Initiatives > Southeast Asian Film Series
Fall 2008 Series
December 10 – London Caregiver – Philippines
December 3 – Saint Jack – USA/Singapore
November 26 - One Night Husband - Thailand
November 21 - Kubrador - Philippines
November 19 - Opera Jawa - Indonesia
November 5 - I-San Special - Thailand
October 29 - Muro Ami - Philippines
October 22 - Three Days Until Forever - Indonesia
Week of October 13 - Southeast Asian Films at HIFF - Various Countries
October 8 - Quickie Express - Indonesia
October 1 - Talking Cock - Singapore
September 25 - Kala - Indonesia
September 18 - Sayew - Thailand
September 11 - Endo - Philippines
September 4 - Ayat Ayat Cinta- Indonesia
December 10, 6:30 p.m., Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Chito Rono
Philippines, 2008, 130 minutes
Tagalog, Engish w/ E.S.
Sarah (Sharon Cuneta), is an English teacher and one of the 150,000 Pinoy Overseas Foreign Workers in the United Kingdom. She works as a caregiver to support her husband, Teddy (John Estrada), and to make a better living for their family in the Philippines. After the initial excitement of working abroad fades, she experiences the hard challenges facing Filipino OFWs: dirty work, icy weather and even colder patients. Sarah makes the most of the situation and her determination earns the respect of Mr. Morgan, Teddy's wealthy old ward, and she finds solace in unexpected friendships with Mr. Morgan’s son David (who appreciates her more than her husband) and a little boy named Sean (who eases her longings for her own son). Tensions rise between Sarah and Teddy as the stress of London life takes its toll on their marriage.
Will Sarah choose to remain by her husband’s side to keep her family intact? Or will she find the strength to stay in London to continue seeking a better life for her son, even if it means losing her marriage? Directed by Chito Rono, maker of Dekada 70s and Sukob!
December 3, 6:30 p.m., Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
USA/Singapore, 1978, 112 minutes
English
Based on the 1973 novel by Paul Theroux, Saint Jack tells the life of Jack Flowers (Ben Gazarra), a pimp in Singapore. Feeling hopeless and undervalued, Jack tries to make money by setting up his own bordello, and clashes with Chinese triad members in the process.
Saint Jack was shot entirely on location Singapore and it is the only Hollywood film to have been shot on location in the Lion City. The local authorities knew about the book, hence the foreign production crew did not tell them that they were adapting it, fearing that they would not be permitted to shoot the film. Instead, they created a fake synopsis for a film called "Jack Of Hearts", and most of the Singaporeans involved in the production believed this was what they were making.
The film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia on 17 January 1980. Singapore banned it "largely due to concerns that there would be excessive edits required to the scenes of nudity and some coarse language before it could be shown to a general audience," and lifted the ban only in March 2006, when the film was screened as part of the Singapore International Film Festival.
November 26, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
One Night Husband
Kuen rai ngao
Thailand, 2003, 96 minutes
Thai with English Subtitles
A newly married young husband mysteriously vanishes one night, leaving his confused and lonely wife to sort out the sordid details in Thai director Pimpaka Towira's debut feature film, One Night Husband. Sipang (Nicole Theriault) and Napat (Worawit Kaewpetch) met and married in a whirlwind romance -- so fast, in fact, that Sipang had begun second-thinking her actions. Her worries about her marriage take on a different, more frantic perspective after Napat disappears one dark and stormy night. After a few days with no word from her husband, Sipang begins to take matters into her own hands by visiting a number of Napat's regular hangouts, but learns nothing new from her investigations. Soon, she checks in on her brother-in-law, Chatchai, and his demure wife, Bubasa, and slowly finds that her in-laws' relationship has some serious flaws, which temporarily distracts Sipang from her quest. As Bubasa and Sipang grow to understand and respect one another, Bubasa helps Sipang find the answers to the questions surrounding Napat's disappearance. The film premiered at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival.
A Special Presentation as part of the Asian Film Festival for International Education Week
November 19, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Indonesia, 2006 120 minutes
Indonesian with English Subtitles
"In a pig’s liver, one can see an entire life." This porcine prediction, made by a sage street singer at the beginning of masterful Indonesian director Garin Nugroho’s gorgeous, otherworldly epic, establishes an appropriately superstitious and magical tone for the fateful narrative about to unfold. Updating an ancient Sanskrit love triangle among spoiled royals—reimagined here as married pottery artisans Siti and Setio and village fat cat Ludiro—Nugroho has fashioned an all-singing, all-dancing morality play that pits cultural tradition and marital fidelity against radical uprising and erotic freedom. When Setio embarks on a long journey away from home, Siti’s fidelity is tested by the fiery writhings of Ludiro (a scene-stealing Eko Supriyanto, who held his own against Madonna as a dancer on her Drowned World tour). Nugroho envisions this romantic intrigue through a heady yet sensual mélange of haunting gamelan melodies, acrobatic choreography and Javanese shadow puppetry. Much like Matthew Barney, he is a wildly ambitious conceptual artist with a flair for cinematic excess, filling the screen with razzle-dazzle imagery—hundreds of candlelit masks, a maze of coconut shells, a beating heart wrenched from its lovelorn body—yet always attuned to the tragedy of his timeless tale. One of seven films commissioned by Peter Sellars for his New Crowned Hope festival commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, Opera Jawa is at once a requiem for victims of violence and natural disaster, a postmodern movie musical and a foot fetishist’s dream: Not even a long look at that telltale pig’s liver could have predicted the scene in which Ludiro caresses Siti’s face with his bare sole. - San Francisco International Film Festival
A special screening for International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, co-sponsored by the Academy for Creative Media, the Center for Chinese Studies, the Center for South Asian Studies, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the Political Science Department and the University of Hawaii at Manoa Library.
November 5, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Mingmongkol Sonakul
Thailand, 2002, 112 minutes
Thai with English Subtitles
The film series continues with another road movie, but the I-San Special is no ordinary bus trip home. Director Mingmongkol Sonakul channels Apichatpong Weerasetkul to focus her dream-like story on engaging themes found in Thailand's contemporary cultural landscape. A bus leaves Bangkok for a small town in Northeast Thailand. As the film's characters board the bus, they're possessed by the prime-time spirits of a televised soap opera, speaking in dubbed voices. Using this creative device and employing professional dub actors for the voice overs and first-time actors for the passengers, Mingmongkol creates two sets of dramas for her films' travelers, and each contains truths and fictions in exploring how pop culture affects Thai people.
Contrasting melodrama and realism, and an ingenious mix of sound and screenplay, we are left to wonder if Mathavee (Phurida Vichitpan) is an evil stepmother or opportunistic businesswoman? Is handsome Danny (Mark Salmon) a romantic hero or criminal drifter? You'll have to get on the bus to find out! - Johnny Ray Huston
October 23, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Philippines, 2003, 120 minutes
Filipino with English Subtitles
A fisherman's wounded spirit begins to give out as he loses his hold on his livelihood in this drama from the Philippines. Fredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches each trip to the sea with the angry determination of a man out for revenge. Fredo commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. Not all of Fredo's youthful sailors are willing to put up with his abusive arrogance, however, and even his father Dado (Pen Medina) and close friend Botong (Jhong Hilario) have grown weary of Fredo's tirades. Fredo's body is beginning to betray him as well, and as he and his crew damage the sea's reef beds in search of fish, no one is certain how much longer he will be able to continue. Muro-Ami was shot primarily at sea, and is distinguished by its fine photography and vivid portrayal of the fisherman's life.
| trailer |
October 9, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Quickie Express
Directed by Dimas Djayadiningrat
indonesia, 2007, 117 minutes
Indonesian with English Subtitles
Just like the title implies, Quickie Express moves at full speed on the strength of its lightning-quick humor and crass irreverence. JoJo (played by Tora Sudiro, who bares a passing resemblance to gigolo acting legend Rob Schneider) has his life turned upside down when he joins an underground gigolo society. He undergoes rigorous and hilarious training alongside two eventual buddies, including a bizarre Bob Marley wannabe. The energetic trio's shenanigans carry the film's more enjoyable first half, powered by humor reminiscent of the Austin Powers series: crude, disgusting, and absurd, but never taking it too far. If you're expecting a lot of penis related humor, you won't be disappointed. One of these penis gags even help move the plot along. Even more reminiscent of Austin Powers is how the film consistently evokes this buoyant 70s vibe, filled with funk, flair, and fun. Unfortunately, the film derails a bit in the second half, introducing Jojo's love interest(s) and a ridiculous amount of tangled drama. The film's love triangle quickly evolves into more creative and unexpected shapes, which Jojo acknowledges and flippantly dismisses by saying "ah, f*ck it." Despite the obligatory conflicts introduced, Quickie Express never loses sight of what it truly is: a crass black comedy that thankfully never takes itself too seriously, unlike certain other films in the gigolo comedy genre. Watch out Rob Schneider, the bar has been risen. - LAAPFF
| trailer | another trailer | official website |
October 1, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
The Movie Night Returns to Wednesdays!
Singapore, 2002, 90 minutes
English, Mandarin, Hokkien with English Subtitles
Based on the popular satirical website run by Colin and Yen Yen, this series of short comic vignettes strung together was filmed on mini-DV for fun and no money, and with an all-amateur cast. Likened to the bastard offspring of Kentucky Fried Movie and Chungking Express, Talking Cock The Movie is a surrealist comedy that has somehow managed to slip out of the island republic of Singapore, known more for its restrictive laws than its sense of humor.
A young man tries to 'dotcom' his father's illegal loan shark business; a banker loses his handphone, then his mind; a girl bites off more than she can chew when she starts a romance and a bunch of heavy metal rockers who have to become a silly boy band...PLUS the #1 Ah Beng University, Geylang's top poet and how Singapore actually got its name! Based on the satirical website www.talkingcock.com, this 100% Singaporean comedy stars REAL Singaporeans doing all sorts of crazy, wu liao stuff!
"...if you're Singaporean, this is one movie you don't want to miss." - Lycos Movies
"...TalkingCock The Movie has offered a concept of Singapore that is more expansive, subversive and riotous than the clean, peaceful and efficient country most of us are familiar with. ... fresh, funny and fascinating. ... worth the while simply because of its refreshing, no-holds-barred take on the foibles of Singaporeans." - The Straits Times
"TalkingCock The Movie is Singapore's most unpretentious feature film in the last three years. the film is an immensely enjoyable screwball comedy that is inspired in its silliness and laudable in its attempt to portray an authentic Singapore and idiosyncratic Singaporeans."- I-S Magazine
"...an original and daring satirical comedy, poking good fun at Singaporeans, their obsessions, history and government." - Nickelodeon, Far East Film 5, Centro Espressioni Cinematographiche, 2003
September 25, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Joko Anwar
Indonesia, 2007, 120 minutes
Indonesia with English Subtitles
It’s at Bendonowongso Hill, before the seven-step temple..." Whispered words on a tape recording--from a woman who dies in a traffic accident soon after she speaks them – are the key to a supernatural mystery in Joko Anwar’s immoderately absorbing thriller. The period and setting are not specified, but the film noir atmosphere and styles of clothing and transport strongly suggest the police-state Indonesia of Suharto’s heyday; this is that rarest of genre movies, a ghost story with a political subtext--complete with police brutality, vigilante mobs, bureaucratic stonewalling, governmental corruption and an increasingly cowed and repressed general public, not to mention a series of gruesome deaths.
Actually, the film traverses genres as confidently and unpredictably as Hong Kong movies once did, here evoking Costa-Gavras, there evoking Highlander. One of its two protagonists is a relatively clean-cut, uncomplicated hero (he’s an honest cop who lives up to his name: Eros) but the other is as unconventional as they come: a harried journalist named Janus, who succumbs to narcolepsy whenever he’s stressed or frightened. Janus has just been divorced by his wife and is about to lose his job at the newspaper; just as his life is falling apart, people around him start dying strange deaths. This is Joko Anwar’s second movie as director (he previous directed a hit rom-com and co-scripted the pioneering gay comedy Arisan!), and it suggests a talent at the top of his game. Dead Time is seriously entertaining. - VIFF
Directed by Joko Anwar, the boy genius of Indonesian cinema and scriptwriter for Nia Dinata’s ARISAN and Riri Riza’s JANJI JONI.
| interview | trailer | production blog | director's blog |
September 18, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Kongdej Jaturanrasmee and Kiat Sansanandana
Thailand, 2003, 120 minutes
Thai with English Subtitles
Tomboyish student Tao tries to support her studies (she's writing a thesis on romance fiction) by writing articles for the racy magazine Sayew ("Tickle") published by her uncle Hia Kung Fu. But the market is changing fast (glossy "adult" photo magazines are arriving) and she faces being fired if she can't find a way to spice up her pieces... The risk of starving forces her first to construct fantasy scenarios featuring her neighbors, and then (on the advice of the mag's ancient agony uncle) to start trying for first-hand experiences to draw on. Sex farce is not the easiest genre to get right, but Kongdej and Kiat strike a surprisingly successful balance between caricature and satire in their double-edged tribute to the porn of yesteryear. - Tony Rayns
The films features a surprisingly charming performance from actress/model Pimpaporn Leenutapong, who is heiress to Yontrakit, Thailand’s largest automobile importer and distributor making her, probably, the sexiest multi-million dollar empire heiress in Thailand.
| interview |
September 11, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Directed by Jade Castro
Philippines, 2007, 96 minutes
Tagalog, English with English Subtitles
Leo is used to the temporary. Typical of many young Filipinos, he supports his family by hopping from one short-term job to the next - in fast food restaurants to supermarkets to department stories. Leo's relationships with women are similarly fleeting. But when he meets the spirited dreamer Tanya (portrayed by a luminous Ina Feleo, who evokes the gamine wistfulness of Audrey Hepburn), he is suddenly faced by the promise of a better future...and doesn't seem equipped to handle it. The film, a gorgeously-lensed romance full of outstanding performances from its charming lead actors, depicts a nation where money, dreams and love are elusive.
END OF CONTRACT won the Best Actress, Best Editing and a Special Jury Prize at the Cinemalaya Film Festival 2007.
| official website | trailer | multiply website |
September 4, 6:30 p.m. - Korean Studies Auditorium
Verses of Love
Ayat-ayat Cinta
Indonesia, 2007, 130 minutes
Indonesian, Arabic, English with English Subtitles
Fahri, a dedicated Indonesian student of the Koran in Cairo, is busy translating religious books when his family prods him to think of marriage. But Fahri, who's never been close to a woman outside his family, has his world turned upside-down when he meets four beautiful women: a shy Coptic-Christian woman interested in Islam, the Muslim daughter of a renowned Indonesian cleric, an Egyptian neighbor and a hauntingly beautiful German-Turkish exchange student. The film - a love story set in a religious context, adapted from Habiburrahman El Shirazy's eponymous novel - was a popular hit in Indonesia, breaking all box office records!
| official website | trailer |
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