Film highlights will include (subject to change):
Kubi (Dir. Takeshi Kitano, Japan, 2023)
Legendary actor and director Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Sonatine, HANA-BI) reconfigures the historical epic, with his mesmerising and outrageous view of Japanese history as rival warlords battle to reign supreme over feudal Japan. Offering a darkly comic perspective on the political intrigue and homoerotic desire, this strikingly violent film comprehensively debunks the myths of masculinity, ethics and honour that have defined the samurai genre onscreen.
Edhi Alice, (Dir. Ilrhan Kim, South Korea, 2024)
Interrogating how documentaries about trans communities are made: the creative decisions, relationships, and ethical questions involved, the subject of the documentary is Edhi, who works as a counsellor for LGBTQ+ teens in Seoul, and has decided to undertake gender reassignment surgery. Edhi’s story intertwines with that of Alice, the lighting technician on the film crew and an older trans woman, who is preoccupied with challenging popular stereotypes about female and male bodies. This powerful and thought-provoking film refuses to compromise in its depiction of post-surgery recuperation, but offers an authentic portrayal of the trans experience and allyship in South Korea.
Murmur of Youth (Dir. Lin Cheng-sheng, Taiwan, 1997)
Two adolescent girls in Taiwan meet when they get a job in a cinema box office. The pair begin to bond as they chat about family, work and school; but gradually, their conversations become more intimate. Lin Cheng-Sheng’s (Sweet Degeneration, 1997; Betelnut Beauty, 2001) poignant coming-of-age story from 1997 beautifully captures the bittersweet essence of youth.
Rookie (Dir. Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2023)
An awkward teenager in the Philippines moves to an all-girls school, where she is forced to join the volleyball team. She is initially no good at the sport and socially ostracised, but things begin to change when she falls for the team captain. From Samantha Lee, a filmmaker from the Philippines who advocates for better representation of women and the LGBTQ+ community in cinema, this heartfelt film is powered by authentic performances.
