62nd Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival: “The Long Departure” Review

One of the greatest pleasures, or perhaps essential rituals, at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (TGHFF) is exploring its consistently strong shorts program, particularly the documentary section. They usually struggle to reach wider audiences outside of the festival circuit, making this showcase a rare opportunity. This year, among a blossom of Taiwanese short films,…

Kenshi Yonezu: The Sonic Alchemist Bringing Anime to Life with “JANE DOE”

Kenshi Yonezu, a Japanese shape-shifting creative force, seems to treat genre and medium as gentle suggestions rather than fixed rules. From his early days as a Vocaloid producer, HACHI, to becoming one of Japan’s most influential singer-songwriters, Yonezu has built a reputation for transforming emotions and sound into cinema. And now, he has done it…

20th London Korean Film Festival: “Frosted Window” Review

Kim Jong-kwan is surely one of a kind as a filmmaker. His work reveals a keen sensitivity to the human condition. His cinema has always been a dialogue between isolation and empathy, often exploring how people drift in and out of each other’s lives, guided by memory and the delicate tremour of feeling. From Worst…

20th London Korean Film Festival: “The Land of Morning Calm” Review

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…

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…

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…