The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past decade, the scope of the Belt and Road (B&R) cooperation has been expanded with remarkable achievements. As of January 2023, China has signed more than 200 cooperative agreements with 151 countries and 32 international organizations on the B&R development. It is interesting to note that among the B&R co-op partners, Asian countries account for nearly one-third of the total. Today, Asia not only serves as an important engine for global economic growth, but also is expanding its influence on culture and art. 

For this reason, the Beijing Film Panorama section of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) specially plans and launches the B&R Asian Vision LENOVO Special Presentation, supported by Lenovo Group to promote inter-cultural exchanges and mutual learning among the Silk Road countries. The special presentation selects 10 latest creations from Asian countries along the route, leading the audience to go abroad in film, to understand the local customs and traditions in Asia, to feel the diversified charm of Asia, and to envision the future of Asia. 

　　

Houman Seyyedi’s World War III (2022) is one of the most important and must-see Iranian films. The film won Best Film and Best Actor honors in the Horizons sidebar of the Venice International Film Festival, and was named as Iran’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, garnering widespread attention in the international cinema community.

The film tells the story of a day laborer from the lower class who is chosen by chance to play the role of Hitler. Although he plays an important role in the film, he is still not respected by the other cast members because of his low status. This also leads to a fierce conflict in which his claims are completely ignored. And this was just the trigger for a catastrophic tragedy.

　　

Mohsen Tanabandeh, who plays the hero, also contributes an epic and outstanding performance on the screen. The film also reveals the transformation of characters and the emergence of evil ideas in a thrilling way with a superior script and remarkable dramatic tension, and creates a sharp parable about trust and conflict in the human world with a climactic and compelling narrative. 

 

　　

　　Still of Autobiography

Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak’s film, Autobiography, is also a powerful allegorical work. Referring to contemporary Indonesian social issues, the film depicts the gradually established “father-son bond” between a young man and a returning general, a relationship that is backed by an ongoing campaign and escalating violence. The film’s audio-visual language is designed in a sophisticated, film noir style, with a dangerous, horrifying and anxious atmosphere interwoven into it, mirroring the historical issues and social conditions in Indonesia. 

　　

　　Still of Autobiography

Autobiography (2022) is the feature debut of 1990-born Makbul Mubarak, and is one of the most anticipated films directed by new Asian filmmakers. The film won the FIPRESCI Award in the parallel section of the Venice International Film Festival upon its release, and has since been selected for the Toronto International Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and has been nominated for Best New Director and Best Screenplay at the 2023 Asian Film Awards. 

　　

　　

From Mongolia, Harvest Moon is also related to a father-son relationship and shows an extra measure of unique charm. The hero, who lives in the city, returns to his native prairie, where he meets a young boy, to care for his dying stepfather. The boy lives with his grandparents and has also never met his biological father. The similarity of their experiences creates an emotional connection between these two male characters. 

Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam, a noted Mongolian actor who wrote, directed and starred in Harvest Moon, was named as Mongolia’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. The film is full of moving details and life atmosphere, and it is humorous in creation to a certain degree. It is particularly noteworthy for its haunting presentation of the prairie landscape, and the big screen is the best choice for moviegoers to watch the film. 

 

Glorious Ashes is a film of Bui Thac Chuyên (born in 1968), a famous director from Vietnam. Bui Thac Chuyên’s previous works were selected for international film festivals in Cannes, Venice, Shanghai and others. His latest work in ten years, Glorious Ashes, presents the lives and emotions of three women in a southern Vietnamese village in a balanced and delicate manner. It won Golden Balloon (Montgolfière d'or), the top award at the Festival des 3 Continents and was selected for the Competition section of the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Screen Daily, an authoritative film media resource, commends Glorious Ashes as “a thoughtful piece which is elevated by strong performances.” Through poetic images, the director constructs a fascinating world with oriental implications, exploring the relation between the two sexes and cultural logic in the Vietnamese and Asian contexts in detail.

 

The Philippine film Leonor Will Never Die focuses on a woman who is nearing the end of her life but still has a dream. An accidental chance makes her decide to pursue her dream of making movies. In the meantime, a sudden accident leaves her stranded in a hospital bed, but it also sets her on a fantastical spiritual adventure.

Leonor Will Never Die is directed by new generation Filipino female director, Martika Ramirez Escobar, who is also an excellent cinematographer. The film, with the fun of a fantasy film, retro tone and tender emotion, was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit, conquering international audiences with its lovely and imaginative style.

 

Korean film Next Sohee is written and directed by Korean director July Jung. It is a new piece eight years after the release of her film A Girl at My Door and continues her collaboration with famous actress Doona Bae. The film was selected for the International Critics’ Week, a parallel section of the Festival de Cannes, and served as the closing film.

The story of Next Sohee cites a real-life incident among July Jung’s inspirations. The film begins with a young girl, Sohee, who starts job training at a call center where the suffocating atmosphere, the intensity of the work and the unfriendly work content bring about a huge psychological pressure, and Sohee thus breaks down and chooses to commit suicide, while a police officer, played by Doona Bae, investigates the case. The film’s realistic approach calmly reveals long-standing systemic abuses and is full of social concern and delicate perspective, which is believed to bring the audience a strong empathy and reflection beyond the film itself. 

 

The Kazakh film Scheme also is focused on the lives and experiences of young girls growing up. Directed by Farkhat Sharipov, an established Kazakh director born in 1983, the film won the Grand Jury Prize in the youth-focused Generation sidebar at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival and was later selected for the Busan International Film Festival.

The focus of Scheme is on a high school girl named Masha, who likes a boy who is sociable and often organizes parties. Masha also keeps going to these parties for this guy. Gradually, Masha realizes that she is in a trap and finds it hard to get out of it.

　　

The film creates a very pure, clear and concise account of Masha’s life and her relationship with the people around her. The film, a rare masterpiece, is a glimpse into the lives of young people in contemporary Kazakhstan and their spiritual world.

 

The Azeri film Sermon to the Fish makes an amazing attempt to explore the audiovisual language, with extremely long shots that make the entire film impressive and visually stunning. At the same time, it delves into the spiritual plight of mankind and the effects behind war, and was nominated for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival.

The story follows a soldier who returns from war and finds everyone in his village has rotted away due to a mysterious illness. What should the two main characters, the man and his younger sister, with a dog to keep her company, do? And how will they face this state of existence that comes with trauma?

　　Still of Sermon to the Fish

 

 

The Yemeni film The Burdened, which has recently won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival, centers on a family that has just been hit by unemployment. The wife finds out that she is pregnant again, and this will undoubtedly be the last straw that breaks the family’s back. The film creates a heart-wrenching drama conflict and state of subsistence in a seemingly normal reality, revealing the injustice faced by women in particular environments and the fragility of individual and family life in a turbulent social situation.

Amr Gamal who directed The Burdened is a highly successful Yemeni theater director who directed the first Yemeni play to be performed in Europe. The film premiered at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama Section, where it won the second prize of the Audience Award. Gamal himself describes the film as “a work of love, dedication and perseverance”.

 

The film revolves around a Singaporean woman obsessed with Korean pop culture who travels to South Korea alone. During this unique journey, she encounters accidents, but also makes true friends and finally comes to terms with her life.

The film is perfectly paced, with both hilarious punch lines and touching moments of warmth, while showing a belief in harmony and unity in Asia. Whether it’s the Singaporean woman, the Korean tour guide, or the mother and daughter from northeastern China, all of these characters see a desirable “happy ending” in the spirit of helping each other.

Following the special presentations on the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and the Beijing Winter Olympics, this year’s Beijing Film Panorama joins hands with Lenovo Group, which has a presence in 145 countries along the Silk Road, to once again launch BJIFF SPECIAL: The Belt & Road. We sincerely present this group of new Asian works full of vigor and vitality, thinking and power, hoping to use film as a link to connect Asia, gain insight from the world, and envision the future.