At the 82nd Venice Film Festival, Anuparna Roy’s Songs of Forgotten Trees was a rare kind of debut, one that challanges the ways Indian cinema has historically positioned women: not as symbols or accessories to a male narrative, but as living, breathing individuals. Her film places women firmly at the centre and lets them be…
Category: Asian Cinema
82nd Venice Film Festival: “Songs of Forgotten Trees” Review
In Indian cinema, women have long been denied the role of true protagonists. Too often, they are framed as satellites orbiting male narratives, often instrumentalised rather than fully realised characters. Screened in the Orizzonti section at the Venice Film Festival, Songs of Forgotten Trees, directed by Anuparna Roy, challenges that legacy by placing women at…
“I’m The Most Beautiful Count”: A Thai BL Drama of Queer Love and Palace Secrets – Review of the First Two Episodes
From its first flashy frame, Thai series I’m The Most Beautiful Count – adapted from the webtoon Chan Ni Lae Than Khun Thi Suai Thi Sut Nai Siam by Yuen Kin Pakka Thi Than Phra – brims with a sense of intrigue. Dropping us into the glamorous world of our protagonist, superstar Prince (Nut Supanut…
JIB DREAM FANMEET – Rome Gears Up for Triple Thai BL Fanmeet
This autumn, the heart of Rome will be filled with excitement as JIB Dream Fanmeet returns with not one, but three spectacular Thai Boys’ Love (BL) events – between August 2025 and August 2026. Hosted at the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel in Fiumicino, these gatherings are not only about the stars, but also about the…
78th Locarno Film Festival: In Conversation with Park Syeyoung, Director of “The Fin”
Seoul-based Syeyoung Park is an interesting independent filmmaker. A graduate of the Korea National University of Arts, with a BFA in Film and an MFA in Video Arts, Park made his feature debut with The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra, which earned him awards at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, Seoul Independent Film Festival, and Fantasia,…
78th Locarno Film Festival: “The Fin” Review
Korean cinema continues to prove its global dominance not just through streaming platforms, but through visionary films that challenge and expand the very language of cinema. With The Fin, director Park Syeyoung delivers a haunting work, an unsettling look at control and survival in the aftermath of ideology. Set in a post-unification, ecologically devastated Korea,…
30th Busan International Film Festival: Special Program in Focus – Defining Moments of Asian Cinema
Marking its 30th milestone, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) presents the third edition of Asian Cinema 100 under the theme Defining Moments of Asian Cinema. Curated in collaboration with the Pusan National University Film Institute and the Korean Film Archive, the program revisits the artistry and history of Asian filmmaking through landmark works, each…
Park Chan-wook Returns with “No Other Choice”, Opening the 30th Busan International Film Festival
Three years after his critically acclaimed Decision to Leave (2022), director Park Chan-wook makes a powerful return to the screen with No Other Choice, a gripping drama centered on a man’s desperate fight to protect everything he holds dear. The story follows Man-su (Lee Byung Hun), a once-proud man whose stable life is suddenly upended…
Two Cities, One Heart: The Journey of “(LOVE SONG)”
In a rare and radiant cross-cultural collaboration, (LOVE SONG) brings together the creative forces of Japan and Thailand to tell a story of love. Directed by Champ Weerachit Thongjila, best known for the global BL romantic comedy series 2gether, the film is the acclaimed Thai filmmaker’s first project in Japanese feature cinema. At the centre…
Hyper Japan 2025 – Yuka Iguchi Reflects on 20 Years in Anime Ahead of Hyper Japan in London – Exclusive Interview
For over two decades, Yuka Iguchi has been an important voice in the world of anime. From her iconic role as Index in A Certain Magical Index to unforgettable performances in Girls und Panzer, Encouragement of Climb, Symphogear, and Ascendance of a Bookworm, she has helped shape the emotional language of modern anime. This July,…
Thailand Showcase 2025: Timeless Creativity 27–29 June 2025 in London
This June, the heart of London transforms into a dazzling gateway to Thailand as Thailand Showcase 2025: Timeless Creativity arrives at Lewis Cubitt Square, Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross. From 27–29 June, the three-day cultural festival marks an extraordinary 170 years of diplomatic friendship between Thailand and the United Kingdom. Last year’s showcase brought in…
“Xohee Loved Ones”: Han So-hee’s First European Fan Meeting to Take Place in Frankfurt, London, Paris and Berlin
Han So-hee is, without a doubt, one of the most compelling and sought-after talents in the Korean entertainment industry today. With an acting journey that began humbly, from appearing in music videos and taking on supporting roles in series like Money Flower (2017), 100 Days My Prince (2018), and Abyss (2019), Han’s rise to fame has been quite impressive. Her breakout…
78th Cannes Film Festival: “A Useful Ghost” Review
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s debut feature, A Useful Ghost, is a superb, part political reflection, part gentle love story, and part quirky ghost tale, all set in glowing fog and the remains of an industrial past. Playful and bold, the film moves through themes of death, memory, and class with ease, guided by a director who clearly…
78th Cannes Film Festival: “Dandelion’s Odyssey” Review
Dandelion’s Odyssey, directed by Momoko Seto, is an imaginative and visually striking film that goes beyond language and species to tell its story. Combining elements of nature documentary, animation, and abstract art, it remains grounded in emotion and wonder. The film follows four dandelion seeds as they travel through strange, hostile yet beautiful landscapes, reflecting…
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