12.12: The Day is the new cinematic offering from Kim Sung-su, a South Korean filmmaker well-known for Musa, Asura: The City of Madness, and Flu. And, just like his previous works, 12.12: The Day is a gripping and powerful narrative filled with sublime performances. In the wake of President Park’s assassination in 1979, the political…
Tag: film review
“Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” Review
Creating bucket lists to achieve goals or experience new things is a common occurrence for many individuals, but what stops us from fulfilling them? These problems are reflected in the 2023 film adaptation of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. Based on the popular manga comics first created in 2018, the narrative follows Akira…
38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – In Conversation with Yuqing Lai, Director of “Two Suns”
In its 38th year, BFI Flare: LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in London shines with its programme yet again. Apart from big names and films on the menu, the festival also included little gems from the Asian continent, and Two Suns is one of them. Written and directed by Yuqing Lai, the short film, characterised by its…
38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – “Two Suns” Review
Even as we advance in technology and are able to capture image in a crisp 4k imitation of reality, directors across the world are still drooling at the imperfect, gritty charm of shooting on film. Digital is too real, too honest, and too faultless. Two Suns is a short directed (and starred in) by Yuqing…
“SHABU” Is the Boss of Peperklip: Film Review
Brought to the screen by Shamira Raphaëla, a documentary film director keen on encapsulating the essence of humanity, comes SHABU, which follows a 14-year-old as he works hard to pay back his grandmother after crashing her car while she’s away in Suriname. We arrive in a bustling neighbourhood as we follow Shabu in his day-to-day…
“Daughter” Film Review
Daughter is Corey Deshon’s directorial debut. Known for his work as a writer and consulting producer on the TV show A Million Little Things (ABC, 2017-2023) and his short films, Voice (2017) and To Police (2015), Daughter is Deshon’s first foray into the horror genre. However, like his other work, his first feature film is…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Door Lock Review
In a society, tightly dominated by men, is there a safe place for a woman? And what if the threat finds its way into the very hearth? Lee Kwon, who previously wrote and directed the horror-laced romantic comedy My Ordinary Love Story (2014), took on the adaptation of Jaume Balagueró’s Spanish film Sleep Tight. His…
21st Udine Far East Film Festival: Innocent Witness Review
Autistic characters are not an unusual appearance in the world of cinema, but they are not as common in Asian film productions. Lee Han, known for his humanistic approach to feature films, tackles the topic of autism in a feature that aims to be several things: a courtroom drama, a crime film and a family…
13th London Korean Film Festival: The Poet and the Boy Review
The Poet and the Boy (Si-e-nui a-rang) is the feature debut for Kim Yang-hee; it premiered at Jeonju International film festival in 2017, and made its way to London Korean Film Festival this fall. The film stars South Korean actor and filmmaker Yang Ik-june, who is best known for his debut film, which he both…
23rd Busan Internationational Film Festival: House of Hummingbird Review
Hummingbirds are the smallest of birds, with their tiny wings flapping away even faster than their heartbeats, unless they experience torpor, a hibernation-like state that hummingbirds use to protect themselves from the cold. Even though they are tiny, they build nests that have been named among the most exquisite wonders of nature. Much like hummingbirds, there…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 