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 tensions beneath everyday life. This is not a story about national identity or grand political themes; it is about people: ordinary and flawed. The Land…
Tag: film
20th London Korean 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…
20th London Korean Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Jong-kwan, Director of “Frosted Window”
Within the subtle intimacy of Kim Jong-kwan’s films lies an entire universe. His cinema captures the delicate spaces between people; the brief moments of longing, love, hesitation, and loss. The South Korean filmmaker, a graduate of the Seoul Institute of the Arts, has built a reputation for making films of profound emotional delicacy. From his…
20th London Korean Film Festival: In Conversation with Yeon Woo-jin of “Frosted Window”
Yeon Woo-jin is one of South Korea’s most versatile and compelling actors. Rising from a background in modeling to presence on screen, Yeon’s early recognition came with his role in Arang and the Magistrate (2012), which earned him a Best New Actor nomination. Since then, he has consistently demonstrated an ability to inhabit a wide…
Anik Khan Discusses His Full-Length Album, “ONĒK,” and Life – Exclusive Interview
Anik Khan is a Bangladeshi-American rapper and singer-songwriter based in New York City, and a helluva storyteller through his music. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and raised in Queens, New York, Khan’s early life was influenced by his immigrant experience and the diverse cultures around him. He discovered hip-hop at a young age, remembering the moment…
Tibet Film Festival London 2025: “MOLA” Review
Every once in a while, a documentary comes along that makes you pause and reflect on your own life – and how you move through the world. Shown at this year’s Tibet Film Festival in London, MOLA: A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss is a beautiful portrait of family and faith, and a story…
Tibet Film Festival London 2025: “State of Statelessness” Review
What does it mean to be stateless in a world that measures existence through borders and documents? For most, nationality is an assurance – a birthright so inherent that it goes unnoticed. But for millions across the globe, including Tibetans living in exile, statelessness is not an abstract concept; it’s a wound that never closes….
Tibet Film Festival London 2025: “Wisdom of Happiness” Review
In today’s fast-changing and uncertain world, wisdom, happiness, and compassion are no longer just ideals; they’re essential tools for finding balance and connection. Wisdom today isn’t simply about intellect or knowledge; it’s about discernment, the ability to see clearly through the noise and distraction that fill modern life, and to make choices that serve not…
Tibet Film Festival London 2025 Explores Compassion and Identity Through Cinema
The Tibet Film Festival London returns this year with a rich program of premieres, workshops, and special screenings, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience Tibetan stories on the big screen and engage directly with filmmakers, scholars, and cultural leaders. Celebrating the Year of Compassion in honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday,…
ALULA Film Festival: In Conversation with JI Qiuyu, Director of “The Homeless”
Chinese filmmaker Ji Qiuyu approaches the world with gentleness. Her documentary The Homeless captures the lives of those existing on the margins of society, people who have drifted between belonging and isolation, freedom and invisibility. Rather than portraying homelessness as a tragedy, Ji observes it as a complex human condition. Shot with a compassionate eye,…
ALULA Film Festival: “Obedience” Review
Based in the heart of Hong Kong, the district of Hung Hom feels like a city within a city, a place where the living and the dead coexist almost side by side. Coffins glide through narrow streets toward nearby funeral homes, while a few steps away, commuters and street vendours fight for space among the…
2025 ALULA Film Festival: “The Homeless” Review
Homelessness is one of the most visible manifestations of social inequality. Globally, individuals experiencing homelessness often face multiple layers of marginalization – not only lacking stable housing but also encountering barriers to healthcare, employment as well as social services. The causes of homelessness are complex and intertwined, ranging from poverty, unemployment, and housing shortages to…
ALULA Film Festival: In Conversation with Bian Zhuo, Director of “As the Water Flows”
Bian Zhuo’s As the Water Flows is a gentle and beautiful film about aging and reconciliation, shaped by the director’s own family story. The film was inspired by the diary of Bian’s late grandfather, a man who suffered greatly during China’s Anti-Rightist Movement. What started as an attempt to recreate that hardship slowly turned into…
2025 ALULA Film Festival: “As the Water Flows” Review
One wonders what the title As the Water Flows truly means – at least until the film’s final moments, when its philosophy finally surfaces. Water moves forward, never looking back, yet somehow it reflects everything it passes. Life, Bian Zhuo seems to say, is much the same: a continuous current defined by the memories we…
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