Korea gets to see Southeast Asian films

Moviegoers in Seoul will have the chance to view a diverse range of genres as 10 titles from across Southeast Asia screen at the week-long Asean Film Festival starting today.
The Thai ministries of Foreign Affairs, Culture and Sports and Tourism along with the Busan International Film Festival are sponsoring the free “Best of Asean” programme at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul.
The event opens with “Maida’s House” by Indonesia’s Teddy Soeriaatmadja. It’s about a woman’s struggle to save a historic house and sends a message about reconciling religion and ethnicity, tradition and modernity.
“What’s So Special about Rina” is a rare feature film from Brunei, a 2013 comedy by Harlif Haji Mohamad and Farid Azlan Ghani, which details the struggles of handsome yuppie Hakim to find true love.
“Ilo Ilo” by Singaporean Anthony Chen has the 1997 financial crisis as its backdrop as a Singaporean family gets to know its new Filipina housekeeper amid intricate domestic politics.
“The Teacher’s Diary” by Thailand’s Nithiwat Tharathorn will screen in Seoul even as voters in the US are assessing it for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards coming up in February. The 90-minute-romantic drama is about two lonely teachers – a woman and man posted to the same rural school one year apart.
“The Missing Picture” is a documentary about the Khmer Rouge directed by Rithy Panh. Half of it is news and documentary footage while the other half depicts the carnage of genocide using clay figurines.
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 Other activities include:
- “Jewels of Asean”, an art installation focusing on famous regional landmarks, runs from Tuesday to December 14 at Gwanghwamun Square.
- “Asean on Wheels”, a tour of cities in buses decorated with cultural themes, will be held from Wednesday to December 13.
- The Asean-Korea Youth Forum opens on Tuesday at Seoul City Hall, where young people will discuss issues of common interest.
- The events serve as a prelude to the Asean-Korea Commemorative Summit commemorating the silver jubilee of bilateral relations, which will be held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre on December 11 and 12.
- For more information, visit www.Twitter.com/ASEFF2014 or www.Facebook.com/ASEFF2014.