Asian Cinema Night

by Liana Thompson

While the DCI Film Festival’s screenings are dominated by the many excellent short films submitted for competition, they do make room for a limited number of feature-length independent films. This year, the DCI Film Festival will be screening two of the hottest Asian films: The Japanese horror picture, Marebito (Stranger From Afar), and the South Korean supernatural thriller Spider Forest as part of ASIAN CINEMA NIGHT.

In Marebito, director Takashi Shimizu, the new king of J-Horror, follows up his success with Ju-on and The Grudge with this dreamlike, Lovecraftian vision of an unthinkable underground. Marebito isn't your average horror film and avoids repeating what you've already seen in other J-Horror films. Don't look for a twist ending; the entire film is twisted. Gritty and absorbing, it strives not for jump-scares, but for an ever-growing feeling of discomfort.

A psychological thriller with supernatural elements, Spider Forest is compelling human drama. Kang Min wakes in the mysterious Spider Forest, where legend says the souls of the forgotten dead are trapped in the bodies of spiders. What follows is a serpentine trip to the past, through myths, and back to the forest to reveal who died and why. Beautifully filmed, with engaging characters and a story that will sweep you along.

Also showing:
Claang; The Origin, an Italian fantasy by writer/director Stefano Milla.

D, a light crime drama by producer/director/writer Yoh Komaya.

Kyoto Nocturnes: Elegant Slaughter, a Yakuza crime short by producer/director/writer John Foster.

ASIAN CINEMA NIGHT runs for five hours starting Sun 8:30PM, International Ballroom.