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Well, here we are now - the festival is already behind our backs. I don't remember the last time five days went by so quickly. I feel I couldn't have possibly endured more days of pressure, deadlines and lack of sleep, but I did want to stay. And I really wanted to work this way all my life (perhaps living a little closer and having something real to eat for dinner).
Looking back on it now I realise most of my expectations were wrong and thus most of my anxiety was unnecessary. But it was a wonderful experience and I am sure no one would've offered us the opportunity to speak to all of those directors, stars and fellow journalists in our first year, if it weren't for the society and the work that Spencer had done. It was an amazing chance for a person like me, interested in film journalism, not only to experience a totally different culture and to sit through hours and hours of East Asian film, allowing me to be able to find their similarities and where they differ, but also to observe how a festival like that works, how other journalists and media operate and to get a feeling of normalcy - after all, this is not something to be freaking out about.
The work was tough, indeed. It took me about 5-6 days to catch up on my sleep and to normalise my body not to wake me up at 7 in the morning by instinct. It was a relief not to think about deadlines and schedules and just to enjoy the wonderful silence sitting by the water near the hostel in Venice. But a part of me misses all the craziness and pressure - I love working like that, having no free time for my mind to wander aimlessly, not thinking about food or energy, not obsessing over money or travel or other things in my life that usually disturb me. No wonder after five stressful days travelling alone around Italy was so peaceful and, surprisingly, not worrying (it was the first trip where I just didn't worry about anything) - my body just couldn't produce anymore stress hormones and adrenaline. :)
I adore watching film and writing about film and I would do it over and over again. Although it was difficult to combine seeing as many films as possible and writing about them within the time limit (and a part of me just wanted to stay out and enjoy the sunlight), it was the most pleasurable type of writing I have done so far in my journalism course. And perhaps if I didn't have problems getting to a free computer, I would've done a little better, having had enough time to write and re-read and have everything perfect. But I am pleased with my work and I am glad that it has been posted on Cine-Vue, as well, and I am happy Spencer was happy with our performance overall - so all I have to say is a big bravo to the whole CUEAFS team and hope somehow we can make it to next year's festival, as well.
Hats off to the documentary team, too - from what I've seen, their work was very professional and they were able to catch on film some of the big fish on the festival. I hope all of us didn't come off looking like idiots, as most of the time we were so tired we had no idea what was going on. But I can't wait to see the promotional video and I am sure that whatever way they edit it, it will be a damn impressive piece of footage that will probably get a lot of new members into the society and get our 'organisation' running more and more professionally.
Now, with so much time on my hands, I am glad I still have material to write about from our Udine coverage, as we couldn't possibly cover everything at the spot, and I try to place myself back in the atmosphere and get the right vibe in order to sound the same way, when writing.
As to the films, I was able to catch nine of them (I couldn't possibly sit through Bodyguards and Assassins for the second time and I missed the international premiere of The Arrival, because I couldn't enter the theatre), which was pretty much what I was aiming at. Since I was covering South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia, the films from those regions were my priority, but I was able to see also films from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, which helped me broaden my horizon and build a bigger picture of East Asian film in my head. Here is what I attended on the festival:
The Message (2009) by Chen Kuofu and Gao Qunshu (China)
Gallants (2010) by Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok (Hong Kong)
Seven 2 One (2009) by Danny Pang (Hong Kong)
Possessed (2009) by Lee Yong-ju (South Korea)
Slice (2009) by Kongkiat Khomsiri (Thailand) 
Running Turtle (2009) by Lee Yeon-woo (South Korea) Secret Reunion (2010) by Jang Hun (South Korea)
Hear Me (2009) by Cheng Fen-Fen (Taiwan)
Identity (2009) by Aria Kusumadewa (Indonesia)
 For short overviews of all the films seen by members of CUEAFS and movie reviews visit CUEAFS's webpage or our partners' website.
Compared to my original schedule, I haven't attended two films (The Arrival and The Legend is Alive - the first I couldn't enter, the second was overlapping with the interview of Lee Yong-ju, director of Possessed). On my first schedule I had also the South Korean and South-East cinema panels. However, since we arrived quite late on April 27, I couldn't catch the first, and I missed the second because I had too much material to write before 7pm (the deadline) and I wasn't ready by six. Ellie and Nadia covered the panels, though, and recorded everything, so keep your eyes peeled for podcasts on CUEAFS's website.
Other highlights from the festival, as I look back on it now, were the three interviews, conducted by Spencer Murphy - the first one with the directors of Gallants Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok, the second with Lee Yong-ju, director of Possessed and the third with La Comedie Humaine's producer and main star Mr Chapman To. The interviews might be found on CUEAFS's website and the website of our partners Cine-Vue and they will be coming soon as podcast and video.
Overall, an invaluable experience for everyone involved, whether interested in media production, journalism or film, whether Asian in culture or European (Eastern or Western), whether involved in the documentary or the writers team - it is absolutely marvelous to receive such an opportunity to visit an actual international film festival and to be introduced and speak to stars, producers and directors; to witness interviews and press meetings and to be given the chance to produce material for an international film platform, which is the website of our partners Cine-Vue. To me, personally, as a journalist interested in film, involved in an East Asian film society and an absolute admirer of Italy and everything related to it - I had the time of my life. With no sleep, hardly any food at all (except the breakfast and dinner panettone, which I am so sick of by now) and constant work and pressure, I felt like an absolute professional at work and will gladly do it all over again (perhaps pack some food in my checked bag).
And, finally, I would like to extend my greatest gratitude and compliments to everyone - mainly to Mr Spencer Murphy, who made that whole trip possible, but also to all members who went to Udine and did a spectacular job: Michelle Bailey, Nadia Baird, Andreea Dascalu, Ruodong He, Michael Jarvis, Stanley Lau, Elena Rapondzhieva and Kevin Weng - well done to everyone (including compliments to myself, of course), it was an absolute pleasure to work with all of you and I am looking forward to more professional opportunities with everyone from the society (including the members who couldn't come with us).
*Images from:
http://en.cnci.gov.cn/PicLib/200910816718394.jpg
http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/ab5734/gallants_a.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKULLUZQ6_Mh4oMhkLrW9Nh9kW-UyL3gueLO1e2xot41Es9aoMMNiw7rOqx8f0memkb7EHhZc_nd5fO-CyKrX20O56ksRYwmiybmHY4iLPNuZWE2d12Uk_REVu2CuRwWl3_FF4522_yTaV/s320/seven2one.jpg
http://lolyfe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Possessed-209x300.jpg
http://www.enjoythaimovies.com/media/blogs/thaimovies/slice.jpg
http://www.flixunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/Running_Turtle.jpg
http://www.watchtopmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/TheSecretReunion.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXbGYaYgqgbs1hT_jPFgvO_RN7lBrWLVpsD_gtX5WIJvCyU8pT-l2uwYT9ATR0loT3C8EDwKHJasAx-_wH2jZSmu8qYy2fY4CMNdS7bFV3R82TkQUDWatHawt_1oahNnM_b1v6VpaNLL4/s400/hear_me_02.png
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QBXSKg1fEAg/S05HPfmf3GI/AAAAAAAABcQ/YPDcd5gReho/s320/identitas.jpgLabels: cine-vue, clement cheng, cueafs, derek kwok, east asian film, far east film, feff, festival, gallants, interview, italy, lee yong-ju, panel, possessed, screening, udine |
created by: anty
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Day 3 of CUEAFS's stay in Udine began with a lot of excitement and anticipation. After having our regular morning breakfast meeting with everyone (although some of us didn't really have to get up quite that early, after having gone to bed at about half past four), the documentary team, together with Andreea and myself headed down to the theatre to film and record Spencer interviewing Lee Yong-ju from South Korea, director of Possessed. While we were waiting for the press area to be opened, some of the other members came back from the screening of Echoes of the Rainbow (2010) by Alex Lau - a Hong Kong melodrama about the adventures of two brothers, seen through the naive and innocent eyes of a child. We formed a small circle and had a short meeting, discussing our plans for the day and also the impressions of the screened film. I was getting quite nervous about the interview, although I wasn't the one asking the questions, just taking notes and recording audio. But the pressure was somewhat getting to me. All this disappeared, though, once we entered the press area, which was filled with a calm vibe and the atmosphere was totally friendly and somewhat informal. After having sat through the Italian interviews (which had some good points, but mainly not too relevant questions), it was Spencer's turn to impress Lee Yong-ju with his knowledge of East Asian (and not only) cinema. They talked about the genre and the style of the film, the ideology behind some of the character choices, future plans, etc. The funny thing was that Lee's interpreter didn't speak English and the interview was about to be very long, translated from English to Italian to Korean and then from Korean to Italian to English, but we were fortunate enough to find a woman who spoke Korean and English and she was nice enough to offer her assistance in the matter. After our interview we waited around for a while longer to get a picture of the team with Lee Yong-ju and then we spreaded out, attending to our individual schedules. I went to see a Korean police thriller by Lee Yeon-woo - Running Turtle (2009), telling the story of an unfortunate cop with a gambling problem, who steals money from his wife to bet on a bull fight. He does surprisingly win a great deal of money only to be robbed by a wanted criminal, who moved back into town, and becomes obsessed with catching the runaway and taking back his belongings. The film was light-hearted and funny and although it ran slowly and there wasn't anything too exciting about the plot or the development of the story, it wasn't at all boring, but rather engaging and simply entertaining. After having seen the film, I set off to write reviews and a summary of the interview with Lee Yong-ju, whilst the other writers were doing their due writing and the documentary team were set up filming outside, catching people from the press on camera, as well as directors of Gallants Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok, saying 'Coventry Rocks' and La Comedie Humaine's producer and actor Chapman To. Some members attended the Hong Kong cinema panel later on, featuring the three celebrities. Afterwards, some of CUEAFS's members went to see La Comedie Humaine (2010) by Chan Hing-kai and Janet Chun, where Chapman To preceded the film with a short speech. As I was heading off to see The Arrrival (2010) from Philippine director Erik Matti with Andreea, we both got some food and entered the theatre only to find there were no seats available on the second floor and once we left, we weren't let back in. So we decided to accept the circumstances and go to dinner with the rest of the group. We ended up in a nearby Italian pizzeria and after dinner headed back to see Secret Reunion (2010) by Jang Hun (South Korea). Most of the members were quite tired after another hard day and couldn't help but fall asleep at certain moments, as I myself skipped some five minutes of the action, even though the film was really interesting and kept me watching. The story was quite similar to the story of Running Turtle - an unfortunate cop fails to catch a criminal, who he encounters some six years after and, while both believe the other one hasn't recognised them, they start working together as spies. The story here goes a lot deeper than the thriller/action motion and tells a touching tale of family bond and unexpected male friendship. As the day was over, we were desperate to get to the hostel and sleep, although we were sure none of that would happen before 3-4 am in the morning. We are starting to get a little sad already, as tomorrow will be our last day in Udine (as we have to leave early on Saturday), and we don't want to leave. But we are determined to work even harder during our last day and produce as much material as possible for our web platforms. For the interview with director Lee Yong-ju and reviews of the films, as well as an article on the Hong Kong cinema panel, visit CUEAFS's website and the website of our partners Cine-Vue. Labels: chapman to, cine-vue, clement cheng, cueafs, derek kwok, east asian film, erik matti, far east film, feff, festival, hong kong, italy, lee yong-ju, possessed, south korea, udine |
created by: anty
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An incredible start to another incredible day. A few members of the writers team headed off early in the morning, after only about four hours of sleep, to attend the screening of yet another Hong Kong film, Seven 2 One (2009). The drama by Danny Pang was a 'patchwork' storyline, presenting the stories of seven different people, tied up together, and their actions that lead to a particular event. The ending of the film was quite brilliant, showing a 'what if' perspective - if a phone call was received earlier, if an agreement had been made, if a girl had changed her mind, then maybe things would've unraveled in a different way.
Afterwards followed a Chinese police thriller by director Wang Jing - Invisible Killer (2009), which gave insight into contemporary Chinese society and the subtle influence of the internet and prompted a big discussion between the two Chinese members of the writers team - Henry and Kevin about the ideology behind the two films from China over those two days - The Message and Invisible Killer. As the argument grew more and more passionate and the volume level grew in decibels, we attracted not only a few cameramen, who caught everything on video, but also quite a big audience, which was interested in what was going on and who were the people arguing so ardently.
As the day had just begun, all of us had planned a complicated working day, running from one place to another, trying to get as much as possible done before the sun goes down and then later perhaps we might have been able to get some sleep. Good thing we are in Italy and enjoying some decent coffee and nice food in the short breaks we get to keep us running (I am glad they have a bar in the theatre, as we don't really have the chance to go too far). :)
The documentary team had been working since the morning, as well, getting some establishing shots of Udine, Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine, the busy teams and anything else they can get their hands on. Writers were busy writing before we had forgotten our first impressions and important information about the films after seeing too many. Another busy day, indeed. On the schedule are also experimental filming and interviewing fellow students from other universities, so we had hopes everything would turn out pretty nicely.
The afternoon of our second day in Udine was also packed and stressful, including three films, a panel and a lot of writing. Nadia attended the screening of Phobia 2 (2009), a sequel to the very successful 2008 film 4bia, a Thai horror composed of five different stories. After that some of the members saw Lee Yong-ju's debut Possessed (2009), which totally creeped out everyone, especially poor Henry, who was watching through the holes in his paper sheet, which he held in front of his face for the most part. The last film on our schedule was Slice (2009) by director Kongkiat Khomsiri, by which time it was a struggle to stay awake and some of the membes made good use of the comfortable chairs and the fact that we couldn't see most of the screen from our seats.
The day also presented the opportunity for Spencer to interview the directors of Gallants Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok and the Shintoho panel presented a good opportunity for Michelle to get more information for her dissertation.
Overall, it was a stressful day, especially trying to get all the writing done before 7pm, whilst queueing to get good seats for the following screenings. With very few hours of sleep and almost no food in our stomachs, we are basically living on coffee and cigarrettes (myself, specifically), but we are excited to get to the next day and do more work.
For a short overview of the films during our second day (day 6 of the festival), visit CUEAFS's website and the website of our partner Cine-Vue.Labels: china, cine-vue, cueafs, danny pang, east asian film, far east film, feff, festival, hong kong, invisible killer, italy, lee yong-ju, phobia 2, possessed, seven to one, slice, udine, wang jing |
created by: anty
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