Event

Fast Break

Oct 01

(Don Zavin, 1977, Blu-ray, 117 min, Portland, OR)

Local Sightings Film Festival

Monday, Oct 01 at 07:15PM
Each year at Local Sightings we reach back into the annals of Northwest filmmaking history to pluck a long-unseen classic back into rotation. In a year where the Sonics' return to Seattle seem imminent, we're taking the opportunity to screen this rare 1977 documentary about the Portland Trailblazers, directed by filmmaker Don Zavin. Evoking a feel of cinema verite not found in most sports documentaries, Fast Break examines the 1977 Trailblazers in a surprisingly personal and compelling fashion. Inter-cutting excerpts from the 1977 playoff and championship season, the film steps outside the basketball court and into the everyday lives of the Trailblazers and their coach Jack Ramsey. Whether it's biking the Oregon coast with Bill Walton, hosting a kids basketball camp with Dave Twardzik, or game-footage of the Western Conference Finals (with Bill Walton going toe-to-toe with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Fast Break lets the players speak for themselves: about basketball, life and playing in Portland. Don Zavin died from pancreatic cancer in 1998; several years later his widow Ellen Thomas, donated his entire film archive to the Oregon Historical Society. This is Fast Break's Seattle premiere.

Part of our Local Sightings Film Festival 2012 - see the festival website for full program details.