These are our eight recommended films from the Helsinki Cine Aasia, which will take place from March 14 – 17, 2024 at the Kinopalatsi and Cinema Orion, in Helsinki, Finland.

A Wild Roomer by Lee Jeong-hong – Korea | 2022 – 136 minutes

A Wild Roomer is a day-to-day pictorial of a young carpenter, who renovates houses and rents a room in a young couple’s house. His normal every day is peppered with sudden meetings of new people, conversations, and odd little events folding in the background. – Eija Niskanen

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All Ears by Liu Jiayin – China | 2023 – 119 minutes

Wen Shan, who previously worked as a screenwriter, has ended up making a living writing eulogies. Digging into characters of the now deceased, he is faced with the often conflicting memories and feelings of their close ones. Will these encounters bring the insight to also move his story forward? The film combines philosophical ponderings and gentle observations, offering an overall comforting feel. – Jenni Peisa

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Hail to Hell by Lim Oh-jeong – Korea | 2022 – 109 minutes

Tormented by their classmates, Nami and Sunwoo decide to end their lives instead of going on a school trip together. When this fails, the girls’ plans change into a revenge mission to Seoul, where their tormentor Chaerin has moved to live a luxurious life (at least according to Instagram). But is everything we see on social media true, and how can one find liberation from past mistakes?

This pitch-black South Korean comedy delves into painful themes without judgment. Despite the dark themes, Lim’s direction infuses the film with absurd humor, girl power, and hope for the future. – Muru Vähänikkilä

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Ichiko by Toda Akihiro – Japan | 2023 – 125 minutes

Ichiko and Yoshinori have been in a relationship for a few years and are about to marry when Ichiko spots something on the news and disappears. The ensuing investigation dwells into Ichiko’s past and reveals that maybe there never was an Ichiko. Or was there? Who is the woman with whom Yoshinori lived? – Eija Niskanen

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Ripples by Ogigami Naoko – Japan | 2023 – 120 minutes

A typical family ends up derailed, forcing the 50-something Yoriko to try her utmost to keep things under control. Ogigami’s films usually include something peculiar, which is also true of Ripples. The film can be seen as a black comedy, but likewise as an impressively multifaceted drama with societal commentary. Water plays an important symbolic role, also in the striking final scene. – Jenni Peisa

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Snow Leopard by Pema Tseden – China | 2023 – 109 minutes

Traditions, ways of earning a living in a rural and poor village and protection of endangered animals clash when a rural mountain village peasant finds a snow leopard in his sheep pen. A young monk emerges as a mediator between the village and the wild animal. Gorgeously filmed in Tibet, Snow Leopard was to be the last film of the late master filmmaker Pema Tseden.

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Solids by the Seashore by Patiparn Boontarig – Thailand | 2023 – 93 minutes

Solids by the Seashore is an intimate, minimalistic drama, with some touches of magical realism, about the meetings between two women, Shati from a conservative Muslim village, and Fon an activist turned artist. Gradually their relationship gets deeper and presents Shati with a difficult decision. – Eija Niskanen

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The Breaking Ice by Anthony Chen – China, Singapore | 2023 – 97 minutes

Three young adults cross paths in Yanji, Northern China’s wintery Korean area, and end up passing their days and nights together. Each has their own questions about the future for differing reasons. An atmosphere of melancholy surrounds them in the beautiful scenery, and the uncertainty facing many Chinese youth today can be felt. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. – Jenni Peisa

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For more information, please visit: https://helsinkicineaasia.fi/en/