Celebrating its 10th anniversary the Helsinki Cine Aasia festival will once again present a selection of the latest films from East and South-East Asia. Along with better known film countries like Korea and Japan, the program also includes films from countries like the Philippines and Cambodia. Many of the festival's films have been seen at international festivals and have received awards. The opening film is Anatomy of Time (2021) from Thailand, and altogether the program includes 20 films from eight different countries.
Familiar filmmakers
Japanese film director Ogigami Naoko's newest film Riverside Mukolitta comes to Helsinki Cine Aasia in May. Ogigami became well known to the Finnish audiences with her film Kamome shokudō (2006) which was shot in a restaurant at Punavuori, Helsinki where the story was also set. Ogigami has since become known for the unique characters in her stories. Her latest visit to Finland was in 2019 during the retrospective of her works at Kino Regina, which was organized as a collaboration with Helsinki Cine Aasia. Her film Rent-a-Cat (2012) was screened to a sold out audience at Cinema Orion's Cat Film Day back in 2021.
Helsinki Cine Aasia hosted Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini back in 2018 with her film The Seen and Unseen (2017) as the opening film. This year's program includes two films from her. Yuni (2021) portrays the difficult choises of a young girl moving towards adulthood, and the film was awarded at Toronto International Film Festival with the Platform Prize. Before, Now & Then (Nana, 2022) had its premiere at Berlinale's main Competition Series, and paints an impressive portrait of woman whose story is intertwined with the history of Indonesia.
Not your typical Mother's Day
This year's program includes eight films from female filmmakers. The upcoming Mother's Day offers a double feature at Cinema Orion on May 8th with films Apartment with Two Women (2021, Korea) and Spring Tide (2019, China). Both films follow a story of very complicated mother-daughter relationships.
Ticket sale starts on Thursday April 21st
Screening passes and single tickets can be bought at the festival's website from next Thursday. During the festival, tickets are also available at our screening theaters: Kino Regina, Finnkino Kinopalatsi and Cinema Orion. The ticket booth will open 30 minutes before the first screening of the day at the theater in question and stays open until the beginning of the last screening of the day. Single tickets cost 11 euros. Screening pass (5 tickets) 45 euros. Parent & baby screening ticket is 9 euros.
Films:
Aloners by Hong Sung-eun, South-Korea, 2021
Anatomy of Time by Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Thailand/France/Netherlands/Singapore, 2021
Anita by Longman Leung, Hong Kong, 2021
The Apartment with Two Women by Kim Se-in, South-Korea, 2021
Before, Now & Then by Kamila Andini, Indonesia, 2022
The Book of Fish by Lee Joon-ik, South-Korea, 2021
Graveyard of Youth by Okuda Yosuke, Japan, 2021
Intimate Stranger by Nakamura Mayu, Japan, 2021
Leonor Will Never Die by Martika Ramirez Escobar, Philippines, 2022
My Small Land by Kawawada Emma, Japan, 2021
Nobody's Lover by Han In-mi, South-Korea, 2021
On the Job: The Missing 8 by Erik Matti, Philippines, 2021
Onoda: 10 000 Nights in the Jungle by Arthur Harari, France/Japan, 2021
Ripples of Life by Wei Shujun, China, 2021, 123min
Riverside Mukolitta by Ogigami Naoko, Japan, 2021, 120 min
Sanka: Nomads of the Mountains by Sasatani Ryohei, Japan, 2022, 77min
Somebody's Flowers by Okuda Yusuke, Japan, 2021
Spring Tide by Yang Lina, China, 2019
White Building by Kavich Neang, Cambodia/France/China/Qatar, 2021
Yuni by Kamila Andini, Indonesia/Singapore, 2021
Events:
Discussion: Chinese Independent Cinema
Discussion: The Golden Age and current state of Hong Kong culture
Discussion: History and popularity of Korean pop culture in Finland
Discussion: The role of Media in Philippines
Discussion: WWII and Japanese Nationalism
Helsinki Cine Aasia Festival Club – 10 years and counting!
More info: https://helsinkicineaasia.fi/en/ohjelmisto/
