These are our ten recommended Asian short films from the International Film Festival Rotterdam, taking place from January 25 to February 4, 2024, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

A Brave New World by Arnold Tam – Hong Kong | 2023 – 9 minutes (IP)

Two COVID-testing employees make out in hazmat suits. A blindfolded student sits on her bed, rhythmically reciting lines from the national security handbook. Evocative scenes, rich in symbolism, are strung together to form this striking, wry portrait of Hong Kong’s current socio-political climate. Arnold Tam commits to a daring visual style and doesn’t shy away from dashes of absurdity to get his message across. – Loes van Keulen (IFFR 2024)

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Crazy Lotus by Naween Noppakun – Thailand | 2024 – 15 minutes | Fiction (WP)

Strange things seem to be happening to the citizens chasing Good Seconds along the riverbank, as they are wandering around between infinite possibilities. The newly released Distant Heart Glasses they wear offer them an escape from reality which is as tempting as it is daunting. In a world where the lines between our urban spaces and our digital environment are continuously blurring, what is the best possible path forward, if there still is one? – Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2024)

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East Coker by Wang Hanxuan – China | 2024 – 20 minutes | Fiction (WP)

In an arctic village in the north of China, an elderly woman awaits the return of her deceased father – the rhythmic tapping of her fingers echoes the hooves of his horse when he rode off to war. Inspired by Buddhist philosophy, Wang Hanxuan’s directorial debut finds unshakable confidence in the loving bond between father and daughter. – Loes van Keulen (IFFR 2024)

Peeper by Han Changlok – Korea | 2023 – 17 minutes | Fiction (WP)

When a woman meets the filmmaker she claims to admire most, she offers him a story to use as the premise of a film – leading to an unnerving piece of theatrical storytelling and sensual movement. Sustaining a remarkable level of tension and possessing an eerie eroticism, this short from South Korean filmmaker Han Changlok explores the seeds of inspiration with a feverish intensity that’s sure to unsettle. – Sophie Tupholme (IFFR 2024)

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Spirits of the Black Leaves by Thaweechok Phasom – Thailand | 2023 – 30 minutes | Fiction (IP)

A young woman wakes up feeling like there is a hole in her chest, as she goes about her daily routines she tries to navigate her fragmented memories. Later that day, a mysterious goat appears: reality and fiction seem to be slowly blending. In search of answers and attempting to break free from her anxiety and feelings of powerlessness, she ventures on a transformative journey into the night. – Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2024)

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Storyboard Suli by Anggun Priambodo – Indonesia | 2023 – 16 minutes | Animation (IP)

When Suli’s day starts with an eyeball in her beverage, it’s only the beginning of a series of rather absurd events. Various fantastic elements – ranging from an enormous cat to frogs that talk – all seem to be business as usual in Suli’s world. Enriched with casual commentary and a playful sense of humour, Anggun Priambodo presents an amusing and clever adventure in four acts. In the format of a storyboard, it leaves plenty of room for our imagination. – Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2024)

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The Inescapable Desire of Roots by Mark Chua, Lam Li Shuen – Singapore | 2024 – 6 minutes | Fiction (WP)

When hair begins to sprout wildly all over a man’s body, his struggle becomes a resistance against subjugation in which the human anguish is palpable. Combining overlaid 16mm and Super 8 film loops, this manic new short by Singaporean duo Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen is an exploration of the relationship between the body and the city in an ever violent society. – Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2024)

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The Witness Tree by Niranjan Raj Bhetwal – Nepal | 2023 – 14 minutes | Fiction (EP)

On the eve of his coming-of-age ceremony, Shreedhar uncovers the secret of his father’s death, forcing his mother to choose between the truth and his protection. Niranjan Raj Bhetwal (Eternal Melody, IFFR 2022) returns to Rotterdam with The Witness Tree, a subdued, yet poignant story of identity within family and community, set against a stunning mountain backdrop that serves as a silent witness to the past. – Loes van Keulen (IFFR 2024)

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Void by Iwasaki Yusuke – Japan | 2024 – 24 minutes | Fiction (WP)

Asagi’s classmates don’t seem concerned when her friend Satake suddenly dies in a strange way: they just continue their conversations about food and karaoke. While Asagi struggles with her loss, everything around her becomes increasingly absurd. A promising, idiosyncratic psychological horror debut with a generous dollop of dark humour and an eerie atmosphere. – Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2024)

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When the Wind Rises by Chen Hung – Taiwan | 2023 – 18 minutes | Fiction (IP)

An ageing activist wages a solitary struggle against the expansion of an oil refinery in his tiny fishing village. All the while the other villagers are infectiously united in their indecisiveness between sustainable change and short-term social security. A simple and charming portrait with a humorous undertone that hits the nail on the head: if we compromise on health risks and environmental pollution, we’re not going to make it.– Loes van Keulen (IFFR 2024)

Trailer:

WP – World Premiere
IP – International Premiere
EP – European Premiere
DP – Dutch Premiere

For more information, please visit: https://iffr.com/en