An Old But Good One...

Hello everyone! I hope that many of you had a chance to go see the SDAFF presentation of Treeless Mountain down in the Gaslamp! For those who did, I hope it was an enjoyable experience!

After a long week I decided that today sounded like a good day to sit back, relax, and watch a good Asian film at home. Eat Drink Man Woman is a 1994 film by Taiwanese director Ang Lee who has worked on many credible productions including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, and Lust, Caution (which I highly recommend as well).

The first time I saw this film was in a film history course, and I enjoy it as much now as I did then. Eat Drink Man Woman is a story about a father and his three daughters, each with their own personalities and desires, but also a close attachment to family. Before you start watching this film I must warn you, there are graphic images of Taiwanese cuisine, so I recommend eating a good large meal beforehand or you may end up like me with the sudden urge to buy a wok and start cooking! Cute, smart, funny and sentimental, this film is highly enjoyable and teaches a great lesson about love, life and the importance of family, but don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself! I’d love to hear what you think of it!

-SDAFFMelissa

Bong Joon-ho's latest work starring Won Bin

Four years since Tae Guk Gi, and Won Bin still has it. He makes a thrilling comeback in the film Mother directed by Bong Joon-Ho. In this film, Won Bin plays a mentally challenged individual who is falsely accused of murder. His mother, played by Kim Hye-ja, persistently fights to find the killer that framed her son. This film is a telling story of a mother's love for her son, despite the challenges, despite the impossibilities.

Mother premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2009.

This is the third time director Bong Joon-ho has been at the festival. His previous times have been for his work in Toyko! and his film The Host.

For the Trailer Click Here

-SDAFFEsther

Tears for Departures

Okuribito, better known by its English name, "Departures," had a great member turnout at La Jolla Landmark Theatres. We here at SDAFF are thankful for all of the members who brought friends to the screening, especially those who are now new members!

Incredibly touching with much insight into the Japanese funeral preparations, this film was beautifully shot and had a very convincing cast. Personal and deep, we watch Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) go from an out of work ceilist to a professional and gentle "Nokanshi" or "Encoffineer." His work touches those on-screen as much as those who watched the film yesterday evening.

Departures, as evidenced by last night's screening, takes the audience through the range of feelings we see expressed by multiple characters on screen. Smiles were to be seen, chuckles to be heard as well as quiet sniffles throughout the film. All in all, a wonderful member screening, and a film not to be missed!

What did you think about the film? Comment if you please!

Moon Bloodgood Rocks in Terminator Salvation

I just saw Terminator: Salvation this past weekend and Moon Bloodgood shows us that asian women can indeed make it big in summer blockbuster films. Bloodgood stars as Lt. Blair Williams in Terminator: Salvation, the latest installment in the successful Terminator franchise. Bloodgood's character is strong, smart and not afraid to do what she believes is right.

Bloodgood was born in Anaheim, California, to an American father of Dutch and Irish descent and a South Korean mother;her father was stationed in Korea when he met her mother. Bloodgood is a former member of the Laker Girls. Fans will remember her from the movie Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, which opened in February 2009. She will also be appearing in the third season of the show Burn Notice as Detective Michelle Paxon. There will definitely be more to come from Bloodgood in the near future, keep an eye out for her!

-SDAFF GMONEY

:: Creme de la Cannes ::

Answer:

Latitude: 43° 33' 0" N
Longitude: 7° 1' 0" E


Question: What is the location of Cannes, France?


Oh, I’m sorry. We were looking for, “What is the iconic city where thousands convene for one unifying reason -- their love for film.

In its 62^nd year, the selections for 2009’s Palme d’Or award are top heavy with Asian films. Six of the twenty honorees were from Asian filmmakers hailing from countries such as Korea, Philippines and China. The films’ storylines, diverse and innovative in their own right, explore the topics ranging from homosexuality to vampiric priests.

Korea’s Park Chan Wook follows a priest-turned-vampire in “Bak-Jwi” while “Visage” is set in Paris and ironically follows a filmmaker while he is attempting to make a film. The notorious Lou Ye submitted another masterpiece surrounding the affair between a married man and his openly gay lover. Ye’s filmmaking is officially banned by the Chinese government after an un-approved submission to the festival two years prior. With his “Spring Fever” release, he stands alongside his fellow Chinese filmmakers proclaiming, “They need freedom to create.”

What began in 1946 to allow free film expression sans government censorship has once again come full circle and is now a rite of passage for international film makers abroad.

Thank goodness for film festivals, eh? ;)

:: SDAFFvietca ::

Park Chan-Wook (Old Boy) Wins Cannes Jury Prize

Hey SDAFFers!

Just heard through the grape vine (i.e.- www.Angryasianman.com) that Park Chan-Wook's (Director of Old Boy) new film, Thirst, won the Cannes Jury Award.

Ever since I saw, "I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok", at the SD Asian Film Festival 2 years ago, i've been itching for the next Park Chan-Wook Film...and now that time is upon us!

For more info on Park Chan-Wook's Thirst (w/trailer) Click Here

-SDAFFDan

From Our Friends at the Washington, DC APA Film Festival

The 2009 Washington, DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival open call for submissions deadline has been extended to May 23, 2009.

Submission fees for films received by the regular deadline are $25 for Feature-length films and $20 for Shorts.

Submit your film online at: http://www.withoutabox.com/login/5151

-SDAFF

Treeless Mountain 1 of 5 Must-See Movies says Film Comment Magazine

Treeless Mountain directed by So Yong Kim was recently plugged by Film Comment Magazine as being a must-see film! In the article by Kirstin M. Jones she details how So Yong Kim, "Returns with her latest immersive exploration of melancholy subjectivity."

Treeless Mountain is actually inspired by So Yong Kim's experiences as a young child. "It's not autobiographical, but it's very personal," she says. Kim's mother divorced her father and emigrated to the U.S., leaving her children with their grandparents on a rice farm until they could join her.

The film is most beautifully shot without a musical score and often almost completely silent. And it is most wonderfully described in Film Comment: "The visuals are rife with patient close-ups of the children's faces and bodies, as well as rapt POV shots of things that absorb their attention: a street vendor's eels and crabs, a grasshopper cradled in Bin's hand, coins in the piggy bank. The measured pacing contributes to the unsentimental naturalism." Even Apple seems to think this film is worth seeing...

Come see our screenings of Treeless Mountain next Friday May 29th. There are 2 screenings: 7PM and 9PM at the Reading Theatres in the Gaslamp. Download the flyer here.

Cheers from SDAFF!

NickOlas