Roberto Rossellini was a key figure in Italian neorealism, known for films like Rome, Open City (1945), Paisan (1946), and Germany, Year Zero (1948). His use of non-professional actors and real locations transformed postwar cinema. Later, his collaborations with Ingrid Bergman – Stromboli (1950), Europe ’51 (1952), and Journey to Italy (1954) – showed how…
Tag: art
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…
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…
RAINDANCE 2025 SPECIAL ICON AWARD HONOURING THE LATE, GREAT DAME JOAN PLOWRIGHT+ RELAUNCH OF THE DAN IRELAND AWARD
As part of its 33rd edition (18–27 June), the Raindance Film Festival will posthumously award the late Dame Joan Plowright an Icon Award, commemorating both her extraordinary legacy and her final major screen role in Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (dir. Dan Ireland, UK/USA). The tribute coincides with the 20th anniversary of the film’s release…
78th Cannes Film Festival: “I Only Rest in the Storm” Review
Pedro Pinho’s I Only Rest in the Storm is a hypnotic and textured look at power, identity, and longing, set in a tense West African city. The film follows Sergio, an environmental engineer working on a controversial road between the desert and the forest, as it explores the tangled realities of neo-colonialism, expat privilege, and…
Festival of Korean Dance – Kim Sungyong: Dance as a Language of Truth – Exclusive Interview
For choreographer and artistic director Kim Sungyong, movement is more than art – it is an act of truth-telling. Guided by the belief that “dance is a language that cannot be described in words,” Kim has spent his career using dance to communicate the invisible and emotional dimensions of human life. His signature choreographic approach,…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Cynthia Yee, Luka Yang and Shari Matsuura of “Chinatown Cha-Cha”
Nonagenarian Coby Yee is the shining light of the vibrant and soft-hearted documentary Chinatown Cha-Cha, as director Luka Yuanyuan Yang turns her attention to the life of the legendary dancer. But the spotlight is shared with Yee’s longtime dancing partners – the Grant Avenue Follies – and the film becomes more than just a portrait…
27th Udine Far East Film Festival: “Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants” Review
Two legends of Chinese cinema gracing the stage are enough to get anyone buzzing for the show to come, and Tsui’s adaptation film, Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants, was no less anticipated than his other fantastical masterpieces. Before the film’s international festival premiere at the 27th Udine Far East Film Festival, legendary wuxia…
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: “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,…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 