Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Director: Skye Fitzgerald

Rating: 7 Veils

A moving documentary detailing a new manner of attack happening against more and more women in Cambodia and various other places: assault with liquid acid.

Though the film does make mention and have graphic pictures of a few other women to whom this has happened, it mainly centers around Tat Marina and her particular story. I am sorry to say, the story is a fairly commonplace Asian one: Tat Marina is a rising Kararoke star, gets noticed by the Cambodian undersecretary and forced into an affair with a married man, and his wife decides to take revenge, but with a twist. And what a twist it is: on a crowded market street, in front of dozens of witnesses, Tat Marina is doused with who knows how much nitric acid, and the assailants get away. No charges have been or are likely to be pressed. Tat Marina flees to America, and that’s where the movie begins. Keeping in mind, it starts with Marina’s brother telling the story, which can be taken any number of interesting ways.

Yes it’s terrible and yes it’s tragic, but I simply failed to understand a lot of the things that came across in the film. The first half of the film, for example, shows these horrifically scarred women only behind a gently blurred filter, and even with that, somehow a sense of shame comes across from these women. The latter half of the film shows the faces of these women without any kind of cover, but not in a stark reality kind of way, but rather briefly and again, as conscientiously as possible. Marina’s family meet up again after some-odd years apart and through the magic of the internet see what happened to Marina’s face, and are understandably saddened by it, but to what end? There’s no call to action in the film as far as I can see, despite the newspaper headlines used and the harsh reality of the topic. Not that there needs to be, but I find it hard to see a film so soft about such a terrible subject. Little information is given about the Tat family, and yes I understand they have to be kept safe due to Marina’s involvement with revenge from an undersecretary in Cambodia, but I would’ve liked to have seen more of Marina and her spirit.

Despite being tragic and terrible, Finding Face gets a score of 7 veils, for at least bringing to my attention happenstances I had never heard of.

And the trailer

Captured by Alicia Glass

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Director: Iris K. Shim

Rating: 8 Nor-ri-gae

The complex details and history behind the murder of his sister’s boyfriend, committed by Andrew Suh himself, that poses the statement, “Now that you know my story, what would you do?”

Meet Andrew Suh. An obvious jailhouse boy, with his head shaved and his light blue prison uniform with it’s number, he speaks English quite well, and that’s where we start. Andrew talks about how his family emigrated from Korea to America, how his father didn’t speak English well at all and Andrew becoming the family translator, and the tremendous responsibility he felt as a result. And things get progressively worse from there.

The pace of the movie is very good. The witnesses will patter along for a few minutes, and then one of them will drop a bombshell that smoothly leads the storyline into the next segue. Like how Andrew had an older brother who died tragically when they were all very young, and how his next in familial line sister was peripherally blamed for the incident. Father comes down with cancer, is hospitalized alone with only beloved son Andrew by his side, and passes away. Mother takes in laundry and is murdered in the Laundromat is a most horrific fashion, leaving sister Catherine to take over the family with her boyfriend Robert O’Dubaine. Things go on their merry way, tensions mount, and things culminate in murder when Andrew is told, or at least strongly implied-to, that their mother was killed by O’Dubaine. Andrew does manage to get across the feeling of utter betrayal that led to his horrific act and bring the audience to that terrible day.

Not every question is answered, certain things are glossed over or ignored entirely, I think out of respect for the family. The Korean sense of sons-only isn’t brought across a whole lot, but it is mentioned. Sister Catherine isn’t in the film at all, and the reason why only becomes evident at the end – she’s apparently in another state correctional facility, maybe 30 miles from where Andrew is serving a 100-year sentence. Simple shaded drawings that move gently accompany the movie, evoking emotion without all that complicated mess of CGI reenactments. The whole thing reminds me rather of an Asian-style CSI episode, and I happen to love that show. The House of Suh receives a rating of 8 Nor-ri-gae!

Check out the trailer!

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Director: Teddy Chan

Review Rating: 8 Dreams

Furthering his revolution in China 1905, Sun Yat-Sen visits Hong Kong amid a myriad of enemies and assassins, to be escorted by a group of common men turned bodyguards through the city to safety.

Despite the fact that the movie stars an awful lot of Asian celebrities, there isn’t actually a whole lot of martial arts in the film until the very end. However, these Asian stars are more singers and actors, not the stereotypically thought-of butt-kicking Bruce Lee wanna-be that most people think of. Which is good, considering the drama and breathlessness that these actors do manage to bring to the movie, which is about politics and loyalty and love. The politics comes from the fact that Sun Yat-Sen is a revolutionary whom they need alive for their cause to unify China, and all sorts of people are after the main figureheads of any revolution, including the Dowager Empress Cixi herself, who sends the group of assassins. The loyalty comes in when these common men; the chief editor of a newspaper, a businessman, merchant hawkers, rickshaw pullers, and even beggars, band together in a last desperate attempt to get Sun through the city of Hong Kong at any cost, and yes that does include their lives. And love, well love doesn’t even need to be questioned – the love of one’s country, your father, your morals and ideals. All these things are factored in when the son of the lead revolutionary ends up acting as a decoy of Sun Yat-Sun, so the man may escape, and getting himself killed in the process.

It’s actually a very good movie. Very few people can evoke raw emotion while maintaining a rather stoic and bleak, if not realistic, out look on what they’re doing. Which is, essentially, dying for a dream. As with a great many Asian films, the ending is sad and sorrowful, if not tempered with some joy from accomplishing their mission. Bodyguards and Assassins gets a rating of 8 dreams!

Check out the Trailer!

SDAFF 2010 Award Winners

Grand Jury Award – The House of Suh

Best Narrative Feature – Littlerock

Best Documentary Feature – Finding Face

Best Narrative Short – Works of Art

Best Short Documentary – Top Spin

Best Animated Short – The Wonder Hospital

George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award – Nadine Truong

Influential Asian American Artist Award – Daniel Dae Kim

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Director: Yoichi Sai

Review Rating: 7 Ninja Blades

Kamui is a break-away Ninja trying to live a life of peace in an adoptive fishing village, on the run from his former colleagues.

I just knew Ken’ichi Matsuyama, the actor who plays Kamui himself, looked so familiar with that brooding side shot of his face turned down and hair hanging in his eyes. Turns out I’m right – he played L in the movie adaptations of the Death Note anime, yum. And the fisherman’s wife, a break-away Ninja herself, turns out to be Koyuki, commonly known for her role as Taka in The Last Samurai.

So Kamui was born poor, and to eat he became a Ninja. But like vampires, once you join you can never leave, so when Kamui tries to break away and live a peaceful life, the Ninja come after him and chaos ensues. After an encounter with a fisherman who basically tosses Kamui overboard in a storm, Kamui finds himself on fisherman Hanbei’s own island. The fishing hasn’t been good, so Hanbei decides to go cut the leg off a horse belonging to a Nobleman, so he can make special fishhooks from the hoof. I know it sounds a little odd, but fishermen are very superstitious, and it works out well for him anyway. At first. Of course, that was a Nobleman’s horse you just killed, it’s not like it’s going to go unnoticed. We have the moron who, in love with Hanbei’s daughter Sayaka, tries to inform on her father and steal the fishhooks and yet win Sayaka’s love with the gift of a red comb, all at the same time. A band of visiting shark hunting pirates gives Kamui a great run, both in body and mind exertions. But then, oh then, the village’s water supply is poisoned, they all fall down, and there’s a last battle between Kamui, and pretty much everyone else.

There’s a lot of CGI, over the top Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon-style choreography, and the fight scenes are certainly nothing to sneeze at. But the plot makes me sad, even knowing the tendency a lot of Asian filmmakers have towards tragedy. Kamui is a good guy, and deserved better. Kamui the Lone Ninja gets a rating of seven Ninja blades, in the hopes that Kamui will return to bring revenge to all!

Check out the unfortunately not-subtitled teaser

1. The ‘Tude

This is the only film festival I’ve been to so far that everyone is nice at. And I mean everyone, from the Director of the fest herself Lee Ann Kim, to the directors and stars of the films, more often than not in attendance in the audience, to the staff and amazing volunteers; every last person is cheerful and kind and not an ounce of it is forced or faked.

2. The swag
Every film festival I’ve ever been to has free stuff, it’s just a good idea to keep people coming and to try and bring in new fest-goers. SDAFF always has swag from their major sponsor Toyota, this year it was bags with logos, mints, keychains and other stuffs. But there was also many other things: make an origami crane (for the Cancer awareness program actually), here have the CD for the asian song from Dancing Across Borders, room after room of food receptions yum!, movie posters and postcards and free chi readings oh my!

3. Diversity

 SDAFF has really begun being totally diverse in their movie selections. Most people, when they think Asian, think Chinese and Japanese, that’s about it. These days, the SDAFF has Korean spotlights, Bollywood movies, SDAFF Extreme movies (for those of us who want something a bit more hardcore), Pacific Islander live dances, and this year they had a live comedy performance! And even if you’re as white as I am, no bones is made about it one way or another: everyone is welcome. Don’t think for a second that you have to BE Asian to attend the festival.

4. The staff

 If you have any kind of problem, don’t be afraid to tell a staff member or a volunteer. Do them a big favor and don’t try and handle it yourself though, that’s one of the reasons they’re there. The staff and the volunteers, and their numbers grow every year, are a joy to work with and be around, and go on the run to ensure your festival experience is enjoyable as possible.

5. Final thoughts

 The San Diego Asian Film Festival is my favorite film festival to go to, hands down. This is the fourth year I’ve attended, and it just keeps getting better. There is something for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender or gender preference. (There is always at least one gay film or short in there somewhere.) For someone like me, who adores films to begin with, an environment so relaxed and thrilled to just be there, makes for a grand good time for everyone involved. Come out and join us!

 Written by Alicia Glass

presents

 COMMON GROUND

An Art show for the San Diego Asian Film Festival 2009

Featuring the artwork of:

 Alfie Ebojo

 Chris Legaspi

 Terry Matsuoka

 Joseph Naval

 Nomad

 Jarrett Quon

 Yumi Sakugawa

 Steven Taing

 Nicole Terzic

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

MPAA Rating: R

Director:  Fumihiko Sori

Review Rating: 7.5

Ichi is a goze, a blind musician who specializes in the shamisen, strong and self sufficient. Touma is the bumbling but well meaning samurai who attempts to befriend Ichi and save a town from marauding gangs.

This is a very good movie, but only if you like that sort of thing – plenty of fantastic fight scenes, performances and emotion, yes, but there’s little that makes this movie truly stand out. It’s apparently based off of Zatoichi, the story of a blind samurai who (surprise!) saves a town from bandits. Haruka Ayase stars as Ichi herself, stoic and lovely and capable, though she runs around most of the movie in rags. The scene where she’s finally dressed in a purple kimono with her hair done up and plays a tune on the shamisen, I thought was lovely. Takao Osawa stars as dear liar Toma, who takes the credit for Ichi’s star swordsmanship and of course gets himself into more than he can handle. Takao is certainly attractive without his warriors topknot, even though they made most of the rest of the male cast have them. Shido Nakamura stars as Banki, leader of the bad guys who has the melted eye covered by a patch, sadly he seems to have succumbed to over-acting when it comes to being a bad guy. The little boy who becomes a kind of brother and porter to Ichi, played by Yosuke Kubozuka, is a bright spot of acting in a rather sad movie. After all, it is an action-adventure-romance kind of film, but still remember it’s Asian and that generally means one thing – tragedy in there somewhere.

Check out the subtitle-less trailer

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Deng Long

Directed by: Yu-Heng Chiang

Review Rating: 8

 An adorable little Asian shopkeep fights a losing battle trying to light the pair of lamps outside his establishment.

Life on a Limb

Directed by: David Chai

Review Rating: 8

 Done in a Dilbert-like style, this cartoon is about a lumberjack waiting for therapy who goes up against a surprisingly well-armed tree and learns a thing or two.

Unbelievable Four

Directed by: Sukwon Shin & In Pyo Hong

Review Rating: 7

George Bush and other government helpers try to save the world in a CGI style animated video to the tune of “Final Countdown” by Europe. There is almost always one political cartoon in this collection, this one wasn’t bad.

Deadline

Directed by: Bang-Yao Liu

Review Rating: 8

A funny and cheerful look at procrastinating on work, with Post-Its!

The Enlightened Monk

Directed by: Emily Tse

Review Rating: 7.5

The enlightened monk who goes out to save the village from a monster, told like a childrens story.

Shuttle T-42

Directed by: Joon Hyung Kim

Review Rating: 7

 The story of a downed shuttle and a limited air supply, combined with a loving son and a doting mother. A little depressing for my tastes, but easy to watch.

Emotions

Directed by: Kun-L Chang

Review Rating: 6.5

 Spoken poetry, kind of, with an African style tone and black and white accompanying animations.

Subconscious

Directed by: Jason Chen

Review Rating: 6

 I honestly didn’t understand this one at all, it’s described as a newborn butterfly beginning a new life emerging from sadness in the program, but frankly that wasn’t what I saw.

Self-Portrait

Directed by: Will Kim

Review Rating: 6.5

 An artists exploration of himself through watercolor paintings and various styles of animated medium.

The Soliloquist

Directed by: Kuang Pei Ma

Review Rating: 7

A cartoon that tells a story beautifully, but rather than trying to explain it to you, I just suggest watching it above!

The Veiled Commodity

Directed by: Dickson Chow

Review Rating: 7

A treatise on slavery through the ages, from feudal to modern, and why we should pay close attention and do something to stop it.

Fear of Change

Directed by: Kun-L Chang

Review Rating: 6

 A woman speaking aloud views on apartheid (forced racial segregation), it got awfully loud until she was almost shouting.

Confine(s)

Directed by: Makoto Yabuki

Review Rating: 7

A kaleidoscopic trip through what appears to be a rather aquatic world to me.

Keep Right

Directed by: Sun-Woo Yang

Review Rating: 7

A bit of a strange style for a cartoon, a young boy is having fun with the signs in and along a subway, and gets tricked into singing/yodeling on the bus by an older woman.

Viola The Traveling Rooms of a Little Giant

Directed by: Shih-Ting Hung

Review Rating: 6

Done in a rather dreamlike sequence, as far as I could tell Viola is the story of a young girl attempting to reconcile her own loneliness inside herself.

Kudan

Directed by: Taku Kimura

Review Rating: 7

A father ventures into a bizarre world, a kind of cow really, to save his son. Anything other than that is impossible to describe, watch the video and maybe you can make more sense of it than I did.

Monster Coin

Directed by: Vance Yang

Review Rating: 8

 Two naughty boys hiding out in school find a magic coin that has serious monstrous consequences on them!

Articles of War

Directed by: Daniel Kanemoto

Review Rating: 7

Done in a very Hannah-Barbera-like style, this is the story of the last possible letter a young fighter pilot may ever send to his stoic WWI father.