Curated and organized by the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, the AAS 2024 Film Expo will feature 22 recent documentary and independent films on issues and experiences reflecting contemporary life in Asia. Film screenings and discussions with selected filmmakers will be held from March 14 through March 16, 2024 at the Seattle Convention Center (SCC), Level 3, Room 309 and Room 310, during the Association for Asian Studies 2024 Annual Conference. All screenings are free and open to the public.
DAY 3 (March 16) Screening Schedule
Voices of the Silenced
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 8:30 AM
A film by Soo-nam PARK and Maeui PARK.
2023. South Korea/Japan. 137 minutes.
Country/region featured: South Korea, Japan
Voices of the Silenced intricately interweaves together three layers of the structure: (i) digitally restored 16mm films from the 1980s by Park Soo-nam, a second-generation zainichi filmmaker with failing eyesight; (ii) Park's own intimate reflections in front of the camera; and (iii) the questions posed by her daughter, Park Mai, who edits the restored footage and becomes her mother's eyes in a fading world. This interweaving offers a rich, multi-dimensional exploration of their lives and histories across Japan and the two Koreas.
Distributed by Cinema DAL
www.cinemadal.com
Contact: Sol ah JIN, sales@cinemadal.com
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Forever 17
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 10:40 AM
Directed by Kit Hung.
2019. Hong Kong. 36 minutes.
Country/region featured: Hong Kong
In-person Q&A with filmmaker Kit Hung.(tentative)
After his partner of 40 years passed away, memories flood Ricky whenever he tidies up their
bed. A flashback shows the love story between Ricky and Roger, and the story re-imagines a
future: in 2029, Hong Kong legalises same-sex marriage.
Distributed by GagaOoolala.
https://www.gagaoolala.com/
https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/film/programme/films/detail/2236?r=en
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Escaping Agra
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 11:30 AM
A film by Pallavi Somusetty.
2016. United States. 23 minutes.
Country/region featured: India
In-person Q&A with filmmaker Pallavi Somusetty.
In Escaping Agra, a documentary by Pallavi Somusetty, college student Naveen Bhat chronicles their experience of being illegally detained in Agra, India after their gender and sexual orientation are discovered. As Naveen battles their parents in and out of court, they find support from the Indian Supreme Court's recognition of a third gender. The 23-minute film follows Naveen’s journey home to California as they piece their life back together.
Distributed by Chandi Films
chandifilms.com/watch-escaping-agra
escapingagra.com
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Trans Kashmir
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 12:30 PM
Directed by Surbhi Dewan and SA Hanan and produced by Surbhi Dewan and Afia Mushtaq
2022. India. 62 minutes
Country/region featured: Kashmir, India
For generations, the transgender women of Kashmir have worked as matchmakers and performers but their gender, economic and socio-political realities make them some of the most vulnerable people in the world today. Offering an intimate glimpse into their unique culture, resilience, and beauty, this documentary chronicles their growing movement to secure basic human rights.
Distributed by Frameline
https://www.frameline.org/
https://www.paintedtreepictures.com/transkashmir
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Paradise
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 1:50 PM
Directed by Minki Hong and produced by Todd A. Henry
2023. South Korea. 31 minutes.
Country/region featured: South Korea
Paradise revisits South Korea’s era of authoritarian development (1970s-1980s) through the lens of queer livelihood. Despite the harsh realities of successive dictatorships, compulsory military service, and expectations of marriage and childbirth, six elderly gay men reveal how they converted second-run theaters and nearby bars into popular sites of erotic liberation, same-sex friendships, and romantic encounters. Using rare footage of Seoul’s only extant second-run movie house, visual archives, and historical animation, Paradise documents South Korea’s vibrant gay underground before the solidification of democracy and the introduction of the internet in the 1990s. Along the way, it follows the pain and joy of queer citizens, whose stories appear for the first time in this empowering film of self- discovery and community building.
Distributed by Post Fin Co., Ltd.
http://www.postfin.co.kr/
Contact: Soyeon KWON, soyeon@postfin.co.kr
https://www.facebook.com/Paradise2023Official
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Khata: Poison or Purity?
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 2:40 PM
A film by Huatse Gyal.
2023. China. 45 minutes
Country/region featured: Tibet
In-person Q&A with scholar/filmmaker Huatse Gyal.
This documentary film explores the mass production and mass consumption of Khata with a special focus on discarded Khatas. The Khata is a ceremonial scarf used as a gift on many occasions in the Himalayan world, including births, weddings, graduations, and the arrival and departure of guests.
Self-distributed by the filmmaker
Contact: Hautse Gyal, huatse@rice.edu
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Stories of Pang Jai (風吹布動)
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 3:40 PM
Produced and directed by Jimmy Lo; Executive Producer: Ruby Yang
2023. Hong Kong. 50 minutes.
In-person Q&A with filmmaker Jimmy Lo.
"Pang Jai" stands as a poignant relic of Hong Kong's fabric markets. Its hallowed lanes, etched with the essence of craftsmanship and tradition, echo with the indomitable spirit of resilient vendors. "Stories of Pang Jai" unveils the vivid tapestry of their everyday lives and the epic struggle against the juggernaut of forced demolition.
Self-distributed by the filmmaker
https://vimeo.com/jimmylo
Contact: Jimmy Lo, jimmylofilm@gmail.com
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24659544/reference/
https://theatrefilm.ubc.ca/profile/jimmy-lo
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Yellow Jazz Black Music
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 4:45 PM
Directed by Marketus Presswood and co-produced by Marketus Presswood and Eric Sun
2021. United States. 54 minutes.
Country/region featured: China
In the 1920s and 1930s, African American musicians in Shanghai became crucial to define that era. This documentary is about a story of “the half has never been told,” that is the history of jazz as experienced by African American and Chinese musicians in China from past to present. This film traces the story of some of the important historical figures past and present that shaped part of the Chinese music scene. Featuring musicians Jasmine Chen and Theo Croker.
Self-distributed by the filmmaker.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/yellowjazzblackmusiceduc
Contact: Marketus Presswood, marketus@gmail.com
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Let There Be Light
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 6:05 PM
Directed by Caroline Chu
2023. France. 34 minutes.
Country featured: England and France
In-person Q&A with filmmaker Caroline Chu.
History is often told according to the interpretation and biases of prevailing historical actors, but remnants of the past, can help us tell History differently. By investigating through his family history, John has shed a new light on World War One’s mechanisms.
Distributed by Cinelora
https://www.carolinechu.net
Contact: Caroline Chu, carolinechu.uk@gmail.com