Twenty years ago, on December 4, 1997, "Dirty Rice" had its World Premiere in Lafayette at the United Artist Theatre on Kaliste Saloom before an audience of over 1200 people. This debut narrative feature film by acclaimed Cajun filmmaker Pat Mire was released on United Artist screens throughout Louisiana. To this day, "Dirty Rice" holds the record for the longest-running film to play in a Lafayatte movie theatre -- it was booked for a two-week engagement and was held over for five months.
On December 4, 2017, Cinema on the Bayou, in conjunction with Acadiana Center for the Arts, presents "Dirty Rice" at a Red Carpet community celebration of the 20th anniversary of its World Premiere along with Mire and those who starred in, worked on and supported the film. The film screening, which begins at 7:30 pm, will be followed by a gala reception with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
An official selection at the 42nd London Film Festival, "Dirty Rice" captures the raw essence of the rural Cajun community in South Louisiana in a tale of a man rediscovering his roots and reclaiming his heritage. As renowned movie critic Neil Norman of the London Evening Standard put it, “While The Big Easy, No Mercy and most recently, Eve’s Bayou, have flirted with the Cajun world, this is the real deal, 100% proof.”
This 20th anniversary screening is a fundraiser for Cinema on the Bayou Film Society, a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit which presents the 13th Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival on January 24-31, 2018. Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased at Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion St., Lafayette, LA, at Acadianacenterforthearts.org, or by calling 337-233-7060.
Film Synopsis (85 min.): Returning from the city of New Orleans, where he works as an architect, to his parents’ farm following the death of his father, Louis Daigle (Benjamin Mouton) is drawn back into thelife of farming and a relationship with an old flame (Myriam Cyr). But times are hard and the falling value of rice is threatening the farmers’ livelihood. Featuring the beautifully shot Cajun prairie landscape and a sound track driven by the haunting music of this unique culture, the film tells the story of a man who, like the people from whom he is descended, manages to survive with passion and grace.
