Pondering gender and genre

Academics and film experts will discuss weighty subjects of genre and gender and then let their hair down watching movies from around the region at the Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference at the Thai Film Archive.

Highlights, yet to be confirmed, might include a panel talk by two of Asean’s most-acclaimed auteurs, Thailand’s own Apichatpong Weerasethakul and the Philippines’ Lav Diaz.

And Diaz’ latest film, “Norte, the End of History”, will get a screening. A loose reworking of Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”, Norte was in the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes last year. It’s a bit of a departure from Diaz’ previous epics, not only because it’s a bit shorter, running just over four hours, but also because it’s presented in colour. Notably, it’s the first of Diaz’ films to get a limited theatrical release in the US.

Other screenings will include “Once a Time in Vietnam”, an epic “eastern western” that’s the long-awaited directorial debut of actor Dustin Nguyen. Singapore’s Cannes award-winning family drama “Ilo Ilo” will get a look as will a brand-new Indonesian feature, “Rocket Rain”.

With the conference theme “Codes, Kitsch, Camp: Genre in/and Southeast Asian Cinemas”, panel discussions and presentations include “Sound, Politics and the Cross-Genre Cinema of Apichatpong Weerasethakul”, “Fan of Gay Fan: Yaoi, K-pop and Thai Celebrity”, “Tropicamp, Tropiqueer: Experimental Queer Cinematic Practices”, “The Cinematic Forest and Slow Southeast Asian Cinema” and “Lost and Found: The Found Footage Phenomenon and Southeast Asian Supernatural Horror Film”.

 

Study hard

_ The eighth Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference runs from July 7 to 10 at the Thai Film Archive in Salaya, Nakhon Pathom.

_ Registration is free for Thai delegates and students. For more information, see SEAConference.wordpress.com or search on Facebook for “South East Asian Cinemas Conference”.