As much as you try to fight them, monsters never die. They are born out of old folkloric legends, influenced by religion, shamanism, society, and passed down through oral tradition. They live through time and space, re-emerging in different forms with every new generation. It’s of no surprise, then, that they also inhabit contemporary Asian…
Cinema as Sanctuary: Far East Film Festival Wraps Triumphant 27th Edition in Udine
“In the midst of such a chaotic world, we’re incredibly fortunate that cinema still exists. We still have movie theatres to escape to – whether we want to cry, laugh, or simply feel something. For those two hours, we can still believe the world is beautiful.” These moving words from legendary Taiwanese superstar Sylvia Chang,…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Park Ri-woong, Director of “The Land of Morning Calm”
The Land of Morning Calm, directed by Park Ri-woong, is a powerful portrait of a fading Korean fishing village and the emotional dislocation of its residents. Supported by moving performances from Yoon Joo-sang, Yang Hee-kyung, and Khazsak Kramer, the film explores generational divides, economic decline, and the complex, often unspoken tensions surrounding immigration and arranged…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with E.oni, Director of “Love in the Big City”
In the contemporary Korean cinema, director Lee Eon-hee, known professionally as E. oni, is recognised for her quietly revolutionary voice in telling human stories. E.oni was part of the first graduating class of the Korea National University of Arts, where she majored in film. Her early career was rooted in foundational, behind-the-scenes work: she served…
27th Udine Far East Film Festival: “Hear Me: Our Summer” Review
What’s the happiest film you can think of? Is it one painted with flowers, and a dreamy major-key score? Is it about the ending, or is it the journey the characters took together that filled your heart with the most warmth? Perhaps the happiest film isn’t the one so sickly-sweet that it veers from realism,…
27th Far East Film Festival: “The Land of Morning Calm” Review
Set against the subdued beauty of a Korean fishing village, The Land of Morning Calm, written and directed by Park Ri-woong, is a restrained and moving exploration of displacement and the quiet tensions beneath everyday life. This is not a story about national identity or grand political themes. Instead, it is about people: ordinary, flawed,…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Antoinette Jadaone, Director of “Sunshine”
Filipino filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone has won acclaim for telling intense women’s stories and for having the courage to tackle controversial issues that are mostly avoided in her conservative homeland. But it’s fair to say that Jadaone’s latest production, Sunshine, is her boldest – and perhaps most brilliant – yet. The film features Maris Racal as…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Dong Zijian, Director and Actor of “My Friend An Delie”
Chinese actor Dong Zijian just made his directing debut, and it’s a stellar endeavour. The beautifully shot My Friend An Delie, based on the novel by Shuang Xuetao, is a warm shelter amidst the snowy plains of uncertainty. It’ll hold your hand as it takes you along a slow path toward overcoming grief and pain,…
27th Far East Film Festival: “Love in the Big City” Review
If you never thought a plastic uterus model would make a good plant, prepare yourself for some redecorating. The stolen emblem sitting atop glass marbles as the years tick away is the most profound object you’ll see in the whole of E.oni’s Love in the Big City, a film that, despite the assumed subject matter,…
27th Far East Film Festival: “Organ Child” Review
Organ trading generates over $1.7 billion annually, and about 10% of all transplants are believed to be illegal, staggering figures that are steadily rising across the globe, particularly on Asian continent. Reading about the plight of Falun Gong practitioners in China sheds light on the horrifying reality behind these statistics. Organ trafficking thrives because of…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 