Austin Asian American Film Festival 2009

Texas Premiere! Director Ed Radtke in Attendance!

Sammer, a pensive youth who steals videos cameras from tourists in order to see the world through their vacation footage, stumbles across a mystery from the past. In between visiting his older brother in jail and taking care of his ailing foster mother, Sammer and his friends attempt to reveal the truth of the compromised adults whose stories intertwine around them. Director Ed Radtke (now Austin-based) has constructed a lyrical and sensitive film about family failures, redemption, and the conflict between the possibilities of our dreams and the realities of our circumstances. Probation officers on probation, blind foster mothers who "see," and a motley crew of teenage crooks with compassion make for a spirited and thoughtful film where cameras can fly, even if people cannot. With a memorable cast of characters - in and out of jails and hospitals - and a pulsing soundtrack, we see the streets of New York City with an urgency and playfulness that welcomes a new adventurism in American cinema.

Speed of Life premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it was awarded a special jury prize.

Co-sponsored by The University of Texas of Austin, Dept of Radio-Television-Film