Directed by Lee Jiyoon, When the Trees Sway, the Heart Stirs centres on the story of residents in Seoul’s Jeongneung Valley, who have begun relocating amid plans for regional redevelopment. The director turns her lens to the mundane, everyday moments of life, walking alongside both current and former residents to capture their experiences. The film lays bare…
Tag: reviews
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2025: “SPI” Review
SPI (烤火房で見るいくつかの夢) directed by Sayun Simung, reveals a touching Tayal family story centring around ‘gaga’, certain routines and rituals that sustain solidarity and peace among Tayal people. After the death of Grandpa Wilang, Grandma Yabay can hardly break away from the sadness, followed by the pregnancy of the underage granddaughter, the camera unfolds how Sayun’s…
FOCUS Art Fair London 2025 – The Beauty Behind Abi Dionisio’s Work – Exclusive Interview
We met Filipino artist Abi Dionisio at FOCUS Art Fair London 2025, where she was represented by ONE EAST ASIA, and presented her new series called When Threads Take Turns. Her work immediately attracts the eye: at first glance, her paintings appear to be complex embroidered fabric. Step closer, and the illusion dissolves; what looks…
FOCUS Art Fair London 2025 – FiNGAiSM: The Art of Kento Senga – Exclusive Interview
Best known as a member of Kis-My-Ft2, Kento Senga has spent over twenty years entertaining audiences through music, dancing, and acting. But behind the pop idol image is a thoughtful artist whose work, as well as creativity, goes beyond one’s imagination. Born in Nagoya, Senga began dancing at the age of three, inspired by the…
How Annemarie Jacir Brings Palestine’s Forgotten Uprising to the Screen – “Palestine 36” Review
Some filmmakers tell stories, and some preserve entire histories through their work. Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir belongs to the latter. Across her extraordinary career, from Salt of This Sea to When I Saw You and Wajib, Jacir’s work comes from a place of honesty, an understanding of her people’s struggle, and a refusal to let their…
SF9 Bring Energy and Charm to London’s Indigo at The O2
If there’s one thing you can always count on with SF9, it’s that they’ll show up, give their all, and make even a slightly tired stage feel like home. When the five members of SF9 (yes, only five this time around – the others were sorely missed but very much there in spirit) took the…
Joss and Gawin on “My Golden Blood”, Working Together and Their Fanmeet in Europe – Exclusive Interview
For fans of Thai BL dramas, seeing your favourite actors up close is an experience unlike any other. When Joss and Gawin arrived in London for their first European fan-meeting tour, many of us were quite excited. Fans had spent hours immersed in My Golden Blood, following the story of Mark, a vampire struggling with…
69th BFI London Film Festival: “Left-Handed Girl” Review
Left-Handed Girl is one of those films that makes your heart ache and smile at the same time. In her stunning solo debut, Taiwanese filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou tells the story of a family who, in the face of struggle, confront painful secrets yet ultimately rediscover what matters most: their love for one another. Following a…
69th BFI London Film Festival: In Conversation with Shih-Ching Tsou, Director of “Left-Handed Girl”
For years, Shih-Ching Tsou has been the heartbeat behind some of contemporary cinema’s most human stories. Born and raised in Taipei, she moved to New York after graduating from Fu Jen Catholic University, earning her master’s in Media Studies at The New School. Her career began with Take Out (2004), a small, vérité-style indie she…
69th BFI London Film Festival: In Conversation with Calif Chong, Isabella Wei and Matthew P. Scott of “High Wire”
Hong Kong director Calif Chong’s debut feature, High Wire, makes a striking entrance, a film that is at once humorous, compelling, and real. Best known for her acclaimed 2019 short Underneath, Chong ventures into feature territory with a story that examines the delicate balance of duty and desire, the weight of parental expectation, and the…
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