26th Far East Film Festival: “Ransomed” Review

Where film demands dramaticism, realism is forfeited, Ransomed is the latest piece of Korean cinema to take a bit of history and whip up a fun action flick around it. The true story it’s based on of a Korean diplomat’s abduction in Lebanon is like a small meringue, sitting atop a thick lemon tart of…

26th Far East Film Festival: “12.12: The Day” Review

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…

Lee Jeong-eun on Producing “Ditto”: From Script to Screen

Being a female film producer today means that you are part of a growing movement in the film industry to increase diversity and representation behind the camera. Historically, the film industry has been male-dominated, and women have faced significant barriers to enter and advance in this field. However, in recent years, there has been a…

25th Far East Film Festival: “The Legend & Butterfly” Review

Oda Nobunaga, Japan’s first “great unifier”, has been depicted on screen countless times. Depending on the angle of the narrative the daimyo can either be seen as a hero or villain; romantic lead or malevolent foe; the Fool of Owari or the Demon King. Often his part in unifying the country during the Sengoku period…