These are six Asian films you shouldn’t miss at the Warsaw Film Festival which is taking place from October 6 – 15, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland.

Day Tripper by Chen Yanqi – China | 2023 – 90 minutes – World Premiere
On an ordinary day in a city in northern China, people struggle with their lives as usual. A middle-aged man finds his job has been given to a young person. He doesn’t know where to go. The man’s wife wants a new life. She tries to move to a new place and break up with her lover. Some high school students are numbly arranged in the schoolyard. And a young teacher is trying to change the traditional education system. At a remote bus stop, people wait for the bus all day. However, they don’t know the bus will never stop here. The owner of a barbershop forces the barbers to go into the streets to grab customers. Similarly, a barbecue shop owner is transforming his shop into a nightclub. When night falls, people finish work and come to the new nightclub. They lose themselves in the gorgeous illusion. (WarsawFF 2023)

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Push Pause by Ryoma Kosasa – Japan | 2023 – 86 minutes – World Premiere
The Coco guesthouse cultivates new relationships, providing a platform for confronting personal pasts and futures. Shiko, leaving her hometown due to family issues, lacked confidence and avoided connections. Yet, at Coco she gradually engages with others, seeking her unique way of life. Tomotsu, burdened by past mistakes and distant friendships, harboured mistrust. Reuniting with friends and new encounters empower him to face values and loved ones. Amid confusion in Tokyo, Xiao gains confidence through encounters and peers, deepening her connections. We observe young people fatigued by life gradually moving forward towards self-discovery. (WarsawFF 2023)

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Sin Clock by Kenji Maki – Japan | 2023 – 94 minutes
Takagi was filled with frustration. He was fired from his company for unreasonable reasons.  He also got divorced. He finally got a job as a taxi driver. However, even there, the lowest days of being disregarded by customers continue. One day, a chance to change his life comes to him. He overhears a story that leads to a “phantom painting” worth billions of yen from Otani, a politician who happens to be on board as a passenger. Takagi teams up with Bamba, who has an amazing memory due to savant syndrome, and Sakaguchi, a gambling maniac who is familiar with the underworld. Together they plan a heist, devising the “perfect plan”.  However, an unexpected coincidence brought about by the number [3] makes things take a direction for an ending far beyond Takagi’s expectations. (WarsawFF 2023)

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Smoking Tigers by So Young Shelly Yo – USA | 2023 – 91 minutes – International Premiere
Los Angeles in the early 2000s. A lonely Korean-American teen named Hayoung spends the summer at an academic bootcamp. There, she meets three wealthy students who let her into their world. Hayoung works hard to hide her problematic family and lower-income background, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life. (WarsawFF 2023)

Snow Leopard by Pema Tseden – China | 2023 – 109 minutes
An unexpected incident of a snow leopard breaking into the sheep pen of a local herder and killing nine rams not only causes a stir in the family, but also attracts a TV crew to the village… A beautiful tale of a majestic but deadly snow leopard and its complicated relationship with the communities of the Tibetan Plateau. (WarsawFF 2023)

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The Breaking Ice by Anthony Chen – China | 2023 – 97 minutes
In cold wintry Yanji, a city on China’s northern border, young twenty-something urbanite Haofeng is visiting. He’s travelled from Shanghai, but it’s not where he’s from. He feels lost and wants a way to spend the time. By chance, he goes on a tour led by Nana, a charming tour guide. She instantly fascinates him and introduces him to Xiao, a personable but frustrated restaurant worker. The three bond quickly and set off on a brief but unforgettable journey. Confronting their individual traumas, their frozen desires slowly thaw as they seek to liberate themselves from an icy world.  (WarsawFF 2023)

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For more information, please visit: https://wff.pl/