In the colorful world of Japanese manga live-action adaptations and musical-themed film productions, we can find a series of films that center around pop- and rock-bands that practically ooze ‘ikemen’ (good looking men) by the seams, while there is an (un)surprising lack of such films centering on female music groups. The reason for that lies…
Category: Asian Cinema
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Gong Hyo-jin
The entire theatre, full to the brink with fans of Asian cinema, buzzed, then started applauding with gusto as South Korean actress Gong Hyo-jin took her seat for the Udine Far East Film Festival screening of the thriller Door Lock. After the screening, the applause only got louder, reaffirming that Gong Hyo-jin is not only…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Door Lock Review
In a society, tightly dominated by men, is there a safe place for a woman? And what if the threat finds its way into the very hearth? Lee Kwon, who previously wrote and directed the horror-laced romantic comedy My Ordinary Love Story (2014), took on the adaptation of Jaume Balagueró’s Spanish film Sleep Tight. His…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Project Gutenberg Review
Felix Chong, a Hong Kong filmmaker, scriptwriter, and an actor, has been interested in cinema ever since he was a child. The filmmaker found his passion for storytelling when he co-wrote Afraid of Nothing the Jobless King with Joe Ma. With over 20 films under his belt, Felix Chong has been primarily recognised for scripting the…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Lee Han, Jung Woo-sung and Lee Gyoo-hyung
In 2019, director Lee Han (Thread of Lies, Punch) made a return with a courtroom drama with elements of comedy and thriller that revolves around a defense lawyer (Jung Woo-sung) who is trying to get his client acquitted by getting the only witness to murder, an autistic girl (Kim Hyang-gi), to testify. Innocent Witness got…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Rampant Review
For the past few years, South Korea has been overflown with its own zombie-themed films and TV shows whose format ranges from classic horror to period dramas and even comedies, with various levels of quality. The recently released Netflix’s Kingdom, with its perfect narrative and direction, now ranks among the best Korean products of the…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Innocent Witness Review
Autistic characters are not an unusual appearance in the world of cinema, but they are not as common in Asian film productions. Lee Han, known for his humanistic approach to feature films, tackles the topic of autism in a feature that aims to be several things: a courtroom drama, a crime film and a family…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Jeon Do-yeon and Lee Jong-un of ‘Birthday’
Jeon Do-yeon is known as a “chameleon actress”. Throughout her 20-plus-year-long career, she played a great variety of roles that brought her the status of one of the most respected actresses in South Korean industry. In 2007, her performance in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine earned her Best Actress award at Cannes Film Festival, making her…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Unstoppable Review
Ma Dong-seok is unstoppable. In 2018, the actor starred in a record-breaking five films: Champion, Along With The Gods: The Last 49 Days, The Soul-Mate, The Villagers and Unstoppable, and it seems that he is keeping himself just as busy in 2019. His final work of 2018, the action thriller Unstoppable, directed by Kim Min-ho, screened…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: The Great Battle Review
The history of Korea has been a constant struggle of forces who either conquered or tried to conquer its lands. One such turbulent event was the attack on the Ansi Fortress in 645AD, recently depicted in Kim Kwang-sik’s The Great Battle, an ultra-patriotic tale of survival and sacrifice. Photo © Next Entertainment World Emperor of the…
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