10. National Anarchist: Lino Brocka by Khavn (Philippines)
As such, “National Anarchist: Lino Brocka” is a film that works equally as a biopic, a documentary, an art piece and as archival footage, with this multileveled function being where the true value of the movie lies. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
9. In My Mother's Skin by Kenneth Dagatan (Philippines)
Vampirism and cannibalism as symbols for human greed and self-destruction are not a novelty, but the Filipino helmer shows originality in using those tropes. It is not only his way to address our weaknesses, he is also indirectly pointing out in direction of the entangled system of political corruption and self-entitlement. He does feed on elements from Guillermo del Toro's “Pan's Labyrinth”, borrowing bits and pieces, but he turns them into his own thing. For instance, insects are also elemental in “In My Mother's Skin”, and the allegory is similar, but his monsters are real, well visible for everyone, and they can be transformed. (Marina D., Richter)
8. Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia)
“Tiger Stripes” is definitely more social drama (the comments about the prowess of Chinese students in the school also moves that way) than horror, but the overall combination is actually what makes the whole thing stand out, and the main reason that it will find an even wider festival run moving forwards. Amanda Nell Eu is definitely a director worth following. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
7. You & Me & Me by Wanweaw Hongvivatana, Weawwan Hongvivatana (Thailand)
“You & Me & Me” is equally cheerful, nostalgic and smart in its comments (something that is evident both in the names of the protagonists and the bulk of dialogues) and a title that is quite pleasant to watch in general. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
6. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Thien An Pham (Vietnam)
Following the sudden death of his sister-in-law, Thien (Le Phong Vu) travels to the jungles of rural Vietnam in search of a long-lost brother. What follows is a journey of spiritual discovery through the mystical landscape of his nation. In long, fluid takes, Thien Am Pham's debut feature creates a meditative, at times hallucinatory space that examines our relationship with death and the afterlife.
5. The Gospel of the Beast by Sheron Dayoc (Philippines)
Although there are moments where the impact could be more intense with a different directorial approach, “The Gospel of the Beast” emerges as an excellent movie, one that manages to present its comments in the most pointed and entertaining fashion, while not shying away from the violence, in a way, though, that is actually artful. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
4. LIVE (Phat Truc Tiep) by Khuong Ngoc (Vietnam)
“LIVE (Phat Truc Tiep)” is an excellent film that manages to eloquently communicate its plethora of comments while also retaining entertainment through an approach that moves towards comedic, dramatic and even horror paths. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
LIVE (Phat Truc Tiep) is available from 3388 Films
3. The Missing by Carl Joseph E. Papa (Philippines)
Carl Joseph E. Papa manages to come up with an animation that combines intricate technique with intense contextual depth and a directorial approach that presents the story in the most captivating fashion. Particularly the concepts of the mouthless young man and the presence of the alien, as much as the rest of the supernatural events that take place in the movie eventually come together in the most shocking and meaningful fashion, in a true testament to the directorial abilities of the filmmaker. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
2. Snow in Midsummer by Keat Aun Chong (Malaysia)
Keat Aun Chong directs an evidently difficult film, which demands of its audience some knowledge of (the particular) Malaysian history, the context of the original opera, a series of religious Annals including the Malay ones, some specific legends from South-East Asia and China, and a knack for the specific sound of the Chinese opera, in order to fully understand what the whole thing is about and appreciate it. Chong tries to tone down this element by explanatory text on screen, the fact, though, remains. On the other hand, it is also interesting to examine, how the movie could fare for an audience that does not know much, or even at all of the aforementioned elements.
1. Abang Adik by Jin Ong (Malaysia)
Defying strict genre boundaries, “Abang Adik” (literally, older brother and younger brother in Malay language) starts as a slice-of-life in the slums of Kuala Lumpur and just before deviating into poverty-porn, it surprisingly converts into a noir and a thriller with tones of melodrama. Ong places his symbiotic brothers in a metropolis where the fringes of humanity struggle to find an identity; however, their personalities, through the unravelling of the story, become increasingly strong and deeply touching, creating two characters you'll inevitably end up caring about. Simple gestures and rituals, like the habit of cracking boiled eggs on each other forehead (it is more graceful than it sounds!) show the bond and the habits formed by growing up together and sharing everything. (…) However, when the plot gets thicker, the interaction between the brothers acquires a whole lot of complex psychological facets, exploring their emotional dependence – as they are to some degree dependent on each other – and the painful yet inevitable process of partition. (Adriana Rosati)
