11. Film Review: Door (1988) by Banmei Takahashi
Banmei Takahashi masterfully uses everyday tropes that were particularly prevalent in the 80s in order to create a claustrophobic thriller that makes the most of its restricted setting. Particularly the way the door and especially the knob are implemented in the narrative as a constant sense of danger is a feat in itself, highlighting Takahashi's direction in the best fashion.
12. Interview with Banmei and Keiko Takahashi
13. Film Review: Immortal (2023) by Kim Sang-hoon
With the allegory about the way immigrants were and are being treated throughout the world surrounding the narrative, Kim Sang-hoo creates a captivating mockumentary that highlights how prejudice and racism essentially become not just social phenomena, but also systemic practices. As we watch Ye-jin trying to fit in by helping people but being repeatedly turned away, or worse, when she is refused service in the market or people even assault her verbally on the street, the portrait of the aforementioned concepts is created in the darkest colors. Even worse, when the crew goes with her to the concentration camp she and her family were forced to live in, memories of torture, particularly from the locals who did not want the Immortals to leave their camp in any way, also surface. Furthermore, Ye-jin also seems to hint in events of abuse by her family, although the filmmakers do not manage to get that out of her.
14. Film Review: Risk Society (2023) by Kim Byung-jun
Kim Byung-jun falls in one of the most usual reefs first time feature directors who have shot a number of shorts usually fall. Instead of coming up with a single, compact narrative, he tries to combine a number of completely different stories in order, essentially, to extend his movie to feature duration. In that fashion, the story of Young-gil's and the teacher's addiction eventually becomes a crime thriller, while there are also elements of family drama through a relative that is quite talented in music, all of which are forcefully connected to each other in a way that defies logic.
15. Film Review: Iron Mask (2023) by Kim Sung-hwan
Kim Sung-hwan directs a film that unfolds into two intermingling axes. The first one is the realistic representation of kendo, with the focus on the training and its various aspects, which include meditation, sparring and watching videos of the matches to pinpoint mistakes and improve, being as intense as it is realistic. The discipline that dictates both the relationships of the people involved and their overall conduct as athletes is excellently portrayed also, with the comment Jae-woo does in the beginning of the movie, “At first it looks like a prison” being quite indicative of the overall circumstances. Furthermore, that the coaches promote the competition to the point of rivalry among the participants is also well communicated, and also one of the main elements that brings us to the second axis, that of the drama.
16. Film Review: Bldg N. (2022) by Yosuke Goto
Yosuke Goto shoots a movie that may have horror as its base, but actually moves into a number of other directions. The concept of the ostracized people who live on the outskirts of society and the way they sometimes prefer their isolation and abhor any kind of exotification is one of the central ones here, as eloquently represented by the inhabitants of the building.
17. Film Review: Helpless (2023) by Jeon Seung-pyo
Jeon Seung-pyo directs a movie whose main and evident goal is to make a number of comments regarding how the whole (web) celebrity concept works. That the audience thirsts for scandals of celebrities becomes evident from the beginning, but Jeon also comments on how easy it is to manipulate the truth on the web, and how easily careers can be ruined (and made) by any type of accusations. This last aspect essentially turns towards society, with the way people are even willing to pay money for these types of videos, while asking the most ridiculous things from the YouTubers at the same time, highlighting a despicability that is essentially encouraged by anonymity. That the camera, essentially a medium that was invented to portray the truth, is used for any kind of libel and lies also moves in the same direction. Also of note is that the celebrities and the people surrounding them essentially function as a gang, particularly in the way they try to protect the star, adding even more to the contextual depth. Lastly, a comment on how the sales industry works, both in the office and outside, concludes the remarks (accusations if you prefer) in the movie.
18. Film Review: Sandstorm (2023) by Park Jae-min
The combination of the two is quite intriguing in both its aspects. Ssireum is essentially unknown outside of Korea and the fact that the doc deals with its female edition makes it even more intriguing, as it will probably be a new experience for anyone (outside of the country at least) who deals with it. Park presents the whole concept with utmost detail, starting from the training and the comradeship the women of the same team show, continuing with the rules and the whole organization of the tournaments, and concluding with the matches themselves, which, despite their briefness, are actually quite captivating to watch, in a style that reminds much of sumo.
19. Film Review: Whale Bones (2023) by Takamasa Oe
Takamasa Oe directs a movie that unfolds in three narrative axes. The first one has to do with loneliness and depression, and the way people try to cope with them through technology. In that fashion, dating apps and SNS essentially create a world people who suffer from them can live in, particularly in Japan where both the particular psychological statuses and the addiction to technology are quite prevalent. Oe shows how technology can be a solution on occasion, but how the obsession with it can essentially destroy people's lives, in the aspect that is the main source of drama in the movie.
