"What begins as a fairy-tale romance set in the beautiful Mediterranean town of Agde gets more complicated when Stann's family ties prove more durable, and dangerous, than he expects. Stann, the hub of a sprawling, criminally inclined clan, finds himself torn between Gloria, a vibrant Black American woman who offers him a glimpse at a life beyond the one he knows, and his inescapable family obligations."
"Allen's Oregon connections remain as strong as those annual visits would suggest, thanks in part to her pioneering independent productions (1978) and (1981), each of which addresses issues (gentrification and weed, specifically) that would only grow in local importance over the years. Portland's late poet laureate Walt Curtis, filmmaker Gus Van Sant, and cinematographer Eric Edwards all contributed to one or both films."
"Pushing Past the Bad extends Allen's filmmaking career to nearly a full five decades, during which her independence and endurance haven't wavered. After a decade working for the French Minister of the Environment and years as a translator, she returned to filmmaking with 2007's The Soldier's Tale and followed that up with Late for My Mother's Funeral six years later."
Penny Allen, an Oregon-based filmmaker who relocated to Paris in 1991, is screening her latest feature film, Pushing Past the Bad, at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland. The film tells the story of Stann, a member of a criminal family, and Gloria, a Black American woman, whose romance in Mediterranean France becomes complicated by his family's dangerous ties. Allen's career spans nearly five decades, beginning with pioneering independent productions in the late 1970s and early 1980s that addressed local issues like gentrification and cannabis cultivation. After working for the French government and as a translator, she resumed filmmaking with The Soldier's Tale in 2007 and Late for My Mother's Funeral in 2013. Her work has consistently involved notable Portland figures including poet Walt Curtis, filmmaker Gus Van Sant, and cinematographer Eric Edwards.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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