A few days ago, the K-pop music scene welcomed BIGONE and BAEKHO their latest project single, LOVE OR DIE. In this collaboration, listeners are treated to a great mix of the artists’ musical skills, each offering their own perspectives on love. This exciting venture was orchestrated under the creative direction of music publisher PRISMFILTER, a…
Author: View of the Arts
View of the Arts is run by female arts journalists and works with a diverse team of writers and film critics.
SEVENTEEN Are Right Here: A Nine-Year Celebration of Their Greatest Hits – Album Review
Every excellent SEVENTEEN song begins with ‘Seventeen right here.’ But how does one describe Seventeen’s discography without veering into sentimentalism or turning it into a thesis? The 13 members are now reminding everyone of their immense talent with their latest release, 17 IS RIGH HERE. This box set of greatest hits is a proud display…
Melodies Beyond Sound: A Spotlight on Big Ocean, K-Pop’s Inspirational Trio – Exclusive Interview
Hard-of-hearing artists have always faced challenges in the music industry, but their contributions are invaluable and deserve support. While traditionally music has been primarily auditory, advancements in technology and shifts in attitudes are enabling greater inclusivity. Supporting deaf musicians is not only about providing equal opportunities but also recognising the diversity of talent and perspectives…
VERIVERY on Making Their Long-Awaited Return With “GO ON” Fanmeeting Tour
With the cosy fits and bright-eyed smiles of a young boyband, and the grace of stars who’ve been around long enough to earn their own recognised brand, VERIVERY, who debuted five years ago, have still got the blazing fervour of artists who’ve not reached the end of their journey just yet. After announcing their “GO…
26th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Zhang Yudi, Director of “The Midsummer’s Voice” – Exclusive Interview
Peking Opera, a revered Chinese art form blending centuries-old traditions, faces challenges in modern times, struggling to engage the younger generation. Despite government support and international interest, efforts to modernise it and attract younger viewers have shown mixed results. However, Zhang Yudi’s film The Midsummer’s Voice offers a fresh perspective, focusing on the struggles of…
26th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Eugene Domingo and Jun Lana of “Becky and Badette” – Exclusive Interview
In Becky and Badette, director Jun Lana is facing the social media machine and what those who use it can be willing to do to gain fame. The comedy tackles this subject through Becky and Badette, played by Eugene Domingo and Pokwang. Best friends since their school days, they are in dead-end jobs, completely broke,…
26th Far East Film Festival “The Goldfinger” Review
Felix Chong’s loose fashioning of the real-life Carrian Group financial scandal of ‘80s Hong Kong into film is a polarising triumph that you’ll either get or you won’t. The Goldfinger has actors Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau reuniting on screen, two decades since their starring together in Internal Affairs (2002)—which, amazingly, was also directed…
26th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Yeon Je-gwang, Lee Ju-seung and Jeong Soo-gyo of “The Guest” – Exclusive Interview
The Guest, written and directed by Yeon Je-gwang, presents a dark and gritty portrayal of a secluded love motel, where hidden cameras capture the most intimate moments of its guests. As two employees, Min-cheol (Lee Ju-seung: Socialphobia, Broken) and Young-gyu (Han Min: Joseon Attorney: A Morality, You Are My Spring), find themselves embroiled in a…
26th Far East Film Festival: “Bushido” Review
The jidaigeki, or samurai period drama, has been done a thousand times in a thousand different ways, but it can still feel refreshing like Kazuya Shiraishi’s Bushido. Based on rakugo, or comic storytelling, the narrative follows Kakunoshin Yanagida (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) a humble ronin who has fallen on hard times and lives in a small community…
26th Far East Film Festival: “The Roundup: Punishment” Review
In The Roundup: Punishment Ma Dong-seok strikes again… and again, and again in this rip-roaring action thriller that’ll have everyone’s hearts pumping. The fourth film in the franchise, Punishment sees detective Ma Seok-do (Ma) try to deliver just that after young Korean man Jo Sung-jae is killed in the Philippines and his mother begs the…
26th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Hur Jin-ho, Director of “A Normal Family”
Hur Jin-ho, renowned as the “master of Korean melodrama”, is in his element in his latest production, A Normal Family. Drawn from the pages of the Dutch author Herman Koch’s gripping best-seller The Dinner, the film revolves around two married – and morally very different – brothers who are forced to confront a harrowing family…
26th Far East Film Festival: “The Guest” Review
The slasher genre has long been a cornerstone of horror cinema, terrifying audiences with its iconic villains, suspenseful storytelling, and gruesome kills. From the masked killers of Halloween to the supernatural terrors of A Nightmare on Elm Street, slashers continue to draw viewers into their blood-soaked worlds. At the heart of the slasher genre lies…
26th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Samantha Lee, Director of “Rookie” – Exclusive Interview
Volleyball can be a space for romance, at least that’s what director Samantha Lee has imagined in her Filipino coming-of-age sports film Rookie. The movie opens with Pat Tingjuy’s Ace being transferred to a new school, she may be a skilled basketball player but the nuns at her academy think the sport turns girls into…
26th Far East Film Festival: “The Midsummer’s Voice” Review
Peking Opera is a Chinese art form with a rich history spanning over hundreds of years. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources including the music and dance traditions of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), the performing arts of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Southern Opera during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and the Kunqu Opera in…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 