The Alien saga is among the most engaging and well-remembered films of horror genre, largely because every feature, at least until recently, has been in the hands of various directors. There were several hits and misses, but it was the work of Ridley Scott that began the career of the entire film series. How did Alien: Covenant,…
Category: Film
In Conversation with Feng Xiaogang, the director of ‘I Am Not Madame Bovary’
Where to event start with Feng Xiaogang? He is a Chinese director, producer, screenwriter and actor, whose career has spanned for over 30 years. While bravely battling censorship, he has created a number of commercially immensely successful films, such as Be There or Be Square (Bújiàn búsàn, 1998), Cell Phone (Shŏujī, 2003), A World Without…
I Am Not Madame Bovary Review
David vs. Goliath seems to be the theme shrouding Feng Xiaogang’s newest feature, I Am Not Madame Bovary – there had been a lot of talk on what seemed to had been more than just a spat between the film director and the largest Chinese cinema chain, Wanda Cinema Line, who, at least according to…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 Review
The first production of The Guardians of the Galaxy was a pleasant breeze of fresh air in Marvel’s cinematic universe. The film charmed the audience with unusual conventions, very expressive characters and phenomenal humour. It was also obvious that the film’s producers were planning another The Guardians of the Galaxy feature. Soon after, James Gunn found himself…
19th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Naoko Ogigami, the director of ‘Close-Knit’
While LGBT characters seem to be present in almost every Japanese drama or film, the reality is far from that in fiction; the members of the LGBT minority more often than not face scorn and are often shunned in their everyday lives. This is what makes Naoko Ogigami’s newest feature, Close-Knit (2017), that much more…
19th Far East Film Festival: Close-Knit
Tomo has been abandoned by her mother, again. While this isn’t the first time it’s happened, and her mother has been more-or-less an absent parent since day one, it still hurts. Unable to live on her own, the eleven-year-old seeks refuge with her uncle Makio. He gladly accepts but he doesn’t live alone anymore, he…
19th Far East Film Festival: Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High
Teiichi wants to create his own empire. How’s that possible, you may ask? Well, by controlling the student council at his elite high school, of course. If he can run the school then Teiichi’s a shoe in for a prestigious government position, and from there he can even become Prime Minister. With his father’s broken…
19th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Tae-yoon, the director of ‘New Trial’
Kim Tae-yoon appears to be a fairly ‘new’ director on the South Korean cinematic scene, given that he only has three director credits under his belt (with him also being the screenwriter for all of his projects), even though his debut feature, A Cruel Attendance, dates all the way back to 2006. 3 features in…
19th Far East Film Festival: New Trial
Injustice, corruption, and oppression of the underprivileged are continuing topics in the South Korean motion pictures, but instead of focusing on the themes of personal vengeance, filmmakers often turn to common social issues to raise public awareness. 2000. In the southern city of Iksan, a 15-year-old boy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for…
19th Far East Film Festival Opening: The Survival Family
On Friday, 21st April 2017, the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) opened the doors of Italy’s Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine for the 19th time; the selected opening film was Shinobu Yaguchi’s The Survival Family that promptly announced one of the “red threads” of this year’s edition: we were up for 10 days of excellent…
In Conversation with Alexis Jacknow
Alexis Jacknow is an LA-based, award-winning stage director whose passion for new challenges made her venture into the world of filmmaking; she joined hands with Bekah Brunstetter, the author of the award winning play Hey Brother that Alexis directed and developed, to create Again, a short film that received its world premiere at the 2017…
19th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy (21st – 29th April, 2017)
In less than a week, the 19th edition of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) will open the doors of Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine” in Udine, Italy, and East Asian cinema will reign over the little city in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region for a full 9 days (21st – 29th April 2017). The FEFF…
In Conversation with Catherine Bailey
Catherine Bailey, a charming British actress, is often recognised for her superb performance in The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre. She was also part of The Country Wife at Theatre Royal Haymarket and ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore at the Young Vic. Catherine always shines on stage, in small or big roles; she is…
A Quiet Passion Review
Terence Davies, the director of Sunset Song (2015) and The Deep Blue Sea (2011) has never been interested in Hollywood and rarely casts A-listers in his films. Known for making dramas for a select audience, he is a man “in love with the very idea of cinema”. This year, Davies brought onto the big screen…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 