FRED Film Radio - English Channel

In an exclusive interview at the 27th Far East Film Festival, Tony Leung Ka-fai shares valuable insights into his role in "Legend of the Condor Heroes – The Gallant". Based on Jin Yong’s iconic novel, the film offers a fresh interpretation that honors the source material while incorporating modern nuances.

"Legend of the Condor Heroes – The Gallant" follows the story of martial arts legends Guo Jing and Huang Rong, but what truly captivates Leung Ka-fai is his portrayal of the villain Ouyang Feng. In this adaptation, Tony’s Ouyang Feng is a complex character—malicious yet driven by a thirst for power, aiming to obtain the legendary "Nine Scrolls." Leung Ka-fai describes this role as an exciting challenge, as it allowed him to explore the darker side of a classic villain and bring depth and nuance to an iconic character.

Leung Ka-fai explains how his childhood immersed in cinema shaped his approach to acting, emphasizing the importance of understanding Jin Yong’s literary universe. He notes that Jin Yong’s novels, which are experienced through reading rather than watching, stimulate the imagination differently from visual storytelling. This inspired his approach to roles like Ouyang Feng—adding authenticity and layered complexity to the character.

He also discusses his collaboration with Tsui Hark, describing it as a union of dreamers that fosters spontaneous creativity and mutual respect. Leung Ka-fai’s passion for wuxia and his dedication to capturing the spirit of classic stories shine in every scene.

Additionally, he shares how his lifelong love for cinema—from childhood visits to the theater to decades as an actor—has given him a profound understanding of storytelling and character development. This blend of personal history and craft makes his portrayal of Ouyang Feng especially compelling.

"Legend of the Condor Heroes – The Gallant" is set to become a landmark wuxia film, seamlessly merging tradition with innovative cinematic techniques. For fans and newcomers alike, Leung Ka-fai’s insights provide a fascinating perspective on a project that reimagines a beloved classic through a contemporary storytelling lens.

In a revealing interview during the 27th edition of the Far East Film Festival, I had the pleasure of speaking with Roger García, a distinguished film producer and a key advisor for the Asian Film Awards Academy, as well as an artistic consultant for the Hainan Island International Film Festival. Roger García enthusiastically shared his cinematic journey, identifying himself primarily as a cinephile who has devoted his life to celebrating the art of film.

From Critic to Curator: Embracing Diverse Roles

When introducing himself to younger generations unfamiliar with his work, García emphasized his origins as a viewer and critic at heart. His deep-rooted passion for cinema propelled him into diverse roles within the industry, where he not only curates films for prestigious festivals but also produces engaging projects that resonate with his own artistic interests. He believes the essence of his work lies in showcasing films that ignite curiosity and foster engagement in audiences.

During our insightful conversation, we explored the challenge of presenting festival films to broader audiences. García highlighted the tension between cinema as a revered art form meant for the big screen and the modern viewer's preference for small screens. He noted that many films crafted for theatrical release often struggle to reach audiences beyond festival circuits. This led to a compelling discussion on how film festivals serve as vital communal spaces that cultivate shared experiences among viewers, in contrast to the solitary nature of home viewing.

The Evolution of Viewing Habits

As we navigated the current state of film consumption, García underscored the shift in audience preferences toward binge-watching series on streaming platforms. He expressed intrigue about how this transformation affects storytelling and duration in the cinematic experience, pondering whether we might witness the regular emergence of longer-form narratives in festival settings. His insightful analysis of the evolving film landscape drew parallels between binge-watching and traditional cinema experiences, sparking dialogue on how festivals might adapt to this evolution in viewer habits.

Throughout the discussion, García shared his admiration for directors who challenge conventional storytelling methods, emphasizing that impactful cinema transcends genres and delves into unique themes. He expressed keen interest in filmmakers like Harmony Korine and Steven Soderbergh, whose works push the boundaries of cinematic expression. For García, what matters most is the intention behind a film—the "reason for its existence"—as he continuously seeks out narratives that offer fresh perspectives and challenge viewers’ perceptions.

In this enlightening interview, Roger García reflected on his extensive career while voicing his excitement for the future of cinema. As we concluded our conversation, it was clear that his passion for storytelling remains as vibrant as ever.

In an insightful interview at the 27th Far East Film Festival, director Park Ri-woong discusses his evocative film, "The Land of the Morning Calm". This film, whose title serves as a historical nickname for Korea, poignantly reflects the serene facade of a coastal village while contrasting it with the pressing societal issues confronting modern Korea. Park Ri-woong reveals that while the title initially suggests tranquility, it is deeply anchored in a narrative that examines the profound themes of barrenness—not just in the physical landscape, but in the emotional and social fabric of contemporary Korean life.

A Village as a mirror of society

Set in the coastal village of Na Mayon, the film operates as a microcosm where the lives of various characters intersect. One notable character is a captain, initially portrayed as unlikable, whose backstory gradually unveils the scars and struggles that shape his identity. Park Ri-woong skillfully employs these characters to delve into deep themes such as immigration, community disintegration, and the burdens individuals bear in an increasingly isolating society. He emphasizes that the motivations driving the characters are not merely personal; they serve as a reflection of wider societal dilemmas, particularly the decline in birth rates and the rising disillusionment among the youth.

Crafting relatable characters

During the interview, he elaborates on his approach to character development, stating he aimed to craft a protagonist compelling enough to draw viewers' curiosity, encouraging them to invest emotionally in "The Land of the Morning Calm". The director cast Yangi Kyung as the fiercely hopeful mother figure, drawing inspirations from real-life experiences, including elements from his own family history. This connection adds an authentic layer to the narrative, allowing the struggles depicted in the film to resonate more deeply with the audience.

Overcoming production challenges

Additionally, Park Ri-woong shared compelling insights into the production process of "The Land of the Morning Calm". With only 28 days allotted for filming, every scene was meticulously planned and executed. He recounts the challenges faced during production, particularly a pivotal scene where the character Yongsu falls into water, necessitating careful considerations about safety and logistics. Such challenges reflect the gritty reality of filmmaking, where creative ambition must often contend with practical limitations.

Recognition and perseverance

Furthermore, the director expresses his feelings about the film's recognition at the Busan Film Festival. While he aspired to win awards, he was astonished by the level of acknowledgment it received, especially after his debut film, Girl on the Bulldozer, did not receive the attention he had hoped for. This experience reinforced for him the value of perseverance in storytelling and reaffirmed his commitment to meaningful cinema.

In conclusion, Park Ri-woong's insights into "The Land of the Morning Calm" unveil a rich narrative tapestry where the simplicity of village life sharply contrasts with complex, pressing issues. The film invites viewers to reflect on the nature of community, resilience, and hope in the face of adversity.

Celina Murga presented her film " The Freshly Cut Grass" at the Trento Film Festival, as a tribute to her role of member of the International Jury and also as a part of the focus on Argentina that the festival has put together for this edition. It is a film on love and ten need for passion and for new excitement, and the effects and consequences of  dangerous personal choices. The film has Martin Scorsese as executive producer.

The choice of telling two similar stories, that never cross

Celina Murga has decided in her new film "The Freshly Cut Grass" to tell two similar stories of love and cheating in parallel. The choice of having a man who cheats on his wife, and a mature woman who cheats on her husband, both with younger people, with similar dynamics, has been the excuse to analyse the differences of perception and involvement and passion between men and women.

After closing the 38th edition of the Bolzano Film Festival - Bozen, "The Mariana Trench (Marianengraben) - La Fossa delle Marianne" by Eileen Byrne is coming out in Italian movie theaters, with Trent Film, from April 24th. 

The film is based on Jasmin Schreiber’s book and it tells the story of Paula (Luna Wedler), a young woman grieving the loss of her little brother, who meets on her path a widower, Helmut, who’s also dealing with loss. 

It all started, for Eileen Byrne, at the Books at Berlinale, an initiative of the film festival where a selection of books is presented to representatives of the audiovisual industry as they might be perfect for a film adaptation. 

Jasmin Schreiber’s book resonated with Byrne who decided to adapt it for her directorial debut. “Tragicomedies are my way of looking at life, Jasmin Schreiber’s book touched me” says Eileen Byrne. 

Key to the film are the two protagonists of the film, playing Paula and Helmet: Luna Wedler and Edgar Selge.

At the 40th Lovers Film Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed actor James Duval where he presented the screening of "Totally F***ed Up", a drama film written and directed by Gregg Araki considered a seminal entry in the New Queer Cinema genre.

Totally Fucked Up has the power to make you feel less alone

Thirty years after the release of "Totally F***ed Up", the film is still in the spotlight. “I think it speaks to our present because it's so honest”, says James Duval. "I was 18 when I met Gred and made the movie. It changed my life. I think there's a raw, naked honesty and emotion laid wide open and bare for everybody to see is what this film helped. I think people respond more now than they ever have to. At the time I was looking for direction. I was very young and impressionable, but I didn't know who I was. I didn't know if I accepted myself. I was a bit suicidal. I didn't know if I was going to make it to 21. And all of a sudden, I read Greg's screenplay about kids my age feeling completely left out and outcast. And everything that was in that script made me feel less alone, a little bit more connected to a world that none of us felt connected to”.

A script that challenged the status quo

The "Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy" has become a cult classic in cinema. What kind of impact did it have on the actor? "That film was a catalyst of change for me as a person, on a personal and professional level. After I had finished making the series of films with Greg, I found it difficult to make movies because I wasn't getting meaningful scripts", remembers James Duval. "I wasn't getting scripts that were challenging the status quo, and pushing things forward, and really getting into the internal core of what we felt and who we are. I will always have a special place in my heart for movies like Totally Fucked Up or The Doom Generation because of what they meant to me and how they changed me as a person. I don't want to sound crazy. But after I had done Independence Day and Gone in 60 Seconds, I got a little freaked out by the business. Because the movies were fun, and they're different. They weren't meaningful in the same way. There was so much more money involved, and so many people were so connected on how they could use these movies to keep themselves relevant".

A new generation ready to fight for rights

There is a war on human rights in Europe and the United States. There is a real emergency that is putting the lives of millions of people at risk. "It's quite shocking because I never thought we would be back here, to be honest. We've made great strides, but I think in other ways it's worse than it's ever been. It's gone back to before I was born", explains James Duval. "When you have students who are being silenced, who are being removed from the country because of things they say, because of what they feel, because of who they love: that's a big problem. Maybe I'm lucky from my limited scope living in Los Angeles, which is a very liberal city, but I can say that the new generation is bigger than the baby boomers. The generation was so large that they could change the functioning of society. Everything that was happening in society could be changed because they were a large enough group to impact it. But the new generation is larger than the baby boomers. They're doing it in a way that we were fighting for our whole lives, and it's very natural to them. We have to continue to speak up, which goes back to something I learned when I met Greg during the AIDS epidemic. Silence is death, so don't be silent”.

The incredible story of Donnie Darko

One of the unforgettable roles of James Duval's career is Frank in “Donnie Darko” by Richard Kelly. How has the actor seen the film grow over the years? "I signed on to the movie because Jason Schwartzman was playing Donnie Darko. But after I signed on, he fell out. And we got this really talented kid named Jake Gyllenhaal. And it just became a different movie", remembers the actor. "My heart broke after we played at Sundance, and nobody wanted to pick the movie up. Christopher Nolan, who had done Memento at the time, is responsible for helping us get distribution. It came out in the theater three weeks later. We made no money. The movie disappeared. Two years later I was walking through a store and somebody just said: 'Frank'. I turned to look and it was a security guard who just saw the movie. And what had happened slowly over time, I just started to hear more and more about the movie. And then a couple of years after that it became a huge hit on DVD. So to go from a complete failure to being more successful than I could imagine is a strange thing”.

At the 40th Lovers Film Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed director Muneeb Hassan to talk about “All the Men I Met but Never Dated”, a short film presented at the International Short Film Competition.

Queer identity vs. spiritual identity

“All the Men I Met but Never Dated” deals with balancing queer identity with one’s spiritual identity. Is that a process the director had to go through as well? “I think it's just within yourself if you practice a religion. This is something between you and your God and if you separate that you're good to go”, says Muneeb Hassan. “There are no problems within finding yourself, whoever you are. It's just a matter of you and your God”.

The Power of Resistance

The director lives in the United States. As a member of the queer community, is he concerned about the climate of hatred that the Trump administration has spread in the country? “We had Trump four years ago and for four years. People survived. I think people will still survive as long as there's a resistance because if there's then they will stop. That's pretty much all”, says Muneeb Hassan. “It's all about how you perceive it since we live in the major cities. It doesn't really affect that much, but if you go on a federal level sometimes it does”.

The Limits of Queer Cinema

There are many clichés that crowd queer cinema, losing the possibility of making films and TV series capable of showing believable characters and stories. “I think America is way behind in terms of putting up queer cinema because everything starts with sex and ends in the sex. There's a third person in the relationship. I think it doesn't connect with the majority of American audiences”, explains Muneeb Hassan. “The one film that I think that did change the stereotypes and the ideology of American people was Call Me By Your Name. A lot of people connected to it on a bigger level in America, as well with Brokeback Mountain and Moonlight. They were cinematic gems. But if you see other films you know they are just very extremely loud for no reason. And it just gives gags and laughs to a very small community but not on a larger scale which is kind of a problem. We have to create stories that would relate to the bigger audience”.

At the 40th Lovers Film Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed directors Felipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon to talk about “Night Stage”, a film presented in competition.

Sex shouldn't be hidden

“NightStage”'s characters discover their fetish for sex in public places, risking everything. Is the choice to tell this story also linked tothe desire to portrait sex as something that should not be hidden? “I think that's something very important. We always had films connected with this idea of desires, sexuality, eroticism”, explains Felipe Matzembacher.“Nowadays, I think we are entering an era in which people are becoming more prudish, more conservative. We wanted to make a film that put desire as a central force. Desire is the kind of force that can confront capitalism. Because sometimes the idea of being part of a major or mainstream society allows you since you repress your desires. That was something very important to us: the idea that you can fit in this more conservative, capitalist and neoliberal society if you hide your desires, if you suppress them. And then we create these characters that have this very strong force trying to combat this”.

The erasure of stereotypes

Do the directors think that with their films they are helping to erase years of stereotypes of queer representation in cinema? “I think what is relevant for us when we are developing our characters is todo complex lives there”, says Marcio Reolon. "So we don't think of our characters as absolute representatives ofone segment of society, but we always look at them as whole complex human beings. And I think this adds layers to these characters and therefore adds multiplicity, adds this possibility of different lives, of different existences, rather than like reducting them to one specific kind of existence or one kind of behavior”.

A playful movie

“NightStage” has a strong visual component. How did directors imagine it and what were their references? “This is something that crossed many personal lines of research that we do for a long time. When we were developing this story in the beginning we thought it was a noir”, says Felipe Matzembacher.“But then later we realized it's like this next step of noir that would be like the erotic thrillers. And then we really dive into these films. But also it's a reflection of our history as artists, because both Marcio and I were actors before becoming directors. So we put a lot of importance on how to stage the idea of performance and how to put them on screen”. “Stage is a very important word to look at this film, because as we're talking a lot about performance, about these characters that perform specific public lives to hide their private lives”, explains Marcio Reolon. “They are actors and we wanted the film to have this performance even on its aesthetics. Even the lights are performative. For us, this was very relevant. We also got inspiration from New Hollywood cinema. And it was really fun to do a film. We felt so much freedom by doing it because we always wanted Night Stage to be playful”.

At the 40th Lovers Film Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Matthew Fifer to talk about “Haze”, a film presented in competition.

The genesis of the film

How did the "Haze" project come about and how much of a personal aspect is there in the story it tells? “I moved back home for the pandemic and I rediscovered my town's abandoned psychiatric center. In New York, I grew up down the street from a massive psychiatric center that had 9,000 patients at its peak. It had its own movie theater, its own water supply, its own grocery store. It was a village and it was run by the psych patients. When I moved there, it was just this cemetery. These abandoned buildings that couldn't be taken down because of asbestos, which is a cancer-causing. And so I said: 'Wow, this would be a great set for a film'”, says Matthew Fifer. “And at the same time, my mother said: 'Do you know that the man who built our house also built the psych center?'. He would steal supplies to build our house, like bricks and windows and doors. And he was an alcoholic. He also took psych patients to the house, to build it. My whole house is like almost an extension of the psychiatric center”.

Cinematic inspirations

Was "Haze" inspired by other films visually or narratively? “We're having a conversation with the Hays Code, the law from Hollywood back in the 30s. And it said you cannot have queer people in your film unless they're villains or they get murdered. You can't have profanity. You can't have nudity. And so all of these films like Psycho, Dressed to Kill, Silence of the Lambs have the Hays Code woven into the fabric of the story and the visual language, either intentionally or unintentionally”, says Matthew Fifer. “The movie is having a conversation with those films. And one of the last sequences is inspired by Silence of the Lambs”.

A new way to represent the queer community

The queer community in cinema has often been represented in a way that is disconnected from reality and full of clichés. But something has changed. “I think we've come such a long way in the last five to ten years. Weekend was like the first film I remember seeing in the theater that was gay. And I was like ok walking into the theater and walking out and hiding myself”, remember Matthew Fifer. “And that one was so beautiful because it was kind of about the scarcity of queer love and how even if you find it for a moment, it's beautiful, it's everything. It's what we all experience coming from the suburbs or rural parts. And when we finally get it, even for a moment, we're like: 'Oh my God, I have it'. And then it's gone”.

At the 40th Lovers Film Festival, FRED Film Radio interviewed the director Liam Calvert to talk about “A Night Like This”, a film presented in competition.

The two faces of London

In “A Night Like This” London plays a central role. It is like a co-protagonist. But although it is a city full of life and opportunities, it can also make those who live there feel lonely. “I moved to London a few years ago and upon moving there I learned the rules of the ciry where you don't talk to people on the underground, you keep your eyes down, walk fast, don't talk to people you don't know. And I think even though there's so many people around you it can make you feel more lonely and more isolating in some ways especially with things like social media where people are posting the fabulous times they're having. If you don't have that it can be quite a struggle”, says Liam Calvert.

The dilemma of labels

The film avoids labels. In a historical moment in which there is a certain obsession with self-definition, how Liam Calvert hope this aspect will be received? “I think it is a tough dilemma because in some ways labels can be helpful in terms of finding other people like you, especially in the queer community, but also they can be quite limiting in a way they can almost be fences. You think: 'Oh that person's not like me so I can't possibly have anything to do with them'”, says the director. “I think sometimes to have those to break those boundaries and to ignore those limits is really helpful and see each other as just as people. I think as well there's an idea that fascinates me where the idea that every person you know knows a different version of you so the person your partner knows is different to the person your parent knows is different to the person your colleagues know. I think not all the labels will apply to all those people so it's very good to just peel that back and peel all the layers back especially as we go through the film as well to see their different layers and they're not the people you thought they were at the start. Those labels could have been irrelevant by the end”.

The change of queer representation

For a long time, the LGBTQIA+ community has been stereotyped in cinematic representation. How Liam Calvert think queer representation has changed in cinema? “I think representation has grown and it's tough to say positive or negative but I think the best thing to do for representation is just to see as many different sides of it as you can because there's no one way of being gay there's no one way of being queer there's so many different facets to it and no two people really live the same experience so I think what you really need is to show as much breadth of representation as possible so that's why TV has helped show more long-form stories”, says the director. “I think it definitely used to be a lot more sad narratives a lot of coming outs that go badly a lot of more age stories and while those stories are still important and they still need to be told there's much more around that can be shown”.