Asia and the Asian Film
by Lee Chong Ming; edited by Edward Goh and Lee Russell

This session showcased Asian short films by young directors, writers or producers from Red Dot Cinema, a company that brings independent short films from Asia to the world. There were three films shown:

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The Apple of my Pie
A short dark comedy film that deals with adultery and violence.

Suicide Lover
An animation about a man with a time bomb in his head – if he does not fall in love within a day, his brain will explode.

Ruslan
A documentary that brings to light a character unable to fit into society and how he copes with societal norms and expectations.

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The session was particularly interesting because I had always held the impression that the film industry was something dominated by the West. I was curious to find out what Asian films could bring to the table as they were unfamiliar and obscure to me. Indeed, they were fresh, unique and shed light on Asian life and perspectives. The Apple Of My Pie highlighted modern adultery, but in a Singaporean context. Ruslan was my personal favourite, as it really fleshed out hidden communities and people who are marginalized and unseen in society. The struggles the main character faced, his ability to come to terms with societal expectations and be on his own – footage was poignant and enlightening.  I highly recommend that you check out all three short films. Quirky and unique, they each brought out a distinct local flavour that melded seamlessly with the filmwork to create beautiful films that represented Asia. Me? I’m going to head out and find more!

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All photos used in this article were obtained from the All In! Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AllInYWF/

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