The 53rd London Film festival runs from 14 to 29 October, with plenty of Asian premieres on offer…
One definite highlight of the festival must be Lu Chuan’s film remarkable film on the ‘rape of Nanking’, City of Life and Death. Almost exactly three years ago the director talked enthusiastically about the project to easternKicks whilst promoting his fantastic Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, and it’s great to see this project has come to fruition.
Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother debuts at the festival too, about a herbalist and acupuncturist turns ‘detective’ to prove her son’s innocence when he’s charged with murder. With such great films as The Host and Memories Of Murder under his belt, one can only look forward to what he has in store for us this time.
Other films to arouse our curiosity are Hirokazu Kore-eda’s live-action adaptation of Yoshie Gouda’s avant-garde manga The Pneumatic Figure of a Girl, Air Doll – starring Korean star Bae Doo-Na, it tells of an inflatable sex-doll suddenly finds herself with a soul; and Kamui from Korean-Japanese director Yoichi Sai – again another live-action adaption from a manga – which BFI critic Tony Ryans declares is ‘probably the best ninja movie ever made’.
Also watch out for include Pan Jianlin’s Feast of Villians, Joko Anwar’s Forbidden Door and Ho Yuhang’s multinational production At the End of Daybreak. We’ll probably do another round-up soon, once we’ve had a chance to digest the programme fully – but is it just me or is there a lack of real Asian, if you’ll pardon the phrase, ‘crowd pleasers’ this year?
» Find out more on the official LFF website
