A set of three fascinating short films from all over the world. Though they were made with low budget, they have a distinctive cinematic styles and showcase unique love stories from Nepal, India and Myanmar.
Duration: 90 minutes
Blue Flower
A Place of Our Own
Laila and Roshni are two transgender women who are looking for a new home after they were forced to evacuate their old apartment. Soon they discover this is also a part of their ongoing journey for recognition in a society that wants to push them to the fringes and not give them a chance to be part of ‘normal’ life, and live in a decent apartment. As the search for a new home continues, new friendships blossom and help is found in the most unexpected places.
“A Place of Our Own’‘ is a special cinematic project, full of love and compassion that was created by the cinematic/social collective “Ektara Collective”. The film describes the hard reality of transgender women in India, but unlike other films in the genre, the result is full of optimism and hope.
Green Night
Jin Xia is a young Chinese woman, fleeing from a secret and troubled past. She arrives in South Korea where she marries a local man in exchange for a citizenship. She works at the airport security and one night meets a mysterious young woman with green hair. The two immediately gravitate towards each other, but what starts as a surprising night romance turns into a journey where they’ll have to fight for their lives against local criminals as well as face the violent men in their lives.
Director Han Shuai delivers to her audience a powerful crime thriller with two fascinating and surprising female leads: Chinese international film star Bingbing Fan (“I am not Madame Bovary”, “X-Men: Days of Future past”, “The 365”) in a breathtaking and unconventional role, and the rising Korean film star Lee Joo Young, who recently starred in “Broker” which featured at Cannes Festival.
About Us But Not About Us
The seemingly humble and simple plot of the film “About Us But Not About Us” is misleading: just how exciting can be a lunch conversation between a Literature professor and his ex-student in a quiet restaurant in Manilla? Well, as it turns out, the best thriller of the year takes place in one location, focusing on two actors and with zero chases, explosions and stunts.
Get ready for a well written cat-and-mouse story that explores the relationship between Eric, a Literature lecturer in university and his ambitious pupil – 20 years old Lance. During their lunch dark secrets, power plays, deep wounds and unexpected emotional strengths will be revealed.
“About Us But Not About Us” is a film that explores social standings and generational gaps in a most brilliant and surprising way. It will keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout and will give them something to talk about long after.
Peafowl
Myung is a fashion icon and one of Seoul’s best voguers. She is taking part in a dance competition hoping that the wins will cover the cost of her gender affirming surgery. When she loses, she decides to go back to her home village and take part in her estranged father’s funeral. In order to receive part of her father’s will, she must perform a traditional mourning dance for her father, who was a beloved dance teacher. Myung embarks on a journey she didn’t plan, back to her country roots and the Buddhist faith she abandoned, despite the hostilities of the villagers. She stays true to herself, even as she sheds some of her armor, in her winding and inspirational way to self enlightenment and finding her unique voice as a dancer.
“Peafowl” is the excellent full length debut film by director/screenwriter BYUN Sung-bin, who won the award for international best short film for his film “For the Sake of a Sick Spirit” in the 2019 TLVfest. With South Korea stunning views, dazzling dancing scenes, moving plot, an unforgettable heroine and an uplifting ending this is one of the most beautiful films of the past year.
The screening is in association with Project Gila & part of the earnings are a donation to the project.
Gila Project for Trans Empowerment (AKA Transgenders for Social Justice) was founded in 2010 by and for the transgender community. It began as an activist group working to change the lives of transgender people, with a focus on personal empowerment, advocacy for rights, and demanding access to resources and opportunities. The Project grew into a strong trans-led nonprofit that continues to uphold these values and goals, and works in the field of LGBTQ rights, human rights, and social justice.
