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 they aren’t always easy to come by.
To help you navigate your way through the often limited suburban releases, we’ve put together this handy guide to the month of July. Folks: it’s another big one. A terrific mixture of classics and new releases takes us from the silent era of Chinese cinema to modern CG epics like L.O.R.D. 2 and LEGEND OF MUAY THAI: 9 SATRA. Capping off the month is the debut of the Taiwanese Film Festival in Sydney, bringing 9 features and a number of shorts from an exciting corner of Asian cinema. There also seems to be a law dictating that at least one Studio Ghibli film plays monthly in the country.
ANIMAL WORLD, which opened in late June, is still playing in selected cinemas around Australia. We’re also covering lots of other Asian cinema throughout July for our features on the New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts in the US.
Startburst
4 July – 29 July
The Art Gallery of NSW continues its series of free films highlighting the careers of four four trailblazing Chinese actresses from the 1930s through to the 21st century: Ruan Lingyu, Anna May Wong, Maggie Cheung and Zhao Tao. For July, we can see Anna May Wong opposite Marlene Dietrich in Josef von Sternberg’s SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932), along with EA Dupont’s PICCADILLY (1929). For Maggie Cheung fans, there’s Olivier Assayas’ vampiric IRMA VEP (1996) and Zhang Yimou’s HERO (2002), co-starring Jet Li and Tony Leung. Full details can be found at the AGNSW website. Each film will play a matinee and an evening session every Wednesday, followed by a repeat screening on the Saturday.
Spirited Away 千と千尋の神隠し
4 July
You may have heard of this one. Studio Ghibli’s 2001 film won virtual every award it went up against, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It’s the only hand drawn and non-English language animated film to do so. Screening in Sydney as part of the third season of Event Cinema’s Out of the Box program of retrospective anime titles.
L.O.R.D. 2 爵迹2
5 July
The sequel of the 2016 Chinese blockbuster L.O.R.D, China’s first CG motion capture fantasy adventure film. Adapted from Guo Jingming’s fantasy novel, the film depicts a splendid and mysterious world – the Odin Mainland, which is separated into four countries. In each country, lives a group of soul masters protecting their country with their soul powers. Check out the quality of the animation before.
Eiga Nights – Tokyo Godfathers + Grave of the Fireflies
10 + 24 July
You may have heard of these films as well. For the Japan Foundation’s July program, they present “two of the most important directors in the world of Japanese animation”: Satoshi Kon and the late, great Isao Takahata. The latter is especially poignant given that Takahata passed away in April.
Brother of the Year น้องพี่ที่รัก
12 July
Director Witthaya Thongyooyong (The Little Comedian) returns with a film following Jane (Urassaya Sperbund) about to get married and move to Japan. Her brother Chut (Sunny Suwanmethanont). must learn to fend for himself. Enter Moji (Nichkhun, best known for being in Korean pop band 2PM), who becomes the focal point for sibling as Jane’s boyfriend and a client Chut is trying to please.
Oolong Courtyard 新乌龙院
12 July
Another month, another Chinese comedy action film! More than twenty years after Kevin Chu’s original (Shaolin Popey II: Messy Temple), it sees the kung fu apprentices at the Oolong Courtyard school become suspicious when two outsiders try to join the academy and begin to exhibit strange behaviour.
The King of Jokgu 족구왕
13 July (Sydney only)
The Korean Cultural Centre presents this 2013 classic. Mansup returns from military service and is disappointed that his school’s Jogku (foot volleyball) court has vanished. He sets about trying to reinstate it and win the heart of a teenage sweetheart.
SMASH!
14-15 July
Can you believe it’s that time of year again? In addition to the usual fun of merch, cosplay, guests, and mingling with your fellow fans, there’s quite a few anime screenings this year. You can check out new and classic episodes, alongside feature screenings of LOVE, CHUNIBYO & OTHER DELUSIONS THE MOVIE – TAKE ON ME! and HONEYWORKS: I’VE ALWAYS LIKED YOU.
The Legend of Muay Thai: Nine Satra 9 ศาสตรา
19 July
Looking for all the world like a CG version of Street Fight, it is set in mystical kingdom of Ramthep City is under siege by the demonic Yaksas and the merciless Lord Dehayaksa. Hope exists in the form of Ott, who has lived his entire life on a remote island and trained in the secret art of Muay Thai. Which seems silly when you can get a $25 introductory lesson down at Bondi Beach.
The Accidental Detective 2: In Action 탐정: 리턴즈
19 July
Strangely enough, this is the sequel to The Accidental Detective (2015). Kwon Sang-woo and Sung Dong-il reprise their roles in this outing, quitting their jobs to open a private detective agency. Then one day, a woman walks into the office, wanting to find the truth behind the death of her fiance. Offering a substantial reward, they bring onboard a third member, Yeochi (Lee Kwang-Soo), a Mensa genius and a small-time online private eye also known as “Grasshopper.”
Ip Man Legacy – Master Z
26 July
A legend returns! Kind of! Yuen Woo-ping spins-off Jin Zhang’s character from Ip Man 3. While trying to maintain a low profile, he gets into a fight with foreigner Davidson (Dave Bautista) and kicks off a new adventure. It’s Drax versus Master Z!
Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings 狄仁杰之四大天王
26 July
Director Tsui hark is one of those names that Hong Kong cinema fans of a certain age will forever associate with the action genre. Starring Mark Chao, William Feng Shao Feng, Kenny Lin, Sandra Ma, and Carina Lau, it marks the return of Detective Dee after the success of the first back in 2010’s Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. There was, of course, a later prequel called Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon also directed by Tsui.
Herstory (허스토리)
Inspired by the ‘Gwanbu Trial’ of the early 1990s, it follows the struggles of 10 Korean ‘comfort women’ who attempted to attain visibility and an admission of responsibility from the Japanese government. The film takes place over 6 years and 23 trials as the legal battles are met with aggression and empathy on all sides of the debate.
Taiwanese Film Festival
27-29 July
Sydney’s winter just got a little bit warmer. The Taiwan Film Festival (TWFF) launches for the first time in Australia, showing the depth and breadth of cinematic works from Taiwan. Nine features and four short films will play across the last weekend in July. TWFF opens with Bo An’s SEN SEN (生生) and closes with FATHER TO SON (范保德), with treats like THE STORY OF STONE (紅樓夢), THE TAG-ALONG 2 (紅衣小女孩2), and THE GREAT BUDDHA+ (大佛普拉斯) in between. Check out our full profile.
