Fwd: Competition at this fall's Yamagata
Mark Nornes
amnornes
Mon Jun 16 14:56:39 EDT 2003
Begin forwarded message:
>
>
> ====================================================================
> === Y I D F F News ... June 12, 2003
> ===
> === YAMAGATA International Documentary Film Festival 2003
> === October 10 -16
> ====================================================================
> Total Entries: 1,454 works from 98 countries/areas
> ====================================================================
>
> [ HEADLINES ]
>
> 1. International Competition Lineup
> 2. Seeking Volunteers for YIDFF 2003
> 3. YIDFF 2003 Poster / Flyers
> 4. Film Screenings Information
> 5. Festival Info
> 6. In the Next Edition
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> 1. International Competition Lineup
>
> 15 films were selected for the International Competition out of 902
> entries.
>
> _Flashback_
> LATVIA / 2002 / Russian, Hebrew / Color, B&W / Video / 105 min
> Director: Herz Frank
>
> An autobiographical work from Herz Frank, director of _Once There
> Were Seven Simeons_ (Runner-up Prize in the International Competition
> at YIDFF '91). Images guide us through the countries in which he
> worked, interspersed with fragments from his earlier films: births,
> autopsies, circumcisions, prisoners awaiting execution and other
> shocking themes. These culminate in scenes from the director's own
> heart surgery. The earnestness with which he continues to confront "
> life" and "death," using himself as the subject, vividly brings
> traces of his 75-year journey to the surface.
>
>
> _Fuente Alamo - The Caress of Time_
> SPAIN / 2001 / Spanish / Color / 35mm / 72 min
> Director: Pablo Garcia
>
> A day in Fuente Alamo, a small village in Spain. Blinding sunlight
> pours down. Teenagers chat amongst themselves, young women work in a
> shoe factory, farmers work the fields, a grandmother attends to the
> housework; the uneventful lives of these villagers unfold peacefully.
> A film bathed in a warm gaze that cherishes time as it drifts by.
>
>
> _Gift of Life_
> TAIWAN / 2003 / Chinese, Taiwanese / Color / Video / 148 min
> Director: Wu Yii-feng
>
> The much-awaited new work from two-time YIDFF participant Wu Yii-feng,
> who presented _Chen Tsi-gen and His Neighbors_ at New Asian Currents
> '97 and attended the Full Shot and Cinema Juku symposium at YIDFF '99.
> A devastating earthquake hit Taiwan on September 21, 1999. Based on
> the written correspondence between the director and his friend, this
> film illustrates the sorrow of families who lost loved ones in the
> disaster, and the relationship between the director and his aging
> father who now lives in an institution for the elderly. Death and
> separation, despair, and the desire to live. A fine work that
> questions the meaning of life.
>
>
> _Hunting Down an Angel or Four Passions of the Soothsayer Poet_
> RUSSIA / 2002 / Russian / Color, B&W / 35mm / 56 min
> Director: Andrey Osipov
>
> A unique work that uses experimental techniques to depict the life of
> Russian poet Andrey Belyi. By re-compiling and editing footage from
> Russian documentary and feature films of the 1910s to the 1920s, the
> era in which he lived and the stories of four women surrounding him
> are brought to life. A search for the real Belyi, who was described
> variously as a "star-blessed genius," the "incarnation of a phantom,"
> the "second Gogol" and a "hysterical screamer. "
>
>
> _IAG BARI - Brass on Fire_
> GERMANY / 2002 / German, Rumanian / Color / 35mm / 98 min
> Director: Ralf Marschalleck
>
> The story begins with a scene of a young boy pulling a horn from a
> lake. The gypsy brass band "Fanfare Ciocarlia," born in a tiny
> village in Romania, has stormed the world and gained an international
> following. A musical documentary rich in poetic imagery that depicts
> the travels of reputedly the world's fastest-playing gypsy brass band.
> Featuring delightful footage of their performance in Tokyo.
>
>
> _On Hitler's Highway_
> FRANCE / 2002 / Polish, Romany, Turkish, Ukrainian, German, English /
> Color / Video / 81 min
> Director: Lech Kowalski
>
> The oldest highway in Poland, built by Hitler to carry supplies and
> Jews to the concentration camps. While travelling along its route,
> where Bulgarian prostitutes now ply their trade, the director uses
> his camera to cut a swath through Hitler's legacy from a new
> perspective. A film on Auschwitz by a new generation.
>
>
> _Oui Non_
> FRANCE, ITALY, USA / 2002 / French, English / Color / Video / 115 min
> Director: Jon Jost
>
> Starting with Paris at the beginning of the 20th century as shot by
> photographer Eugene Atget, this work moves to a contemporary love
> story between a man and a woman. Jon Jost, director of _London Brief_
> (YIDFF '97 Special Invitation Films) and _6 Easy Pieces_ (Runner-up
> Prize in the International Competition at YIDFF 2001), has carved out
> new realms of possibility for digital video by eliminating dialogue
> and narrative. This shows a new point of departure for Jost, who
> achieves a never-before seen sensuality in his work as the breaths of
> the two lovers intertwine.
>
>
> _Purity_
> ISRAEL / 2002 / Hebrew, English / Color / Video / 63 min
> Director: Anat Zuria
>
> An examination of Jewish religious married life and sexuality. Scenes
> of a family participating in a sacred purification ritual, the
> struggles of women in a male-dominated society, and relationships and
> sex dictated by religious commandments. Women state their opinions
> frankly to the camera, challenging the 2000-year-old taboos of Jewish
> religious law. The rich countenances of the women and the serene
> images of water are unforgettable.
>
>
> _Raymundo_
> ARGENTINA / 2002 / Spanish / Color, B&W / Video / 127 min
> Director: Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina
>
> Filmmaker Raymundo Gleyzer was abducted and killed by the Argentinean
> military dictatorship in 1976. This film depicts his life, as well as
> the history of anti-war cinema and liberation movements in Latin
> America during the 1960s and 1970s, with extensive usage of the films
> he left behind, home movies and archive footage. Through its brisk
> tempo, suspenseful developments and the enchanting music that
> envelops the entire film, memories and ideals that could not be
> destroyed by the CIA or the military junta are resurrected.
>
>
> _S21, the Khmer Rouge Killing Machine_
> FRANCE / 2002 / Cambodian / Color / Video / 101 min
> Director: Rithy Panh
>
> S21 is the name of a former concentration camp for political
> prisoners in Cambodia. Former victims and tormentors caught up in the
> atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge are reunited, and relive the
> inhumanity and cruelty of their days here. Facts that are brought to
> light by evidence presented here, and the vividness of the exchanges
> between two former adversaries transcend the 25 years that have
> passed. This film silently pulsates with the emotion felt by
> Cambodian-born director Rithy Panh (YIDFF 2001 Flaherty Prize winner
> for _The Land of the Wandering Souls_) toward his homeland.
>
>
> _Sacred Ritual of Truth_
> PALAWAN-THE PHILIPPINES / 2002 / Palawanon, Tagalog / Color / 16mm /
> 120 min
> Director: Auraeus Solito
>
> Experimental filmmaker Auraeus Solito is a descendant of an
> indigenous people of the Philippines, whose way of life was portrayed
> in Howie Severino's _Return to the Tribes_ (YIDFF '99 New Asian
> Currents). He returns to his hometown on Palawan Island, and captures
> the sacred rituals and daily lives of its people on film. We see the
> ongoing disintegration of the islanders' lifestyles due to the
> intrusion of various forces such as multinational corporations, and
> the resulting anger. The echoes of percussion and the rhythm of the
> images unite harmoniously, drawing the viewer into the extraordinary
> world of this film.
>
>
> _Shepherds' Journey into the Third Millennium_
> SWITZERLAND / 2002 / Swiss-German, German / Color / 35mm / 124 min
> Director: Erich Langjahr
>
> A look at the daily lives of a family of shepherds in Switzerland,
> set against a mountainous backdrop. A flock of several hundred sheep
> wanders through fog in search of fresh pastures, crossing roads and
> negotiating traffic. Lambs are born under the gazes of the shepherd's
> wife and children, who spend day after day milking by hand and making
> bread. Shepherding is said to be one of the oldest professions in the
> world, and we are shown its harsh and hard-working lifestyle via the
> steady gaze of Erich Langjahr, director of _Alpine Ballad_ (YIDFF '97
> International Competition).
>
>
> _Stevie_
> USA / 2002 / English / Color / 35mm / 145 min
> Director: Steve James
>
> A film by Steve James, director of _Hoop Dreams_ (YIDFF '95
> International Competition). In 1995 the director returned to southern
> Illinois to reunite with Stevie, a boy who he met through a "Big
> Brother" volunteer program. During filming Stevie committed a serious
> crime and was arrested, tearing his family apart. Five years later,
> the film returns to document Stevie and his turbulent family. The
> director's concern for Stevie can be felt palpably by the viewer.
>
>
> _Tie Xi Qu: West of Tracks_
> CHINA / 2003 / Chinese / Color / Video / 545 min
> Director: Wang Bing
>
> The Tie Xi district, in Shenyang in China's northeast, was
> established during the Japanese occupation and transformed into a
> highly populated industrial area. This unusually long-form
> documentary, taking us on a tour of this now decaying area, spreads
> over nine hours and three parts entitled _Rust,_ _Remnants,_ and _
> Rails._ Factories and towns become ruins, people are buffeted by
> change, and time ebbs away. An extraordinary documentary that puts
> the realities facing Chinese society into stark relief, through an
> exclusive and extended exploration of the region.
>
>
> _The Way to the West_
> GREECE / 2003 / Greek, English, Kurdish / Color / 35mm / 79 min
> Director: Kyriakos Katzourakis
>
> Irina, from the former Soviet Union, travels to Greece in search of a
> better life. She also wanders the streets of Athens in search of her
> friend who disappeared there, but becomes entangled in the web of
> prostitution. Her fictional monologue tells of the tragedies and
> harsh realities faced by immigrants to Greece from Africa, Asia and
> elsewhere. A work steeped in sorrow.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> 2. Seeking Volunteers for YIDFF 2003
>
> We are seeking volunteers to work in various capacities for the YIDFF
> 2003, a film festival that attracts visitors from across Japan and
> around the world. How would you like to participate in volunteer
> activities, and experience the world first hand without leaving
> Yamagata?
>
> Recruitment numbers:
> ** Event and screening management (around 10)
> ** Language Staff (around 30)
> ** Venue Staff (around 80)
> ** Subtitles projection (around 20)
> ** Reporters and editorial staff for the Daily Bulletin (around 30)
> ** Management of the Citizens' Prize (around 10)
> ** Management of the Komian Club (around 20)
> ** Sign Language interpreters (around 10)
>
> Application deadline: July 10 (Thursday)
> Explanatory Meeting Date / Time: July 10 (Thursday)
> First meeting 14:00-15:00
> Second meeting 19:30-20:30
> Explanatory Meeting: Yamagata City Hall, AO3 Conference Room (in the
> basement of Miura Memorial Hall, across from Yamagata City Hall)
> For more information, please call the Yamagata Office at 023-624-8368.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> 3. YIDFF 2003 Poster / Flyers
>
> Poster / flyers for YIDFF 2003 will soon be available from public
> institutions in Yamagata City. Delivery by post can also be arranged
> by calling, faxing or emailing the Yamagata Festival Office.
>
> YIDFF Organizing Committee Office (Yamagata Office)
> e-mail: yidff.info at city.yamagata.yamagata.jp
> phone: 023-624-8368
> fax: 023-624-9618
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> 4. Film Screenings Information
>
> < Hosted by the YIDFF Organizing Committee >
>
> +++ The YAMAGATA Documentary Film Library Friday Theater +++
>
> On the second and fourth Fridays of each month the YIDFF Organizing
> Committee holds screenings films which are not shown at commercial
> theaters, such as documentary films including the Film Library
> Collection films, pre-war Japanese films, masterpieces, independent
> works, experimental films, and animation at the 40-seat theater.
> Tomonokai (support) members can join the Friday Theater for free (
> membership fee is 1,000 yen for six months). Anyone is welcome to
> join the Tomonokai.
>
> ** Remembering Yanagisawa Hisao
>
> In memory of director Yanagisawa Hisao, who died on June 16th, 1999
> at the age of 83. _Children Before the Dawn_ is an important
> masterwork that can be seen as a departure point for Yanagisawa's
> subsequent independent production of welfare films, which came after
> his long involvement in the making of corporate PR films.
>
> Date / Time: June 13 (Friday) 14:00-, 19:00- (program screens twice)
>
> _Children Before the Dawn_
> 1968 / 120 min
>
> ** Thai Short Film Collection: with special guest, YIDFF 2001 New
> Asian Currents juror Chalida Uabumrungjit.
>
> The Thai film industry's young generation that has grown out of the
> independent scene is gaining an international reputation, such as
> Apichatpong Weerasethakul who took the Grand Prize of Un Certain
> Regard at last year's Cannes Film Festival, and Pimpaka Towira whose
> feature debut was selected for the Forum section of this year's
> Berlin Film Festival. This program encapsulates the unique touch,
> taste and smell of Thai indies film. A talk from Chalida
> Uambumrungjit of the Thai Film Foundations is also scheduled. Don't
> miss it!
>
> Date: June 20 (Friday)
>
> Audience members at our June 20 screenings will each receive a
> special gift. Come along and get yours!
>
> 14:00- Program A: Early Works of Apichatpong Weerasethakul
>
> _Mee Yanang_
> 1996 / 21 min
> _Malee and the Boy_
> 1999 / 27 min
> _thirdworld_ (YIDFF'99 in the New Asian Currents)
> 1999 / 19 min
>
> 15:30- Program B: Young Thai filmmakers Short Film Collection 1
>
> _Mae Nak_ (Image Forum Festival 1998 Special Juror's Prize winner)
> Pimpaka Towira / 1997 / 30 min
> _Motorcycle_
> Aditya Assarat / 2000 / 14 min
> _Fish Don't Fly_
> Pramote Saengsorn / 2001 / 17 min
> _Dog & God_
> Sarunyoo Jiralak / 2002 / 9 min
>
> 18:30- Talk with Chalida Uabumrungjit
>
> 19:30- Program C: Young Thai filmmakers Short Film Collection 2
>
> _Luang Ta_
> Parkpoom Wongpoom / 2001 / 8 min
> _Pink House_
> Suwan Hunagsirisakul / 2001 / 17 min
> _Hallucination_
> Sophon Sakdapisit / 2002 / 16 min
> _My Elephant_
> Songyos Sugmakanan / 2002 / 11 min
> _The Tree_
> Wasan Reawklang / 2002 / 10 min
> _A Little Dad_
> Tavepong Pratoomwong / 2002 / 13 min
>
> ** Family Portrait: Japan in the 1950's and 60's Part 1
>
> In 1955 volunteers from the National Association of Housewives (Fujin
> Renmei) established Sakura Motion Picture Co., which gained the
> nickname "Mommy (Hahaoya) Productions" and went on to produce
> numerous films on themes close to the hearts of women. This screening
> features Sakura Motion Picture Co.'s auspicious debut film _Farewell
> Mr. Fly and Mr. Mosquito, _ as well as Venice Film Festival Children'
> s Film Grand Prix winner _My Older Sister and Me_ and more. A
> nostalgic look back at Japan in the 1950's and 60's.
>
> Date / Time: July 11 (Friday) 14:00-, 18:30- (program screens twice)
> _Farewell Mr. Fly and Mr. Mosquito ("Sayonara Ka to Hae-san")_
> Aoyama Michiharu / 1955 / 21 min
> _100 Winsome Wives ("Hyakunin no Yoki na Nyobotachi")_
> Aoyama Michiharu / 1955 / 30 min
> _My Older Sister and Me ("Onesan to Issho")_
> Aoyama Michiharu / 1956 / 60 min
>
> Venue: The Yamagata Documentary Film Library (Yamagata Big Wing 3F)
> Admission: Free for Tomonokai members.
> (Membership fee: 1,000 yen for six months)
> For more information, please call the Yamagata Office at 023-624-8368.
>
>
> +++ Sendai Mediatheque Screening: Fraternal films +++
>
> A series of screenings, each featuring two different films that share
> a common ground.
>
> ** Not a Simple Remake
> Date: June 14 (Saturday)
>
> 14:30-
> _H Story_
> Suwa Nobuhiro / 2001 / 111 min
>
> 18:30-
> _Hiroshima, mon amour_
> Alain Resnais / 1959 / 91 min
>
> ** The Retina Called Digital Video
> Date: June 15 (Sunday)
>
> 14:30-
> _Digital Short Films by Three Filmmakers_
> (YIDFF 2001 Special Invitation Films)
> Jia Zhangke, John Akomfrah, Tsai Ming-Liang / 2001 / 92 min
>
> 18:30-
> _6 Easy Pieces_ (YIDFF 2001 Runner-up Prize winner)
> Jon Jost / 2000 / 68 min
>
> ** Non / Fiction
> Date: June 21 (Saturday)
>
> 14:30-
> _Blissfully Yours_
> Apichatpong Weerasethakul / 2002 / 125 min
> Chalida Uabumrungjit will give a talk at the conclusion of the
> screening.
>
> 18:30-
> _Mysterious Object at Noon_
> (Runner-up Prize International Competition YIDFF 2001)
> Apichatpong Weerasethakul / 2000 / 83 min
>
> ** A Dual Gaze That Penetrates Film
> Date: June 22 (Sunday)
>
> 14:30-
> _Bright Future_
> Kurosawa Kiyoshi / 2002 / 115 min
>
> 18:30-
> _ambivalent future: Kurosawa Kiyoshi_
> Fujii Kenjiro / 2002 / 75 min
> Fujii Kenjiro will give a talk at the conclusion of the screening.
>
> Venue: Sendai Mediatheque, 7th Floor Studio Theater
> 2-1 Kasuga-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-city
> Admission: General 1,000 yen, students 800 yen, senior citizen card
> holders 500 yen (patrons must exit the auditorium at the
> conclusion of each screening)
> For more information, please call Sendai Mediatheque at 022-713-3171,
> or send an email to office at smt.city.sendai.jp.
> URL: http://www.smt.jp/
>
>
> +++ Tohoku University of Art and Design Library Screenings +++
>
> With the cooperation of the Tohoku University of Art and Design
> Library, documentary screenings are held on the third Wednesday of
> each month. Not only students but also members of the public are
> welcome.
>
> Date / Time: June 18 (Wednesday) 17:30-
> _Land of the Wandering Souls_
> Rithy Panh / 2000 / 100 min
>
> A tale of people involved in the laying of fiber-optic cable in
> Cambodia. Winner of the Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize in YIDFF
> 2001's International Competition.
>
> Venue: Tohoku University of Art and Design Library 2F, AV Room
> Admission: Free
> For more information, please call the Yamagata Office at 023-624-8368.
>
>
> +++ Art Animation at KURA Obihachi +++
>
> Yamagata City is a somewhat rare place in Japan, as it managed to
> avoid damage from WWII and is also rarely troubled by natural
> disasters. As a result around 400 old warehouses, kura, remain within
> the city today. Over 100 can be found in close proximity in the
> central city area alone. One of those warehouses, Kura Obihachi, will
> become the venue for this special omnibus screening of art animation,
> which includes new works from animator Aihara Nobuhiro and graphic
> designer Tanaami Keiichi. Furthermore, Agata Morio, soundtrack
> composer for _FETISH DOLL_, will be giving a special mini-concert.
> Don't miss it!
>
> Date / Time: July 5 (Saturday)
> 19:00- Screenings
> _Walking Man_, _Fetish Doll_, and thirteen other works
> 20:15- Talkshow
> 20:50- Agata Morio mini-concert
> Venue: Kura Obihachi
> 3-1-43 Toka machi , Yamagata City
> (Travel east from Hotel Castle, cross the intersection and
> turn right at Oizumi Denki)
> Admission: Adults 2,000 yen, students 1,500 yen
> For more information, please call the Yamagata Office at 023-624-8368.
>
> +++ _Alexei and the Spring_ +++
>
> A small village, stricken by the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear
> power plant. Every corner has been contaminated by radiation - with
> the odd exception of its spring. Please take this opportunity to see
> this beautiful documentary, which reverberates with the images of
> photographer Motohashi Seiichi and the music of Sakamoto Ryuichi, and
> explores the life-giving power of water.
>
> Date / Time: June 13 (Friday)
> First screening: Admission from 14:30-
> Screening commences at 15:00-
> Second screening: Admission from 18:30-
> Director's talk show at 19:00-
> Screening commences at 19:50-
>
> _Alexei and the Spring_
> Motohashi Seiichi / 2002 / 104 min
>
> Venue: Yamagata Central Public Hall (6fl, AZ Nanoka-machi)
> Admission: Advance tickets (adult): 1,200 yen
> Advance tickets (High school student and under): 800 yen
> Door sales (adult): 1,500 yen
> Door sales (High school student and under): 1,000 yen
> URL: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/polepole/times/
> For more information, please call at 090-7330-7708 (Takahashi).
>
> +++ _Gaia Symphony_ +++
>
> An omnibus film focusing on six people, including mountaineer
> Reinholds Messner and singer Enya, and based on the theme of "myself
> in the world, and the world in myself." The screening also features a
> talk by Tenge Shiro, one of the developers involved in creating the
> cutting edge technology behind Sony's AIBO and other humanoid robots.
>
> Date / Time: July 5 (Friday) Admission from 13:00-
> Tenge Shiro talk from 13:20-
> Screening commences at 14:30-
>
> _Gaia Symphony No.1_
> Tatsumura Jin / 1992 / 130 min
>
> Venue: Yamagata Big Wing 2F
> Admission: Advance tickets (adult): 2,500 yen
> Door sales (adult): 3,000 yen
> Junior high school students and under: 1,500 yen
> URL: http://www8.plala.or.jp/gaia-n-yamagata/
> For more information, please call at 070-5097-4103 (Sato),
> 023-641-1788 (Takanashi), or 090-2364-7644 (Saito).
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> 5. Festival Info
>
> < Program >
>
> **International Competition
> 15 painstakingly selected works from around the world.
>
> **New Asian Currents
> Introducing up-and-coming Asian documentary filmmakers.
>
> **Okinawa Panorama
> A one-off screening of works pertaining to Okinawa, including feature
> films and ranging from pre-war rarities to the newest of the new.
>
> **"Newsreel"
> A collection of the work of Newsreel, a filmmaking collective formed
> in the USA in the late 1960s.
>
> **Guy Debord Retrospective
> A screening of the complete filmography of French cineaste and
> philosopher Guy Debord, for the very first time in Japan.
>
> < Tickets >
> One film: Advance tickets 800yen, Door Sales 1,000yen
> Three films: Advance tickets 2,000yen, Door Sales 2,500yen
> Ten films: Advance tickets 5,000yen, Door Sales 7,000yen
> Festival Pass: 10,000yen
> Tickets will go on sale from August at the YIDFF Organizing Committee
> Office (Yamagata Office) and other outlets around Japan. We'll bring
> you more details as they come to hand.
>
> < New Service for the YIDFF News Mobile Phone Email Edition >
> The popular mobile phone email edition of YIDFF News is about to
> become even more useful!
> At YIDFF 2003, you'll be able to keep track of additions and
> cancellations instantly via the mobile phone email edition of YIDFF
> News. To obtain this essential tool for planning your own film-going
> schedule, please register by following the steps described below.
>
> How to register:
> 1. Leave the subject (title) heading blank.
> 2. In the address field, enter: m-toroku at yidff.jp
> 3. In the body of the message, please enter your residential
> location (prefectural and city/town)
> 4. That's all. All that's left is to send the message.
> 5. Confirmation of your registration will be sent to you by email.
>
> (This service is available for Japanese mobile phones only)
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> 6. In the Next Edition
>
> The next edition on July 1 will bring you a report on trends in the
> International Competition. Stay tuned!
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> ** Past articles are available here:
> http://www.city.yamagata.yamagata.jp/yidff/news/news.html
>
> ** Canceling your YIDFF News subscription:
> Send a mail with only " bye " written in the body to e-news-ctl at yidff.
> jp
>
> ** Changing your subscription address:
> First cancel your subscription as described above, then register a
> new subscription using your new email address.
> ====================================================================
> YIDFF Organizing Committee Office (Yamagata Office)
> e-mail: yidff.info at city.yamagata.yamagata.jp
> http://www.city.yamagata.yamagata.jp/yidff/
> ====================================================================
> Copyright (C) YAMAGATA International Documentary Film Festival
>
>
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