Reel Asian
The social changes currently taking place in Tibet are seen through the eyes of a young family in Summer Pasture, a documentary by Lynn True, Nelson Walker, and Tsering Perlo. Although the lifestyle of nomadic yak herders in Tibet’s Kham region has been going on for the past 4,000 years, modernization is now steadily encroaching on its harmony. Some damage has already been done, and the people that this documentary focuses on quietly reveal that, despite their best efforts, it may soon become completely unsustainable....
Though title of this film may sound like some variety of romantic comedy, When Love Comes is actually a dysfunctional-family drama. It’s the story of an unlikely group of people who try to get along even though the odds are against that ever happening. Director and writer Tso-chi Chang explores the subjects of alienation, selfishness, and intergenerational differences in one very strange family....
Bleak Night takes a look at a group of students in a boys’ high school, telling the story of what caused their friendships to deteriorate. Directed by Sung-Hyun Yoon, this movie debunks the apparent overconfidence that can often be observed in teenage boys by showing the insecurities that lurk behind it....
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a favourite Toronto staple that takes place annually after TIFF, so don’t let your movie exhaustion get to you. This year’s Reel Asian is celebrating its 15th anniversary! And, in honour of the special occasion, they’re presenting a free screening of 2009 festival favourite White on Rice. Directed by American Dave Boyle, the film is a funny and cynical look at the life of 40-year-old Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe, of The Last Samurai and Letters From Iwo Jima), while he falls in love with an impossibly beautiful girl and shares a bunkbed (and...
You might not know this about me, but when I was nine I wrote a script for Terminator 3. I didn’t like how Terminator 2 ended and I thought the story needed to continue. I literally read every book on screenwriting and story creation I could get my hands on (not that many in middle-town Ontario, but still, enough). I used to sleep with Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 beside my bed, just under my notepad so that if I woke up in the middle of the night I could both get the idea down and get it right. Despite the...
For those of you who may not be familiar with the term, “pastiche” is a term used in art to describe something that is an imitation or homage. So when I saw a panel with director Clement Cheng entitled “Pastiche with a Purpose – Revivals and Revisions of Hong Kong Martial Arts”, I really couldn’t resist. I’m a huge fan of Hong Kong martial arts films, but what always fascinates me is their ability to tell a meaningful story, while still entertaining and engaging the “things move quickly and go crash” part of my brain....
By 1:00pm on Thursday, November 11 the Reel Asian Industry Series was in full swing. Being a big fan of documentaries, my interest was piqued by the session entitled, “Reel Asian Docs: Engage, Collaborate, Create.” The panel included the director of Redress Remix, Lesley Loksi Chan; director of Days of Rain, Andreas Hartmann; and director of The Mountain Thief, Gerry Balasta. This panel, moderated by documentary filmmaker Cheuk Kwan, of different and unique filmmakers discussed their process, their films, and how documentary filmmaking is changing....
The Industry Series sessions can be a valuable source of information for budding filmmakers seeking advice from voices of experience. The panel for “Filmmakers in an Ad World” was a well of information about transitioning from personal filmmaking to commercial advertisements. Each of the speakers were honest about their respective roles in the industry and how they became involved; for director Jeff Chiba Stearns, the money was no small part of it....
This youth presentation is a selection of animation and adventure films that offer a diverse range of techniques and compelling storytelling. Lost Places follows a young woman in search of a home and the bird that will help her find her way. A Long-Distance Call mixes life-like animation with real photographs in this short about a young artist on vacation in rural China. The breathtaking scenery and soundscape of the village totally immerses you into the story....
Golden Slumber is the follow-up film from director Yoshihiro Nakamura, who won last year’s Reel Asian audience choice award for Fish Story. The film, named after the Beatles song, is about Aoyagi, a naïve deliveryman who is framed for the assassination of the Japanese prime minister. Aoyagi rescued a Japanese pop star a few years ago, which heightened his profile and made him an easy target to use as a scapegoat. As he tries to dodge the federal agents who want to silence him, Aoyagi slips in and out of memories of his college days when he and his friends would...
Bi, Don’t Be Afraid! is a coming of age story about six-year-old Bi. He’s an inquisitive kid who’s discovering the world around him. He explores the ice factory and the river bank that surrounds his small home in Hanoi, where he lives with his parents and aunt. In addition, his ailing grandfather has returned to the family after living in the United States for an extended period. Bi’s family members are at a crucial point in their lives: his grandfather is nearing death; his parent’s marriage is deteriorating; and his lonely aunt is unexpectedly drawn to one of her 16-year-old...
