All right, I'm so lagging behind that even though I'm already in Tokyo for the Tokyo International Film Festival, I'm still trying to wrap up my Busan Film Fest experience.
Okay, this will be my last post about this year's Busan Film Fest!
I caught THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos, that was awesome.
I also took some photos with the great director Bahman Ghobadi, whose latest film was having its world premiere in Busan. I still remember catching his last film, RHINO SEASON, at Tokyo Filmex 2012.
Also had a photo with the great actress Natassja Kinski! She was the head of the New Currents Jury this year. It was interesting to take this photo with her a mere few weeks after I saw PARIS, TEXAS for the very first time.
Kiki too, was back. (she was the actress and producer of my short films EXHALATION in 2009 and SPRINGTIME NOSTALGIA in 2012) She had a horrific car accident in Rotterdam back in January, sustaining some really serious injuries. Both her legs were broken. The last time I saw her was at the hospital. The fact that she recovered so quickly was a testament of her toughness. Welcome back Kiki!
During festival, I also received sad news of filmmaking icon Chantal Ackerman's passing.
On my very last day in Busan, I managed to catch my friend Shin Suwon's MADONNA. A film that was so depressingly dark and intense, but amazingly well-acted.
What blew my mind the most was during the Q and A session, when the director and the two lead actresses came out. At first I was disappointed that the actress of the titular character did not appear. Then, to my absolute surprise, the actress Kwon So-hyun was indeed standing in front for the Q and A session, it's just that she looked entirely different from what she looked like in the film. (she gained a lot of weight for the film! No body suit, no CG, just old-fashioned weight gaining!) So she as very plump in the film, but now, she was totally skinny!
The films I saw during my last day in Busan were also Alexander Sokurov's FRANCOFONIA, and fittingly, another Korean film called STEEL FLOWER, which happened to be the follow-up/sequel of film screened in last year's Busan called WILD FLOWER.
FRANCOFONIA was amazing, I liked it more than Sokurov's previous film, the Golden Lion winner FAUST. Being a combination of film essay and documentary, I thought it was similar to the short films he used to make that I loved so much, ORIENTAL ELEGY, HUBERT ROBERT: A FORTUNATE LIFE, A HUMBLE LIFE, ELEGY OF A VOYAGE etc.
In fact, I was so inspired by this film that I immediately found the direction for the badminton documentary that I myself had been working on for most of the past year!
This was my fourth time in Busan, but I've never stayed that long before, or got the chance to see so many films.
I'm going to try list them all out now, just to help myself remember.
1) DHEEPAN
2) CEMETERY OF SPLENDOUR
3) EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT
4) THE ASSASSIN
5) A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY
6) ARABIAN NIGHTS: VOLUME 1 - THE RESTLESS ONE
7) ARABIAN NIGHTS: VOLUME 2 - THE DESOLATE ONE
8) POWER OF ASIAN CINEMA: IRAN
9) POWER OF ASIAN CINEMA: THAILAND
10) OUR TIMES
11) THE LOBSTER
12) TAXI
13) FRANCOFONIA
14) MADONNA
15) STEEL FLOWER
Okay, this will be my last post about this year's Busan Film Fest!
I caught THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos, that was awesome.
the Lobster is mind blowing!
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Tuesday, October 6, 2015
I also took some photos with the great director Bahman Ghobadi, whose latest film was having its world premiere in Busan. I still remember catching his last film, RHINO SEASON, at Tokyo Filmex 2012.
With Bahman Ghobadi, renowned director of the great TURTLES CAN FLY and RHINO SEASON!
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Also had a photo with the great actress Natassja Kinski! She was the head of the New Currents Jury this year. It was interesting to take this photo with her a mere few weeks after I saw PARIS, TEXAS for the very first time.
With the great actress Nastassja Kinski. (So awesome to meet her just a few weeks after watching PARIS, TEXAS!), thanks for the photo Yuni Hadi!She's heading the jury for this year's New Currents competition.
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Ah, do we have to take a group photo while I'm eating?
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Wednesday, October 7, 2015
The few times that my films were in Rotterdam, Mr Rutger Wolfson was the festival director. Thanks for the opportunities!(Since Aug 2015, Bero Beyer had succeeded him as the current Rotterdam fest director)
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Thursday, October 8, 2015
Kiki too, was back. (she was the actress and producer of my short films EXHALATION in 2009 and SPRINGTIME NOSTALGIA in 2012) She had a horrific car accident in Rotterdam back in January, sustaining some really serious injuries. Both her legs were broken. The last time I saw her was at the hospital. The fact that she recovered so quickly was a testament of her toughness. Welcome back Kiki!
With Paolo and Kiki!
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Thursday, October 8, 2015
Kiki and Ming Jin!
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Thursday, October 8, 2015
During festival, I also received sad news of filmmaking icon Chantal Ackerman's passing.
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Tuesday, October 6, 2015
On my very last day in Busan, I managed to catch my friend Shin Suwon's MADONNA. A film that was so depressingly dark and intense, but amazingly well-acted.
What blew my mind the most was during the Q and A session, when the director and the two lead actresses came out. At first I was disappointed that the actress of the titular character did not appear. Then, to my absolute surprise, the actress Kwon So-hyun was indeed standing in front for the Q and A session, it's just that she looked entirely different from what she looked like in the film. (she gained a lot of weight for the film! No body suit, no CG, just old-fashioned weight gaining!) So she as very plump in the film, but now, she was totally skinny!
Ming Jin, Kah Wai and the Madonna team!
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Thursday, October 8, 2015
Me, Kah Wai and the Madonna team!
Posted by Edmund Yeo on Thursday, October 8, 2015
The films I saw during my last day in Busan were also Alexander Sokurov's FRANCOFONIA, and fittingly, another Korean film called STEEL FLOWER, which happened to be the follow-up/sequel of film screened in last year's Busan called WILD FLOWER.
FRANCOFONIA was amazing, I liked it more than Sokurov's previous film, the Golden Lion winner FAUST. Being a combination of film essay and documentary, I thought it was similar to the short films he used to make that I loved so much, ORIENTAL ELEGY, HUBERT ROBERT: A FORTUNATE LIFE, A HUMBLE LIFE, ELEGY OF A VOYAGE etc.
In fact, I was so inspired by this film that I immediately found the direction for the badminton documentary that I myself had been working on for most of the past year!
This was my fourth time in Busan, but I've never stayed that long before, or got the chance to see so many films.
I'm going to try list them all out now, just to help myself remember.
1) DHEEPAN
2) CEMETERY OF SPLENDOUR
3) EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT
4) THE ASSASSIN
5) A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY
6) ARABIAN NIGHTS: VOLUME 1 - THE RESTLESS ONE
7) ARABIAN NIGHTS: VOLUME 2 - THE DESOLATE ONE
8) POWER OF ASIAN CINEMA: IRAN
9) POWER OF ASIAN CINEMA: THAILAND
10) OUR TIMES
11) THE LOBSTER
12) TAXI
13) FRANCOFONIA
14) MADONNA
15) STEEL FLOWER
