83rd Venice Film Festival: “Children of the Monkey” Review

Becoming a parent changes your life, but becoming the parent of a child with a disability can change it in ways nobody can fully prepare you for. There are appointments, routines, worries about the future and, depending on the child’s needs, a level of physical and emotional care that can continue for a long time….

83rd Venice Film Festival: “Diane in the Loop” Review

A mother wants to leave the past behind but her daughter wants to dig it back up. That difficult starting point is the premise of Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni’s Diane in the Loop. Diane (Ninon Borsei) learns that her mother (Sandrine Blancke) was raped three years before she was born. For Diane, discovering what…

Asian Cinema at the 70th BFI London Film Festival

The BFI London Film Festival has unveiled the programme for its 70th edition, and Asian cinema will once again form an essential part of the celebration. From long-awaited works by some of the continent’s most respected filmmakers to daring debuts, intimate documentaries and large-scale genre spectacles, this year’s selection reflects the extraordinary breadth of filmmaking…

XG’s THE CORE Tour Lands in London

Japan has never lacked girl groups; what it has lacked is the international machinery needed to turn its acts into global phenomena. Much of the Japanese idol industry has traditionally focused on its domestic audience, leaving many talented performers without the visibility they deserve elsewhere. Yet when a Japanese girl group does break through internationally,…

Trapped Inside the Hive Mind: “Colony” Review

Yeon Sang-ho, the director of Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2020), once again ventures into the zombie film genre he is well-versed in. In Colony, the zombie outbreak takes place in an enclosed high-rise in Seoul. The visceral horror of the film is enhanced by its choreography, sound design, as well as its claustrophobic…

OMEGA X On Reuniting With “UNCAPPED” – Exclusive Interview

Dark, sexy, and possessing something a little more than the average K-pop boy group, OMEGA X are finally back with UNCAPPED: seemingly unleashing everything they hadn’t already. They’re currently a prime seven; after Hwichan, Sebin and Kevin’s return to activity, the boys clearly wanted to come back with a bang. The titular track features afrobeats,…

Sound in Colors K-POP Exposé To Bring the Biggest K-POP Event in Poland

K-pop festivals can be hit or miss, but Poland’s August line-up looks too big to ignore. One of the joys of following K-pop in Europe is that no two festivals ever feel quite the same. Some become unforgettable celebrations where artists and fans feed off each other’s energy. Others promise a dream line-up only for…

Yuki Chiba Live in London: A Japanese Hip-Hop Sensation – Concert Review

Japanese hip-hop found its voice through pioneers like Seiko Ito, whose 1989 album Mess/Age is widely regarded as the first game-changing Japanese rap record. Alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara and Kan Takagi, who helped introduce hip-hop to Japan’s airwaves and underground scene, they laid the foundations for a movement that was later propelled into the mainstream by…