East Winds Preview


and Galya Dimitrova


‘THE YELLOW SEA’ (2010) Amateur director


Hong-Jin Na turned a lot of heads when he made his debut in 2008 with the Cannes hit ‘The Chaser’, a thrilling story based on Korea’s most bizarre serial killer. Along with actors Jung-woo Ha and Yun- seok Kim, he was part of a fantastic trio who even sparked Warner Bros.’ interest for a remake. Two years later, they’re at it again!


‘The Yellow Sea’


brings back two amazing leads and matches them


with a plot that unfolds over two and a half action-packed hours. Lead character Gu-nam (played by Ha) is forced to leave his dull life as a mahjong-loving cab driver and becomes a pawn for the mob. The audience is treated to a detailed incursion into a novice criminal’s mind. He awakes primal instincts that aid him with his tasks. However, things


take a turn for the worst, and the South Korean mob, Chinese mafia and the police join in on what becomes a furious fight for survival.


Herman Yau For the fans of the really REALLY bloody phyco-


horror movies, there is Category III. And where there is Cat III, there is Herman Yau. His ‘The Untold Story’ and ‘Ebola Syndrome’ go beyond the wildest dreams even for the gore-experienced. His emblematic genre films raise the adrenaline and put nerves through a test. But Herman Yau’s talent shines through his


transformation in the creator of very personal films, dealing with contemporary situations, problems, and human conditions. ‘Love Actually...Sucks!’ tells the story of a several


odd couples on a dramatic wedding party. ‘True Women For Sale’ deals with the troubles of the two women on the outskirts of Hong Kong society. His new pattern of creating more personal films


mainly deals with the odd, marginalised characters in contemporary society. Those types of films show Yau’s capability to experiment and produce quality films outside of the Cat III genre, and give an educated, whilst creative, outlook on the realities of today.


Tom Lin There are


many words that could describe Tom Lin’s movies but the one that really stands out is ‘enchanting’. The young Taiwanese director has only three film productions under his name, but he has already shaped his style. Whether it is the moving drama ‘Winds of September’ or the captivating ‘Starry Starry Night’, one will be bewithched by Tom Lin’s ability to create something worthy of the word ‘magic’. Tom Lin


knows how to work with the underlying themes. He finds new angles of representation of very well-known ideas. The charming plot, the intensity of colours used, the dialogue, even the choice of the actors prove his ability to create contemporary fairytales, put them on screen and let the audience get lost in his world, where they would wish to remain till the end of time.


Eri Fuse Starring


in a number of successful comedies in Japan, Eri Fuse has established herself as an ideal comedy actress, though this is not the only genre she has dipped her toes in. She has also taken part in many TV shows of various kinds – crime (‘Atami no Sousakan’), human drama (‘Kaze no Garden’), romance (‘Taiyo no Uta’). Eri and


Miki Satoshi have both found their area of expertise, that one field where they make magic together and through their successful team (with her appearing in three of her husband’s films, all part of East Winds Festival programme), they have established themselves as ‘experts’ in unconventional, odd and quirky, but heart-warming comedy.


Page 5


Asia Exposure, Issue 3


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