London East Asian Film Festival to celebrate female experiences through the lens
This year’s London East Asian Film Festival (LEAFF), which runs 19th – 29th October, sees the return of the lauded Stories of Women section. The strand offers cinematic prisms into female experience seen through the lens of four very different filmmakers from both South Korea and Taiwan and includes Jenny Lu’s much praised The Receptionist that is set in London and filmed in the city.
Set in an illegal massage parlour in London and exploring the city’s underground sex industry, Taiwanese-born Jenny Lu’s THE RECEPTIONIST (2106) follows the lives of employees and clients through the eyes of a newly recruited receptionist, offering a critique of sexual exploitation. Having received critical praise at this years’ Edinburgh International Film Festival, features a cast of British actors including Josh Whitehouse (TV’s Poldark), and Lorraine Stanley (Suffragette; EastEnders).
Here is the trailer to The Receptionist: https://youtu.
In contrast, the second film from Taiwan is Huang Hui-chen’s introspective documentary SMALL TALK (2016) explores an intimate conversation between the director and her mother who talks not only about her life as a medium but also opens up about her life as a lesbian.
Small Talk trailer: https://youtu.be/
A decidedly different pairing of films South Korea are Cho Hyun-hoon’s ambitious feature debutJANE (2016) that addresses gender issues and how lonely one can feel as a girl even at an early age. Abandoned by her brother, homeless girl, So-hyn is befriended by a lady named Jane who’s looking for her brother. As their friendship develops, who can predict how long the happiness will last? Cho Hyun-hoon will also take part in a Q&A.
Jane trailer: https://youtu.be/
Kim Jong-kwan’s single location indie drama THE TABLE (2016) follows four conversations between various couples in a Seoul café during the course of one day: an actress and her boyfriend from childhood, a woman reunites with a one-night stand after he returns from extended travel, a third woman meets someone to pose as her mother for a sham marriage, and a bride-to-be tries convincing her ex-boyfriend for one final fling. It’s a poignant meditation on relationshsip that echoes Jim Jarmusch’s conversational Coffee and Cigarettes. The director along with leading actress Jung Eun-chae will be attending the festival
The Table trailer: https://youtu.be/T_
In addition, an evening is planned to celebrate Taiwanese filmmaking organized in partnership with the Ministry of Culture Taiwan and Taipei Representative Office in the UK. Both Hunag Hui-chen and Jenny Lu will be in attendance.
Stories of Women is supported by PAWA, the Pan Asian Women’s Association, a charity to help teenage girls in education throughout Asia, supporting eight projects in seven countries.
