Celebrating its seventh year, the annual Asia House Film Festival will be showcasing a bevy of remarkable cinematic productions across London. Maddie Salters has a look at the fantastic lineup, which includes a strong focus on Mongolian cinema for the first time, with the exclusive London premier of the social documentary Passion, as well as a collection of black and white films included in the Mongolian Treasures lineup.
Also studding the schedule? The UK premiers of a Japanese musical (Wonder + Flashback), a Cambodian political piece (The Last Reel), a futuristic look at Vietnam (NUOC 2030), and a number of other rich productions from Mynamar, Indonesia, India, and Uzbekistan.
The theme for this year’s Asia House Film Festival, lovingly co-ordinated by new artistic director Jasper Sharp, is New Generations. The full programme highlights fresh talent and experimental styles, with the films tackling some of the tough modern challenges that Asia faces. The mix of work includes drama, documentary, and shorts, with highlights such as meet-and-greets and Director Q&A’s. The lineup encompasses an impressive two European premiers, and eight UK premiers, across a hearty circuit of venues: the Ham Yard Theatre, The Horse Hospital, Rich Mix, and the Cinema Museum.
The Festival, which runs March 27th-31st, will be starting off with a screening of In the Absence of the Sun, a bittersweet dramatic tale set in Jakarta. The Gala Evening will begin with a drinks reception at the Dive Bar of the Ham Yard Hotel, and guests are invited to mingle and share their thoughts on the film afterwards during the Hotel’s canapé reception.
I am personally looking forward to opening night for the opportunity to hear In the Absence of the Sun director, Lucky Kuswandi, in conversation with the audience about what it means to face culture shock in your own country: a theme explored by one of the film’s protagonists, Gia, who has returned to Jakarta after studying in New York. The powerful weave of three women’s tales in this melancholic, vulnerably honest film will set the tone for a week of hard-hitting and poignant cinema that focuses on place, people, and progress.
Asia House is located at 63 New Cavendish Street, W1G 7LP. For more details, venue listings and to purchase tickets go to asiahouse.org/events/category/asia-house-film-festival-2015.
