The beauty of the 68th Sydney Film Festival running so late this year is that is gets to pick from the best of international festivals. As a result, there’s some serious heavy hitters gracing Sydney screens in November this year.
As we’ve been covering SFF for many years — with our Asia in Focus always a priority — we thought we’d take a look at the films screening from Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and beyond. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and Naomi Kawase feature prominently in this year’s picks, along with award-winning directors Zhang Yimou and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
SFF will run in person, with any relevant government restrictions, across Sydney from 3-13 November. All films will screen in-cinema at the festival, with a number of titles also screening in SFF On Demand’s online program (12-21 November). Tickets are now available on their website.
Drive My Car
We love the films of Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, from the 5-hour Happy Hour (2016) to the more compact Asako I & II (2018). Based on the short story of the same name by Haruki Murakami, it comes in hot from competing for the Palme d’Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. If that doesn’t grab you already, then the cast — which includes Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masaki Okada and Reika Kirishima — probably will. Prepare thyself for another three hours of intense character studies.(See also: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy below).
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
It’s a Ryûsuke Hamaguchi double feature! Here he trades longer forms for short stories in this Silver Bear winning anthology built around choices not made and lives unlived. It has been likened to Hamaguchi’s collection of short stories following two weighty novels. Following this analogy, it’s then a matter of taking this as a series of vignettes that will have varying degrees of impact depending on how you arrive there. For existing fans of his work, there is much to enjoy here as a natural bridge between his longer narratives and the next stage of his already impressive career. Read our full review.
True Mothers
Fresh from shooting the official film of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, modern master Naomi Kawase takes a measured approach to delivers another delicate character piece, filled with trademark beauty and lingering resonance. At its most basic level, Kawase’s and Izumi Takahashi’s script – based on a novel by Mizuki Tsujimura – concerns Satoko (Hiromi Nagasaku) and her husband Kiyokazu (Arata Iura) deciding to adopt a baby. Years later, Hikari (Aju Makita) comes forward as the child’s birth mother. Read our full review.
Pompo: The Cinéphile
Have you ever felt completely seen by a movie? Based on the manga by Shogo Sugitani, the animated film from director Takayuki Hirao and studio CLAP is made for film lovers. This joyful and film literate feature is a sophisticated and clever insider look at the film industry while also celebrating the medium that we all love so much. Read our full review here.
One Second
Zhang Yimou is a name synonymous with Chinese cinema, especially with a filmography that includes films like Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and House of Flying Daggers. His latest film, which recently screened at TIFF, is a love-letter to film set during the Cultural Revolution. It concerns a man (Zhang Yi) who is obsessed with seeing a particular film, escapes prison camp to find it and attempts to reconnect with his lost daughter.
Striding Into the Wind
A hipster-slacker semi-autobiographical film from Chinese director Wei Shujun. Following the adventures the mullet-topped Kun said to have nods to Kevin Smith and Jim Jarmusch. This one is also playing on demand, so you can even catch it from the comfort of your own home.
The Swordsman
This action film comes from director Choi Jae-hoon. Set in the 17th-century during a time when ruling dynasties in Korea and China were in significant transition, it stars Jang Hyuk as the titular character who refuses to join a rebellion of the King’s top officials.
When A City Rises
Winner of the F:act Award, CPH:DOX 2021, this timely documentary follows peaceful protestor (William), teenager (M.J.), law student (Eve) and ‘frontliner’ (Tan) during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Like Hong Kong Moments, or Rita Hui’s Decameron, it aims to capture an immediate sense of time and place with up-close-and-personal footage from directors Iris Kwong, Ip Kar Man, Cathy Chu, Han Yan Yuen, Huang Yuk-kwok, Jenn Lee, and Evie Cheung.
Come Here
Following By the Time it Gets Dark and Mundane History, Anocha Suwichakornpong brings her third feature to Berlin for its world premiere. It sees a group of actor friends on a road trip to a raft house, with a parallel narrative about another woman who finds herself alone in the middle of the forest after her friend goes missing. The Thai black-and-white ethereal forest film is almost a sub genre and it’s a definite mood. Contemplative, juxtaposed with recreations and deconstructions of scenes we’ve witnessed already.
Memoria
While this is an international co-production with United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, and Colombia, acclaimed Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, 10 Years Thailand) will undoubtedly bring his distinctive voice to this film. Plus there’s this crazy cast: Tilda Swinton, Jeanne Balibar, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Juan Pablo Urrego and Elkin Diaz. If you haven’t booked your tickets, be prepared to miss out entirely.
