32. Film Review: Naked Nations – Tribe Hong Kong (2024) by Scud
Scud's own editing adds to the whole somewhat oneiric approach here, in a pace that lingers between the mid-tempo and the rather slow, although a sense of movement is constantly part of the scenes on the screen. At 161 minutes, the movie is definitely long, but the variety of cinematic and contextual elements here do not allow it to become particularly tiring. “Naked Nations – Tribe Hong Kong” is definitely a very personal movie, but there is much artistry, info and context here to make it a title that is as rewarding as it is difficult. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
33. Interviews: Scud
34. Interviews: Haruhiko Arai
There is a phrase in the movie, “love gets in the way of sex”. I was wondering what your opinion is, do you agree?
So yes, I think that something like genuine love, affection and sexual pleasure do not harmonize with each other. If you pursue sexual pleasure, well, if it is the same for both sides, then I guess it is okay. But if there is a side that understands sex as confirmation of love, then could we not say that any sexual engagements other than genuine love making is more than just confirmation of love? Like, ‘oh are you going that far?'
For example, SM Bondage, if both consent then it is okay. But as a general rule you would be outed as perverted by society. That perverseness is likely to be seen as more, not only genuine love. I do believe genuine love exists between those perverted persons, but it may not be genuine love that is as such accepted in general, in society. I think that sexual pleasure is different than genuine love in general, as much as two people making children together.
35. Film review: Obedience (2024) by Siu-pong Wong
The said massive construction project is seen high up above from one of the still standing buildings. Planned to include a new SC-link along a hub with three railways passing through, that should ensue on the spot, it is supposed to massively increase the housing prices, and the voice of one of the developers is complaining about people preventing the projects of being finalized in due time. It's the strategic position that this particular area makes so special. A local, unnamed hero is briefly addressed: a restaurant owner who claims to have bought a few flats in the only building that can not be demolished because he owns 20% of the shares. How, and if he is going to change the state of things for good, is something we won't find out. (Marina Richter)
36. Interview: Ishan Shukla
We have so many religions which kind of branch out after a few hundred years, and then there are also multiple sects and subsects inside of a religion, and even they fight among themselves just because there was a minor misinterpretation at various stages of that religion. So, I just wanted to really simplify that idea very quickly. That is how I came to the idea of using an alphanumerical zero to name a God, and let it deliberately be misenterprated for a letter. This is how I was creating all those names. Like, are they sophisticated? Can I call them intellectuals? Or if it is God, can they be misinterpreted in a certain way? Okay, let's call them Alphabet or an alpha numeric value. Yeah, stuff like that. Really. (Marina Richter)
