15 Films you shouldn’t miss at the 46th Hong Kong International Film Festival

By Asian Film Festival on August 14, 2022 • ( 1 Comment )

These are fifteen films you shouldn’t miss at the 46th Hong Kong International Film Festival which will take place from August 15 -31, 2022.

– Selected Films –

**A Night of Knowing Nothing** by Payal Kapadia – France, India | 2021 – 99 minutes
**Section**: Kaleidoscope

A filmmaker discovers a set of letters in a drawer at the Film and Television Institute of India. In it, “L” chronicles her estrangement from her lover, who has been forced to stop seeing her due to her caste. L has stayed on campus, where she has witnessed the emergence of a movement opposing Hindu nationalism. An unforgettable film existing in the margins between the experimental, political, and confessional, Payal Kapadia’s feature debut is a dreamy documentation of student life, and aspiration of hope for the future of a fractured country. (HKIFF 2022)

Screening:
August 21, 2022 | Sunday | Hong Kong Arts Centre Louis Koo Cinema (AC) | 6:30 pm

Trailer:

**All That Breathes** by Shaunak Sen – India, USA, UK | 2022 – 94 minutes
**Section**: Firebird Awards | Documentary Competition

Worsening air pollution makes daily life in Delhi an uphill struggle, for the city’s human population as well as its diverse birdlife. Brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad have committed themselves to saving one such species, the Black Kite, who are literally falling from the sky. It is a plight that somewhat mirrors their own, as Muslims living in a climate of escalating civil unrest. Sen’s remarkable documentary paints a vivid portrait of a community on the brink, deservedly winning L’OEil d’Or for Best Documentary, Cannes, and Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary, Sundance. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Aloners** by Hong Sung-eun – South Korea | 2021 – 91 minutes
**Section**: World Cinema

Jina may be the top employee at the credit card call centre where she works, but since the death of her mother, she has cut herself off from the rest of society. Her carefully crafted isolation is disrupted when she is asked to train a new female colleague, and learns a shocking truth about the young man who lives next door. Hong’s debut is a quietly haunting exploration of modern city life, and the struggles of the young, plugged-in generation to reach out and make meaningful connections with those around them. (HKIFF 2022)

Screening:
August 21, 2022 | Sunday | Emperor Cinemas Times Square (TS) | 7:30 pm

Trailer:

**Before, Now & Then** by Kamila Andini – Indonesia | 2022 – 103 minutes
**Section**: World Cinema

Following hot on the heels of her critical hit Yuni, writer-director Andini delivers this stately period drama, adapted from Ahda Imran’s novel Jais Darga Namaku. Set in 1960s Indonesia, a country ravaged by anti-communist genocide, Nana pines for her first husband, consumed by the conflict, even after building a comfortable new life with a wealthy older man. A prisoner to the patriarchy, Nana remains helpless to choose her own path, until she discovers friendship and inspiration in the most unlikely of places. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Children of the Mist** by Ha Le Diem – Vietnam | 2021 – 93 minutes
**Section**: Firebird Award

Set in the north of her homeland, Vietnam, Ha Le Diem’s compelling debut, which won the Best Directing award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, depicts the controversial tradition of “bride-napping” in rural villages. At the centre of Diem’s film is the conflicted life of Di, a 12-year-old Hmong girl, torn between deep-rooted customs of adolescent marriage and the modern freedoms presented to her via social media. On the brink of an underage marriage, Di explores her sense of self and independent notion of womanhood. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Fantasy . World** by Freddy Tang – Taiwan | 2022 – 109 minutes
**Section**: Firebird Awards

More than a decade after defending Tang in court on a sexual assault charge attorney Zhang learns that his former client is embroiled in a similar case, involving another young victim. Zhang chooses to represent the victim this time, in an effort to redeem himself, but the truth isn’t exactly black-and-white. The directorial debut of former lawyer Freddy Tang is a gripping legal drama that examines the abuse of power, how the elites exploit the legal system to their advantage, and the fantasies we create in order to disguise the ugly truth. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Goddamned Asura** by Lou Yi-An – Taiwan | 2021 – 114 minutes
**Section**: Kaleidoscope

One night, 18-year-old Jan Wen fires his steel ball gun at random strangers in a night market. The incident sends ripples through multiple lives, including his parents, his best friend, a journalist, and one of the victims’ fiancée. The latest film by director Lou Yi-An (The Losers, 38th) is an intriguing ensemble piece that exposes the pressure cooker environment young people face in modern society and ponders whether a single moment can truly change fate’s trajectory. Playing a teenager who takes desperate measures to survive, talented newcomer Wang Yu-Xuan took home the Golden Horse Award and Taipei Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Haruhara-san’s Recorder** by Sugita Kyoshi – Japan | 2021 – 121 minutes
**Section**: World Cinema

A young woman moves into a new apartment and through her chance encounters with her guests, we gradually piece together the source of her sadness. A film about the mystic charm of seeing, listening, and feeling, Sugita Kyoshi’s third feature stages episodes through a minimalistic setting. Naturalistic, verité-style imagery from cinematographer Iioka Yukiko (Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, 45th) captures a strong sense of “life” and “living”. Is life not like a loosely structured poem, whose beauty rests upon moments? (HKIFF 2022)

Screening:
August 18, 2022 | Emperor Cinemas iSQUARE (IS) | 9:50 pm

Trailer:

**I’m So Sorry** by Zhao Liang – France, Hong Kong, Netherlands | 2021 – 96 minutes
**Section**: Documentaries

Through a panorama of pre- and post-apocalyptic sites, including Fukushima, Semipalatinsk, Chernobyl, and Onkalo, that points towards disasters past, present and future, Chinese documentarian Zhao Liang ( Behemoth , 40th) traces a vivid history of humanity’s rise and potential fall, through our persistent use of nuclear energy. A portrait of the landscapes and people affected by radiation and its inherent tragedies, I’m So Sorry unfolds as a carefully composed apology to future generations, and a wake-up call for the safeguarding of the future in the face of climate change. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Journey to the West** by Kong Dashan – China | 2021 – 111 minutes
**Section**: Firebird Awards

This film may share the same title as the Chinese literary classic, but its ragtag team of travellers is searching for something even more profound than Buddhist sutras. This mockumentary follows the alien-obsessed editor of Space Exploration magazine, who leads a team on a search (or wild goose chase) for aliens and ultimately the meaning of our existence in the universe. A clever genre hybrid packed with dry humour, this offbeat low-tech comedy strikes the perfect balance between absurdity, philosophy, and heart. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Noise** by Hiroki Ryuichi – Japan | 2021 – 128 minutes
**Section**: Kaleidoscope

An island village looks to the black figs grown by young farmer Keita to revive its long-dormant economy. So, when Keita and his two childhood friends accidentally kill a dangerous intruder, they must cover it up to protect the village’s future. As two police detectives hunt relentlessly for the truth, their lies exacerbate this already terrible situation. Featuring the long-awaited reunion of Death Note stars Fujiwara Tatsuya and Matsuyama Kenichi, veteran director Hiroki Ryuichi’s darkly humorous noir questions the morality of people who do very bad things for the greater good. (HKIFF 2022)

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**Onoda – 10.000 Nights in the Jungle** by Arthur Harari – France, Japan, Germany, Belgium | 2021 – 167 minutes – **Section**: World Cinema

1945. The Japanese Empire has surrendered; WWII has ended. However, on the occupied island of Lubang, Philippines, Imperial intelligence officer Onoda holds out. He hides in the jungle for the next 29 years, refusing to give himself in or commit seppuku – waging a guerrilla war that isn’t happening anymore; one that turns into a war of the mind. Channelling the critical filmmaking tradition of Oshima Nagisa and the Western adventure novel, Harari finds in this soldier a tremendous subject for psychological study. (HKIFF 2022)

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**The Novelist’s Film** by Hong Sang-Soo – South Korea | 2022 – 92 minutes
**Section**: Masters & Auteurs

Hong’s third consecutive win – this time, the Grand Jury Prize – at the Berlinale is another playful comedy, permeated with his usual themes and visual hallmarks: meandering conversations on life, sly humour into artistic self-reflection, and the mandatory soju-quaffing scenes. Shot predominantly in black and white, it follows an acclaimed novelist, frustrated by writer’s block, who goes through a carousel of encounters, and sets out to make a new film after running into an actress she admires. (HKIFF 2022)

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**To My Nineteen-year-old Self** by Mabel Cheung – Hong Kong | 2022 – 136 minutes
**Section**: Gala Presentation

Sparked by the demolition and reconstruction of its century old campus, Ying Wa Girls’ School embarks on a project to chronicle the transformation of its students through the penetrating camera of director Mabel Cheung, its distinguished alumni. Following a group of young students since 2011, the documentary captures the trials and tribulations that go with the most turbulent decade in Hong Kong’s history. An up-close and honest coming-of-age saga, with fascinating stories to tell, and personal journeys of self-discovery and realisation. (HKIFF 2022)

**Zero to Hero** by Jimmy Wan – Hong Kong | 2021 – 103 minutes
**Section**: Pan-Chinese Cinema

Stepping behind the camera, Ng produced this stirring biopic of Hong Kong sprinter So Wa-wai, who won multiple gold medals and set world records in the Paralympic Games. Ng also co-stars as Wa-wai’s mother, who must persevere when her son is born jaundiced and afflicted with cerebral palsy. Yet with her unwavering support, Wa-wai is able to take his place in Hong Kong history. Succeeding as both an inspirational sports film and a socially-conscious drama, Zero to Hero augurs well for Ng’s future filmmaking career. (HKIFF 2022)

Screening:
August 25, 2022 | Thursday | Emperor Cinema Times Squares (TS) | 2:30 pm

Trailer: