The industry has needed a proper feel-good flick for a long time. Not just the bittersweet, but the genuine, wholeheartedness of a story designed to relight some hope in humanity. The Taiwanese hit romance Hear Me did this over a decade ago, and recently got its much-anticipated Korean redo. After its Italian premiere at the…
Tag: movies
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Chieh Shuen Bin, Director of “Organ Child” and Actress Moon Lee
Organ trafficking is a global crisis that hides in plain sight. Generating more than $1.7 billion annually, it’s estimated that one in ten organ transplants occurs through illegal means. In Asia, the growing gap between the wealthy and the poor only intensifies the trade’s horrors. These are not just numbers; they are lives torn apart,…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Arak Amornsupasiri and Vuthipong Sukhanindr, Directors of “The Stone”
What drives a person to lie in the name of faith – or to believe in something that can’t be proven? In The Stone, a directorial debut from Thai artists Arak Amornsupasiri and Vuthipong Sukhanindr, such questions take center stage. Known for their work in acting, music, and design, the duo steps confidently behind the…
27th Far East Film Festival: Exploring Asian Monsters in Film: From Yōkai to Gumiho
As much as you try to fight them, monsters never die. They are born out of old folkloric legends, influenced by religion, shamanism, society, and passed down through oral tradition. They live through time and space, re-emerging in different forms with every new generation. It’s of no surprise, then, that they also inhabit contemporary Asian…
27th Far East 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…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with E.oni, Director of “Love in the Big City”
In the contemporary Korean cinema, director Lee Eon-hee, known professionally as E. oni, is recognised for her quietly revolutionary voice in telling human stories. E.oni was part of the first graduating class of the Korea National University of Arts, where she majored in film. Her early career was rooted in foundational, behind-the-scenes work: she served…
27th Udine Far East Film Festival: “Hear Me: Our Summer” Review
What’s the happiest film you can think of? Is it one painted with flowers, and a dreamy major-key score? Is it about the ending, or is it the journey the characters took together that filled your heart with the most warmth? Perhaps the happiest film isn’t the one so sickly-sweet that it veers from realism,…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Antoinette Jadaone, Director of “Sunshine”
Filipino filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone has won acclaim for telling intense women’s stories and for having the courage to tackle controversial issues that are mostly avoided in her conservative homeland. But it’s fair to say that Jadaone’s latest production, Sunshine, is her boldest – and perhaps most brilliant – yet. The film features Maris Racal as…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Dong Zijian, Director and Actor of “My Friend An Delie”
Chinese actor Dong Zijian just made his directing debut, and it’s a stellar endeavour. The beautifully shot My Friend An Delie, based on the novel by Shuang Xuetao, is a warm shelter amidst the snowy plains of uncertainty. It’ll hold your hand as it takes you along a slow path toward overcoming grief and pain,…
27th Far East Film Festival: “Love in the Big City” Review
If you never thought a plastic uterus model would make a good plant, prepare yourself for some redecorating. The stolen emblem sitting atop glass marbles as the years tick away is the most profound object you’ll see in the whole of E.oni’s Love in the Big City, a film that, despite the assumed subject matter,…
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