| ASEAN Culture House (ACH) is hosting its second “ASEAN Cinema Week” from March 12 to 25, following the first one in 2019 to celebrate the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan. Courtesy of ACH |
By Yi Whan-woo
The ASEAN Culture House (ACH) is hosting screenings of 15 ASEAN films from March 12 to 25.
Titled “2021 ASEAN Cinema Week ― On: Tact,” the two-week event is the second of its kind. The previous one was held in 2019 to mark the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit.
Back then, the screenings were held as part of efforts to bolster cultural exchanges between the two sides ― a goal of the Korea Foundation, a government-affiliated public diplomacy organization that manages the ACH.
The 15 films were made between 2019 and 2020 in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, in genres ranging from romance to comedy, action and horror.
The screenings are available for free on Naver TV's “ASEAN Cinema Week.”
They are also available offline at the CGV Apgujeong branch in southern Seoul from March 13 to 14, and the Busan Cinema Center from March 20 to 21.
Admission is free. But in accordance with social distancing, only up to 50 people will be admitted to each session after reservations are made in advance at the ACH website.
There also will be panel discussions both online and offline, featuring directors and cast as well as writers, journalists and people from other professions related to the films.
“Due to popular demand, the ACH will be hosting the 2021 ASEAN Cinema Week ― On: Tact to show how ASEAN films have consistently developed over the years and offer new perspectives on the ASEAN countries' cultures through the medium of film,” the ACH said in a statement. “You will be able to enjoy the screenings and events at a movie theater or your own home.”
Brunei showcases “Worm and the Widow,” a fairytale set in a Bruneian district of Tutong where a handicapped boy encounters a widow nicknamed The Witch. It was directed by Abdul Zainidi.
| A poster for the Indonesian film “Generasi 90-an: Melankolia” (In Gloom) / Courtesy of ACH |
From Indonesia are “Mudik,” (Homecoming) “Generasi 90-an: Melankolia” (In Gloom) and “A Mother's Love.”
Directed by Adriyanto Dewo, “Mudik” (Homecoming) is about two women who are involved in an accident as they try to mend a growing rift between them on their way to their hometown.
“Generasi 90-an: Melankolia (In Gloom)” is a story of a man named Abby who becomes close with a friend of his sister killed in an airplane crash.
“A Mother's Love” is one of HBO's Folkore series produced by the American TV channel. Directed by Joko Anwar, it is about single mother who discovers and saves a group of dirty and underfed children but snatches them later from their adopted mother unknowingly.
The Malaysian horror film “Roh” deals with a family who gets an unwelcome visit from a strange little girl in a forest.
Directed by Maung Sun, “Money Has Four Legs” is a comedy that pays homage to Myanmar's rich history of cinema and its struggle with censorship.
Of the two Filipino films, “Untrue” is a drama about a bruised and beaten wife named Mara who seeks the help of police against her husband Joachim.
The second, “Isa Pa with Feelings,” is a comedy about a frustrated architect whose relationship with a deaf-mute neighbor faces challenges due to miscommunication.
From Singapore are “Tiong Bahru Social Club” and “Wet Season.”
The former is about a man in his 30s who, who after living with his mother, seeks a future of his own and finds himself in a strange cult of happiness and technology after befriending an artificial intelligence algorithm.
The latter is a drama centering on a teacher and a student who form a special, self-affirming relationship.
From Thailand are “Riam Fighting Angel,” “Mother Gamer,” and “Pob.”
Directed by Prueksa Amaruji, “Riam Fighting Angel” is an adventure about a girl named Riam who has to find a way to rescue her family members who have been kidnapped by brutal gangsters to force her to marry their boss.
“Mother Gamer” is an action film about a mother who, in order to stop her beloved son from participating in an e-sports tournament, decides to set up her own team to beat him and wipe out his dream of becoming a professional gamer.
Also part of the HBO Folkore series, “Pob,” directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, tells the story of a cannibalistic female spirit in Thai folklore.
| A still image from the Vietnamese film “The Royal Bride” / Courtesy of ACH |
From Vietnam are “The Royal Bride” and “Sister Sister.”
“The Royal Bride” is a comedy about a scandalous TV host who travels to her fiance's hometown hoping to uncover a mysterious showbiz secret.
A late night radio talk show host offers a room to a runaway teen at her opulent home in the thriller “Sister Sister.”