These are our ten recommended Asian short films from the Berlin International Film Festival, taking place from February 15 – 25, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.

Note: This article may include movies made by filmmakers with Asian ancestry.

A Summer’s End Poem by Lam Can-zhao – China, Switzerland, Malaysia | 2024 – 15 minutes | World Premiere

In a village near the southern Chinese city of Chaozhou, a boy has spent the summer with his grandfather. As the last day of the holidays approaches, he gathers together his hard-earned savings to fulfil a dream: he has long yearned for a city hairstyle. But the gap between expectation and reality is large. This story of a boy who bids farewell to his childhood and embarks on a journey towards self-discovery transcends the boundaries of a small village and resonates with universal themes such as growing up and the unpredictable nature of life. (Berlinale 2024)

Chime by Kiyoshi Kurosawa – Japan | 2024 – 45 minutes | World Premiere

Matsuoka is a teacher at a culinary school. One day, his student Tashiro says something strange during class: “There’s a noise, it’s like a chime. Someone is sending me a message.” The school administration warns Matsuoka that Tashiro is a little strange. Tashiro then announces that half of his brain has been replaced by a machine and resorts to drastic measures to prove it. In class a few days after this incident, a female student called Akemi expresses discomfort at the way the sight of a whole chicken makes her feel. Matsuoka is filled with a vague sense of unease. A strange horror starts to creep into his life, both at school and at home. (Berlinale 2024)

Circle by Joung Yumi – Korea | 2024 – 7 minutes | World Premiere

A girl draws a circle on the ground. Passers-by step into it, one by one. Soon the circle is full of people struggling to make room for each other. Once the girl returns and erases the circle, people start heading on their way. (Berlinale 2024)

Trailer:

Goodbye First Love by Shuli Huang – USA | 2024 – 13 minutes | World Premiere

He pays him a visit in Frankfurt during his work trip to Europe. He talks about their time in Beijing, back in 2015. He listens, sometimes answers, unblurring those seemingly important details which do not matter any longer. Worn-out joy and fresh weariness. This might be the last time they meet. (Berlinale 2024)

Trailer:

Kawauso by Akihito Izuhara – Japan | 2023 | 15 minutes | International Premiere

A girl walks through the tall grass. An otter catches up with her and joins her on her walk. The two try in vain to communicate with each other. Humanity’s junk is slowly raining down from the sky and threatens to bury everything beneath it. The otter leaves the scene. A farewell song, drawn in delicate black and white. The Japanese otter has been considered extinct since 2012. Kawauso, which is Japanese for otter, is a popular character in Japanese folklore. (Berlinale 2024)

Remains of the Hot Day by Wenqian Zhang – China | 2024 – 24 minutes |  World Premiere

China at the end of the 1990s, lunch in an extended family. The father works in distant Shenzhen and is rarely home. The grandmother cooks and keeps an eye on the children. The air is filled with levity, longing, worries and exhaustion. Memories of a bygone era, told from the perspective of the six-year-old daughter. (Berlinale 2024)

Sojourn to Shangri-La by Lin Yihan – China | 2023 – 20 minutes | International Premiere

An elaborate fashion shoot is planned on the beach, but the backdrop built in advance has been swallowed by the sea overnight. The young assistant is the only one who tries to save the situation. She sends out a camera drone to search for the backdrop and the film slowly slips into the magical. (Berlinale 2024)

Trailer:

Songs of Love and Hate by Saurav Ghimire – Nepal, Belgium | 2024 – 17 minutes | World Premiere

Prem, the charismatic host of a popular radio show offering advice on matters of the heart, is himself plagued by heartache. He seeks solace in the rugged mountains. As he goes through his own emotional upheaval, desperate calls from listeners asking him for advice echo through the wilderness. Both Prem and his audience try to navigate their way through the treacherous terrain of love. A gripping tale of emotional turmoil and self-discovery. (Berlinale 2024)

Sour Candy by Nishi Dugar – India | 2024 – 20 minutes | World Premiere

Guddal, a free-spirited five-year-old, loves eating the sour sweeties called Anaar Daana. She lives in her ancestral home with her younger brother Laddoo and older sister Chinu. In the absence of their parents, the children are looked after by a nanny – who often scolds Guddal and Laddoo for getting up to mischief. One day, a sad incident causes a sudden shift in the atmosphere. The influx of strangers and unwanted guests into her idyllic world leaves Guddal confused. The coming-of-age tale Anaar Daana explores the essence of childhood amidst the darkest moments in life. (Berlinale 2024)

The Girl Who Lived in the Loo by Subarna Dash – India | 2024 – 12 minutes | World Premiere

A ten-year-old girl has discovered her haven – the bathroom – as the ultimate solution to all her problems. She eats in the loo, plays in the loo and, if she could, she would sleep in there, too. Her journey through life, as she moves from one bathroom to another, remains calm and secure, but also somewhat lonely. The more she grows, the more confined her world seems to become. Eventually, she reaches the understanding that her loyal companion, the loo, falls short of meeting all her needs. As much as she loves her haven, she realises she cannot be in there for much longer. She learns to step out of her comfort zone, beyond the familiar confines of her loving loo, reach out and ask for help. (Berlinale 2024)

For more information, please visit: https://www.berlinale.de/en/home.html