76th Cannes Film Festival: “Tiger Stripes” Review

You don’t need a gross visual metaphor to articulate the horrifying transformation we all undergo during puberty – but it certainly can help. The history of genre cinema is rife with adolescent allegories, from the straightforward telekinesis metaphor of Stephen King’s Carrie, to the superpowered changes that Peter Parker goes through to become a “man”…

Keishi Otomo on Capturing the Samurai Spirit in “The Legend & Butterfly”

Keishi Otomo is no stranger to making Jidaigeki, Japanese period dramas. He has directed many in his prolific career, though he is probably best known for the “Rurouni Kenshin” live-action films. The franchise adapts Nobuhiro Watsuki’s classic manga of the same name across five films: “Rurouni Kenshin”, “Kyoto Inferno”, “The Legend Ends”, “The Final” and…

Lee Jeong-eun on Producing “Ditto”: From Script to Screen

Being a female film producer today means that you are part of a growing movement in the film industry to increase diversity and representation behind the camera. Historically, the film industry has been male-dominated, and women have faced significant barriers to enter and advance in this field. However, in recent years, there has been a…

Lee Gheun Hyung: Shredding His Guitar Through the Boundaries of Korean Music

Lee Gheun Hyung, a legendary Korean guitar player who has spent over four decades in the entertainment industry has worked with some of the biggest names in Korean music, after all these years, he has finally released his debut solo album, “Alone…Not Alone.” Lee Gheun Hyung’s exceptional skills and distinctive sound have earned him a…

“Return to Seoul” Review

Now playing in UK cinemas, Cambodian-French filmmaker Davy Chou’s award-winning adoption drama, Return to Seoul, is a cathartic exploration of identity and one’s sense of place in the world. Beginning in medias res, the story introduces Freddie, a 25-year-old Korean-French woman who has ended up in Seoul after a logistical mishap. Given that she does…

25th Far East Film Festival: “The Legend & Butterfly” Review

Oda Nobunaga, Japan’s first “great unifier”, has been depicted on screen countless times. Depending on the angle of the narrative the daimyo can either be seen as a hero or villain; romantic lead or malevolent foe; the Fool of Owari or the Demon King. Often his part in unifying the country during the Sengoku period…