South Korean filmmaker Lee Yujin brings a refreshing and nuanced perspective to the screen with Manok, a film that beautifully combines humour with moving themes of acceptance and belonging. Set in the rural village of Iban-ri, Manok follows its titular character as she returns to her hometown in the wake of her mother’s passing, only…
Tag: BFI Flare LGBTQ+ Film Festival
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: Actor Han Gi-chan Discusses “The Wedding Banquet” – Exclusive Interview
Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet revitalises Ang Lee’s 1993 classic, bringing a contemporary lens to themes of love, the weight of tradition, the complexities of identity, and societal expectations. While the original film followed a dutiful Taiwanese son confronting the pressures of tradition, Ahn’s version expands the narrative, introducing new characters and conflicts that reflect…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Si-a – Exclusive Interview
At just 16, Kim Si-a proved she is a truly talented young actress with her superb performance in Summer’s Camera, directed by Divine Sung. She beautifully portrayed the emotions of a teenager experiencing grief and self-discovery through her first love. After the world premiere at the 39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, we sat…
39th BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “After the Snowmelt” Review
Taiwanese-born director Yi-Shan Lo’s latest documentary, After the Snowmelt (2024), which premiered at the 2024 Visions du Réel festival in the Burning Lights Competition, and was also shown at this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, is an emotional and visually striking exploration of grief, survival, and identity. After the Snowmelt challenges traditional storytelling…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Divine Sung, Director of “Summer’s Camera” – Exclusive Interview
Divine Sung is a filmmaker based in Seoul with an MFA in Film Directing from the Korea National University of Arts. She has directed short films such as True Story (2018) and My Boyfriend and Our Yesterday (2023). Summer’s Camera is her feature film debut. Summer’s Camera had its world premiere at the 39th BFI…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – “Summer’ Camera” Review
Having its world premiere at this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Summer’s Camera is the feature directorial debut of Divine Sung, a South Korean filmmaker. The film depicts a wonderful and subtle exploration of youth and love. It also captures the theme of self-discovery while painting a portrait of a high school student,…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “Manok” Review
Every metal guitar wants a powerful amplifier. Yang Mal-bok is delightfully animated in Lee Yu-jin’s Manok, a film where zest is absolutely mandatory. Shortly after the first frame’s bright rainbow flag passes us by, we meet the titular Manok, a lively and impulsive bar owner who hosts LGBTQIA+ parade parties in Seoul. In a bold…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – “Việt and Nam” Review
If you’re a Vietnamese filmmaker, presenting a story to the world about two star-crossed lovers nicknamed Viet and Nam is all but asking the audience to interpret the trajectory of their relationship as a metaphor for the nation itself. The third film from writer/director Truong Minh Quy attempts to avoid this straightforward categorization due to…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – In Conversation with Minh Quý Trương, Director of “Việt and Nam”
Minh Quý Trương, a filmmaker from Buôn Ma Thuột, Vietnam, began his artistic journey by attending film school but dropped out in 2008 to pursue independent filmmaking. His early exposure to cinema led him to participate in the Asian Film Academy and the Berlinale Talents program, which enhanced his passion for storytelling and filmmaking. Trương’s…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – “Some Nights I Feel Like Walking” Review
Petersen Vargas draws us into a night of endless possibility in Some Nights I Feel Like Walking, a sensory experience set in the beating heart of Manila. Vibrant lights and a subtly hypnotic ambience immerse us into the thrilling hustle life of four boys, which is slowly unpeeled to its merciless core. We never see…
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