Despite significant progress in recent years, the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face discrimination and marginalisation in Asia and around the world. While some countries have made strides towards equality, many from the community still live in fear of persecution, violence, and rejection by society due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. In Asia, cultural…
Tag: film festival
74th Berlin International Film Festival: “REAS” Review
As we plough through this cursed era of remakes and unnecessary sequels, any film or TV series that features a brand new story is a blessing – and there’s nothing more original than real life. Lola Arias directs Argentinian self-proclaimed hybrid musical REAS, which sources its material from the charming inmates of Ezeiza prison a…
74th Berlin International Film Festival: In Conversation with Anthony Schatteman, Director of “Young Hearts”
During the 74th Berlin Film Festival, just two days before the festival’s curtain called, I had the distinct pleasure of engaging in a candid conversation with the filmmaker Anthony Schatteman. His film, Young Hearts, earned a special mention from the discerning children’s jury in the Generation Kplus Best Film category. Young Hearts is rooted in…
74th Berlin International Film Festival: “Young Hearts” Review
Warning: Spoilers ahead. Set amongst the fairytale-like rural landscapes of Belgium, Anthony Schatteman’s Young Hearts takes us into the lives of Elias (Lou Goossens) and Alexander (Marius De Saeger) as they pry open their feelings for one another – and navigate first love. With musical magic from Ruben De Gheselle, the film suffocates you with…
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival to Open with “Mediha” by Hasan Oswald
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival, now in its 28th year in London, has revealed a line-up of 10 award-winning, international feature-length films in partnership with Barbican Cinema and Rich Mix and generously supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The festival programme, presented at the Barbican and Rich Mix from 14-22 March, 2024, includes…
“Evil Does Not Exist” Review
The final moments of Evil Does Not Exist have proven divisive, but you won’t be able to successfully argue that Ryusuke Hamaguchi hasn’t tried to prepare you for them. From the opening moments to his latest effort, a prize winner at the recent Venice and London film festivals, it feels like the director is consciously…
18th London Korean Film Festival: “Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman” Review (Closing Night)
Spoilers ahead Demons and spirits conjure two emotions for movie lovers: it either piques their interest to watch or has them running away in fear. The opening credits of 2023’s Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman do just that with the cryptic quote, “Seoul Kyung is a talisman with spells and glyphs written on Hanji…
18th London Korean Film Festival: “Hail to Hell” Review
In recent years, South Korean independent cinema has been taking the world by storm. Just look at Past Lives – a hidden gem of the country’s cinema. Another interesting film that is worth one’s attention is Lim Oh-jeong‘s Hail to Hell. Screened at this year’s London Korean Film Festival, the compelling film takes us on…
8th London East Asia Film Festival: “Concrete Utopia” Review (Closing Night Film)
The essence of what makes us human is a complex and multi-layered pyramid of emotions, experiences, and moral choices. Human nature contains elements of both light and darkness and is often revealed during times of crisis, when the balance between empathy and selfishness can sway. The pressures of a crisis can bring out our instinct…
The London Korean Film Festival Returns for Its 18th Edition with a Special Focus
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) is set to return for its 18th edition from November 2 to November 16, 2023. Held in cinema venues across London, this year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, A Glimpse into Korean Cinema With the distinction of hosting the most extensive program of Korean cinema…
80th Venice International Film Festival: In Conversation with Nehir Tuna, Director of “Yurt”
The 80th Venice International Film Festival recently featured an intriguing and thought-provoking film, Yurt. In our exclusive interview with Nehir Tuna, we delved into the director’s background and the deep influence it had on the making of the aforementioned film. As the writer-director of the project, Tuna shared his deep personal connection to the story,…
80th Venice International Film Festival: “Making Of” Review
Warning: Spoilers ahead. A fantastical orchestral piece plays over a black screen. The opening credits introduce us to Making Of before throwing us into a rain-doused action scene. Without looking at the blurb one might’ve easily assumed this was the movie they were watching, but before too long, a cameraman is angrily pushed away and…
Celine Song’s “Past Lives” Review
The mundane joys of people watching have seldom been caught onscreen as effectively as they have in the opening sequence of Past Lives, the lauded directorial debut of playwright Celine Song. Entering the film from the perspective of two unseen, unnamed narrators, we’re immediately tasked with guessing the relationship dynamics between three people sitting at…
“December”: Crime, Redemption, and Second Chances – In Conversation with Shogen, Ryo Matsuura, and Film’s Producer, Mina Moteki
December, directed by Anshul Chauhan, is a powerful drama that, hypothetically, delves into the Japanese justice system while exploring the possibilities of offering a second chance to criminals. It does so through the story of prisoner Kana (Ryo Matsuura), a young woman who killed her classmate a decade earlier and whose case is being brought…
