15 Films you shouldn’t miss at the 16th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival

By Asian Film Festival on November 17, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )

These are fifteen films you shouldn’t miss at the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival (Poland) which will take place in cinemas from November 16 – 23, and online from November 16 until December 4, 2022.

24 by Royston Tan – Singapore | 2021 – 76 minutes

The story of a sound specialist appearing on the screen in 24 scenes. We see him at work, recording sounds, listening to the human voices, capturing the noises of everyday lives – conflicts, intimate encounters, fierce talks about politics, the natural soundscape. The locations are also carefully selected. He is interested in both the city and the jungle. He goes to the movies, walks around a graveyard, records musicians performing. An unobtrusive listener, an unwavering ghost behind an imaginary glass wall – present, and yet unable to interact with the surrounding world, voiceless. He rarely reacts to the overheard scenes, sometimes smiling at a joke or the absurdity of a situation. The voice of each person he listens to becomes yet another piece in a larger puzzle. – Łukasz Mańkowski

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**A Confucian Confusion** by Edward Yang – Taiwan | 1994 – 128 minutes

What happens when art enters the realm of corporations? Is there any space left for real feelings in the world ruled by the logic of resentments and cronyism? Molly comes from a wealthy family and is the head of an advertising agency. She is equally successful in her professional and personal life. Her fiance, A-Chin, is the heir of a huge fortune and offers her business generous financial backing. Chi-Chi, her best friend from college, is her right hand in the company. But Molly’s agency is in trouble. On top of that, Birdy, the literary celebrity they promote, is accused of plagiarism. A series of misunderstandings between the protagonists culminates in the span of two and a half days, revealing the opportunism and hypocrisy of Taipei’s culture industry of the turn of the 20th century. In the world of the upper-middle class, working in culture itself becomes art for art’s sake. – Maja Korbecka

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**Arnold is a Model Student** by Sorayos Prapapan – Thailand | 2022 – 84 minutes

Arnold is a model student of one of the best high schools in Bangkok. His grades are great, he wins school competitions every year, and he got a prestigious stipend in the US. And though he is a charismatic urchin who likes making fun of both his friends and the slightly helpless teachers, his achievements allow him to get away with it. The problematic moment comes when Arnold realizes he doesn’t really know what he wants to do in life, which pushes him towards some illegal scams. On top of that, the school is shaken by a student rebellion, fueled by the escalating restrictions. – Łukasz Mańkowski

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**Barbarian Invasion** by Tan Chui Mui – Malaysia | 2021 – 105 minutes

Yoon Moon is eagerly awaiting her chance to star in a movie – after a few years of maternity leave and a difficult divorce, she is ready for new challenges. When her friend Roger offers her a role, she jumps at the opportunity. But the new film, an Asian variation on the adventures of Jason Bourne, is not a walk in the park – Yoon has to undergo tough physical training and quickly master martial arts, all the while keeping an eye on her insubordinate son… Then, an unexpected turn of events will force her to test her newly acquired skills in practice. – Marcin Krasnowolski

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**Fast & Feel Love** by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit – Thailand | 2022 – 132 minutes

What connects speed stacking, superhero films, a couple fighting about cleaning, and the dilemmas of millenials? The answer comes from the Festival favorite, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and his latest film Fast & Feel Love, which proves that being an adult truly is a state of mind. The protagonist, the 30-year-old Kao, is a world champion in speed stacking – a sport consisting of stacking cups on top of each other. He has just been dumped by his girlfriend, Jay, who has long been both his assistant and his caretaker. Without her, Jay is finally forced to grow up. He may be able to set the world record in speed stacking, but he is struggling to get a grip on his life. – Łukasz Mańkowski

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**Itomichi** by Satoko Yokohama – Japan | 2021 – 116 minutes

A small town in Aomori prefecture, in the north of Japan. The birthplace of tsugaru-shamisen, the most recognized genre of shamisen music and the traditional instrument itself. It is also the birthplace of Ito, an introverted local girl who speaks with a heavy local accent. Ito’s life – just like many other women in the town – is inextricably connected with music. Both her mother and grandmother were nationally famous for their musical virtuosity. But Ito doesn’t share their passion for the shamisen. She knows how to play, sure, but she never made the shamisen play the sound of her own soul, never established her own, unique relationship with music. She is scared of performing, her shyness and heavy accent hinder her communication with the audience. Instead of following the path set out for her by her family, Ito decides to work in a maid café in Aomori city where she meets an array of people even more eccentric than herself and equally anxious in the face of life’s most important choices. – Łukasz Mańkowski

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**Leonor Will Never Die** by Martika Ramirez Escobar – Philippines | 2022 – 99 minutes

Leonor loves action movies to pieces. In the 1980s, she was a prominent filmmaker with a long list of blockbusters to her name. Today, she is broke and the pile of unpaid bills sucks out her will to live. Her only chance to get back in the saddle is a recently announced film script competition. Leonor dusts off her old unfinished project about the adventures of the brave Ronwaldo on a mission to avenge the death of his brother. A strange accident brings the writer and her protagonist closer than she ever thought possible. – Marcin Krasnowolski

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**Love in a Puff** by Pang Ho-Cheung – Hong Kong | 2010 – 102 minutes

Love in a Puff begins with a historical event which changed the lives of thousands of Hong Kong residents. Effective from January 1st, 2007, the indoor smoking ban forced smokers out of their corporate cubicles and into the street, which resulted in new social connections. The brash, red-haired Cherie and the introverted Jimmy begin meeting on their daily smoke break, and their friendship grows with each smoked cigarette and each shared piece of gossip. Will they be able to establish an emotional connection before the authorities introduce further prohibitions? – Marcin Krasnowolski

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**My Sweet Grappa Remedies** by Akiko Ohku – Japan | 2019 – 107 minutes

Yoshiko likes the simple things in life – she rides her bike, goes shopping, and observes the world around her. She works in a corporation, and in the evenings she likes to sit and sip Italian grappa. But Yoshiko begins to notice a sort of emptiness in her routine. She is single and forty – Japanese society views her as a loner who doesn’t contribute to the collective social organism. But her isolation will be broken by a friend and a relationship with a much younger work colleague. – Łukasz Mańkowski

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**Rent a Cat** by Naoko Ogigami – Japan | 2012 – 110 minutes

Sayoko has a gift – she makes friends with cats. She’s not that good with people. One day, she has a brilliant idea – she will rent the furry vagabonds to those who need their comforting company. Not everyone can be a cat carer, though, so the candidates must go through a special recruitment procedure. – Jagoda Murczyńska

Screening:
November 20, 2022 | Sunday | Muranow | 18:00 pm
This film is also available online from November 16 until December 4, 2022

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**Septet: The Story of Hong Kong** by Ann Hui, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Hark Tsui, Yuen Woo-ping – Hong Kong | 2020 – 113 minutes

Septet: The Story of Hong Kong comprises seven novellas on the theme of this unique city, each taking place in a different decade of its history. There are Sammo Hung’s recollections from the China Drama Academy, the famous and strict Peking opera school which trained pretty much all later masters of martial arts cinema. Then, we take a walk along Hong Kong’s rapidly changing streets with a touchingly lost Simon Yam, as seen through the lens of Ringo Lam, who died shortly after completing his novella. Finally, we dive into a bizarre, futuristic vision of the city from the boundless imagination of Tsui Hark. – Marcin Krasnowolski

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**Seire** by Park Kang – South Korea | 2021 – 102 minutes

Life, death, dreams – these are the three words Park Kang relied on while writing the script for his debut, in which he immerses himself in the world of fears and beliefs, still very powerful in South Korea. The inspiration for this story was a real event in his life – at a funeral he attended, he learned that a woman he knew didn’t come because she just had a baby. – Marcin Krasnowolski

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**Taipei Story** by Edward Yang – Taiwan | 1985 – 119 minutes

Thirty-year-old A-Lung returns from the US to Taipei to visit his fiancee, A-Chin, who works at an architectural design office. Disappointed by the lack of opportunities for continuing his beloved baseball career, he contemplates getting married and emigrating to America. Confronted with their different life experiences, the couple’s deep childhood bond is put to a test. – Maja Korbecka

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**The Narrow Road** by Lam Sum – Hong Kong | 2022 – 115 minutes

Candy is inept when it comes to life skills. She lives in a tiny, windowless room and desperately needs a job to provide for herself and her seven-year old daughter. But the city has just gone into lockdown and the job market is completely dead. By a stroke of luck, Candy finds work with her neighbor Chak, a good man running a small cleaning outfit. The two wander around Hong Kong’s desolate streets, disinfecting one room after another. Will Candy be able to take full advantage of the opportunity she’s been given? – Marcin Krasnowolski

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**Tsuyukusa** by Hideyuki Hirayama – Japan | 2022 – 95 minutes

The leaves of the “dew herb” tell the story of Fumi, a middle-aged woman who spends her days working in a textile factory and her evenings at a support group. She feels her life is stagnant and empty, and the daily routine does not bring her peace. When her car is struck by a meteorite, Fumi decides to see this as a good omen. She abandons her skepticism, and decides to accept fate with open arms and an open mind. When she hears a man play a romantic melody on the leaves of tsuyukusa, the “dew herb” or Asiatic dayflower, she wants to keep the sound of the plant with her for good. – Łukasz Mańkowski

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