Here at The Reel Bits, we put Asia in Focus. Our relative geographic closeness to the prolific filmmaking countries of Japan, China, South Korea, and Thailand puts Australia in a prime position to get the latest and greatest Asian cinema. Yet this isn’t always the case.
To help you navigate your way through the often limited suburban releases, we’ve put together this handy guide to the month of May. So while the list below is subject to change, here’s where you can go to see current and retro screenings of films from south-east Asia in Australia this month.
As the northern hemisphere prepares for summer, we start putting on layers of clothing and preparing for a rainy winter. Meanwhile, the Asian cinema scene is hotting up with Nick Cheung’s The Trough, Chinese thriller A or B, a live action adaptation of Inuyashiki, and many more! Check out the full list below.
The Trough (低壓槽) – 3 May (Limited)
Formerly known as Taste of Crime, the latest film from director and star Nick Cheung, it follows an undercover police officer Yu Chau (Cheung) who has successfully apprehended many criminals in a wicked city. During a child abduction case, Yu’s identity is at risk of being revealed, attracting several criminal groups who are hot on his tail.
A or B (幕后玩家) – 3 May
This is a film with a bizarre marketing campaign. One sees the leads comedically discussing getting naked, while the other trailer we’ve seen is for a tense game of cat and mouse. It follows Xiaonian Zhong (Zheng Xu), a successful man who built his fortune on laundering money. He is kidnapped and trapped in a room, forced to answer a series of questions with ‘A’ or ‘B’ answers.
Tokyo Twilight (東京暮色) – 4 May (Sydney only)
Cinema Reborn, a program of rare cinema masterpieces, will be presented in partnership with Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS), from May 3 – 7 at the AFTRS Theatre in Sydney. Jane Mills will be presenting a restored version of Yasujiro Ozu’s 1957 masterpiece which for some time was almost the missing masterpiece of Ozu’s career. This restoration premiered in Berlin in 2018. It tells of three sisters, one played by Ozu’s favourite actress Setsuko Hara, and follows their paths as they reunite with a mother who abandoned them in childhood. Subscriptions must be booked on line, via Eventbrite website: www.eventbrite.com.au.
I Am Your Mom (我是你妈) – 10 May
Just in time for Mother’s Day, director Zhang Xiao’s comedy follows the trials and tribulations of Yan Ni and daughter Zou Yuanqing. The pair recently promoted the film at the Beijing International Film Festival in April. We’re getting a definite Gilmore Girls vibe off this. Now if forget to buy your mum a gift, take her to see this at selected cinemas around the country.
Wonderful Nightmare (미쓰 와이프) – 10 May (Sydney only)
Kang Hyo-Jin’s body swap comedy sees attorney Yeon-Woo (Uhm Jung-Hwa) die to a clerical error in heaven. Before she can return to her normal life, she is forced to live as a housewife (shock horror!) for a month with Sung-Hwan (Song Seung-Heon) and his daughter, Ha-Neul (Seo Shin-Ae). The 2015 film is playing at the Korean Cultural Centre in Sydney. Check out their website for details.
Star Sand – 12 May (Sydney Premiere)
The Sydney premiere of Roger Pulvers’ Australian-Japanese co-production is at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for one afternoon only. In 1945, 16-year-old Hiromi (Lisa Oda) lives on a small island in Okinawa. Drama and tragedy await after she meets Japanese military deserter Takayasu (Shinnosuke Mitsushima) and American military deserter Bob (Brandon McClelland) in a cave. It features original music by Academy Award-winner Sakamoto Ryuichi (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Revenant). Check the Eventbrite for tickets.
Love Live! Sunshine!! Hakodate Unit Carnival – 12 May
Coming direct from the concert in Hakodate Arena in Hokkaido Japan on April 27 and 28, and based on the anime series of the same name, this special concert event will be screened exclusively for one day only across selected cinemas in Australia and New Zealand. It will feature the subunits CYaRon!, AZALEA, Guilty Kiss and Saint Snow.
How Long Will I Love You (超时空同居) – 18 May
Sun Lun’s film has a familiar romantic comedy setup: a young girl (Wild City‘s Li Ya Tong) from 2018 and a man (Jia Ying Lei) from 1999 find that they have woken up in the same bed. They discover that they can travel through time by using the bedroom door, and start making changes to the their two eras. However, they may not be controlling their own destinies. This one hits Australia day and date with China. Or has it already? You never know with time travel.
Inuyashiki: Live Action (いぬやしき) – 24 May (Limited)
This hit Japanese cinemas on 20 April, so it’s great to see this blockbuster land in local theatres relatively quickly. Based on the popular sci-fi manga series by Hiroya Oku, it sees the elderly Ichiro Inuyashiki (Noritake Kinashi) gain the abilities and powers of a cyborg following an explosion. He must battle Hiro Shishigami (Takeru Satoh), who has chosen to use his powers for evil. Director Shinsuke Sato is no stranger to live action adaptation of manga, having previously delivered the excellent Gantz and its sequel, the light novel adaptation Library Wars, Death Note: Light Up The New World, and the forthcoming Bleach live action film.
Duck Duck Goose – 24 May (Limited)
A co-production with China and the US, this Original Force Animation production follows Peng (voiced by Jim Gaffigan), a gander who befriends two lost ducklings and journeys south with them. The CG animated film has an all-star cast of talented voice actors, including Zendaya, Greg Proops, Natasha Leggero, Stephen Fry, Craig Ferguson, and Carl Reiner. It opened up in China in March, but we get to see this well ahead of the August release date in the US. Fun and completely unrelated fact: there’s an excellent cafe in Fremantle, Western Australia called Duck Duck Bruce.
Next month…
June is going to be HUGE. In addition to the already confirmed release of ANIMAL WORLD (电影动物世界), which looks completely batty, and Thai animated martial arts film LEGEND OF MUAY THAI: 9 SATRA, we’ll be looking at the Asian cinema releases that form part of the Sydney Film Festival program.
