AsianFilmFestivals present a list of 80 Asian Films, Docs & Shorts you cannot miss. Today we finish with the list of Films and Documentaries.
About the list
After covering lots of festivals in these first months of 2016 we decided to publish a list of 38 Asian films, 17 documentaries & 25 shorts you cannot miss. The list was made taking into account fifty-six festivals that took place from January – June (2016). After reading lots of catalogues we decided to highlight films we consider interesting to watch. We try to be fair and cover all genres.
To make it more organized we decided to publish the list in different post. Also to make it more accessible for future reads we created a new section in the Top Menu called “80 Asian Films” there you will find all the post we create related to this list. We hope you like our selection of films and as always we are open to any comments.
Note: the films were order alphabetically
FILMS & DOCS (46-55)
The last insurrection by Liao Jian-Hua – Taiwan | 2015 – 62 min.
In 1991, four years after the martial law was lifted in Taiwan, four young people were arrested by the Bureau of Investigation. This incident evoked memories of the “White Terror” and triggered huge demonstrations in the country. Through in-depth interviews and researches, The Last Insurrection reconstructs the Taiwan Independent Association (TIA) Incident in 1991.
The Mountain by Su Hung-En – Taiwan | 2015 – 73 min.
For hundreds of years, Taiwan had been under different colonial rules. From the Dutch, the Spanish, the Japanese and the Republic of China, each regime left their footprints on the island. The Taiwanese indigenous people are those who truly experienced the changes in the process. Through the life of a Truku elderly, we see the history of aboriginal recertification movement.
The Road by Zhang Zanbo – China, Denmark | 2015 – 95 min.
This documentary provides an astonishingly revealing picture of the construction of a section of China’s massive Xu-Huai Highway, as seen by dislocated locals, exploited migrant workers and the embattled construction company.
The Silence by Park Soo-nam – Japan | 2016 – 90 min.
In May 1994, 15 grandmothers, carrying rice and kimchi with them, left for Japan to make their voice heard on the issues of negotiation. This film is the record of struggles carried on by the victims of comfort women who broke themselves off from the half-century long silence to retain dignity and to recover tarnished reputation.
Their Distance by Rikyia Imaizumi – Japan | 2015 – 106 min.
Young Leon works as an apprentice shoe repairman, and avoids contact with other people. One afternoon, he comes across a drunk woman named Suna sleeping on a park bench, and for some reason finds himself unable to forget her. Leon and Suna are only two of the seven characters in Rikiya Imaizuma’s film about the complexity of feelings.
There is No Lid on the Sea by Toyoshima Keisuke – Japan | 2015 – 84 min.
Mari leaves the city to return to her hometown. There, she meets a troubled burn victim, Hajime. Together, two girls find new life in a dying town. Missing her hometown by the coast, Mari quits her job in the city and returns home to start a business making shave ice, a dessert she loves. One day, she finds herself taking in a spiritually and physically wounded young woman named Hajime, who has burn marks on her face and has recently lost her beloved grandmother. Mari takes Hajime on to help with the shop, but opens to very few customers. Mari senses a growing rift between her and the locals who have watched their town’s fortunes sour. This summer story is about two girls looking for a fresh start.
Thithi by Raam Reddy – India | 2015 – 123 min.
When Century Gowda – having earned the name for passing the 100-year mark – dies, respectful plans are made for his funeral and 11-day memorial, or ‘thithi’. But other plans are underway too. Century’s grandson Thamanna plots to sell off the family land to make a quick buck, but discovers that the land now belongs to his father Gadappa, whose sole interests are booze and cigarettes. Meanwhile Abhi, the youngest of the clan, tries to seduce an attractive shepherdess. Quite unlike the Indian cinema we’re accustomed to, Thithi is a cleverly written and comical look at desire, materialism and freedom, featuring fantastic performances from a mostly non-professional cast.
Troublers by Lee Young – South Korea | 2015 – 98 min.
“You do not belong to this world!” I encounter people crying out against me and LGBTQ people. It is a time of hatred in South Korea. LGBTQ people are the easy targets for hatred. Being dangerous to nation’s safety and future, we are branded as ‘Pro-North Korean Commies’. In searching for what makes a marginalized life livable, I embark upon a journey. I encounter a double life of Lee Muk, a 70-year-old Korean “Mr. Pants” and precarious lives of a Japanese lesbian couple, Ten and Non, after 3/11.
Worst Woman by Kim Jongkwan – South Korea | 2016 – 94 min.
Eunhee is an actress who also plays in her real life. One day, she meets 3 different men and changes her own character each time she dates them, just like taking a role in the play. One of her is clever and polite, another is boyish and honest, and the last seems elegant and mature. Though each of her performance full of lies seems going smoothly, everything is about to be messed up at the end.
Yen’s Life by Dinh Tuan Vu – Vietnam | 2015 – 107 min.
According to the marriage arrangement of parent, Yen had to get married when she was only 10 years old. Since then, her life closed to the ups and downs of her husband’s family.
FILMS & DOCS
Part 1 (1-15)
Part 2 (16-30)
Part 3 (31-45)
Part 4 (46-55)
Go to the 80 Asian Films to see the complete list.
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