Michelle Yeoh has not been to Busan in 15 years. This October she returns to collect the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, and Variety reported on Sept. 1 that she is one of five names heading the guest list for the 31st Busan International Film Festival, alongside Isabelle Huppert, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kore-eda Hirokazu and Fan Bingbing.
Yeoh, the first Asian performer to win the best actress Oscar, also stars in a gala title, Bai Xue’s “It’s My Time,” as a 70-year-old woman facing a challenge she did not expect. Gyllenhaal will make her first trip to Korea with “Flesh Impact,” a project made for the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. Huppert arrives with “All About Corinne,” her fourth film with director Marc Fitoussi.
Five galas
The gala section runs five films, with directors and casts due to attend each. Kore-eda brings “Look Back,” adapted from Fujimoto Tatsuki’s manga. Judith Godrèche’s “A Girl’s Story” draws on the most intimate memories of Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux and follows a young woman growing up. July Jung’s “Dora,” which first played in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, closes the section.
Fan Bingbing will be in Busan with fellow Chinese stars Shu Qi and Zhou Xun. She is also curating a Carte Blanche selection built around Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden.” Kim Jeewoon is one of this year’s three Carte Blanche curators.
The competition
Fourteen films compete in the festival’s main Asian showcase. They come from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Indonesia; four are first features and four are by women directors. Majid Majidi, the Iranian director of “Children of Heaven,” makes his first visit to Korea with “Midday Meal.”
The rest of the field includes Kato Takuya’s “The Day After Sunday,” Chen Jiwen’s “Descendants,” Gu You’s “The First Taste of Loneliness,” Hirose Nanako’s “Between Two Lovers,” Eddie Cahyono’s “Ibuku,” Okita Shuichi’s “Satoko Always,” Yosep Anggi Noen’s “The Sea Speaks His Name,” Kim Jung-hoon’s “Shaving” and Lee Yun Chan’s “To Be Ordinary.” The debut directors are Lim Hayeon, Botir Abdurakhmanov, Youm Kyubock and Tanaka Miki. This section feeds the New Currents Award for a standout first feature.
Window and Icons
The Window on Asian Cinema strand adds 28 titles, many of them co-productions across several countries. Wayne Wang’s “Diary of a Mad Old Man,” Kamila Andini’s “Four Seasons in Java,” Rima Das’ “Not a Hero” and Fujii Michihito’s “You, Like a Star” are among them.
Icons, the sidebar for established masters, has 35 films. Hamaguchi Ryusuke brings “All of a Sudden,” Pedro Almodóvar “Bitter Christmas,” Werner Herzog “Bucking Fastard,” Lukas Dhont “Coward,” Cristian Mungiu “Fjord” and David Lowery “Mother Mary,” with Anne Hathaway. Brad Bird’s animated “Ray Gunn” features the voices of Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits. Kogonada’s U.S.-Hong Kong co-production “Zi” gets its international premiere in Busan.
Who else is coming
Hong Kong’s Ann Hui will accept the Camellia Award. Indonesian star Christine Hakim will attend, as will the animator Rintaro, who is due to talk about “Metropolis.” Lav Diaz returns to Korea after a decade away. Tsai Ming-liang is back for a second straight year with a new entry in his “Walker” series, and Bertrand Mandico brings “Roma Elastica,” starring Marion Cotillard. Lee Chang-dong and Na Hong-Jin complete the Korean contingent.
Japan is sending a large delegation led by Nagasawa Masami, with Emoto Tasuku, Ishibashi Shizuka, Kuroki Haru, Yokohama Ryusei, Yamazaki Kento, Matsushita Kouhei, Sawajiri Erika, Maruyama Ryuhei and Nagayama Eita. Yeh Shuhua, Michelle Mao, Jin Ha and Thai actress Davika Hoorne make up a younger group.
The festival runs Oct. 6-15 at the Busan Cinema Center and other venues across the city. The 21st Asian Contents & Film Market takes place Oct. 10-13.
