The London East Asian Film Festival returns on October 18th for its 8th iteration. This year sees over 45 films spread out over a number of strands. We have the usuals: the official LEAFF selection, the competition strand which looks at promising talent, and the always-important Stories of Women. This year’s director retrospective is Chung Ji-young, whose movie The Boys opens the festival proper. Closing the gala is the disaster drama-thriller Concrete Utopia, about the inhabitants of the sole surviving apartment building in Seoul after an earthquake devastates the city.
On top of that are a few small strands recognising important issues. The Cherish the World segment features documentaries on the climate and environment, including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Where Has all the Pollution Gone?, which is almost 30 years old but as relevant as ever. There is also a LGBT+ strand, featuring two films from the last two years, including Egoist, based on Takayama Makoto’s autobiographical novel.
But here are ten other films definitely worth taking a look at:
- Killing Romance (2023)
The only romantic musical comedy in the entire list, the movie is described as a “love story, a musical, a murder plot, and a million things in between”. Festival season is usually crammed with solid dramas and real stories, but it’s always a blast when something like this comes along. - Coo-Coo 043 (2022)
Speaking of dramas, this one from Taiwan is set in the world of pigeon racing and a family who relies on the sport to make their living. Things, however, get even harder when the son vanishes, and Taiwan faces an economic downturn. - As It Burns (2023)
An explosion takes place in an apartment late at night, and a detective is sent to investigate the death of a young woman who was caught in the blast. Director Lee Po-cheung is probably better known for comedy, but this crime drama looks like a blast (no pun intended). - Dan Dan (2022)
Song Chuan’s quiet, contemplative film sees a poet find solace in his creative process. Immersing himself in mountains, he works as a teacher in a village, while looking for meaning in his life, and in his art. - Ah Fei (1983)
Part of the Classics Restored strand, this Taiwanese drama looks at the contrast between rural and urban lives, and the changing of family circumstances, seen through the eyes of its lead character. - Snow Leopard (2023)
I love it when you get to see things from countries whose films don’t normally make their way over to the UK, and Snow Leopard will follow in the footsteps of Balloon, which screened at the 2019 LEAFF. This movie tells of a father and son who debate whether to kill a snow leopard who killed their sheep. - Her Locket (2022)
Speaking of films from unsung countries, Filipino filmmaker J.E. Tiglao returns after his breathtaking 2019 film Metamorphosis to tell the story of a mother with dementia, as her memories return after discovering an old locket. - Hopeless (2023)
Kim Chang-hoon’s directorial debut, Hopeless is a neo-noir that sees a young man who wants nothing more than a peaceful life for himself and his mother. Unable to find even that in his violent home town, he meets a gang leader who takes him under his wing. - Vital Sign (2023)
Louis Koo stars as a paramedic who’s not afraid to break rules to save lives. Cheuk Wan-chi’s thriller at first looks like it might get pretty silly – after all, a Louis Koo-helmed film about the “Dirty Harry” of paramedics sounds absurd – Vital Sign looks to be a serious look at Hong Kong’s bureaucracy and the red tape that prevents people from doing their life-saving work. - The Breaking Ice (2023)
Lastly, one more movie from a lesser-seen country. Singapore’s The Breaking Ice is a romantic drama about three friends whose bonds strengthen as they tour the city of Yanji, over a weekend in thick, isolating snow.
I can’t talk about all the films this year. I’ll be checking out the above ones, and no doubt many more. Check out the entire programme here and if ten movies isn’t enough, pick up a pass here.
The London East Asian Film Festival runs from October 18th to October 29th.
The Asian Cinema Critic 