We open the second festival decade with the by us yet unexplored area of Philippine cinema. The section will begin with restored classic Genghis Khan from 1950 directed by Manuel Conde, which has been considered lost and rediscovered after six decades from its making. The indie scene is dominated by political dramas with a theme of personal fights of ordinary people, but you can even look forward to a light-hearted superhero movie Darna at Ding (1980).
The second half of a program is dedicated to Korean production, the centrepiece of Filmasia. The genre-rich selection will feature the three Korean top box office hits of all time. The family melodrama Ode to My Father (2014) was partly filmed in the Czech Republic and was only topped by the historical drama The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014). The third movie you can look forward to is Veteran (2015) loaded with action and rigorous fight choreography for which is Korea recognized. We will closed the festival by a movie view of Prague through The Beauty Inside (2015).
Let’s open together a new decade for the festival of Far East cinema, we look forward to see you in cinemas Světozor and Lucerna from 4th until 9th of December.
Ang Buhay ni Genghis Khan
Philippines, 1950
Tagalog/Filipino with English and Czech subtitles
director: Manuel Conde
cast: Manuel Conde, Lou Salvador, Elvira Reyes, Inday Jalandoni
distributor: MC Productions
The life journey of Temüjin, who became the first Great Khan of the Mongols, was directed by Manuel Conde in 1950. Two years later, the movie was introduced for the first time to European audience at the Venice festival, but after that it was thought to be lost to history. After the rediscovery and restoration the movie was then screened again at the Italian festival 60 years later and despite its low budget became a Filipino classic.
Philippines, 1980
Tagalog/Filipino with Czech subtitles
director: J. Erastheo Navoa, Cloyd Robinson
cast: Vilma Santos, Niño Muhlach, Celia Rodriguez
Distributor: D’Wonder Films
The most popular figure of Filipino comic books is response to American Superman. Everytime, when a common girl Narda swallows a mysterious stone she becomes Darna, the superwoman with supernatural powers. This time she takes on the bad guys with her little brother Ding.
Darna et Ding is the last from the series of three preserved movies from the seventies where the lead role was portrayed by an icon of television screens Vilma Santos.
Philippines, 2013
Tagalog/Filipino with Czech subtitles
director: Peque Gallaga, Lore Reyes
cast: Cherie Gil, Chart Motus, Joshua Pineda, Chino Jalandoni
distributor: Film Development Council of the Philippines, Central Digital Lab, Wild Sound
Regina Cadena is true opera diva. At one performance she loses her voice and her career is ruined. She then returns to her homeland, where she indulges in alcohol and self-destruction. One day she accidentally meets little Jonjon, who is trying to cheer her up. This cinematic sonata about an unlikely friendship full of contrasting themes boasts a career-high performance by Filipino veteran actress Cherie Gil.
Philippines, 2013
Tagalog/Filipino with English and Czech subtitles
director: Chito S. Roño
cast: Jhong Hilario, Nikki Gil, Dick Israel, Kych Cyl Minemoto
distributor: Film Development Council of the Philippines, Waray Republik
We meet Ponso 24 hours before local elections. Ponso just had a stroke, so he needs help of his son Lando with making his rounds around the village to ensure his protégé to win. The calm tale about the political scene gracefully swings into a critical treatise about the machinery, where democracy is only an illusion and status is defined by money.
Philippines, 2002
Tagalog/English with English and Czech subtitles
director: Chito S. Roño
cast: Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, Piolo Pascual, Marvin Agustin
distributor: Star Cinema
The centre of this epic historical melodrama is Amaud, a wife and mother of five. Based on the novel by famous Filipino writer Luahalti Bautista, director Chito Roño presents key historical events of 70s from the perspective of a middle-class family, whose personal struggle with Marcos dictatorial regime serves as a parallel of the political awakening of an entire generation.
Philippines, 2013
Tagalog/Filipino with English and Czech subtitles
director: Joel Lamangan
cast: Jake Cuenca, Lovie Poe, Joem Bascon, Isabelle Daza, Gloria Diaz
distributor: Film Development Council of the Philippines, BG Productions International
Two young rebels fight for a regime change in their homeland, but also with their mutual affection. The story of Ador and Cesar is being told from the perspective of Ador’s daughter Ada and the rebel Cecilia. The picture is a mosaic of relationships of seemingly different characters and their frustrations from unachievable goals.
Beterang
Korea, 2015
Korean with English and Czech subtitles
director: Ryoo Seung-wan
cast: Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Yoo Hae-jin, Oh Dal-su, Jang Yoon-ju
distributor: CJ Entertainment
Tae-oh (Yoo Ah-in) is a spoiled heir of a company worth billions, who indulges in drugs and likes to humiliate people. Against him stands detective Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) set on solving the apparent accident of a truck driver, for which he thinks Tae-oh is responsible. Thus starts a battle between David and Goliath on a field of corporate corruption. Director Ryoo Seung-wan dazzled Filmasia with his spy thriller The Berlin File and this year he is going to do it again with Veteran and its flawless fight choreography in a combination with comedic elements, which are provided by colourful characters of the detective’s undaunted team.
Gukje market
Korea, 2014
Korean with English and Czech subtitles
director: Yoon Je-kyoon
cast: Hwang Jung-min, Yunjin Kim, Oh Dal-su, Jung Jin-young, Jang Young-nam
distributor: CJ Entertainment
It is 1950 and 12-year-old Duk-soo is running with his family to Busan because of the war. In a crowd of refugees he loses his sister and father, who tries to save her. Duk-soo has to take up the father’s responsibility and has to become the head of the family. The epic melodrama tells the tale of a common man’s journey through life, paying a tribute to family values and honouring all the ”little” heroes of its country.
Sanguiwon
Korea, 2014
Korean with English and Czech subtitles
director: Lee Won-suk
cast: Han Suk-kyu, Go Soo, Park Shin-hye, Yoo Yeon-seok, Ma Dong-seok
distributor: Finecut
Jo Dol-seok (Han Suk-kyu) is the head of the royal tailor department, who has tailored clothes for three generations of kings. His attires symbolize rank and tradition. On the other hand, Kong-jin (Goo Soo) tailors eccentric modern-style dresses for local gisaengs. The queen notices his talent and Kong-jin is summoned to the royal court. The duel between two tailors results in the queen’s struggle to keep the throne, in a costume drama that is as bewitching as the dress it features.
Myeongryang
Korea, 2014
Korean with English and Czech subtitles
director: Kim Han-min
cast: Choi Min-sik, Ryu Seung-ryong, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Myung-gon, Jin Goo
distributor: CJ Entertainment
The deprecated naval admiral of the Choson dynasty has to return to his post to counter the Japanese invasion in 1597. Undoubtedly, one of the most treasured Korean actors Choi Min-sik has taken the part of one of the greatest national heroes in Korean history. The film became the highest attended Korean movie of all time.
Hwajang
Korea, 2014
Korean with English and Czech subtitles
director: Im Kwon-taek
cast: Ahn Sung-ki, Kim Gyu-ri, Kim Ho-jung, Jeon Hye-jin, Yeon Woo-jin
distributor: Finecut
Oh Sang-moo (Ahn Sung-ki) is an executive in a cosmetics company, who is caught in a web of doubts, when he finds interest in Choo Eun-joo (Kim Gyu-ri), a young employee of his office. At the same time he takes care for his dying wife Jin-kyung (Kim Ho-jung). The intimate drama melancholically deals with question of love, death and responsibility, as well as with the life’s crisis of one aging man.
Byuti insaideu
Korea, 2015
Korean with English and Czech subtitles
director: Baek Jong-yeol
cast: Han Hyo-joo, Park Seo-joon, Park Shin-hye, Seo Kang-joon, Yoo Yeon-seok
distributor: Next Entertainment World
From his eighteenth birthday, Kim Woo-jin wakes up everyday in a different body. Reconciled with his destiny he lives a peaceful life of a joiner. Everything changes when he falls in love with beautiful Yi-soo (Han Hyo-joo). He decides to share his secret and spend the rest of his life with her. Is it possible for their love to withstand Woo-jin’s curse? 123 actors played the role of Woo-jin, between them we can find veterans of Korean cinema as well as hallyu newcomers.
FILMASIA
Asian Film Festival in Prague
Since 2005 festival Filmasia presents contemporary dynamic Asian cinema. Every year it takes place first week of December in Prague. Filmasia presents films that were shown all around world and had great success at film festivals or domestic cinemas. We presented in Czech premiere films by Park Chan-wook, Kim Ki-duk, Hou Hsia-hsien, Johnnie To, Wong Kar-wai, Tsai Ming-liang, Takashi Miike and many others.
Come and meet the Asian cinema in Prague!
1. edition
2005
2. edition
2006
3. edition
2007
4. edition
2008
5. edition
2009
6. edition
2010
7. edition
2011
8. edition
2012
9. edition
2013
10. edition
2014
Karla Stojáková
Karolína Kyselová
Pavel Sladký
Vladimír 518 — illustrator
Jan Kříbek — graphic designer
Jan Kokolia — festival trailer
Jana Hadravová — web
FILMASIA
Asian film festival in Prague
Festival organiser:
AXMAN PRODUCTION
Senovážné náměstí 10
110 00 Prague 1
Czech Republic
office(at)filmasia.cz
