase

Directed By: Darius Clark Monroe

Producers: Jen Gatien, Spike Lee

About the film:

How does a 16 year-old honor student evolve into a bank robber? In EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe asks this very question—about himself. After seeing his mother and stepfather struggle to make ends meet while living outside of Houston, Texas, Monroe decided to help them by robbing a bank with two friends.

Returning to his neighborhood several years after the crime, Monroe creates an incredibly intimate and personal journey of reflection and forgiveness while examining lower class struggles, the desperation of a teen under pressure, and the emotional impact that rippled in the aftermath of that day.

Monroe interviews family members, close friends, mentors and those innocent bystanders who happened to be at the bank on that fateful day. Family and friends recount the stages of his transformation - going from a joyous childhood to the moment he realized the severity of his family’s financial problems, and how their struggles changed his outlook on society and his life as a whole. The people from the bank remember that day vividly, as he asks for their forgiveness 10 years after the act.

EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL is not only a story of a good kid gone bad, but also brings forth the issues of economic injustice, poverty, race, and the importance of family in a very moving and insightful way.

Festival screenings:

Thu, Jun 12th 7:00pm Regal Cinemas 12

Mon, Jun 16th 2:00pm Regal Cinemas 12

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LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

Documentary Feature World Premiere

Directed By: Thomas G. Miller

Producers: Kirk Marcolina, Karen Hori, David Ross

About the film:

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP is the 40-year love story between Filipino-American Richard Adams and his Australian husband, Tony Sullivan. In 1975, thanks to a courageous county clerk in Boulder, CO, Richard and Tony were one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married in the world. Richard immediately filed for a green card for Tony based on their marriage. But unlike most heterosexual married couples who easily file petitions and obtain green cards, Richard received a denial letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service stating, "You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots. " Outraged at the tone, tenor and politics of this letter and to prevent Tony’s impending deportation, the couple sued the U.S. government. This became the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same-sex marriage in U.S. history.

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP celebrates Richard and Tony’s long path towards justice and citizenship as they challenge the traditional definitions of "spouse" and "family." This tenacious story of love, marriage and immigration equality is as precedent setting as it is little known…until now.

Festival Screening:

Sat, Jun 14th 2:25pm Regal Cinemas 8 Free Screening

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OUT IN THE NIGHT

Documentary Competition World Premiere

Directed By: blair dorosh-walther

Producers: blair dorosh-walther, Giovanna Chesler, Mridu Chandra, Yoruba Richen

Featuring: Renata Hill, Patreese Johnson, Terrain Dandridge, Venice Brown

About the film:

Taking us beyond the sensational "Attack of the Killer Lesbians" headlines, blair dorosh-walther's provocative documentary pulls back the curtain on a tragic miscarriage of justice. In New York City's West Village in 2006, four gay African-American women were brutally assaulted by a stranger whose unwanted sexual advances they'd just spurned. In defending themselves, they also unwittingly left themselves vulnerable to draconian prison sentences that wrested them from their supportive New Jersey families. dorosh-walther returns to the scene of their alleged crime, using security footage to condemn the deplorable conduct of unscrupulous reporters and callous police officers. With a deep compassion for its subjects tempering its outrage over the indignities they've suffered, the film poses a troubling question: How would have this unfolded had it been four straight white women instead?

Festival screenings:

Thu, Jun 12th 6:45pm Regal Cinemas 9

Mon, Jun 16th 4:15pm Regal Cinemas 14

　

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EAT WITH ME

Narrative Feature World Premiere LA Muse Section

Directed By: David Au Written By: David Au

Producers: Joyce Liu-Countryman, Michelle Ehlen

Cast: Sharon Omi, Teddy Chen Culver, Nicole Sullivan, George Takei, Aidan Bristow, Jamila Alina, Ken Narasaki, Scott Keiji Takeda, Burt Grinstead

About the film:

Feeling invisible in her bland marriage, Emma moves in with her son, Elliot, into his downtown L.A. loft. Elliot, a young chef, is facing foreclosure on his lackluster Chinese restaurant--and he's gay. Emma's disapproval has made strangers of mother and son, but the two need each other now more than ever, as Emma explores her newfound freedom--with the encouragement of a saucy new friend--and Elliot confronts his fears of intimacy. Words may fail them, but they find a common language through food.

This auspicious directorial debut from David Au offers a fresh take on life, love and food in the heart of Los Angeles. This deliciously emotional and redemptive story is supported by an endearing cast led by Sharon Omi, Teddy Chen Culver, Nicole Sullivan and a cameo with Star Trek legend George Takei.

Festival screening:

Sun, Jun 15th 4:30pm Regal Cinemas 8

　

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I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY

Documentary Feature Los Angeles Premiere Grand Performances at California Plaza

Directed By: Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker

Featuring: Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Sonia Manzano, Jerry Nelson, Bob McGrath, Emilio Delgado, Dr. Loretta Long, Joan Ganz Cooney

Producer: Clay Frost

About the film:

For over 40 years, Caroll Spinney has been the puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Now, as his hand-picked successor waits to take over (as he's been waiting for the past 20 years), Spinney rejects retirement once again. It would mean saying goodbye to characters whom he loves like children, who represent two very different parts of who he is. Carroll can't say goodbye to Big Bird because he is Big Bird. In this touching documentary, comprised largely of highlights from his amazing, never-before-seen home videos, we gain incredible insight to Spinney's life, both past and present, and get an in-depth look at how he became the man who became the bird.

Festival screening:

Sat, Jun 14th 8:30pm California Plaza

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See you at the festival. June 11 - 19!

XXX

Raymond Lo

Movies to watch at 20th LAFF

Here are four movies that will have their US/World premieres at next month's 20th Los Angeles Film Festival that may be worth looking out for.

"My Name is Salt"
Winner, Grand Jury Prize, International Madrid Documentary Festival
Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Hong Kong International Film Festival
Winner, Best First Appearance, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)


Festival Screening Dates:

Saturday, June 14 at 4:15PM - Regal Cinemas 14

Wednesday, June 18 at 6:45PM - Regal Cinemas 14



My Name is Salt

Synopsis: The saline desert of the Little Rann of Kutch, India extends endlessly – flat, grey, relentless. There is not a tree or blade of grass. But there is one thing in abundance: salt. Salt is everywhere, lying just beneath the cracked, baked surface of the earth. For eight months of every year, Chhanabhai and his family - along with thousands of others - labor under the blinding glare of the desert sun to extract delicate salt crystals from this desolate landscape. They have been doing this for generations.

The film documents an entire season of salt farming in this poetic and visually stunning meditation on hard work. "My Name is Salt" not only provides the audience with an incredible record of the effort it takes to produce this simple ingredient, but also quietly moves them to examine their own relationship with work.

Written and directed by Farida Pacha, the film is produced by Lutz Konermann and Farida Pacha for Leafbird Films with cinematography by Lutz Konermann, editing by Katharina Fiedler, and music by Marcel Vaid.

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"The Young Kieslowski"

Festival Screening Dates:

Saturday, June 14th, 9:30pm, Regal Cinemas 8

Tuesday, June 17th, 6:30pm, Regal Cinemas 11

The Young Kieslowski

Synopsis: Brian Kieslowski (19), a virgin and a science student at CalTech, knows the probability that a beautiful girl like Leslie Mallard (21), who's saving herself for marriage, would fall for him is infinitesimally small -- but on one very drunken night, the universe allows it to happen. Defying the odds for a second time, Mallard gets pregnant with twins after their first　night together. When she tells him that she wants to keep the babies, he's too smitten with her to admit the truth: he's not ready to be a father. In a desperate attempt to continue dating her, he goes along with it,　all the while hoping blindly that she'll come to her senses. Kieslowski oscillates between wishing he could be the man she wants him to be and praying that she'll reconsider, and as his hopes dwindle, he finds himself with only one possible ally: her manipulative bully of a father.

Written and Directed by Kerem Sanga, Produced by Danny Leiner, Seth Caplan, Ross Putman, David Hunter and Executive Produced by Ben Ross, Chris Colbert

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"The Well"

Festival Screening Dates:

Thursday, June 12 at 9:15PM - Regal Cinemas 9
Tuesday, June 17 at 9:25PM - Regal Cinemas 12

The Well

Synopsis: At the edge of an expansive barren valley, all that remains of The Wallace Farm for Wayward Youth is a few hollowed-out husks of buildings. Seventeen-year-old Kendal (Haley Lu Richardson) can barely recall when the Oregon valley was still lush. It's been a decade since the last rainfall, and society at large has dried up and blown away. Kendal and the few others that remain barely scrape by, while dreaming of escape. When a greedy water baron lays claim to what little of the precious resource remains underground, Kendal must decide whether to run and hide or bravely fight for the few cherished people and things she has left.

In this finely crafted post-apocalyptic thriller, writer/director Tom Hammock keeps the action firmly grounded in an arid and gritty reality. Drawing on his experience as a production designer and graphic novelist, Hammock creates a convincing world ravaged by environmental disaster, where beliefs demand action and blood is spilled more easily than water.

"The Well" stars Haley Lu Richardson in a breakout role as a young woman with grit, smarts, and an incredible will to survive.

Directed by Tom Hammock ("You're Next", "The Guest", "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane") and written by Hammock and Jacob Forman. Produced byJacob Forman, Seth Caplan, and Chris Harding. Executive produced by Dante Federighi and Billy Federighi. With cinematography by Seamus Tierney, editing by Sarah Broshar and Adam Wingard, and music by Craig DeLeon. A Federighi Films Production.

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"Inner Demons"

Festival Screening Dates:

Friday, June 13 10:00PM - Regal Cinemas 9

Inner Demons

Synopsis: When the teenage daughter of a religious family transforms from A-student into heroin addict, her parents agree to allow a reality TV crew to stage an intervention and tape her recovery. What they don't know is that she has been taking drugs to deal with the unnatural, evil feelings growing inside her. When she agrees to rehab, with no drugs to suppress what's inside, the demon emerges.

A suspenseful and clever reinvention of both the found-footage and possession genres, Inner Demons expertly plays on our culture’s love of reality television. Director Seth Grossman, who worked as a producer on "Intervention," deftly guides the audience down a path where addiction is just a temporary cure for something much more evil.

"Inner Demons" is directed by Seth Grossman and written by Glenn Gers.

Starring Lara Vosburgh, Morgan McClellan, and Colleen McGrann. Film is produced by Robin Schorr and executive produced by Dan Seligmann and Chris Ferguson. With cinematography by Chapin Hall, editing byJeff Seibenick, and music by Adam Balazs. A Schorr Pictures Production

XXX
Raymond Lo

Bong Joon-Ho's "Snowpiercer" to open 20th LA Film Festival

Hey fellow film buffs!

The 20th edition of the Los Angeles International Film Festival will take place on June 11 through June 19.

The festival is now taking in credential applications.

Yesterday, they also announced the movie they selected to open this year's fest. The opening night film is "Snowpiercer", the highly anticipated and acclaimed new film from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho ("The Host", "Mother".)

Here's the full press release:



Snowpiercer

LOS ANGELES (April 1, 2014) – Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Film Independent in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times and Host Partner L.A. LIVE, announced the North American Premiere of Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer as the opening night film, which will take place Wednesday, June 11. The film’s release is set for June 27th from RADiUS-TWC.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Los Angeles Film Festival showcases diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision in new American and international cinema and is produced by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards and Film Independent at LACMA Film Series. The 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of nearly 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Music in Film Nights at The GRAMMY Museum®, Poolside Chats, Master Classes and launching at this year’s festival is a special section called LA Muse focused on the city of Los Angeles as an inspiration for filmmakers and artists.

"Snowpiercer is a wild ride and a spectacular way to open the 20th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Film Festival which is dedicated to the visionary spirit of L.A. that inspires artists around the world," said Stephanie Allain, Festival Director.

"I’m thrilled to have Bong Joon-ho’s amazing Snowpiercer to kick off the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival," said David Ansen, Artistic Director for the Festival. "As fans of The Host and Mother know, Bong takes popular genres to a visionary new level. Here he puts us on a speeding train in a frozen post-apocalyptic future — in the company of Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho, Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell and John Hurt — and treats us to a wild, funny and darkly provocative ride. You’ve never seen anything quite like it!"

According to RADiUS co-presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego: "We are thrilled Snowpiercer has been selected for the Los Angeles Film Festival’s coveted opening night slot. David and his team always curate a terrific slate and we look forward to kicking things off with Bong’s sci-fi masterpiece."

Film Independent Members enjoy pre-sale benefits beginning April 8 and passes will be available to the general public on April 22. The full line-up will be announced on Tuesday, May 6. In addition to access to screenings and events (even after they sell out), Festival passes provide access to a series of networking receptions and entry to the Filmmaker Lounge, where Festival pass holders can interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community. General admission tickets to individual films go on sale beginning May 20. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit LAFilmFest.com. The Festival Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings, locations, and related events is produced by the Los Angeles Times. It will top the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, June 8 in Los Angeles and Orange County and be made available throughout downtown during the nine-day event.

The Los Angeles Film Festival programming team is comprised of Festival Director Stephanie Allain, Artistic Director David Ansen, Associate Director of Programming Doug Jones, Senior Programmer Maggie Mackay, Programmers Jenn Wilson, Drea Clark, Hebe Tabachnik and Jennifer Murphy as well as Guest Curators of LA Muse section Elvis Mitchell and Roya Rastegar.

End of Press Release

XXX

Raymond De Asis Lo