EUGENE, Ore.— A 45-minute documentary about Thai silk king Jim Thompson will be shown on Friday, October 20, from 7-9 p.m. at the Lane Community College Ragozzino Hall in building 6 on main campus, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene.
Thompson was a famous American businessman who revitalized the Thai silk industry. Born in 1906, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1967. (See Wikipedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jim_Thompson )
The film is directed by Neil Hollander, a successful independent filmmaker who lives in Paris. He will visit Eugene to attend the premiere. He will give a director's talk prior to the showing from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for Lane and the University of Oregon students, Asian students and members of the Asian community, and other interested members of the public. His lecture is part of Lane’s Media Arts Department Visiting Artist Series, now in its second year. The lecture will be held in building 17, room 111.
“Neil is a good match with our students,” says media arts faculty Teresa Hughes. Hollander sailed around the world filming, "The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail," narrated by Orson Welles. He has worked with other celebrities including Angelica Houston and Stacy Keach. He is noted for raising realistic budgets for his films. He was on the front lines of the war in Burma, filming under fire. “Real bullets and real death around him,” says Mike Dilley, executive director of the Eugene International Film Festival. Hollander has a doctorate in communications from the University of Washington. He is multilingual, and champions human rights, arts and culture, and education.
The producer of "Who Killed Jim Thompson The Thai Silk King,” Barry Broman, is also participating in the LCC Visiting Artist program on Friday and attending the premiere screening later that evening. Broman is a highly regarded photographer, independent film producer and is retired from the U.S. Department of State, working mostly in Southeast Asia. He was U.S. Counselor of Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar at the end of his career.
Time permitting, Lane may show a couple of addition short films by Lane students.
The premiere is sponsored by Lane Community College Media Arts and the Eugene International Film Festival.
For accommodations to attend this event, contact the LCC Center for Accessible Resources at (541) 463-5150 (voice), 711 (relay), or -email AccessibleResources@lanecc.edu
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
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